Rann of Kutch is a seasonal salt marsh: An aerial view

From the archive record

Gujarat is bestowed with one of the unique ecosystems in the World, i.e. The Rann (the salt marsh ecosystem). Greater Rann of Kachchh (GRK) and Little Rann of Kachchh (LRK) comprise the Rann ecosystem in Gujarat, which was once a part of the shallow Arabian Sea. LRK, having unique fascinating wildlife, is a southeasterly extension of the larger GRK, which separates the Kachchh region of Gujarat from Sindh in Pakistan and the mainland of Gujarat. LRK is the only habitat for remnant Indian Wild Ass population, and only place other than GRK where nesting of the flamingo is recorded in the country. The Rann is a unique ecosystem with soil encrustations and saline marshes. Intensive agriculture, water logging coupled with high evapotranspiration, capillary action creating salt-wastes in the dep