Environment & Biodiversity Current Affairs MCQs

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The Haryana government plans to develop the Aravali Safari Park across 3,858 hectares in Gurugram and Nuh. It aims to be the world’s largest safari park. The project has faced strong opposition since its announcement. It will conserve wildlife and showcase big cats, amphibians, and herbivores. The park will have 10 zones for different species.

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Human activities outside protected areas are causing biodiversity loss. Extinction filtering removes species sensitive to human disturbances, leaving only those that adapt to degraded habitats. Species evolved in high-disturbance environments are more likely to survive habitat loss and fragmentation. In tropical forests, human overpopulation has driven sensitive mammals to local extinction, while adaptable species persist. This process leads to less diverse and more uniform species in forests. Over time, it weakens ecosystems and reduces their ability to recover from environmental changes.

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The European Union (EU) acknowledged India’s concerns over the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). CBAM is an EU tariff on carbon-intensive imports to prevent carbon leakage. It aims to put a fair price on carbon emissions from imported goods and promote cleaner production globally. CBAM ensures that imported goods pay a carbon price equal to EU domestic production. It applies to all imports, including online orders and gifts. The mechanism helps the EU meet its climate goals by discouraging carbon-intensive production outside the EU.

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The Supreme Court criticized the Uttarakhand government for slow action against senior officers accused of illegal constructions in Corbett Tiger Reserve. Corbett Tiger Reserve is located in the foothills of the Himalayas in Uttarakhand. It was established in 1936 as Hailey National Park and renamed Corbett National Park in 1957 to honor Jim Corbett. The total area of the reserve is 1,288.31 sq. km, with undulating terrain and several valleys. Rivers Ramganga, Pallaen, and Sonanadi flow through it. The reserve lies in the Bhabar and lower Shivalik regions with a deep-water table and porous terrain.

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Karnataka Forest Department will ‘soft release’ captured elephants into Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary to reduce human-elephant conflicts in Hassan, Chikkamagaluru, and Kodagu. Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Chikkamagaluru and Shivamogga districts of Karnataka. It is named after the Bhadra River, which flows through the sanctuary. Declared a Wildlife Sanctuary in 1951 and became a Project Tiger Reserve in 1998. It was the first tiger reserve in India to complete a village relocation program by 2002.

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Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary hosted the first-ever ‘Indian Bison Fest’ to raise awareness about conservation. The sanctuary is located in Bargarh district, Odisha, near the Hirakud Dam on the Mahanadi River. It has historical significance as freedom fighter Veer Surendra Sai used ‘Barapathara’ within the sanctuary as his base during his rebellion against the British. Debrigarh was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1985. The event highlighted the ecological importance of the Indian Bison and the need for its protection.

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Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra introduced tourist-friendly reforms, including fast-track safari entry, relaxed late-night rules, and improved full-day safaris. It is located in Chandrapur district, Maharashtra. It was named after God Tadoba (Taru), worshipped by local tribes, and the Andhari River flowing through it. The reserve covers 625.4 sq. km, including Tadoba National Park (116.55 sq. km) and Andhari Wildlife Sanctuary (508.85 sq. km). It has corridor linkages with Nagzira-Navegaon and Pench Tiger Reserves in Maharashtra.

Notes:
A recent faunal survey by the Forest Department recorded 63 new species of odonates, butterflies, and birds in Karimpuzha Wildlife Sanctuary. The sanctuary is in Malappuram district, Kerala, covering 227.97 sq.km on the western slopes of the Nilgiri Hills. It is part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve under UNESCO’s Man and Biosphere Programme. Karimpuzha Wildlife Sanctuary shares boundaries with Mukurthi National Park in Tamil Nadu and Silent Valley National Park in Kerala. The name ‘Karimpuzha’ comes from the Karimpuzha River, a tributary of River Chaliyar. The terrain varies from 40 m to 2550 m, supporting rich biodiversity.

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A major fire recently broke out in Mukundra Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan due to sparks from stone crushing. Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve is located near Kota in southeastern Rajasthan. It is named after two long, flat-topped hills from the Vindhyan range, stretching 80 km in length and 2 to 5 km in width. The reserve was declared in 2013 and includes Mukundra National Park, Dara Sanctuary, Jawahar Sagar Sanctuary, and part of Chambal Sanctuary. Earlier, it was the royal hunting ground of the Maharaja of Kota.

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Citizens and environmentalists launched the ‘Save Bandipur’ protest in Karnataka after reports that the government may lift the night traffic ban on National Highway 766 (NH-766), which passes through Bandipur National Park. Bandipur National Park is a protected forest and tiger reserve located in Chamarajanagar district, Karnataka. It was first set up in 1931 as Venugopala Wildlife Park by the Maharaja of Mysore, covering 90 square kilometers. It became a Tiger Reserve in 1973 under Project Tiger and joined the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve in 1986 due to its rich biodiversity and ecological importance.