Pariksha SaathiLesson 7 of 10 · Haryana General Knowledge
Climate, Soils, Forests and Wildlife of Haryana
Drafted with AI assistance and fact-checked on 28 October 2026; not yet read line by line by a human editor. Spotted a mistake? Tell us. Editorial standards & corrections
Climate
Haryana has a continental, sub-tropical climate, semi-arid in the south-west and sub-humid in the north-east. Far from the sea, it has extremes. Summers (April to June) are very hot and dry, with temperatures in the south-west often above 45°C, hot winds called loo and dust storms. Winters (December to February) are cold, with frost and fog, and January is the coldest month. The south-west monsoon arrives around the end of June and brings most of the year's rain between July and September, while western disturbances bring light winter rain that helps the wheat crop.
Rainfall pattern
Rainfall decreases from the north-east to the south-west. The Shivalik foothills of Panchkula, Yamunanagar and Ambala receive the most, often over 1,000 mm a year, while Sirsa and the sandy south-west receive the least, around 300 mm or less. Because rain is low and uncertain over most of the state, irrigation by canals and tubewells is essential, and droughts hit the south-western districts hardest.
Soils
Most of Haryana has alluvial soil laid down by rivers. The Khadar soils of the floodplains are new and fertile, and the Bangar soils of the higher plain are older loams that become very productive with irrigation. The south-west has sandy desert soils that hold little water, the Shivaliks have thin, stony soils badly eroded by chos, and the Aravalli tracts have rocky, shallow soils. In parts of central Haryana, over-irrigation and poor drainage have caused waterlogging and saline or alkaline patches known as kallar or reh; the Central Soil Salinity Research Institute at Karnal works on reclaiming such land, often with gypsum.
Forests
Haryana is one of the least forested states in India; natural forest survives mainly in the Shivaliks, the Morni hills and the Aravallis. The Shivaliks carry tropical dry deciduous forest, with sal in the Kalesar area, khair and shisham, and chir pine grows on the higher Morni slopes; the Aravallis and the south-west have thorn and scrub forest of kikar (babul), khejri and dhak. With so little forest land, the state relies on planting along roads, canals and railway lines and on farm forestry, such as the poplar and eucalyptus grown by farmers in the north for Yamunanagar's plywood industry.
National parks
Haryana's national parks are Sultanpur and Kalesar. Sultanpur National Park in Gurugram district, near Farrukhnagar, grew around a shallow seasonal lake; it was first protected as a bird sanctuary in the early 1970s and later made a national park, and in winter it draws migratory birds such as bar-headed geese, northern pintails and greater flamingos. Kalesar National Park in Yamunanagar district, in the Shivalik foothills beside Himachal Pradesh, was declared in 2003; it protects sal forest with leopards, sambar and red junglefowl, and elephants sometimes move in from neighbouring forests.
Sanctuaries and breeding centres
Bhindawas Wildlife Sanctuary in Jhajjar district is a man-made wetland fed by canal water and the largest wetland in Haryana; with the nearby Khaparwas sanctuary it shelters thousands of migratory waterbirds in winter. Other sanctuaries include Bir Shikargah in Panchkula, Chhilchhila in Kurukshetra, Saraswati in Kaithal, Abubshahar in Sirsa and Nahar in Rewari. The Jatayu Conservation Breeding Centre at Pinjore, run with the Bombay Natural History Society, was India's first centre for breeding endangered Gyps vultures, and Bhor Saidan near Kurukshetra has a crocodile breeding centre.
Wildlife and its protectors
The blackbuck, the state animal, survives mainly around Bishnoi villages in Hisar and Fatehabad districts, where the community's faith forbids harming animals and trees. The nilgai, peafowl, jackal, hare and black francolin, the state bird, are widespread in the plains, while leopards, sambar and barking deer live in the Shivaliks. The Morni hills of Panchkula remain Haryana's main hill forest and a refuge for birds and leopards.
Key facts
- Climate: continental and sub-tropical; hot dry summers with loo and dust storms, cold foggy winters; most rain from the south-west monsoon (July-September), light winter rain from western disturbances.
- Rainfall decreases from the north-east (Shivalik foothills, over 1,000 mm) to the south-west (Sirsa, about 300 mm or less).
- Soils: alluvial Khadar and Bangar in the plains, sandy in the south-west, stony in the Shivaliks; saline-alkaline (kallar, reh) patches; CSSRI at Karnal works on reclamation.
- Forest cover is among the lowest in India: sal in Kalesar, chir pine in the Morni hills, thorn forest of kikar and khejri in the south-west.
- Sultanpur National Park (Gurugram): wetland bird park with migratory birds in winter. Kalesar National Park (Yamunanagar): sal forest in the Shivaliks, declared in 2003.
- Bhindawas (Jhajjar): the largest wetland of Haryana, man-made, beside the Khaparwas sanctuary. Other sanctuaries: Bir Shikargah (Panchkula), Chhilchhila (Kurukshetra), Nahar (Rewari).
- Jatayu Conservation Breeding Centre, Pinjore: India's first vulture breeding centre, run with the BNHS. Crocodile breeding centre at Bhor Saidan (Kurukshetra).
- The blackbuck (state animal) is protected by Bishnoi villages in Hisar and Fatehabad; the black francolin is the state bird.
Quick revision
Continental sub-tropical climate; summers above 45°C in the south-west, loo, dust storms; January coldest; monsoon July-September, western disturbances in winter; rain over 1,000 mm in the Shivaliks to about 300 mm in Sirsa; alluvial Khadar and Bangar, sandy south-west, kallar/reh, CSSRI Karnal; very low forest cover, sal in Kalesar, chir pine in Morni; Sultanpur NP (Gurugram), Kalesar NP (Yamunanagar, 2003); Bhindawas largest wetland; Jatayu centre Pinjore; blackbuck and Bishnois.