UPSC Prelims 2005 Q134: Environment & Ecology – Protected Areas & Wildlife
Consider the following statements:
1. Silent Valley National Park is in the Nallamalai range.
2. Pathrakkadavu Hydroelectric Project is proposed to be built near the Silent Valley National
Park.
3. The Kunthi river originates in Silent Valley’s rainforests.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- (a) 1 and 3
- (b) 2 only
- (c) 2 and 3
- (d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (c) 2 and 3
Explanation
Silent Valley National Park
| Statement | Verdict |
|---|---|
| 1. Silent Valley is in the Nallamalai range | False: it is in the Nilgiri hills of Kerala |
| 2. Pathrakkadavu project near Silent Valley | True — the proposed hydroelectric project |
| 3. Kunthi river originates in Silent Valley | True — Kunthipuzha, a Bharathapuzha tributary |
Statements 2 and 3 are correct.
Answer: (c) 2 and 3.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. Statement 1 puts the park in the wrong range.
- (b) Incorrect. Statement 3 is also correct.
- (c) CORRECT. Statements 2 and 3 are correct.
- (d) Incorrect. Statement 1 is false.
Key point
Silent Valley: Palakkad, Kerala, Nilgiri hills; Kunthipuzha; saved from a hydel project in the 1980s.
Remember
Silent Valley is in Kerala's Nilgiri hills; the Kunthi river rises there.
Common mistakes
- Placing it in Nallamalai (Andhra Pradesh).
- Forgetting the Kunthipuzha river that rises there.
- Confusing Pathrakkadavu with the earlier Kundah hydel project.
Exam tip
Silent Valley: lion-tailed macaque, Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.
Sources
- Kerala Forest Department — Silent Valley National Park
- Madhav Gadgil and Ramachandra Guha — Ecology and Equity: The Use and Abuse of Nature in Contemporary India (Penguin, 1995)