General Information:
The topo sheet no. 45y shows the western part of India along the Gujarat- Rajasthan border. It covers the Banas Kantha district of Gujarat and the Sirohi district of Rajasthan. This region extends from 24°15’N in the south to 24°30’N in the north and from 72°15’E in the west to 72°30’E in the east and covers a total area of about 700 sq. km. More precisely, it covers an area of about 25 km from east to west and about 28 km from north to south.
This region was surveyed in 1958-1960 under the guidance of Dr Prithvish Nag, the then Surveyor General of India and was first published in 1962. This is the first edition of the map which was initially drawn on one inch scale. Later it was modified and updated on the scale of 1:50,000 or 2 cm: 1 km.
The contour interval is taken as 20 metres and every fifth contour is shown by a comparatively thicker line known as the Index Contour. The mean Grid North in this topo sheet is 0°22’E of the True North. The magnetic variation from the True North was about 15 West in 1960 and it is decreasing at the rate of 11 annually.
Image Source: carerslewisham.org.uk
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This topo sheet is an educational sheet with arbitrary grid drawn in red colour. The eastings and northings are drawn 2 cm apart on the map to represent 1 km on the ground.
Relief:
Except the hilly areas in the north-eastern part, a major part of this area is a plain. The general slope of the land in this region is from the northeast to the southwest in the northern part and from east to west in the southern part. This can be verified by the direction of the flow of rivers.
Drainage:
Banas is the main river in this region, which flows from east to west. It has a large number of left and right bank tributaries. The Sipu Nadi in the north western part of this topo sheet is the most important tributary. It flows from the northeast to the southwest and joins the main stream towards the west.
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The Sipu Nadi has two main tributaries, which originate in the northeastern hilly region. These are the Varka Nala and Mahadeviyo Nala. These tributaries join the Sipu Nadi on the left bank. The Sarod Nadi and the Arado Nadi are the two main tributaries of the Banas River and join it on the right bank. The Balram Nadi coming from the southeast is the main tributary on the left bank.
The broken ground near the river courses is due to the soft soil. Most of the streams originate in the adjoining hilly areas.
Natural Vegetation and Soils:
The general outlook indicates that a major part is under various sand features, and thus experiences dry and desert conditions. In the hilly areas, dry deciduous trees are common, while in the plain, there are scrub and thorny trees (semi-desert vegetation).
A large area has sandy soils, which is soft and loose. The broken ground, near the water courses, indicates the excessive erosion due to water and wind. This situation is also confirmed by various symbols drawn on the topo sheet.
Economic Activities:
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A very large area is under farming. Thus agriculture and animal rearing are the main occupations in this region. Some areas can produce both rabi crops (wheat, barley, cotton, gram, etc.) and kharif crops (millets and maize). There are no permanent sources of irrigation except a few wells and tanks. The entire farming schedule is dependent on the limited seasonal rainfall.
Settlements and Transportation:
Most of the settlements in this region are small and scattered. There is only one small town, Chitrasani, in the southeast corner, which is linked by rail and pucca metalled road. Most of the rural settlements are small and are connected by either cart-tracks or pack-tracks. Most of the settlements in the plain areas are located near the river courses.