Environment & Biodiversity Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
The Rajasthan government has intensified efforts to control pollution in the Jojari River. Jojari River is a seasonal river in western Rajasthan and an important right-bank tributary of the Luni River. It originates from the hills near Poondloo (Pandalu) village in Nagaur district. The river flows generally southwest through the Jodhpur region before joining the Luni River. It is locally known as “Maru Ganga”. Unlike most right-bank tributaries of the Luni, the Jojari does not originate in the Aravalli Range.

Notes:
The Union Environment Ministry reviewed major wildlife conservation programmes in Gujarat, focusing on the Great Indian Bustard (GIB), grassland restoration and Project Cheetah. The Gujarat Action Plan for GIB Conservation was prepared by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) in collaboration with the Gujarat Forest Department. Kachchh supports an important but small and isolated population of the Critically Endangered Great Indian Bustard. The action plan aims to establish a minimum viable population of more than 30 GIBs and secure 200–500 sq. km. of safe, contiguous habitat. The immediate focus is the Lala–Rawa landscape, covering about 200 sq. km.

Notes:
A rare leucistic Great Cormorant was spotted at Ameenpur Lake near BHEL, Hyderabad. The bird was spotted by Raghuvamsh Chavali, a Hyderabad-born Canadian birder. The bird had very pale, almost white feathers, making it look completely different from the normal dark cormorants around it. Leucism is a condition in which birds have reduced pigmentation, causing some or most feathers to appear pale or white. Leucistic birds are different from albino birds, although they may sometimes look similar. Ameenpur Lake is a freshwater lake near BHEL in Hyderabad and is known as a birding site.

Notes:
Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh inaugurated a newly constructed River Front Garden along the Nambul River in Imphal. The programme aims to clean and rejuvenate the Nambul River and improve its ecological health. Nambul River is located in Manipur and flows through Imphal. It is an important tributary of Loktak Lake. The river ultimately contributes its water to Loktak Lake, making its ecological health important for the lake ecosystem.

Notes:
The Galaxy Frog (Melanobatrachus indicus) recently came into the spotlight after Supriya Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary of Tamil Nadu’s Environment, Climate Change and Forests Department, shared new images of the species. It is a rare amphibian found in the southern Western Ghats of India. It is endemic to the southern Western Ghats, with records mainly from Kerala and Tamil Nadu. It generally inhabits wet evergreen and other moist forests at elevations of around 1,000–1,500 metres. The species was first described in 1878 from the Anamalai Hills of Tamil Nadu and was rediscovered in 1997. The IUCN classifies the Galaxy Frog as Vulnerable.

Notes:
Recently, Hebbal Lake has been in the news over the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA)’s proposed 2.28-km short tunnel and elevated corridor project. Hebbal Lake is a historic, man-made urban lake in northern Bengaluru. It was created by Kempe Gowda in 1537 and is one of the lakes traditionally associated with Bengaluru’s early lake system. The lake is ecologically important for groundwater recharge, flood management and biodiversity, particularly as a habitat for resident and migratory birds. The proposed project is intended to ease traffic congestion in the Hebbal area.

Notes:
Recently, a rare colour variant of the Coppersmith Barbet was spotted on the outskirts of Hyderabad, Telangana. Unlike the species’ usual green plumage, the bird had uniform cream-yellow plumage. The unusual colouring is linked to leucism resulting in xanthochroism, making yellow pigmentation more prominent. It is not considered albino because its eyes remained dark and its red and yellow facial patches were retained. Similar yellowish or whitish Coppersmith Barbets had earlier been documented in West Bengal, Assam and Bangladesh. The Hyderabad sighting is believed to be the first documented record of this unusual colour form in Telangana.

Notes:
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed authorities to identify and demarcate the Full Tank Level (FTL) and buffer zone of Shahpura Wetland. The Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC), Water Resources Department (WRD) and SDM Kolar have been directed to coordinate with the committee constituted by the NGT. Shahpura Wetland (Shahpura Lake) is located in Bhopal district, Madhya Pradesh. It is situated in Shahpura village, under Kolar tehsil (subdistrict) of Bhopal.

Notes:
The Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve has witnessed a nearly twofold increase in landslide-prone zones over the past decade, according to the 2026 decadal monitoring report. The Nanda Devi Biosphere Decadal Monitoring Campaign 2026 used field surveys, satellite imagery and drone data to assess ecological and landscape changes. The Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve is located in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. It was declared a national park in 1982, and human activities in its core zone were prohibited in 1983. In 1988, the reserve was included on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Notes:
Recently, WWF-India, in collaboration with the Rajasthan Forest Department, released a report highlighting Kailadevi Wildlife Sanctuary as an important area for wildlife conservation and tiger recovery in Rajasthan. The report, titled Status and Conservation of Carnivores and Wild Ungulates in Kailadevi Wildlife Sanctuary, was released in Jaipur. Kailadevi Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Karauli district of Rajasthan. It was established in 1983 and covers an area of approximately 674 square kilometres. The sanctuary forms an important part of the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve landscape and supports wildlife movement across eastern Rajasthan.