Latehar Netarhat Highland Plateau Ecology Jharkhand

Netarhat plateau in Latehar district, at 1,100 metres elevation, is the highest point of the Jharkhand plateau and a uniquely cool ecosystem of pine forests, sal scrub, and open meadows that gives it the title "Queen of Chotanagpur". The plateau's renowned sunrise view, Lodh Falls (India's highest waterfall in Jharkhand at 143 metres), and the distinctive birch and pine plantation create a hill-station ambiance rare in the otherwise hot plateau. Netarhat's tribal communities (Oraon) maintain traditional practices of forest honey collection, mushroom gathering, and medicinal plant harvesting in the highland forests; the Jharkhand Tourism Department has developed eco-lodges and guided trekking programmes at Netarhat to provide tribal employment.