Diplo Tehsil

Geography

Diplo Tehsil, situated at an average elevation of 26 m, covers an area of about 2872 sqkm, which constitutes roughly 14.6% of Tharparkar District's total area.

It is bordered by Badin Taluka of Badin District to the west and India to the south. Within Tharparkar, it is bounded by Kaloi Taluka to the northwest, Mithi Taluka to the northeast, and Islamkot Taluka to the east.

Climate

Diplo has a hot desert climate (Köppen classification: BWh). Average annual temperatures are around 12 C to 41 C and rarely below 9 C or above 44 C Rainfall is scarce and highly seasonal, with approximately 0.04 in falling on roughly 20 days per year. precipitation occurs during the June–September monsoon, when ephemeral rivers briefly flow before drying up again during the long arid season.

Flora

Vegetation in Diplo is typical of the Thar Desert, dominated by xerophytic plants adapted to arid conditions. Common species include shrubs such as Prosopis cineraria (locally known as khejri), Capparis decidua (karir), and Salvadora oleoides (jal). Grasses like Cenchrus biflorus and Lasiurus scindicus cover sandy areas and provide seasonal fodder for livestock. Neem trees (Azadirachta indica) are also widely planted, offering shade and greenery in the desert environment. Vegetation cover expands during the monsoon, when rainfall supports temporary cultivation and the rapid growth of wild grasses and herbs across the dunes and plains.

Fauna

A 2015 survey of the Thar Desert recorded 35 species of mammals in the talukas of Tharparkar District. Rodents were the most common, followed by Carnivora, along with insectivores, bats, lagomorph, and several hoofed animals.

Population

The 2023 census recorded 163,119 inhabitants living in 32,219 households. Population density is approximately 56.8 persons per square kilometre. The literacy rate stands at 46.1%, with marked gender disparities: 61.2% for males and only 29.9% for females, reflecting limited educational access, particularly for women and girls.

Language

Of the 2023 population of 162,968, Sindhi was spoken by about 99.87% of residents (162,754 people). Other languages were spoken by small minorities, including Pashto (0.11%, 174 people), and a few others (0.02%, 40 people) among them Punjabi.

References and notes

Explanatory notes

References

References

1. (2023). "Table 1: Area, Population by Sex, Sex Ratio, Population Density, Urban Population, Household Size and Annual Growth Rate, Sindh". [[Pakistan Bureau of Statistics]], Census.
2. "Table 12: Literacy Rate, Enrolment and Out of School Population by Sex and Rural/Urban, Census 2023". [[Pakistan Bureau of Statistics]].
3. "Table 11: Population by Mother Tongue, Sex and Rural/Urban, Census 2023". [[Pakistan Bureau of Statistics]].
4. "Pakistan: Sindh (Districts and Subdistricts) - Population Statistics, Charts and Map".
5. "Diplo, Sindh, Pakistan". [[Hudson Institute of Mineralogy]].
6. "Diplo Climate, Weather By Month, Average Temperature (Pakistan)". Cedar Lake Ventures, Inc..
7. (September 2015). "Mammalian Diversity in Thar Desert Habitat of Tharparkar District, Sindh, Pakistan". Pakistan Journal of Zoology.
8. (2023). "Table 24: Housing Characteristics, Facilities of Toilet and Washroom used by Households, Rural/Urban: Census 2023". [[Pakistan Bureau of Statistics]].
9. (July 2015). "An Analysis of the State of Female Education in Sindh and Role of Television in Increasing Literacy Rate". Journal of South Asian Development.