UPSC Prelims 2013 Q17: Environment & Ecology – Protected Areas & Wildlife
Consider the following pairs:
1. Nokrek Biosphere Reserve : Garo Hills
2. Loktak Lake : Barail Range
3. Namdapha National Park : Dafla Hills
Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched?
- (a) 1 only
- (b) 2 and 3 only
- (c) 1, 2 and 3
- (d) None
Answer: (a) 1 only
Explanation
Protected areas and hill ranges of the North-East
| Pair | Verdict | Actual location |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Nokrek Biosphere Reserve : Garo Hills | Correct | In Meghalaya; home of wild citrus and the red panda |
| 2. Loktak Lake : Barail Range | Incorrect | In the Manipur valley; the Barail Range is in Assam and Nagaland |
| 3. Namdapha National Park : Dafla Hills | Incorrect | In eastern Arunachal Pradesh (Changlang), between the Patkai and Mishmi hills; the Dafla Hills are in the west |
Hills of the North-East:
| Hills | State |
|---|---|
| Garo, Khasi, Jaintia | Meghalaya |
| Patkai Bum, Naga Hills | Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh border |
| Dafla, Miri, Abor, Mishmi | Arunachal Pradesh, west to east |
| Lushai (Mizo) Hills | Mizoram |
Answer: (a) 1 only.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) CORRECT. Only Nokrek - Garo Hills is correctly matched.
- (b) Incorrect. Loktak is in the Manipur valley and Namdapha is not in the Dafla Hills.
- (c) Incorrect. Pairs 2 and 3 are wrongly matched.
- (d) Incorrect. Pair 1 is right, so 'None' is wrong.
Key point
Nokrek: Garo Hills (Meghalaya). Loktak: Manipur valley. Namdapha: eastern Arunachal Pradesh (Patkai, Mishmi). Arunachal hills west to east: Dafla, Miri, Abor, Mishmi.
Remember
Nokrek = Garo Hills, Meghalaya.
Common mistakes
- Placing Namdapha in western Arunachal Pradesh.
- Not knowing the order of Arunachal hills: Dafla, Miri, Abor, Mishmi.
- Linking Loktak to a hill range; it lies in a valley.
Exam tip
Meghalaya west to east: Garo, Khasi, Jaintia. Nokrek is in the first.
Sources
- Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change — Biosphere Reserves in India
- NCERT Class XI — India: Physical Environment, Ch 2 (Structure and Physiography)