Environment & Biodiversity Current Affairs MCQs

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Concerns have been raised over land grants within the core area of Nagarahole National Park (Nagarahole Tiger Reserve), particularly in its ecologically sensitive swampy grasslands. Nagarahole National Park, also known as Rajiv Gandhi National Park, is a notified Tiger Reserve and part of Project Tiger. It is located in Kodagu and Mysuru districts, Karnataka. It was named after the Nagarahole River, it serves as a critical wildlife corridor.

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The Odisha government’s proposal to construct a dam at Pipalapanka in Ganjam district has sparked protests from environmentalists and local communities. The project is criticized for prioritizing industrial interests over environmental and human concerns. Rushikulya River is a major river in Odisha, flowing through Kandhamal, Ganjam, and Boudh districts. It originates from the Daringbadi hills in the Eastern Ghats at about 1000 meters elevation. The river runs for 165 kilometers and empties into the Bay of Bengal near Ganjam. Unlike other rivers, it does not form a delta. Major tributaries include Baghua, Dhanei, and Badanadi.

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The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has created a new ‘Blue Category’ under Essential Environmental Services (EES) for industries like composting, biogas plants, and sewage treatment. It includes Waste-to-Energy (WTE) incineration, which was earlier in the highly polluting ‘Red Category’ with a Pollution Index (PI) of 97.6. ‘Blue Washing’ is a term for showing polluting industries as eco-friendly by placing them in cleaner categories. This reclassification of WTE plants into the ‘Blue Category’ is seen as an example of ‘Blue Washing’ by many environmentalists. The move has raised concerns over transparency and environmental impact.

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Dozens of small earthquakes have been shaking Mount Spurr, raising concerns that the 11,000-foot volcano in Alaska, United States, may erupt soon. Mount Spurr is a snow- and ice-covered stratovolcano located about 100 kilometers west of Anchorage in the Cook Inlet region, United States. It lies at the southern edge of a gap in the Alaska Range and is mostly made of andesite rock. The volcano includes a lava dome, a breached stratovolcano, and the Crater Peak vent, a small volcanic cone. It has a 3,000-meter elevation with a 5×6 km caldera, formed after a crater collapse 10,000 years ago creating Chakachamna Lake. The caldera holds an active icefield and many glaciers. Mount Spurr last erupted in 1992, causing major ashfall and disrupting air travel.

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India became the world’s first country to successfully artificially breed the Great Indian Bustard (GIB) with the birth of the third chick at Jaisalmer’s Desert National Park. The technology and training for artificial insemination were obtained from the Abu Dhabi-based “International Fund for Houbara Conservation” and specialized training from the Wildlife Institute of India. The GIB is protected under the Wild Life Protection Act, 1972.

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Rajasthan has joined India’s first inter-state cheetah conservation corridor with Madhya Pradesh. This wildlife corridor is designed to connect protected areas in both states, allowing reintroduced cheetahs to roam safely across a vast ecosystem. The corridor covers 17,000 square kilometers, with 10,500 square kilometers in Madhya Pradesh and 6,500 square kilometers in Rajasthan. Key locations include Palpur Kuno National Park and Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh, which will serve as cheetah habitats. Mukundara Hills Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan, along with several districts like Kota and Sawai Madhopur, has been identified as a cheetah habitat.

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Tissue-cultured teak is being promoted in India as a high-yield, fast-return solution to enhance timber cultivation and trade, sparking discussions on its economic and ecological impact. Teak (Tectona grandis) is renowned for its strength, durability, and resistance to pests and water, earning it the title “king of timbers.” It is a valuable tropical hardwood used in shipbuilding, furniture, and flooring. India holds 35% of the world’s planted teak forests, with Asia contributing over 95% of global teak resources. Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra have the largest areas of native teak forests, according to the FAO Global Teak Resources and Market Assessment 2022. Teak is native to South and Southeast Asia and grows mainly in moist deciduous forests.

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A proposed ₹23.7 crore ecotourism project in Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary, Meghalaya, has recently faced strong opposition from local groups and environmental activists. Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Ri-Bhoi district of Meghalaya and lies within the Eastern Himalayan Global Biodiversity Hotspot. The sanctuary’s landscape includes undulating plains, low hills, and rugged terrain shaped by the Umtrew River and its tributaries like Umran, Umling, and Umtasor. Umtrew River forms the western boundary of the sanctuary. It is home to over 400 bird species including the endangered Rufous-necked Hornbill, and mammals like the Clouded Leopard, Elephant, and Himalayan Black Bear.

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In a recent case of man-animal conflict, four people were injured in a bear attack while collecting tendu leaves in the Kawardha range of Bhoramdeo Wildlife Sanctuary. Bhoramdeo Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Kawardha district of Chhattisgarh and is part of the Maikal range in the Satpura hills. It is named after the nearby Bhoramdeo Temple, which is over a thousand years old and called the “Khajuraho of Chhattisgarh.” The sanctuary spans about 352 square kilometres and lies within the Kanha-Achanakmar Corridor connecting two major protected areas. Its landscape includes hilly terrain, dense forests, and many streams. The Fen and Sankari rivers originate here. The forest types include tropical moist and dry deciduous forests with trees like Saaj, Sal, Tendu, and Nilgiri.

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Visakhapatnam’s Indira Gandhi Zoological Park is celebrating World Dhole Day on May 28 to raise awareness about the endangered dhole. Dholes, also called the Asiatic wild dog, have the scientific name Cuon alpinus. They are wild canids native to Southeast Asia and are known for their strong social behavior and teamwork in hunting. Dholes usually live 10 to 13 years in the wild and up to 16 years in captivity. Their global population is estimated between 949 and 2,215 adults, mostly in India and Thailand. Major threats include habitat loss, reduced prey, human persecution, disease, and competition with other predators. Dholes are listed in Appendix II of CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. They are also classified as endangered on the IUCN Red List, which tracks global species conservation status.