Kutch district is a district of Gujarat state in western India. Covering an area of 45,674 kmĀ², it is the largest district of India. The population of Kutch is 2,092,371. It has 10 Talukas, 939 villages and 6 Municipalities.
Kutch literally means something which intermittently becomes wet and dry; a large part of this district is known as Rann of Kutch which is shallow wetland which submerges in water during the rainy season and becomes dry during other seasons. The same word is also used in Sanskrit origin for a tortoise. The Rann is famous for its marshy salt flats which become snow white after the shallow water dries up each season before the monsoon rains.
The district is also famous for ecologically important Banni grasslands with their seasonal marshy wetlands which form the outer belt of the Rann of Kutch.
Kutch District is surrounded by the Gulf of Kutch and the Arabian Sea in south and west, while northern and eastern parts are surrounded by the Great and Little Rann (seasonal wetlands) of Kutch. When there were not many dams built on its rivers, the Rann of Kutch remained wetlands for a large part of the year
Epicenter Homestay a Registered In Gujrat Tourism is in the field of Bird focused Nature Tourism in Kutch. Its a superb place on a small hill,1km away from epicenter of earthquakes in 2001.
A 375 species of birds are listed from Kutch. Many of these species are first time records of stray birds, vagrants. Grey Hypocolius Hypocolius ampelinus is a regular wintering species in Fulay tooth brush tree forest and in some pockets of Banni. White-naped Tit Parus nuchalis a vulnerable and endemic species survives in tropical thorn forest of Kutch, 3 species of Bustards are seen in Kutch Indian Bustard being resident and critically endangered.
Passage Migrants 8 species passes through Kutch peninsula from August till October. Common Crane Grus grus major wintering ground lies in the vast tracts of Banni, Coastal Kutch, Khadir Island and on the fringes of the Rann of Kutch.
Nature tourism is one of the fastest growing sectors of the global tourism industry. Bird Focused Nature tourism can be harnessed as a positive force for biodiversity conservation that brings benefits to visitors and hosts alike.