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64-507: The depth of the channel of port depends on the tide. This channel has a minimum depth of 13 meters. It is the largest port of India by volume of cargo handled. Kandla Port was renamed as Deendayal Port in 2017 under the Indian Ports Act, 1908. The Kandla Port is one of the ports that support the hinterland of North, West and Central India. It mainly transports liquid and bulk cargoes; handled 132.3 million metric tonnes of cargoes in

128-646: A blind thrust . Villages situated on the blind thrust in the eastern part of the Kutch mainland hill range (viz. Jawaharnagar, Khirsara, Devisar, Amarsar and Bandhdi) were completely erased during the 2001 earthquake. 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

192-650: A literacy rate of 71.58%. 34.81% of the population lived in urban areas. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes make up 12.37% and 1.05% of the population respectively. Kutch district has a Hindu majority and Muslim minority with around 1% of Jains. Most Muslims are rural and Kutchi-speaking, and are concentrated in areas closest to the Pakistan border such as Banni . Lakhpat (41.20%) and Abdasa (38.01%) taluks have significant concentration of Muslims, while rural areas of Bhuj taluk have nearly 40% Muslims. Elsewhere, Gujarati Hindus and Muslims are in proportions consistent with

256-706: A border district, Kutch has both an army and an air force base. The history of Kutch can be traced back to prehistoric times. There are several sites related to the Indus valley civilization in the region, and it is mentioned in Hindu mythology . The region is also mentioned in Greek writings during the reign of Alexander the Great . For a time, it was ruled by Menander I of the Greco-Bactrian Kingdom , which

320-581: A comparatively large group in Kutch And there lives a brave and noble community like Ahir . Because most of the population of the Kutch district is Hindu or Jain , the food of the region is largely vegetarian. Jains also refrain from eating root vegetables ( kandmool in Hindi) such as potatoes , garlic , onions , and yams . The district also features a sizeable population of Muslims, who eat vegetables, chicken, mutton and occasionally camel meat. In

384-503: A geometric style for their embroidery. The Garacia Jats are experts in tiny embroidery on the yoke, which intermingles with red, orange, blue and green threads. The Dhanetah Jats love embroidering broad pear-shaped mirrors using orange, black, yellow and red in chain stitch. J. P. Dutta 's Bollywood film Refugee is shot on location in the Great Rann of Kutch and other locations in the Kutch district of Gujarat , India. This film

448-656: A growing number of tourists each year the plan was never implemented and between 2006 and 2007 seven thousand tourists entered the island. Both tourism and educational programs are managed by the Gujarat Ecological Education Research Foundation (GEER). In 2012, the vessel traffic service (VTS-GOK) was opened in the Gulf of Kutch. The project was the join initiative of the Kandla Port Trust, Gujarat Maritime Board and

512-401: A large area although the growing industrialisation, tourism and climate change marine diversity has been reduced. The Gulf of Kutch Marine National Park and Sanctuary (MNPS) was established in 1980 with the creation of the first marine sanctuary and park in response to a number of notifications received by the state of Gujarat. These first installations covered the islands that are located along

576-463: A large part of the year. Even today, the region remains wet for a significant part of year. The district had a population of 2,092,371 as of 2011 census, of which 30% were urban. Motor vehicles registered in Kutch district have a registration number starting with GJ-12. The district is well connected by road, rail and air. There are four airports in the district: Naliya, Anjar, Mundra, and Bhuj. Bhuj and Anjar are well connected with Mumbai airport . Being

640-563: 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 known for its marshy salt flats which become snow white after the shallow water dries up each season before the monsoon rains. The district is also known for ecologically important Banni grasslands with their seasonal marshy wetlands which form

704-453: A large portion of the shipping harbours in the region are located on the northern side including Māndvi, Bedi, and Kandla. Maximum depth of the Gulf of Kutch is around 123m (403 ft). Additionally, there are numerous shoals at the mouth of the gulf namely Lushington, Ranwara, Bobby and Gurur. The gulf expands deep into Gujarat with a length of approximately 150 km before becoming an 8500 km^2 delta. The low annual rainfall that flows into

