CAPF AC 2021 Q64: Environment & Ecology – Protected Areas & Wildlife
- (a) Himachal Pradesh
- (b) Uttarakhand
- (c) Sikkim
- (d) Arunachal Pradesh
Answer: (b) Uttarakhand
Explanation
Asan Conservation Reserve
How to think: this reserve was in the news in 2020 as a new Ramsar site.
It is in Dehradun district and was the first Ramsar site of Uttarakhand.
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| State | Uttarakhand (Dehradun district) |
| Location | Near the meeting point of the Asan and Yamuna rivers, at the Asan barrage |
| Status | India's first conservation reserve (2005) |
| Ramsar tag | Declared in 2020; first Ramsar site of Uttarakhand |
| Known for | Migratory birds such as the ruddy shelduck and red-crested pochard |
What a conservation reserve is: a protected area created under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 after the 2002 amendment.
It is declared on government land, usually next to national parks and sanctuaries.
Answer: (b) Uttarakhand.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. Himachal Pradesh lies just across the Yamuna, but the reserve is in Dehradun.
- (b) CORRECT. The Asan Conservation Reserve is in Uttarakhand.
- (c) Incorrect. Sikkim has no link with the Asan river.
- (d) Incorrect. Arunachal Pradesh is in the north-east, far from the Yamuna basin.
Key point
Asan Conservation Reserve: Dehradun, Uttarakhand; on the Asan near its confluence with the Yamuna; India's first conservation reserve (2005); Uttarakhand's first Ramsar site (2020).
Remember
Asan = Dehradun = Uttarakhand's first Ramsar site.
Common mistakes
- Marking Himachal Pradesh because the site lies close to the state border.
- Mixing up a conservation reserve with a community reserve or a sanctuary.
- Forgetting that the Asan is a tributary of the Yamuna in the Doon valley.
Exam tip
Educated guess: the Asan flows through the Doon valley, and Dehradun is the capital of Uttarakhand.
Sources
- Ramsar Sites Information Service — Asan Conservation Reserve, India (designated 2020)
- Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change — Asan Conservation Reserve becomes Uttarakhand's first Ramsar site (October 2020)