The national parks in India are areas of biodiversity conservation and preservation of the natural environment. India is home to numerous national parks (106) and plenty of wildlife sanctuaries. National parks in India are not usually distributed according to state-wise land distribution but rather on the availability of forest cover. According to 2021 reports, the forest cover in India has increased from 2019 by an area of 1540 sq km. Due to an uneven distribution of forest cover in Indian states, the number of national parks also varies depending on the availability of forest cover. The article discusses the List of National Parks in India. 

National Parks

National parks depend on forest cover. The government allows some specific plots of land for preservation and conservation purposes. A majority of national parks run on funding provided by the governments and the tourism it attracts. National Parks in India List contains all necessary information about many popular national parks in India. Arunachal Pradesh has the highest tree cover of almost 97%, therefore, supporting robust biodiversity in national parks and reserves. National Parks in India List also helps in identifying national parks according to their states. 

List of National Parks in India 

National Parks in India comprise almost 1.35 % of the total landmass available in the country. There are discussions of introducing more national parks in India to support wildlife conservation. India has many distinct areas of protected areas including national parks. There are tiger reserves, wildlife sanctuaries, conservation areas, biosphere reserves, private protected areas, reserved forests, and community reserves. Famous national parks in India consist of but are not limited to:

  • Kanha National Park – is the largest central national park located in Madhya Pradesh. Many species of big cats such as tigers, leopards, and barasingha deer are the main attraction here. 
  • Kaziranga National Park – is located in Assam and is home to Asian elephants, one-horned rhinoceros, sloth bears, migratory birds, and Gangetic dolphins. 
  • Bandhavgarh National Park – located in Madhya Pradesh, it supports several different kinds of insects, big cats, birds, and other mammals.
  • Periyar National Park- located in Kerala it is a famous national park full of biodiversity and scenic beauty. 
  • Gir National Park – this is famous for housing Asiatic lions, bears, and tigers. It is located in Gujarat. 
  • Sundarban National Park – located in West Bengal it is a UNESCO biosphere reserve with more than 100 royal Bengal tigers and rich reptilian and fish biodiversity.
  • Nagarhole National Park – located in Hunsur, Karnataka.
  • Ranthambore National Park – located in Sawai Madhopur, Rajasthan.
  • Bandipur National Park – located in Bandipur, Karnataka
  •  Pench National Park – located in Madhya Pradesh

National Park in India

National Parks in India are also popular tourist spots and function as important conservation sites. There are a lot of camping grounds around most of the national parks as well. There are certain camping grounds or hiking trails in India which are almost similar to the Grand Canyon National Park. 

National Park Information

Relevant national park information can be accessed online or by visiting the home pages of different national parks to check on the availability of tickets. According to some reports, a total of 75 additional national parks are said to be set up by the government of India in the coming decades.

Conclusion

Since forest cover is so important for the establishment of national parks, their increase or decrease greatly affects the national parks. It has been found in recent studies that forest cover has increased in 20 of the tiger reserves while it has decreased in the other 30. There has been a recorded growth of forest cover in West Bengal (Buxa), Indravati reserves (Chhattisgarh), and Annamalai (Kerala).