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768-422: A maximum of 216 metres (709 ft). Oil jetty no-1 to no-7 are each capable of handling two million tonnes of liquid products. Oil jetty no-1 mainly handles LPG and chemicals, oil jetty no-2, 3 and 4 each handle chemicals, oil jetty no-5 carries gas/chemicals, oil jetty no-6 handles petroleum products and oil jetty no-7 mainly handles edible oil. Cargo berths mainly handle bulk cargoes and containers. There are

832-475: A nomadic tribe in Gujarat. Kutch embroidery is unique in the sense that a net is woven on a cloth using thread. The net is then filled in using the same thread by intricate interlocking stitches. The patterns are usually built around geometric shapes. This embroidery follows its own traditional design logic and juxtaposition of colours and motifs. The Rohanas tribals of Kutch specialise in skirt work. The Sodhas use

896-564: A total of 16 berths, of which two are container berths and others are bulk cargo berths. The maximum draft at the terminal is 14.5 metres, providing berthing capacity for vessels up to 255 meters in length. The west coast port handled 7.223 crore (72.225 million) tonnes of cargo in 2008–09, over 11% more than the 6.492 crore (64.920 million) tonnes handled in 2007–08. Even as much of this growth has come from handling of crude oil imports, mainly for Nayara Energy 's Vadinar refinery in Gujarat ,

960-678: Is attributed to have been inspired by the famous story by Keki N. Daruwalla based around the Great Rann of Kutch titled Love Across the Salt Desert which is also included as one of the short stories in the School Standard XII syllabus English text book of NCERT in India. The film crew having traveled from Mumbai was based at the city of Bhuj and majority of the film shooting took place in various locations around in

1024-713: Is classified as a dialect of Sindhi . A common misconception is that it is a dialect of Gujarati. The script of the Kutchi language has become extinct. It is now mainly written in the Gujarati script . Samples of Kutch script are available in the Kutch Museum . The increased use of Gujarati language is mainly because of its being a medium of instruction in schools. Important Jain places of Pilgrimage are - Higher education in Kutch has been regulated by Kachchh University since 2003. About 43 colleges in total are affiliated to

1088-403: Is considered a gesture of friendship and welcoming, and dispute settlements invariably involve the parties offering milk to each other. Similarly, in Kutchi engagement ceremonies, the bride's family offers milk to the groom's family as a symbol of accepting their relationship. They also extensively drink buttermilk during lunch. Tea is the most popular drink in this region. Historically Kutch

1152-519: Is located at three different locations along the Gulf of Kutch , which are Kandla Creek, Tuna Tekra and Vadinar . The port is located 90 miles (140 km) from the Gulf of Kutch estuary or the Arabian Sea . The substrata of the port area consists of silty clay up to a depth of 10 metres (33 ft) below seabed, followed by hard silt up to 26 m; Dense sands are observed underneath the hard silt. Kandla has seasonal temperature variations; April and May are

1216-837: Is managed by the Kandla Port trust. Kutch is a mineral rich region with a very large reserve of Lignite , Bauxite , Gypsum and other minerals. Kutch received tax break for industries for 15 years after the major earthquake on 26 January 2001. Lignite is mined only by Gujarat Mineral Development Corporation (GMDC) at its two mines in Panandhro and Mata no Madh . The Panandaro mines has now been reserved for GEB and GMDC power plants and GMDC has stopped supplying other industries from there. Kutch also houses cement plants Gujarat Anjan Cement Limited promoted by infrastructure conglomerate Anjan Group and Sanghi Industries Ltd's promoted by Sanghi Group. The companies are now planning to increase

1280-490: Is saline, thus agriculture is not an option. Hence salt production is the only livelihood option for Agariyas. As per the Salt Commission's report there are 45000 Agariyas working in the salt pans of Kutch. Out of the estimated total annual production of India of about 18 million tonnes, Gujarat contributes 75% – mainly from Kutch and other parts of Saurashtra. Kutch is one of the most prolific regions in India in

1344-427: Is the largest district in India . The administrative headquarters is the city of Bhuj which is geographically in the center of the district. Gandhidham is the largest city and Financial centre of Kutch. Other main towns are Rapar , Nakhatrana , Anjar , Mandvi , Madhapar , Mundra and Bhachau . Kutch has 969 villages. Kala Dungar (Black Hill) is the highest point in Kutch at 458 metres (1,503 ft). Kutch

