Carrying Capacity Study of Teesta Basin in Sikkim - Affected ...

2.2.4 East District
The East district with an area of 954 sq km shares its borders with
China and Bhutan. The topography is characterized by narrow crested
ridges and deep ‘V’ shaped to broad valleys. The altitudes vary from as
low as 350 m near Rangpo to as high as 5,278 m near Chumapu. The
famous Nathula pass (4,728 m) lies in the district. The longitudinal chola
range separates the district from China and Bhutan. The high altitude
areas in the northern parts of the district are dotted with 42 snow-fed
lakes. A major part of the district has good forest cover. At lower
elevations, about 25 per cent of the hill slopes have agricultural lands.
2.3 TOPOGRAPHY
Sikkim state being a part of inner mountain ranges of Himalayas, is
mostly hilly. As indicated in para 2.3 the altitude above mean sea level
varies from 300 m in the south to about 8,600 m in the north and the hill
slope generally ranges between 4% in the flat valleys to 90% and
characterised by undertaking surface features. The habitable areas exist
only upto the altitude of 2,100 m constituting only 20% of the total area
of the state. The northern portion of the state which is deeply cut into
escarpments is not populated except in Lachen and Lachung valley. The
hill tops are in the North, East and West and covered with perpetual
snow which feed the two major rivers, the Teesta and the Rangit
traversing through the state from North to South. The highest portion of
Sikkim lies in its North-West direction. The Khangchendzonga, the third
highest peak in the world at an elevation of 8,600 m adorns the State
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