Question

Which of the following wetlands is represented by as many as three protected areas, namely a National Park, Wildlife Sanctuary and Marine Sanctuary?
A)Vembanad Lake
B)Nalsarovar
C)Kolleru
D)Bhitarkanika

Answer 1

Hint: 1)It is located in the state of Odisha, in eastern India.
2)It is home to the largest nesting beach of Ridley Turtles in the world.

Complete answer:
Bhitarkanika wetlands are located in the Kendrapara district of northeastern Odisha. They existed as zamindari forests till 1952, after which its control was transferred to the state forest department.

In 1975, a large region of the forest, i.e. 672 square kilometers of area, was declared as the Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary. It is inundated by the Brahmani, Baitarani, Pathsala and Dhamra rivers.

On 16th September 1998, the central or the core part of the region was designated as a National Park. It covers an area of 145 square kilometers. It also became the second Ramsar site of Odisha in 2002, after the Chilika Lake. This particular National Park is the second largest mangrove ecosystem in the country.

The third protected area of the Bhitarkanika wetlands, is the Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary. It is one the most popular attractive tourist places in Odisha. It is the largest nesting beach for the Olive Ridley Turtles in the whole world. It extends from the mouth of river Dhamra in the north to that of river Brahmani in the south.

Hence, the correct answer is option (D)

Note: 1)The mangroves are home to animals like Indian python, saltwater crocodile, cobra, monitor lizard, Ridley turtles etc.
2)They also have a lush green ecosystem considering the flora. It has numerous tropical and subtropical species of plants.
3)It also provides home to more than 215 species of birds, including those that migrate from Europe and Northern Asia during winters.