ForumIAS announcing GS Foundation Program for UPSC CSE 2025-26 from 19 April. Click Here for more information.
ForumIAS Answer Writing Focus Group (AWFG) for Mains 2024 commencing from 24th June 2024. The Entrance Test for the program will be held on 28th April 2024 at 9 AM. To know more about the program visit: https://forumias.com/blog/awfg2024
Source: The post is based on the article “Palghat Gap: A break in the Western Ghats” published in The Hindu on 16th May 2023
What is the News?
The Palghat Gap in the Western Ghats is a significant break in the mountain range, measuring about 40 km wide.
What is Palghat Gap?
Palghat Gap is often called a significant discontinuity in the Western Ghats. The Gap is about 40 km wide, with the steep Nilgiris and Anamalai hills, both rising above 2,000 meters on either side.
Important Gateway: The Gap has historically been important as a significant gateway into the State of Kerala. It is a corridor for both roads and railways that connects Coimbatore with Palakkad.
River: The Bharathappuzha River flows through it.
Vegetation: In contrast to the tropical rainforests of the Western Ghats, the vegetation in the Palghat Gap is classified as dry evergreen forest.
Geological Features: The Gap is a geological shear zone that runs from east to west.
Note: Shear zones are weak regions in the earth’s crust — this is the reason behind the rare tremors felt in the region Coimbatore.
Origin: The origin of the Palghat Gap stems from the drift of continental shelves after Australia and Africa broke off from the Gondwana landmass.
Rainfall: The Western Ghats in the north of the Palghat Gap receive more rain annually, but the south gets rain more evenly throughout the year.
Biodiversity: The Gap marks a divide in the flora and fauna of the region. For example, several species of frogs are found only on one side of the Gap.
– Moreover, elephant populations on the Nilgiris side differ in their mitochondrial DNA from elephants in the Anamalai and the Periyar sanctuaries.
