2. Study Area
Mandi district is located at the central region of Himachal Pradesh
between 31°13’ and 32° 05’ North latitudes and 76°37’ and 77°25’ East
longitudes. The district is the second most populated district of
Himachal Pradesh, with a total area of 3,951 km2 and a
population density of 250 persons/km2 having a road
density of 155 km per 100 km2. Two major National
Highways that run across the district’s length and breadth are NH-3
(Atari-Manali-Leh) and NH-154 (Pathankot-Sundernagar-Bilaspur). The
climate of the region is sub-tropical in the valleys but tends to be
temperate near the hilltops. The annual average rainfall in the district
is 255 mm with average monthly rainfall extremities ranging from 10 mm
in November to 345 mm in July. The elevation increase from west to east
and south to north with altitude of the area ranging from 500 m to 3400
m. The soils of Lesser Himalayas and Siwaliks are mainly found in the
district, which is generally high in organic matter and characterised by
rugged topography. Hydro-geologically, the district has two distinct and
well defined units, viz. porous formations constituted by unconsolidated
sediments and the fissured formations. Forests, sparse and dense
vegetation cover the majority of the district area. The Beas river runs
through the northern part of the district whereas the southern part is
drained by the Satluj river as shown in Figure 1.