Kachchh District facts for kids

Kutch district is a district of Gujarat state in western India. Covering an area of 45,674 km², it is the largest district of India. The population of Kutch is about 2,092,000. The Kutch district is home to the Kutchi people who speak the Kutchi language.

Kutch literally means something which intermittently becomes wet and dry; a large part of this district is known as Rann of Kutch which is shallow wetland which submerges in water during the rainy season and becomes dry during other seasons. The same word is also used in Sanskrit origin for a tortoise. The Rann is famous for its marshy salt flats which become snow white after the shallow water dries up each season before the monsoon rains.

Coat of arms of the Indian princely state of Kutch 1893

The district is also famous for ecologically important Banni grasslands with their seasonal marshy wetlands which form the outer belt of the Rann of Kutch.

Kutch District is surrounded by the Gulf of Kutch and the Arabian Sea in south and west, while northern and eastern parts are surrounded by the Great and Little Rann (seasonal wetlands) of Kutch. When there were not many dams built on its rivers, the Rann of Kutch remained wetlands for a large part of the year. Even today, the region remains wet for a major part of year.

The district is well connected by road, rail and air. There are four airports in the district: Naliya, Kandla, Mundra, and Bhuj. Bhuj is well connected with Mumbai airport. Being a border district, Kutch has both an army and an air-force base.

Rivers and dams

One of the water reservoirs at Dholavira

There are ninety-seven small rivers in Kutch District, most of which flow into the Arabian Sea, but some of which feed the Rann of Kutch. Twenty major dams, and numerous smaller dams, capture the rainy season runoff. While most of these dams do not affect the Ranns, storage of rainy season water upstream from Kutch and its use in irrigation has resulted in less fresh water coming into the Ranns of Kutch during the rainy season. Water remains a serious issue in Kutch. Kutch's thirst for water is satisfied by Narmada river flowing from Sardar Sarovar dam.

Wild ass in Wild Ass Sanctuary, Little Rann of Kutch, India

Wildlife sanctuaries and reserves

From the city Bhuj various ecologically rich and wildlife conservation areas of the Kutch district can be visited such as Indian Wild Ass Sanctuary, Kutch Desert Wildlife Sanctuary, Narayan Sarovar Sanctuary, Kutch Bustard Sanctuary, Banni Grasslands Reserve and Chari-Dhand Wetland Conservation Reserve.

Images for kids

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  Maharao Khengarji III of Cutch - circa 1900

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  A state highway through the Rann of Kutch

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  Rudramata Dam. A rain water reservoir that supplies water to deserted areas around capital city of Bhuj

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  Rukmavati River, Mandvi

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  Kalo dunger

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  A Meghwal woman in the Hodka village, north of Bhuj.

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  Krantiguru Shyamji Krishna Varma Kachchh University, Bhuj

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  caravan near mundra kutch,gujarat,India

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  Kutchi Dabeli

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  Kutchi thali

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  Kandla Port

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  Lignite

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  Salt worker in Rann of Kutch

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  An example of Kutch Embroidery – Antique Dowry Bag

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  Ajrak

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  White Rann of Kutch

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  Dholavira, one of the largest cities of the Indus Valley Civilisation, with stepwell steps to reach the water level in artificially constructed reservoirs.

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  Ten Indus characters from the northern gate of Dholavira, dubbed the Dholavira Signboard.

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  Flag of the Princely State of Cutch

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  Narayan Sarovar Temple

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  Ashapura Mata Temple, Mata no Madh

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  Vasai Jain Temple, Bhadreshwar

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  Lakhpat Gurdwara

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  Hajipir Dargah

See also

In Spanish: Distrito de Kutch para niños