Places in News 31st March 2025

Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary and Tiger Reserve

• Karnataka has proposed a “soft-release” strategy to manage the escalating human-elephant conflict in Hassan, Chikkamagaluru, and Kodagu districts by gradually rehabilitating captured elephants into the Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary (BWS). 
• It is named after the Bhadra River and is also known as Muthodi Wildlife Sanctuary.
• It is a Project Tiger reserve, and hosts diverse forests, including Southern Moist Mixed Deciduous Forests, Dry Deciduous Forests, and Shola Forests.  It also houses the Jagara Giant, Karnataka’s largest 400-year-old teak tree.  

Gulf of Mannar

• The Indian government has included a around 10,000 sq km deep-sea region of the Gulf of Mannar (GoM) in Tamil Nadu in its latest hydrocarbon exploration tender, raising concerns over its impact on marine biodiversity and local livelihoods.
• The Gulf of Mannar is a part of the Laccadive Sea in the Indian Ocean, containing 21 islands. It spans between the northwest coast of Sri Lanka and the southeast coast of India. 
• It is bordered by Rameswaram, the Ram Sethu bridge (also known as Adam’s Bridge), and Mannar Island (Sri Lanka) and receives rivers like the Tambraparni (India) and Aruvi (Sri Lanka) and hosts the Tuticorin port.
• It is home to the Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park, the first Marine Biosphere Reserve in South and South-East Asia. 

Vishwamitri River

• The Government of Gujarat conducted a crocodile census in the Vishwamitri river of Vadodara, to estimate the population of mugger or marsh crocodiles (Crocodylus palustris).
• The river originates from the Pavagadh hills (part of Western Ghats) in Gujarat, flows through Vadodara, and joins the Gulf of Khambhat, fed by tributaries Dhadhar and Khanpur.
• Its banks had ancient settlements dating back to 1000 B.C., including Ankotakka (now Akota), which developed during the Guptas and Vallabhi rule.
• It hosts mugger crocodiles, freshwater turtles, and monitor lizards, making it ecologically unique among urban rivers. 

Sillahalla Power Project

• The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) recently cancelled the public hearing for the Sillahalla Power Project in the Nilgiris due to public opposition and environmental concerns.
• The Sillahalla Power Project is a pumped storage hydroelectric project by Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation Limited (TANGEDCO) to generate electricity by transferring water between two reservoirs.
• It is located in Kundah Taluk, Nilgiri district, Tamil Nadu.
• Sillahalla stream, a tributary of the Kundah River, which feeds the Bhavani River (which is Cauvery River tributary) is associated with this Power Project.

Ana Sagar Lake

• The Supreme Court has directed the Rajasthan government to demolish the illegal Seven Wonders Park near Ana Sagar Lake, Ajmer within six months, citing environmental concerns and violations of wetland laws.
• Ana Sagar Lake is located in Ajmer district, Rajasthan, India. It is an artificial lake (man-made lake) constructed between 1135-1150 AD by King Arnoraja (also known as Ana), grandfather of Prithviraj Chauhan.
• The lake spans approximately 13 km² and serves as a major water body for the region. It contributes to groundwater recharge, supports biodiversity, and attracts tourism to Ajmer.

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