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1408-541: Is the largest district of India. The area of Kutch is larger than the entire area of other Indian states like Haryana (44,212 km ) and Kerala (38,863 km ), as well as the country of Estonia (45,335 km ). The population of Kutch is about 2,092,371. It has 10 talukas , 939 villages and 6 municipalities . The Kutch district is home to the Kutchi people who speak the Kutchi language . Kutch literally means something which intermittently becomes wet and dry;

1472-570: Is virtually an island, as it is surrounded by the Arabian Sea in the west; the Gulf of Kutch in south and southeast and Rann of Kutch in north and northeast. The border with Pakistan lies along the northern edge of the Rann of Kutch, of the Sir Creek . The Kutch peninsula is an example of active fold and thrust tectonism . In Central Kutch there are four major east-west hill ranges characterized by fault propagation folds with steeply dipping northern limbs and gently dipping southern limbs. From

1536-496: The 2011 census Kutch District has a population of 2,092,371, roughly equal to the nation of North Macedonia or the US state of New Mexico . This gives it a ranking of 217th in India (out of a total of 640 ). The district has a population density of 46 inhabitants per square kilometre (120/sq mi). Its population growth rate over the decade 2001–2011 was 32.16%. Kutch has a sex ratio of 908 females for every 1000 males, and

1600-431: The Gulf of Oman . It is about 50 km wide at the entrance before narrowing into marshland, creeks and inlets. The south coast is bordered by islands, mud flats and coral reefs, due to the large amount of marine life found in this region it has large sections of it have become protected as parks and sanctuaries. The northern side is lined with extensive mud flats, the largest of which lie between Mundra and Kuvay. Also,

1664-606: The Indian Coast Guard at Jakhau and Okha and one station of Indian Navy at Okha is also integrated in the system. The master control centre is located in Kandla . 22°36′N 69°30′E  /  22.600°N 69.500°E  / 22.600; 69.500 Kutch district Kutch district , officially spelled Kachchh , is a district of Gujarat state in western India , with its headquarters (capital) at Bhuj . Covering an area of 45,674 km , it

1728-466: The 2023–24 financial year. Kandla was constructed in the 1950s as the chief seaport serving western India, after the independence of India. The Port of Deendayal is located on the Gulf of Kutch on the northwestern coast of India, some 256 nautical miles southeast of the Port of Karachi in Pakistan and over 430 nautical miles north-northwest of the Port of Mumbai (Bombay). The port infrastructure of this port

1792-735: The Bambhan, the Malwan, the Kankawati , and the Saraswati rivers. However sea water from the Arabian Sea still continues to be driven into the Great Rann by storm tides aided by high winds. Water remains a serious issue in Kutch. Kutch's thirst for water is satisfied by Narmada river flowing from Sardar Sarovar dam. Kutch is divided into four zones: Under the Kutch princely state , Kutch

1856-525: The Directorate General of Lighthouses And Lightships of India. It is one of the largest VTS system in the world covering water area of 16,500 square kilometres (6,400 sq mi). It extends from Koteshwar to Okha , about 800 km. It cost ₹ 165 crore (equivalent to ₹ 311 crore or US$ 37 million in 2023). It has nine radars, three repeater stations and six port monitoring stations. Two additional monitoring stations of

1920-664: The Gulf of Kutch coral reefs are once again declining. Mangroves are less protected than coral reefs as only 140 km^2 is under MNPS control out of 665.9 km^2. Between 1960 and 1980 mangroves suffered severe destruction regardless of the MNPS. This destruction is credited to mass industry building that consequently decreased the amount of freshwater available to the mangroves. As a result some mangrove species became endangered such as Rhizophora and Ceriops while at least one went extinct. While recently mangrove cover has increased it mostly attributed to districts Jamnagar and Kutch. With

1984-528: The Kandala creek are mainly transported by seven oil jetties along the western bank of the creek. Each jetty consists of a service deck and a total of four dolphin moorings, two each on either side of the service deck. These jetties differ in the length of their service docks; oil jetty no-1 has the shortest length, which is 89.4 metres (293 ft) long, and jetties no-4, 5, 6, and 7 have the longest length, which are each 110 metres (360 ft) long. According to

