Kaas plateau

Kaas Plateau
कास पठार
Kas Plateau
Plateau

Kaas plateau, Satara(World Heritage Site)[1]
Nickname(s): Kaas Valley of Flowers
Kaas Plateau

Location in Maharashtra, India

Coordinates: 17°43′13″N 73°49′22″E / 17.7201607°N 73.8227916°E / 17.7201607; 73.8227916Coordinates: 17°43′13″N 73°49′22″E / 17.7201607°N 73.8227916°E / 17.7201607; 73.8227916
Country  India
State Maharashtra
District Satara
Area
 • Total 10 km2 (4 sq mi)
Elevation 1,200 m (3,900 ft)
Website http://www.kas.ind.in/

The Kaas Plateau also known as the "Kaas Pathar" is a plateau situated 25 kilometres from Satara in Maharashtra, India.[2] It falls under the Sahyadri Sub Cluster of the Western Ghats which is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is a biodiversity hotspot known for various types of wild flowers which bloom annually in the months of August and September. The plateau is situated at an altitude of 1200 metres and is approximately 1,000 hectares in area. Kaas has more than 850 different species of flowering plants of which 624 are listed on the IUCN Red List.[2] These include orchids, shrubs such as the Karvy, and carnivorous plants such as Drosera Indica.

The name Kaas is said to originate from the kaasa tree (Elaeocarpus glandulosus).

Cynotis tuberosa
Murdannia lanuginosa
Ceropegia vincaefolia (local known as Kandilpushpa/Kandil kharchudi)

About

Kaas plateau is a plateau located near Satara. It is situated high hill plateaus and grasslands turns into a 'valley of flowers' during monsoon season, in the month of August. Kaas Plateau has more than 150 or more types of flowers, shrubs and grasses. The orchids bloom here for a period of 3–4 weeks during this season. Kaas plateau a World Natural Heritage site.[1][3][4]

Formation of plateau

Plateaus can be formed by a number of processes, including upwelling of volcanic magma, extrusion of lava, and erosion by water and glaciers. Magma rises from the mantle causing the ground to swell upward, in this way large, flat areas of rock are uplifted. Plateaus can also be built up by lava spreading outward from cracks and weak areas in the crust. Plateaus can also be formed by the erosional processes of glaciers on mountain ranges, leaving them sitting between the mountain ranges. Water can also erode mountains and other landforms down into plateaus. Computer modeling studies suggest that high plateaus may also be partially a result from the feedback between tectonic deformation and dry climatic conditions created at the lee side of growing orogens.[5] To control possible damage by common tourist, Government Departments have restricted the number of visitors to 2,000 per day.[1]

Geography

Kaas plateau is a plateau located around 25 km from Satara. There are two ways to reach Kaas. one the more direct way from Satara and another from Tapola via the link road connecting Mahabaleshwar and Panchgani to Kas Pathar. The link road facilitates tourists in staying in Tapola or Mahabaleshwar after visiting Kas Pathar rather than the Satara town or cutting the weekend picnic short and making it a one-day weekend picnic. Kas plateau is 20 km away from Northern part of Koyana Sanctuary. The major portion of the plateau is reserve Forest. Kaas lake (built 100 years ago) is a perennial source of Water supply for western part of Satara city by gravity. The flora of Kaas are around the locality of that area. The plateau is largely formed of basalt which is directly exposed to atmosphere. The basalt rock is covered by a thin cover of soil formed due to erosion and has accumulated a layer of not more than an inch or so. This soil is neither black nor lateritic. At certain places water gets accumulated because of uneven surface. The plants growing on Kas plateau are typically of herbaceous nature of like grasses. The small shrubs and trees are located at the periphery of the plateau at Kaas plateau.[6]

The various distances of Kas plateau are as follows:

Bio-diversity on Kaas plateau

Kaas Plateau is rich in its Bio-diversity. Many species are observed on plateau which are new to the Botanical Science. Many of the endemic, endangered plants are found on Plateau. More than 850 species of flowering plants are reported on the plateau. 624 species have entered in the Red Data Book. Out of these 624 species, 39 are found only in Kaas Region.[7]

