Environment & Biodiversity Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
A warning has been issued to residents in low-lying areas near the Mettur Dam due to increased inflow. The Mettur Dam, built in 1934, is one of India’s largest dams, located in Salem, Tamil Nadu, where the Kaveri River enters the plains. It is a masonry gravity dam with a length of 1700 meters, a maximum level of 120 feet, and a capacity of 93.4 tmc ft, creating the Stanley Reservoir. The dam supports the Mettur hydroelectric and thermal power plant, generating 32 MW. It irrigates 271,000 acres of farmland across Salem, Erode, Namakkal, Karur, Tiruchirappalli, and Thanjavur districts.

Notes:
Alarming tiger deaths and hunting incidents have been reported in Madhya Pradesh’s Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve. Located in Umaria district between the Vindhyan and Satpura ranges, it became a national park in 1968 and a tiger reserve in 1993. Known for its valleys, hills, plains, and the historic Bandhavgarh fort, the reserve has tropical moist, deciduous forests with sal, mixed forest, grasslands, and bamboo.

Notes:
The Western Ghats, crucial for biodiversity, still lack official ecologically sensitive area notifications from the Union environment ministry, 14 years after the 2011 Gadgil Committee Report. The 2011 Gadgil Committee Report, or Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP) Report, was commissioned by India’s Ministry of Environment and Forests. It recommends measures for the sustainable development and ecological preservation of the Western Ghats, a region noted for its rich biodiversity and environmental importance.

Notes:
The intense wildfires in the U.S. and Canada have created “pyrocumulonimbus” clouds, which can produce lightning and potentially spark more fires. These clouds form when extreme heat from wildfires causes hot air, carrying water vapor, smoke, and ash, to rise and cool, creating fire clouds. If the conditions intensify, these clouds can generate thunderstorms but little rain, spreading wildfires further. Climate change may be increasing their frequency due to rising global temperatures.

Notes:
Japan’s meteorological agency warns of a higher chance of strong earthquakes and tsunamis on the Nankai Trough. The Nankai Trough is a subduction zone in the Pacific Ocean where two tectonic plates meet. It stretches about 900 km from Shizuoka, near Tokyo, to the southern tip of Kyushu Island. Massive earthquakes, called “megathrust quakes,” occur here every century or two, often in pairs. These quakes can trigger dangerous tsunamis along Japan’s southern coast.

Notes:
Fifty-seven casual employees of Namdapha National Park and Tiger Reserve in Arunachal Pradesh have been reinstated three months after their termination. The employees will work until March 31, 2025, as part of the National Tiger Conservation Authority’s (NTCA) annual operation plan for 2024-25. Namdapha Tiger Reserve is located in Arunachal Pradesh and spans 1,985 sq km. It is the world’s only park with four big cat species: tigers, leopards, snow leopards, and clouded leopards. It’s also home to hornbills, giant squirrels, and butterflies. The park has a sub-tropical climate, with a mountain climate in the mountainous areas and a tropical climate in the valleys and plains.

Notes:
The impact of El Niño and La Niña on the Indian monsoon is under study. The Oceanic Niño Index (ONI) is crucial for understanding the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) dynamics. ONI is the primary indicator used by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a U.S. agency, to monitor ENSO. ONI measures the rolling 3-month average temperature difference in the surface waters of the east-central tropical Pacific near the International Dateline. An ONI value of +0.5 or higher indicates El Niño, while -0.5 or lower indicates La Niña.

Notes:
Sea turtles in Guanabara Bay, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), are showing improvement in health after years of suffering from fibropapillomatosis. Fibropapillomatosis is a serious infectious disease affecting sea turtles globally, causing benign tumors on their bodies. These tumors hinder the turtles’ movement, vision, and feeding, often leading to death. The disease is caused by a herpes virus and is linked to polluted coastal areas, high human density, agricultural runoff, and harmful algae.

Notes:
Residents near the Madeira River in the Amazon face severe challenges due to historically low water levels amid a severe drought. The Madeira River is a major tributary of the Amazon River, formed by the Mamoré and Beni rivers in Bolivia, flowing northward. It forms a 100 km border between Bolivia and Brazil and is part of the 1.3 million square kilometer Madeira Basin. The basin spans Bolivia, Brazil, and Peru, with 50% in Bolivia, 40% in Brazil, and 10% in Peru. The river plays a vital role in the Amazon Basin’s hydrology, supporting diverse ecosystems.

Notes:
Recent analysis shows that about 50,000 trees were uprooted in a 200-hectare area along 2 to 3 km length in Eturnagaram Wildlife Sanctuary. The sanctuary, established in 1953, is located near the Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, and Telangana borders. The perennial Dayyam Vagu river flows through it, dividing the sanctuary into two parts. The sanctuary is known for the Sammakkka Sarakka Jathra, one of Asia’s largest tribal festivals, held every two years. The River Godavari also flows through the sanctuary.