Question

Palamau (Betla) national park is situated in -
(a)Odisha
(b)West Bengal
(c)Jharkhand
(d)Bihar

Answer 1

Hint: National parks in India have great significance as they are reserves for vulnerable and endangered species. India also hosts a large number of tigers, which are a vulnerable species in the world. Many national parks are converted into tiger reserves.

Complete answer:
Palamau (Betla) national park is located in Jharkhand.
- The national park actually consists of the Betla national park and the Palamau tiger reserve.
- This national park along with the other parks in the country is maintained by the forest department and the government of India.

Additional Information:

Betla was one of the first national parks in India to become a tiger reserve under the 1974 Project Tiger.
- The tiger reserve is one of the nine reserves present in the country.
- Before the formation of this reserve, the area was used for cattle grazing and camping and was severely prone to forest fire.
- The park is under pressure due to illegal encroachments and poaching of the tigers.
-There are 6 National Parks in West Bengal. One of them is Sundarban which is also known as the largest delta of the world.
-Orissa has 5 National parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries among which Chilika Wildlife Sanctuary is known to be the paradise on earth for the ones who love birds.
-Bihar also has 5 National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuary altogether.



Note:
-National parks in India are classified as IUCN category II protected areas.
- These areas are large natural or near natural areas set aside to protect large-scale ecological processes, along with the variety of species and ecosystems existing together and characteristic of the area, which also provides a foundation for environmentally and culturally compatible tourism opportunities.
- As of 2019, according to the national wildlife database, there are 101 existing national parks in India covering an area of 40,564.00 kilometers, which is 1.23 % of the geographical area of the country.