Munsiari

Munsyari (Kumaoni: Munsyār) is the name of the sub-division headquarters, a municipal board, a conglomeration of revenue villages and it also refers to the entire region as Munsiyari Tehsil and Sub Division in the Pithoragarh District in the hill-state of Uttarakhand, India.

Munsiyari Munsiari
Sub-division
Clockwise from top: A view of the Gori river flowing through Johar Valley, Birthi Falls, as seen from Thal-Munsiyari road, Nanda Devi Temple, View of Panchchuli Peaks and Tribal Heritage Museum.
Munsiyari Location in Uttarakhand, India Show map of Uttarakhand Munsiyari Munsiyari (India) Show map of India
Coordinates: 30.067413°N 80.238562°E / 30.067413; 80.238562
Country	India
State	Uttarakhand
District	Pithoragarh
Elevation	2,200 m (7,200 ft)
Languages
• Official	Hindi, Kumaoni
Time zone	UTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN	262554
Vehicle registration	UK 05
Website	uk.gov.in

It is a hill station and lies at the base of the great Himalayan mountain range, at an elevation of about 2,200 m (7,200 ft)^[1] and is a starting point of various treks into the interior of the range.

Economy

Principally subsistence based agriculture and animal husbandry and allied activities. Many families are dependent on forests and natural resources for their livelihoods.^[2]

Establishment

During a summer festival organized in Munsiyari market in 2013, a proposal for granting Munsiyari the status of Nagar Panchayat (lower level Municipality) was passed by the locals.^[3] Gram Panchayats attached to the Munsiyari market had also given their consent for this.^[3] On 28 February 2014, the Uttarakhand Cabinet decided to grant Nagar Panchayat status to the towns of Munsiyari, Chaukhutia and Naugaon.^[4] Shortly afterwards, the then Chief Minister Harish Rawat made an announcement confirming this move while on a visit to the town.^[5] The municipal area was to be created by incorporating 5 Gram Panchayats: Mallaghorpatta, Tallaghorpatta, Bunga, Sarmoli and Jainti.^[5] An official notification was issued on 7 October 2014, but due to major opposition by the Gram Sabhas, the Nagar Panchayat could not come into existence.^[6] In June 2015, several government officials visited the area and tried to initiate talks with local villagers.^[7] After all the talks failed, the notification that allowed the formation of Nagar Panchayat was revoked on 22 August 2016.^[5]

Natural history

Birds

A part of the administrative region of Munsiari is located in the Gori river basin. As of May 2014 a total of 319 birds^[8] have been recorded, constituting a quarter of India's birds. Species richness apart, the Gori river basin harbours many rare, endemic, globally threatened and endangered bird species, including many of the evolutionarily older birds on the Indian sub-continent. The region has been designated by Birdlife International as an Important Bird Area.^[9]

Lichen Park

The Uttarakhand Forest Department has developed a lichen park in Munsiari, which is spread across 1.5 acres. It is India's first lichen park and its development started in 2019.^[10][11]

See also

• Panchchuli - glacier and mountain
• Gori Ganga River