Other attractions

Kaas lake is on the south of the Kaas Plateau and is surrounded by dense forests and lies between Sajjangad fort and the Kanher Dam.It is just like a bowl carved out of the Sahyadri mountains. Koyna project is around 30 km towards the south of Kaas Lake. Apart from these, there are number of other scenic places like caves, picnic spots, boating places, temples etc. which not only attract tourists from all parts of the world. The place is a hub of scenic beauty, wildlife and holy places.[8] vajarai Waterfall is also near from Kaas which is India's highest waterfall now.[9]

Flowers

The following is a list of some of the flowers found on at Kaas:

  1. Adenoon indicum (local name mothi sonaki)
  2. Aerids maculosum
  3. Aponogeton satarensis (local name Vaytura)
  4. Arisaema murrayi (local name Pandhara Sapkanda)
  5. Begonia crenata
  6. Ceropegia jainii (local name Somada)
  7. Ceropegia vincaefolia (local name Kandilpushpa/ Kandil kharchudi- कंदिल खर्चुडी)
  8. Ceropegia media
  9. Chlorophytum glaucoides (local name Musali)
  10. Cyanotis tuberosa (local name Abhali)
  11. Dendrobium barbatulum (Bharangee)
  12. Dioscorea bulbifera (local name dukkar kanda)
  13. Dipcadi montanum (Deepkadee)
  14. Drosera burmanni (local name Davbindu)
  15. Drosera indica (local name Gavati Davbindu - गवती दवबिंदू)
  16. Elaeocarpus glandulosus (local name Kaasa)
  17. Exacum tetragonum (local name Udi chirayat)
  18. Flemingia nilgheriensis
  19. Habenaria grandifloriformis
  20. Habenaria heyneana (local name toothbrush Orchid)
  21. Habenaria longicorniculata
  22. Habenaria panchagnesis
  23. Hitchenia caulina (local name Chavar)
  24. Impatiens oppositifolia
  25. Ipomoea barlerioides
  26. Linum mysurense (local name Undri)
  27. Memecylon umbellatum (local name Anjani)
  28. Murdannia lanuginosa (local name Abolima)
  29. Murdannia simplex (local name Nilima)
  30. Nymphoides indicum (local name Kumudini)
  31. Oberonia recurva
  32. Paracaryopsis coelestina (local name Nisurdi)
  33. Paracaryopsis malbarica (local name Kali Nisurdi)
  34. Pinda concanensis (local name Pinda)
  35. Pogostemon deccanensis
  36. Rotala fimbriata
  37. Rotala ritchiei (local name Paner)
  38. Senecio bombyensis (local name Sonki)
  39. Senecio grahami / bombayensis (Sonakee - सोनकी)
  40. Smithia agharkarii
  41. Smithia hirsute / hirsuta (local name Kavala - कवळा)
  42. Trichosanthes tricuspidata (local name Kondal)
  43. Utricularia purpurascens (Seetechee aasawe - सीतेची आसवे)
  44. Vigna vexillata (local name Halunda)
  45. Wild Brinjal flower (kaaTe ringaNii - काटे रिंगणी)

Gallery

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Kaas to bloom for only 2,000 tourists daily - Pune -DNA". Dnaindia.com. Retrieved 2013-05-01.
  2. 1 2 http://www.kas.ind.in/
  3. ↑ "Mr. Rajendra Shende, Chairman, TERRE, United Nations Environment Programme, Technologies and Policies, Ozon Action Programme, Multilateral Ozone Fund, Global Environmental Facility, Technology support programme, Multilateral Environmental Agreement, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Indian Institute of Technology". Terrepolicycentre.org. 2013-04-15. Retrieved 2013-05-01.
  4. ↑ "Articles about World Heritage List by Date - Page 5 - Times Of India". Articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com. Retrieved 2013-05-01.
  5. ↑ Garcia-Castellanos, D., 2007. The role of climate during high plateau formation. Insights from numerical experiments. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 257, 372-390, doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2007.02.039 pdf
  6. ↑
  7. ↑ Bio-diversity on Kaas plateau
  8. ↑ Other attractions
  9. ↑ Vajrai Waterfall

External links

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