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2048-584: The Kutch District of the Indian state of Gujarat including the Great Rann of Kutch (also on BSF controlled "snow white" Rann within), Villages and Border Security Force (BSF) Posts in Banni grasslands and the Rann, Tera fort village, Lakhpat fort village, Khera fort village, a village in southern Kutch, some ancient temples of Kutch and with parts and a song filmed on set in Mumbai's Kamalistan Studio. Just after

2112-460: The area of textile art. Kutch Embroidery is dense with motifs, and a variation with mirrors sewn into the embroidery is one of the signature arts of this region. Within the category of Kutch embroidery there are several sub-categories as each tribe and sub-tribe produces a unique signature form of art. Kutchi embroidery is an evolving expression of the craft and textile traditions of the Rabaris,

2176-402: The capacity at Abdasa location from 3–9 million tons per annum. By 2015, the company plans to produce 20 million tons. Kutch district has a scanty forest cover. Hence there is negligible risk of illegal cutting of forests. This coupled with the adequate facilities available at Kandla port has helped establish the timber market. In 1987, "Kandla Timber Association" was formed in order to resolve

2240-536: The coast of Saurashtra with the inter tidal sectors becoming the first National Park areas. In recognition of the for their conservation efforts MNPS were classified by the Wildlife Institute of India as a part of the West coast Biotic Province in 1982. The area the MNPS covers include 148.92 km^2 of 42 islands and 309 km^2 of inter tidal zone. 162.89 km^2 is dedicated as National Park area with

2304-408: The construction design and infrastructure, the oil jetties are capable of handling oil tankers ranging from 40,000 DWT to 65,000 DWT. Among the oil jetties, oil jetty no-6 has the lowest navigability with a draft of 10.1 metres (33 ft) and oil jetty no-7 has the highest navigability with a draft of 13 metres (43 ft), while the length ranges of berth from a minimum of 183 metres (600 ft) to

2368-401: The driest months, with average monthly rainfall below 0.6 mm. The average annual rainfall in this region is about 322 mm. Visibility in the harbor area is good throughout the year, and low visibility can usually be observed during rain and storms. Kandla is a natural tidal harbour, completely protected from waves during monsoons; Connected to deep water by a dredged channel. Liquid products at

2432-469: The existence of two major ports i.e. Kandla and Mundra transportation as a business has thrived. Since historical times the people of Kutch have formed the backbone of trade between Gujarat mainland and Sindh. After the formation of Pakistan this trade stopped for good, but due to the inception of the Kandla port, trade boomed again. Kandla port is also in Kutch. It is considered Gateway to India's North. It

2496-436: The far western edge of India has resulted in the commissioning of two major ports: Kandla and Mundra . These ports are closest to the Gulf of Arabia (and thus to Europe by sea). The hinterland of north-western India hosts more than 50% of India's population. Quality of roads is good in Kutch. The large part of the growth of Kutch came after intense development by the state government as part of 2001 earthquake relief. Due to

2560-487: The gradual increasing dimension of the linear chain of hillocks towards the west along the Kutch mainland fault and the epicentre of the earthquake of 2001 lying at the eastern extreme of Kutch mainland fault, it is suggested that the eastern part of the Kutch mainland fault is progressively emerging upward. It can be suggested from the absence of distinct surface rupture both during the 1956 Anjar earthquake and 2001 Bhuj earthquake , that movements have taken place along

2624-405: The gulf means that there are no major rivers going into the gulf and creating run-off. Tidal conditions range with spring tide peaking around 6.2 m while the annual average is around 4 m. Moreover, the height of the tides can also vary depending on how deep into the gulf it's recorded. Ohka has been measured in a range of 3.06 m while Kandla has shown heights of 5.89 m at the same time. Similarly,

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2688-408: The introduction of MNPS parts of the environment have been restored promoting tourism around and on the islands. This has also resulted in policy change around these areas. Pirotan island in 1994 was planned to be classified under the maximum protection level wherein only scientific research and environmental assistants could enter. This was formulated as a part of the 1994 management plan. However, with

