Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Shravathi river, Macaque
Mains level: Not Much
The Union government allowed a geotechnical investigation that involved drilling of 12 boreholes inside Sharavathi Valley Lion-tailed Macaque Sanctuary in the Western Ghats in Karnataka.
Try this PYQ:
Which one of the following groups of animals belongs to the category of endangered species?
(a) Great Indian Bustard, Musk Deer, Red Panda, Asiatic Wild Ass
(b) Kashmir Stag, Cheetah, Blue Bull, Great Indian Bustard.
(c) Snow Leopard, Swamp Deer, Rhesus Monkey, Saras (Crane)
(d) Lion Tailed Macaque, Blue Bull, Hanuman Langur, Cheetah
About Lion-tailed Macaque
- Endemic to rainforests of the Western Ghats, the Lion-tailed Macaque (Macaca Silenus) is an Endangered species, according to IUCN assessment.
- It is listed in Appendix 1 of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.
- It is a Schedule 1 species under WPA, 1972 and thereby, accorded the highest protection under the Indian law.
- Their total (global) population is 2,500 mature individuals.
Why in news?
- Sharavathi is likely one of the most exploited rivers.
- It flows for mere 132 km, but four major power projects on it produce 40 per cent of all hydroelectric power in Karnataka.
- Yet, in an attempt to squeeze more power from the river flowing through the Western Ghats, a new pumped hydro-storage project has been proposed.
- This will only intensify the cumulative adverse impact of previous projects on the biodiversity of the Sharavathi valley.
- In particular, the impacts on the iconic Lion-tailed Macaque are likely to be huge.
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