Current Context : Fishermen around Pulicat Lake have demanded a long-term solution to address siltation problems that threaten fishing livelihoods and the lake’s ecosystem. ABOUT PULICAT LAKE Type – Coastal shallow brackish water lagoon. Location – Spreads across Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, separated from the Bay of Bengal by Sriharikota Island. Rivers Feeding It – Aarani River (south) and Kalangi River (northwest). Special Feature – Buckingham Canal passes through the lagoon. Status – Designated as a Ramsar Site (2002). Biodiversity – Home to mudskippers, seagrass beds, oyster reefs, and over 200 avian species. Significance – India’s second-largest brackish water....Read More

Current Context : During Durga Puja immersions, heightened security was deployed on the Ichamati River along the India-Bangladesh border. ABOUT ICHAMATI RIVER Type – Trans-boundary river between India and Bangladesh. Origin – Bifurcation of Mathabhanga River (distributary of Padma) at Mahjdia, Nadia district (West Bengal). Course – Flows through Nadia & North 24 Parganas (India), then Satkhira & Khulna (Bangladesh). Length – About 216 km, joins Kalindi River at Hasnabad, and outfalls into Bay of Bengal. Issues – Siltation, thin flow in dry season, floods in rainy season.Read More

Current Context : The National Green Tribunal (southern bench) has ordered a halt on construction within one kilometre of the Pallikaranai Marshland in Tamil Nadu until a scientific study is conducted. ABOUT Pallikaranai Marshland Location: 20 km south of Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Type: Freshwater marsh and partly saline wetland. Significance: Acts as a flood buffer for Chennai and Chengalpattu. Extent: 65 wetlands; drains into Bay of Bengal via Okkiyam Madavu and Kovalam Creek. Ramsar Site: Recognised for its ecological importance. Fauna: 115 bird species, 10 mammals, 21 reptiles, 10 amphibians, 46 fish, 9 molluscs, 5 crustaceans, 7 butterflies. Key species:....Read More

Current Context : The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of the Mahi Banswara Rajasthan Atomic Power Project (MBRAPP) near Mahi Dam, Banswara, Rajasthan. ABOUT MBRAPP Project Location: Banswara, Rajasthan (near River Mahi). Capacity: 4 × 700 MWe PHWRs (Indigenous Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors). Developer: Anushakti Vidhyut Nigam (ASHVINI), a joint venture of NPCIL and NTPC. Fleet Mode Initiative: Part of India’s programme to construct ten 700 MW reactors with uniform design and procurement. Nuclear Power in India Current Capacity: 24 reactors across 7 plants, with 8,180 MW capacity (January 2025). Target: Increase to 22,480 MW by 2031–32. Contribution: Nuclear....Read More

Current Context : Environmentalists have raised concerns over unregulated tourism and construction in Odisha’s Mahendragiri Hills, threatening its biodiversity despite its Biodiversity Heritage Site status since 2022. ABOUT Mahendragiri Hills Location: Gajapati district, Odisha; part of Eastern Ghats. Declared as: Biodiversity Heritage Site in 2022. Elevation: 1,501 metres above sea level. Tribal Communities: Home to Saora (Saura) and Kondh tribes. Biodiversity: 1,348 plant species, 388 animal species (many endemic & threatened). Rivers: Mahendra Tanaya originates here. Vegetation: Tropical dry & wet deciduous forests. Pilgrimage: Famous for Panchpandava temples. Geology: Granite, charnokite, khondalite rocks with quartz intrusions.Read More

Current Context : The Philippines was recently affected by Super Typhoon Ragasa. ABOUT SUPER TYPHOON Definition : A tropical cyclone with wind speed above 185 km/h (100 knots). Formation Forms over oceans with sea surface temperature above 26°C. Develops at latitudes beyond 5° from the equator. Has a warm core low-pressure system with spiral inflow at the bottom and outflow at the top. Regional Terms Hurricane – North Atlantic, Eastern North Pacific, South Pacific. Cyclone – Indian Ocean. Typhoon – Western North Pacific. Willy-willy – Southern Indian Ocean (eastern part).Read More

CURRENT CONTEXT : Maharashtra’s State Level Technical Committee (SLTC) approved two sewage treatment plant projects along the Indrayani River in Pimpri Chinchwad to tackle rising water pollution. ABOUT INDRAYANI RIVER Location: Maharashtra. Tributary of: Bhima River (Krishna River system). Origin: Western Ghats near Lonavala (Mumbai–Pune Highway). Course: Flows through Pune district → merges with Bhima at Tulapur. Length: 105.3 km. Religious Significance: Alandi – Samadhi of Saint Dnyaneshwar. Dehu – Hometown of Saint Tukaram. Other Uses: Irrigation, agriculture, water supply for Pimpri-Chinchwad industrial region. Hydro Project: Valvan Dam at Kamshet (hydroelectric).Read More

CURRENT CONTEXT : The stalled Sawalkote Dam on the Chenab River in Jammu and Kashmir has been revived, becoming central to India’s strategy to harness hydropower potential from the river. ABOUT CHENAB RIVER Tributary of: Indus River. Origin: Confluence of Chandra and Bhaga streams in Lahaul & Spiti (Himachal Pradesh). Other Name: Chandrabhaga (upper reaches). Course: Flows through Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir; joins Jhelum near Trimmu and then Sutlej. Tributaries: Left Bank – Niru, Tawi, Neeru, Liddrari. Right Bank – Ans, Bhut Nalla, Bichleri, Kalnai, Marusudar, Miyar Nalla. Major Dams: Salal, Aalal, Baglihar, Dul. Water Sharing: Governed under Indus....Read More

Current Context : The Moran community of Assam has recently intensified its demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status from the Government of India. About Moran Community Location: Mainly in Tinsukia district of Assam; also present in parts of Arunachal Pradesh. Historical Background: Had an independent kingdom at Bengmara (present-day Tinsukia) before the arrival of the Ahoms. Language: Earlier used a dialect from the Bodo group (Tibeto-Burman family); later shifted to Assamese. Religious Affiliation Follow Vaishnavism (Moamoria sect) introduced by Sri Aniruddha Deva, disciple of Srimanta Sankardeva. Before Vaishnavism, they followed the Shakta faith linked to Kechaikhati Than (mother goddess shrine).....Read More

Current Context: Ethiopia inaugurated the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) — Africa’s largest hydroelectric dam, despite Egypt protesting at the UN citing water security threats. ABOUT GERD Location: Blue Nile River, near Guba in Ethiopia (~30 km from Sudan) Started: 2011 by Ethiopia Purpose: Power generation, national development, regional energy trade Height: ~170 m Length: ~2 km Reservoir Capacity: 74 billion cubic metres Flooded Area: ~1,874 km² Power Capacity: 5,150–6,450 MW (largest in Africa) Designed to trap ~100 years’ worth of sediment inflow  ABOUT BLUE NILE RIVER Known as Abay River in Ethiopia Length: ~1,460 km Origin: Lake Tana (Ethiopian....Read More