Sign In
Learn bits
Geography
Mahesh

10/03/22 15:32 PM IST

karewas

In News 

  • Kashmir’s highly fertile alluvial soil deposits called ‘karewas’ are being destroyed in the name of development, much to the peril of local people.
Details
  • These plateaus are 13,000-18,000 metre-thick deposits of alluvial soil and sediments like sandstone and mudstone.
  • This makes them ideal for cultivation of saffron, almonds, apples and several other cash crops.
  • Kashmir saffron, which received a Geographical Indication (GI) tag in 2020 for its longer and thicker stigmas, deep-red colour, high aroma and bitter flavour, is grown on these karewas.
  • The fertility of these patches is believed to be the result of their long history of formation.
  • When formed during the Pleistocene period (2.6 million years to 11,700 years ago), the Pir Panjal range blocked the natural drainage in the region and formed a lake spanning 5,000 sq km (roughly three times the size of Delhi).
Formation 
  • Over the next few centuries, the water receded, making way for the valley and the formation of the karewas between the mountains.
  • Today, the karewa sediments not only hold fossils and remnants of many human civilisations and habitations, but are also the most fertile spots in the valley.
About Karewas 

  • In the Kashmiri dialect, the term Karewa means “elevated table land”.
  • Firstly, this term was used by Godwin Austin in 1859 and later on by Lydekker in 1878 for unconsolidated to semi-consolidated sand clay conglomerate sequence.
  • “Vudr” is the local name for Karewas in Kashmiri language.
  • Karewas are the thick deposits of glacial clay and other materials embedded with moraines. These are unconsolidated lacustrine deposits. Lacustrine means “associated with lakes”.
Source- Down To Earth 

More Related Current Affairs View All

20 Feb

The Maharashtra Protection of Interest of Depositors (in Financial Establishments) Act, 1999

'Investors who were defrauded in the Torres Ponzi scam may receive about Rs 40 crore over the next six months.' The Mumbai Police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) has begun

Read More

18 Feb

Aravali safari park project

'The Haryana government’s ambitious 3,858 hectare Aravali safari park project spread across Gurugram and Nuh — which was one of the poll promises of the ruling Bharatiy

Read More

17 Feb

President’s rule function

'Recently,  four days after Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh’s resignation, the Union government announced that President’s rule has been implemented in the v

Read More

India’s First Ai-Driven Magazine Generator

Generate Your Custom Current Affairs Magazine using our AI in just 3 steps