Environment & Biodiversity Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
Chhattisgarh’s Barnawapara Wildlife Sanctuary successfully revived the blackbuck population nearly 50 years after local extinction. The Chhattisgarh Forest Department launched a five-year reintroduction programme (2021–2026) to restore blackbucks to their natural habitat. 77 blackbucks were translocated: 50 from National Zoological Park, Delhi and 27 from Kanan Pendari Zoological Garden, Bilaspur. From zero population in the 1970s, Barnawapara now has around 190 blackbucks, marking a major success in wildlife conservation.

Notes:
Foresters at Kali Tiger Reserve in Uttara Kannada district, Karnataka, recently recorded the rare sighting of a striped hyena, locally known as katte kiruba. Kali Tiger Reserve is located in the biologically rich Western Ghats. The reserve comprises the Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary and Anshi National Park. These two protected areas are contiguous, forming a single continuous habitat. The Kali River flows through the reserve and serves as the main water source for Uttara Kannada district. The reserve is named after the Kali River.

Notes:
The Bombay High Court has formed a high-powered committee to protect and preserve Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) from encroachments. The committee is led by a former Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court (HC). SGNP is a protected forest and national park located in Maharashtra. It is one of the few national parks located inside a metropolitan city in the world. The park acts as a crucial ecological buffer for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR).

Notes:
India has extended support to Afghanistan to build a dam on the Kunar River, shared between Afghanistan and Pakistan. The move comes amid tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan over water sharing. The Kunar River, also called the Kama River, is about 480 km long. It flows through eastern Afghanistan and northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The river originates in the Hindu Kush mountains, fed by melting glaciers and snow. In Pakistan, it is known as the Chitral River. It is a tributary of the Kabul River, which later joins the Indus River, forming part of the Indus watershed.

Notes:
Recently, a rare Striped Hyena (Hyaena hyaena) was sighted in the Kali Tiger Reserve, Uttara Kannada district, Karnataka. It belongs to the Hyaenidae family, which includes Striped, Spotted, and Brown hyenas, and the Aardwolf. The Striped Hyena is smaller than the Spotted Hyena and has black stripes across its body. It is found in South Asia, North and Sub-Saharan Africa, Western and Central Asia. It lives in open savannas, grasslands, and scrub woodlands of arid regions. It is mainly a scavenger feeding on carrion and human waste. It is listed as “Near Threatened” by IUCN.

Notes:
Four women and three children were recently rescued after being trapped for nearly two hours in the Painganga River near Sahastrakund waterfall. The Painganga River, also called Penganga River, is the main river of Yavatmal district, Maharashtra. It is a major tributary of the Wardha River. The river originates in the Ajanta ranges, Aurangabad district and flows through Buldhana, Washim, and along the Washim-Hingoli border. It forms the boundary between Yavatmal and Nanded districts and flows along the Maharashtra-Telangana border.

Notes:
Recently, researchers began studying the rare cooperation between wild dolphins and traditional fishers in Ashtamudi Lake. Ashtamudi Lake is a freshwater lake in Kollam district, Kerala, and is the second largest lake after Vembanad Lake. Its name means Eight Braids in Malayalam, reflecting its palm-shaped branching. It is fed by the Kallada River and drains into the Arabian Sea. The region is also famous for its traditional coir industry. The lake supports rich biodiversity with 57 bird species, 97 fish species, and many endangered animals like pearl spot fish, mangrove crab, otter, and kingfisher.

Notes:
A 9-day wildlife census has recently started in the Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary. Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected area in Chandigarh near Sukhna Lake at the foothills of the Shivalik range. The sanctuary developed through afforestation for soil conservation around the lake. The region is geographically unstable and faces high soil erosion during rains due to surface runoff. The soil is mainly sandy Shivalik soil with patches of clay.

Notes:
The Union Environment Ministry reconstituted the Delhi Ridge Management Board (DRMB) with statutory powers under Section 3(3) of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, as directed by the Supreme Court of India. DRMB replaces the 1995 board and becomes the single authority to give permissions, remove encroachments, and oversee afforestation in the 7,777-hectare Delhi Ridge. The statutory status strengthens enforcement, coordination, and environmental protection for Delhi’s “green lungs”, which face pressure from construction and encroachments.

Notes:
Karnataka has requested the Central Water Commission (CWC) to intervene, alleging excess and unauthorised use of Bhima River water by Maharashtra, violating agreed allocations. Bhima River is a major perennial river in western and southern India and a key tributary of the Krishna River. Locally, it is also called the Chandrabhaga River, especially near Pandharpur. The river originates near Bhimashankar hills in the Western Ghats (Sahyadris), close to the Bhimashankar Temple in Pune district, Maharashtra.