MADHYA BHARAT PLATEAU

Hindi Madhya Bharat Pathar plateau comprising the northern part of the Central Highlands, central India. Extending over approximately 22,000 square miles (57,000 square km) and including most of northwestern Madhya Pradesh state and central Rajasthan state, it is bounded by the East Rajasthan Uplands on the west, the Upper Ganges Plain on the north, the Bundelkhand Upland on the east, and the Malwa Plateau on the south. The bedrock of the Madhya Bharat Plateau consists of a uniform formation of basalt; weathering has produced rounded boulders in some places. The plateau has an average elevation of about 1,650 feet (500 m) and slopes from 1,980 feet (602 m) in the south to 990 feet (301 m) in the north. Erosion has created an almost level surface frequently punctuated by sandstone scarps. The Chambal River, rising in the northern flanks of the Vindhya Range, winds through a wide, bowl-like basin from southwest to northeast and enters a long, narrow gorge, site of the Gandhi Sagar Dam of the Chambal Valley Project (irrigation and hydroelectric power). The Chambal Valley has areas of severe gullying and erosion aggravated by deforestation and overgrazing of the land; its ravines are said to be used as hideouts by bandits. The soils are black and alluvial. The B anganga, Kunwari, Sind, Parbati, and Kali Sindh are the other major rivers. Savannas on the plateau, moist deciduous forests in the south, and drier deciduous forests in the north (with some teak) are common. The economy is dominated by agriculture; cereals, pulse (legumes), oilseeds, cotton, sugarcane, and tobacco are produced. Industries include sawmilling, oilseed crushing, the production of machine tools and implements, textile weaving, and the production of pottery, bricks, and cement. Deposits of iron ore, copper, lead, beryl, steatite, and limestone are worked. The transport system consists of roads and narrow-gauge railways linking Gwalior (the main industrial centre) with Kota, Morena, Bhind, Shivpuri, and Bundi. Gwalior and Kota have airstrips.