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.