Places in News 27th September 2025

Mahendragiri Hills

Context: In recent years, environmentalists have cautioned about unchecked tourism initiatives in the Mahendragiri mountains of Odisha.

• Location: It is situated in the center of the Eastern Ghats in Odisha’s Gajapati district.
  • • Due to its diverse plant and animal life, it was designated a Biodiversity Heritage Site in 2022.
    • It forms a nearly unbroken chain of hills between the Mahanadi and Godavari rivers.
    • It is located in the Eastern Ghats, 1,501 meters above sea level.
• Tribal Communities: The Saora (Saura) and Kondh tribes call this area home.
• Biodiversity: There are 388 different animal species and 1,348 distinct plant species, many of which are endangered and unique to the area.
• Rivers: The primary river in the region is the Mahendra Tanaya, which rises at the summit of Mahendragiri.
• Vegetation: The tropical dry and wet deciduous forest range is a distinctive feature of the area’s flora.
• Granite, charnockite, and khondalite are the main rock types in the hill range, with intrusive veins of chert, chalcedony, and quartz in both crystalline and opec forms.

Pallikaranai Marshland

Context: The National Green Tribunal’s southern bench has just issued a directive prohibiting all construction work within a kilometer of the Pallikaranai Marshland until a scientific assessment is completed.

• Location: About 20 kilometers south of the city of Chennai in Tamil Nadu, it lies between a freshwater marsh and a semi-saline wetland.
  • • It acts as an aquatic buffer for the flood-prone Chennai and Chengalpattu districts.
    • Through two outlets, namely Okkiyam Madavu and the Kovalam Creek, it drains into the Bay of Bengal and includes 65 wetlands.
    • The Buckingham Canal borders its eastern boundary.
    • It is among India’s Ramsar locations.
• Fauna:
  • • Approximately 115 bird species, 10 mammals, 21 reptiles, 10 amphibians, 46 fish, 9 mollusks, 5 crustaceans, and 7 butterfly species are supported by the marshland’s varied ecosystem.
    • These include significant species like the Russell’s viper (Daboia siamensis) and birds like the glossy ibis (Plegadis falcinellus), grey-headed lapwings (Vanellus cinereus), and Pheasant-tailed jacana (Hydrophasianus chirurgus).

Varkala Cliff

Context: The Varkala Cliff was recently included on UNESCO’s preliminary list of potential World Heritage Sites.

• Location: In Varkala, a coastal community in the Thiruvananthapuram region of Kerala, there is a stunning natural formation.
  • • The Mio-Pliocene age’s Warkalli Formation (13 lakh to 2.5 crore years ago) is visible in this cliff along the coast of Kerala, as are natural springs and remarkable erosional landforms with scientific and tourist worth.
    • The local name for it is Sivagiri Thuruthu.
• Fossils and indicators of ancient climates may be found in its sedimentary and laterite strata.
• The Papanasam Beach, which sits at the foot of the cliff, is well-known for its therapeutic waters and natural springs.

Venezuela

Context: According to the U.S. Geological Survey, a recent 6.2-magnitude earthquake shook northwest Venezuela.

• Location: It is situated along South America’s northern coast.
  • • Caracas is the capital.
• Land Borders: It is bordered by Guyana to the east, Brazil to the south, and Colombia to the southwest and west.
• Maritime borders: It shares borders to the north with the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.
• Terrain: The Guiana Highlands in the southeast, the Andes Mountains and Maracaibo Lowlands in the northwest, and the central plains (llanos)
• Key Rivers: Rio Negro (shared with Brazil and Colombia) and Orinoco (shared with Colombia).
• Major Lakes: Lake Maracaibo, the largest lake in South America, and Lake Guri.
  • • Among the Caribbean islands and archipelagos that Venezuela governs are Margarita Island, La Blanquilla, La Tortuga, Los Roques, and Los Monjes.
    • Pico Bolivar is the highest point.
    • Angel Falls, the tallest waterfall in the world, is located in the Andes Mountains, in the Guiana Highlands.
• Resources: Venezuela has enormous deposits of coal, iron ore, bauxite, and gold, as well as the largest oil reserves in the world.

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