Environment & Biodiversity Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
An Right to Information (RTI) activist filed an online petition to the Prime Minister’s Office seeking criminal, departmental and regulatory action over pollution of the Bhavani River. Bhavani River is a major tributary of the Cauvery River. It flows through Kerala and Tamil Nadu and is the second largest river of Tamil Nadu. It originates in the Nilgiri Hills of the Western Ghats. It passes through Silent Valley National Park in Kerala, then re-enters Tamil Nadu. It merges with the Cauvery at Bhavani near Bhavani Sangameshwarar Temple.

Notes:
New aquaculture tanks were reportedly dug inside Kolleru Wildlife Sanctuary after illegal tanks were earlier demolished following Supreme Court orders. Kolleru Wildlife Sanctuary is located in West Godavari and Krishna districts of Andhra Pradesh. It was established under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. It covers about 308 square kilometre of wetlands and marshes. It protects Kolleru Lake, declared a Ramsar Site of International Importance in 2002. Lake receives water from Budameru and Tammileru rivers and 67 drains linked to Krishna and Godavari river systems.

Notes:
Around 80 vultures recorded in Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, and experts say population is stable despite decline in breeding. Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Wayanad district of Kerala in southern Western Ghats. It is also known as Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary and was established in 1973. It covers 344 square kilometre and is part of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It borders Nagarhole National Park, Bandipur National Park and Mudumalai National Park.

Notes:
Over the past 200 years, the Kosi River has shifted its course westward by over 100 km. Kosi is a transboundary river flowing through China, Nepal, and India, and is a major tributary of the Ganges. It is called the “Sorrow of Bihar” due to frequent and severe flooding in Bihar. Formed by the confluence of Sun Kosi, Arun Kosi, and Tamur Kosi, originating in the Himalayan region of Nepal and Tibet. About 48 km north of the India-Nepal border, it gathers tributaries and flows south through the Siwalik Hills at Chatra Gorge.

Notes:
Researchers discovered a rare new catfish species Amblyceps vayavy in the Western Ghats. It was found in the northern Western Ghats across Goa and Maharashtra. The fish lives in shallow hill streams where the streambed has sand, pebbles, and stones. These streambed conditions create small microhabitats that help the fish hide and search for food. The name “vayavy” means “northwest” in Marathi and Konkani, referring to its location in the northwestern Western Ghats. The species has been recorded only from a few scattered locations, showing its rare distribution.

Notes:
Tamil Nadu Government sealed 42 illegal resorts in Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR) to protect its eco-sensitive zone. Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR) is the largest wildlife sanctuary in Tamil Nadu and part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, acting as a vital corridor between the Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats. It is contiguous with Bandipur Tiger Reserve, Mudumalai Tiger Reserve and BRT Tiger Reserve, and forms part of the Brahmagiri-Nilgiri-Eastern Ghats Elephant Reserve with a large Asian elephant population.

Notes:
The Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve is being developed as India’s third cheetah habitat, with the foundation of a soft release enclosure (Boma) laid recently. The reserve was created by combining Nauradehi and Durgavati Wildlife Sanctuaries and is located in the Bundelkhand region across Sagar, Damoh, and Narsinghpur districts, Madhya Pradesh. The initiative will help in the safe adaptation and release of cheetahs, strengthening wildlife conservation in India.

Notes:
Researchers from the Zoological Survey of India (Zoological Survey of India) have discovered a new cockroach species named Neoloboptera peninsularis. The species was found in the Deccan Peninsula region of Pune, Maharashtra, near farmland in Nathachiwadi. It was observed living among palm shrubs and dry leaf litter in its natural habitat. The name “peninsularis” has been given to highlight its origin in Peninsular India. This discovery marks the first use of DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid) technology in India to identify a cockroach species. It is the third known species of the genus Neoloboptera recorded in India.

Notes:
The Bengal Florican population is rapidly declining due to habitat loss caused by land conversion, agricultural expansion, burning, and fragmentation of grasslands. The Bengal Florican is a medium-sized bustard and an important grassland indicator species, often called the “dancer of the grasslands.” In India, it is found in areas such as Dudhwa National Park, Manas National Park, Kaziranga National Park, Orang National Park, and Dibru-Saikhowa National Park, along with parts of Arunachal Pradesh, Nepal, and Bangladesh. The species is classified as Critically Endangered, highlighting its high risk of extinction.

Notes:
A new plant species Fimbristylis wayanadensis has been discovered in the high-altitude regions of the Western Ghats, a biodiversity hotspot in India. It belongs to the group of sedges, which are grass-like plants characterized by triangular stems. The species was identified during a scientific expedition in the Wayanad district of Kerala. The name wayanadensis honours its place of discovery. It is found in transitional zones between rocky terrains and high-altitude grasslands, at elevations up to 1,900 meters.