Physical Geography
Dalbergia latifolia (Indian Rosewood)
▪ Only 17.2% of India’s suitable habitat for Dalbergia latifolia Indian rosewood lies in protected
areas.
▪ The species, native to Tamil Nadu’s Nilgiris, Anamalai, and Parambikulam ranges, now finds itself largely unprotected and increasingly vulnerable to exploitation as the State government decidednot to renew the Tamil Nadu Rosewood Trees (Conserva-tion) Act, 1995, beyond Fe-bruary 2025.
About Dalbergia latifolia
▪ Often called the ‘ivory of the forests’, Indian rosewood is prized for its rich grain, deep colour, and exceptional durability.
▪ It is a premium timber resource for the furniture and handicraft industries as well as a keystone ecological species. Rosewood trees improve soil fertility through nitrogen fixation, support bird and insect diversity, and act as long-term carbon sinks.
Protection status:
▪ CITES – in Endangered
▪ IUCN – Vulnerable
Gangotri glacier
▪ Gangotri glacier is located in Uttarkashi District, Uttarakhand, India in a region bordering Tibet.
▪ This glacier, one of the primary sources of the Ganges, has a volume of over 27 cubic kilometers.
The glacier is about 30 kilometres long and 2 to 4 km wide.
Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project
▪ Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project is a multi-purpose irrigation project on the Godavari River in Kaleshwaram, Bhupalpally, Telangana, India.
▪ Currently the world’s largest multi-stage lift irrigation project, its farthest upstream influence is at the confluence of the Pranahita and Godavari rivers
