🔆 New Ramsar Sites in Bihar

📍 Why in Focus?
✅ Gokul Jalashay (Buxar) & Udaipur Jheel (West Champaran) designated as Ramsar Sites in 2025, raising Bihar’s tally to 5 and India’s to 93.

📍 About Gokul Jalashay
✅ Location: Buxar district, on southern edge of Ganga River.
✅ Type: Oxbow lake, 448 ha.
✅ Features: Supports 50+ bird species; key food & breeding ground during pre-monsoon season when shrubs & marshland emerge.

📍 About Udaipur Jheel
✅ Location: West Champaran, adjoining Udaipur Wildlife Sanctuary (north & west).
✅ Type: Oxbow lake, 319 ha; formed by Gandaki River.
✅ Features: Wintering ground for 35 migratory bird species incl. vulnerable Common Pochard.
✅ Harbours 280+ plant species; supports bar-headed geese, ruddy shelducks, Eurasian wigeons.

📍 Bihar’s Ramsar Status (5 sites, ~4,500 ha):
✅ Kabar Taal/Jheel (Begusarai) – ~2,620 ha (1st Ramsar site).
✅ Nagi Bird Sanctuary (Jamui) – listed 2024.
✅ Nakti Bird Sanctuary (Jamui) – listed 2024.
✅ Gokul Jalashay (Buxar) – 448 ha.
✅ Udaipur Jheel (West Champaran) – 319 ha.

📍 Significance:
✅ These wetlands aid biodiversity conservation, strengthen Central Asian Flyway (CAF) – one of nine major global migratory bird routes, spanning 30 countries from Arctic to Indian Ocean.

✅ Mains Question:
Critically examine the ecological and migratory significance of Bihar’s wetlands within the Central Asian Flyway. How does Ramsar recognition aid conservation?

✨ #RamsarSites #WetlandsConservation #environment

🔆 Mauryan Pillars in Patna: A Glimpse into Ancient India

📍 Discovery
✅ 80 sandstone pillars have been excavated in Patna, reigniting interest in the Mauryan Empire’s architectural legacy.
✅ These pillars, known for their smooth finishes and precise craftsmanship, are believed to be part of an ancient assembly hall or palace.
✅ The find corroborates historical references to Pataliputra (Patna) from ancient texts like Indica by Megasthenes.

📍 Significance of the Discovery
1️⃣ Historical Validation: Provides physical evidence of the Mauryan Empire’s administrative and architectural advancements.
2️⃣ Artistic Excellence: Reflects the era’s sophisticated craftsmanship and the use of polished sandstone.
3️⃣ Urban Planning: Offers insights into the urbanization strategies and city planning employed by the Mauryans.

📍 Conservation Implications
✅ Immediate Protection: The artifacts must be safeguarded against environmental and human threats.
✅ Integration with Urban Planning: Patna’s development plans should consider these findings for preservation.
✅ Public Awareness: Educating the public on the historical significance of the discovery to foster a sense of pride and responsibility.

#MauryanEmpire #Patna

Main points :

Prime Minister laid the foundation stone for the Ken-Betwa River Linking Project (KBLP) on December 25, 2024, marking the 100th birth anniversary of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

The project has been criticized for its potential environmental impact, especially on the Panna Tiger Reserve.

About the Project

The KBLP envisages transferring water from the Ken river to the Betwa river, both tributaries of the Yamuna, to address water scarcity in the Bundelkhand region.

The project lies in Bundelkhand, which spreads across 13 districts of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

Under the project, a 77-metre high and 2.13 km long Daudhan dam and two tunnels (upper level 1.9 km and lower level 1.1 km) will be constructed on the Ken river in the Panna Tiger Reserve
It is the country's first river-linking initiative, under the National Perspective Plan for interlinking of rivers, which was prepared in 1980.

Key Features:

Total canal length: The Ken-Betwa Link Canal will be 221 km in length, including a 2-km tunnel.

Envisioned to provide:

▪︎ 10.62 lakh hectares of irrigation (8.11 lakh ha in Madhya Pradesh and 2.51 lakh ha in Uttar Pradesh). Hence, option (d) is the correct answer.

■Drinking water for 62 lakh people.

■ Generation of 103 MW of hydropower and 27 MW of solar power.