Physical Geography
Subarnarekha River
▪ It originates at an altitude of 600 m near Nagri village in Ranchi district of Jharkhand.
▪ It flows for 395 km and empties into the Bay of Bengal.
▪ The Subarnarekha (meaning “golden line”) flows eastwards through a copper mining area and exits the Chota Nagpur Plateau at the Hundrukbagh Falls.
▪ Tributaries: Its main tributaries are the Kanchi, Karkari and Karkai from the right.
Environment and ecology Sundarbans Tiger Reserve
▪ The Sundarbans Tiger Reserve (STR) has become India’s second-largest tiger reserve after the National Board for Wildlife approved West Bengal’s proposal to add 1,044.68 sq km.
▪ The reserve now covers 3,629.57 sq km, up from the earlier seventh rank.
▪ The Sundarbans Tiger Reserve is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and part of the world’s largest mangrove ecosystem, located in West Bengal.
▪ It forms a crucial part of India’s Project Tiger network and is globally renowned for its unique
mangrove–tiger ecosystem.
▪ Declared a Tiger Reserve in 1973, under the first phase of Project Tiger.
▪ Became a Biosphere Reserve in 1989, recognized by UNESCO in 2001.
▪ Declared a Ramsar Wetland Site in 2019, adding global conservation significance.
▪ The largest tiger reserve in India is the Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve, located in Andhra
Pradesh and Telangana, covering an area of approximately 3,728 square kilometers.
International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA)
▪ Neighboring Nepal has officially joined the India-led International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA), which conserves 7 big cat species including tigers and lions.
About the International Big Cat Alliance:
▪ The IBCA is a multilateral alliance of over 90 countries and organizations dedicated to the
conservation of 7 big cat species including tigers, lions, leopards, snow leopards, jaguars, leopards and puma
▪ The alliance was launched by the Prime Minister in Mysore, Karnataka, on April 9, 2023.
▪ With the help of this organization, countries can share their experiences and pool resources in conserving big cat species