2752-465: The outer belt of the Rann of Kutch. Kutch is surrounded by the Gulf of Kutch and the Arabian Sea to the south and west, while the northern and eastern parts are surrounded by the Great and Little Rann (seasonal wetlands) of Kutch. It is also next to the border with Pakistan , a neighbouring country of India. When there were not many dams built on its rivers, the Rann of Kutch remained wetlands for

2816-437: The port is also taking measures to boost non-POL cargo. Last fiscal, POL traffic accounted for 63 per cent of the total cargo handled at Kandla Port, as against 59% in 2007–08. In 2015-16 the port handled 10.6 crore (106 million) tonnes of cargo. In 2008–09, total port traffic grew by 13.6% to reach an all-time high of 7.22 crore (72.22 million) tonnes. The port's share in traffic handled by all major ports has risen steadily over

2880-575: The rainy season runoff. While most of these dams do not affect the Ranns, as they are on rivers that feed directly into the Arabian Sea, 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. This is true of the Great Rann, but particularly true of the Little Rann which is fed by the Luni , Rupen ,

2944-793: The remaining classified as sanctuary land. Under the Wild Life Protection Act of 1972 this means that no human intrusion is permitted in the park regions but certain rights may be permitted in sanctuaries such as fishing. Initially, the MNPS was established to protect regions with rich ecosystems but since the 1991 Coastal Zone Regulation Notification coral reefs as well as mangroves have been included in this protection. Coral Reefs are regions of extreme biodiversity but can also be extremely fragile under certain conditions. It has been observed using satellite data that all coral reefs combined have shrunk 43% between 1975 and 1986 with an almost 100 km^2 loss. The reason for this coral damage

3008-623: The rest of Gujarat. Languages of Kutch district (2011) According to the 2011 Census, Kachchhi speakers are a majority in 5 out of the 10 tehsils: Abdasa (76.06%), Lakhpat (69.71%), Mandvi (62.48%), Nakhatrana (54.54%) and Mundra (50.66%). In addition, they are 43.39% in Bhuj, 18.06% in Anjar and 14.13% in Gandhidham. However in Rapar and Bhachau, they are only 0.14% and 1.05% respectively. Kutchi

3072-610: The seventh century, Kutch was being ruled by Charans , Kathis , and Chavdas . The Chavdas ruled the eastern and central parts by the seventh century, but Kutch came under the rule of the Chaulukya dynasty by the tenth century. After the fall of Chaulukya, the Vaghelas ruled the state. By the thirteenth century, the Vaghelas controlled the whole of Kutch and adopted a new dynastic identity, Jadeja . For three centuries, Kutch

3136-583: The sovereignty of the British East India Company in 1819, when Kutch was defeated in battle. That same year, the state was devastated by an earthquake . The state stabilized and flourished in business under subsequent rulers. Upon the independence of India in 1947, Kutch acceded unto the dominion of India and was constituted an independent commissionaire . It was made a state within the union of India in 1950. The state witnessed an earthquake in 1956 . On 1 November 1956, Kutch State

3200-541: The specific problems of timber importers and timber allied industries coming up during the period. The timber industry is growing at a faster pace with 300 saw mills working in Gandhidham-Kandla Complex. The Little Rann of Kutch is known for its traditional salt production and various references mention this to be a 600-year-old activity. During the British period, this activity increased manifold. It

3264-984: The speed of the current has been recorded between 1.5 to 2.5 knots at the entrance and 3 to 5 knots within the centre. The Gulf of Kutch is referred to in the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea , a travelogue written in about 50 CE, as the Gulf of Baraca . Wildlife diversity has been primarily monitored within the marine protected region with one study showing a recorded total of 1,127 species of fauna and flora. The total included 200 species of molluscs, 3 species of turtles, 3 species of marine mammals. Other studies have recorded hundred of species of fish. Coral Reefs The Gulf of Kutch contains fringing, platform and patch reefs as well as coral pinnacles with at least 37 different species of hard corals with other reports indicating 44 species of hard coral and 12 species of soft coral. These coral reefs are thousands of years old with

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3328-465: The state and founded the current lineage of rulers at the start of the seventeenth century. The descendants of the other brothers founded states in Kathiawar . After turbulent periods and battles with the armies of Sindh, the state was stabilized in the middle of the eighteenth century by a council known as Bar Bhayat ni Jamat who placed Rao as a titular head and ruled independently. The state accepted

3392-493: The university, offering courses in humanities, science, commerce, medicine, nursing, education and computer science. Professional courses in engineering, pharmacy and management are regulated through the Gujarat Technological University . Kutch district is inhabited by various groups and communities. One can find various nomadic, semi nomadic and artisan groups living in Kutch. Rabari constitute

3456-466: The villages of the district, staple foods include kadi-khichdi , milk, and bajra (pearl millet). The latter of these was introduced to the region by a king named Lakho Fulani, who was himself introduced to the grain during his period of exile. Bajara na rotla with curd and buttermilk is also a staple among the Gujarati people. In the region, milk is considered to be a sacred food; an offering of milk

3520-549: The warmest months, while December and January are the coldest months. The maximum temperature in May is 40°C and the minimum temperature in January is 12°C; the average daily maximum temperature is 34°C and the average daily minimum temperature is 20°C. Low rainfall is observed in Kandla. The port receives most of its seasonal rainfall from the southwest monsoon from June to September, with an average rainfall of 153 mm. April and May are

3584-404: The years, peaking at 13.6% in 2008-09 (see table). Earlier projections made by the port indicate an annual capacity handling target of 10 crore (100 million) tonnes per annum by 2012. Gulf of Kutch The Gulf of Kutch is located between the peninsula regions of Kutch and Saurashtra , bounded in the state of Gujarat that borders Pakistan . It opens towards the Arabian Sea facing

3648-484: The youngest being from 5,240 years old at Salaya although these coral clusters grow at a rate of 1 cm to 10 cm a year. Conservation within the Gulf of Kutch have aimed to curb the collapse of local ecosystems in the last century. Before the Marine National Park and Sanctuary no government supported environment protect existed in the region. Conservation efforts have been extensive in maintaining

3712-419: Was always considered a backward region due to its location and submerged geography. The situation seemed to have worsened after the disastrous Kutch earthquake in 2001. But in the next decade, the economy took an almost miraculous jump start due to the intense efforts of the Gujarat government. Kutch today is a growing economic and industrial hub in one of India's fastest growing states – Gujarat. Its location on

3776-529: Was divided and ruled by three different branches of the Jadeja brothers. In the sixteenth century, Kutch was unified under one rule by Rao Khengarji I of these branches, and his direct descendants ruled for two centuries and had a good relationship with the Gujarat Sultanate and Mughals . One of his descendants, Rayadhan II, left three sons, of whom two died, and a third son, Pragmalji I took over

3840-581: Was divided into Bani, Abdasa, Anjar, Banni, Bhuvad Chovisi, Garado, Halar Chovisi, Kand, Kantho, Khadir, Modaso, Pranthal, Prawar, and Vagad. Kutch District is further divided into six subdistricts, each comprising one or two taluka : 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 . According to

3904-412: Was due to sediment covering the coral preventing sun light from entering. As a result it starved the coral of nutrients leading to death. The main cause of the mud was due to coral dredging by a nearby cement company. As a result of these findings bans were placed on coral mining near protected areas, and between 1985 and 1991 coral reefs started to increase in size. However, with the growing industry inside

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3968-414: Was merged with Bombay state , which in 1960 was divided into the new linguistic states of Gujarat and Maharashtra , with Kutch becoming part of Gujarat as Kutch district. The district was affected by a tropical cyclone in 1998 and the earthquake in 2001 . The state saw rapid industrialization and growth in tourism in subsequent years. Kutch District, at 45,674 square kilometres (17,635 sq mi),

4032-645: Was then overthrown by Indo-Scythians . The region was later ruled by the Maurya Empire and Sakas . In the first century CE, it was under the Western Satraps , followed by the Gupta Empire . By the fifth century, the Maitraka dynasty of Valabhi took over from which its close association with the ruling clans of Gujarat started. Hieun Tsang refers to Kutch as Kiecha in his writings. In

4096-413: Was used to fund a substantial part of the military expenses of the British government. Communities involved in salt production are mainly Chunvaliya Koli, Ahir and Miyana (Muslim), residing in 107 villages in the periphery of Lesser Rann of Kutch. These communities are traditionally known to have the skills of salt production and are known as 'Agariyas'. Water quality in 107 villages of Lesser Rann of Kutch

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