With reference to the wetlands of India, consider the following statements:
- The country’s total geographical area under the category of wetlands is recorded more in Gujarat as compared to other States.
- In India, the total geographical area of coastal wetlands is larger than that of inland wetlands.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2012 Prelims]
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither I nor 2
Answer: (a)
Explanation:
- Gujarat is known as the “Land of Wetlands” due to its significant area of wetlands, which covers about 17.56% of the state’s geographical area, making it one of the largest areas of wetlands in India.
- The total wetland area in Gujarat accounts for 23.14% of the country’s total wetland area. Statement 1 is correct.
- However, statement 2 is incorrect because India has a total of 27,403 wetlands, with 23,444 being inland wetlands and 3,959 being coastal wetlands.
- Inland wetlands account for 69% of the total wetland area in the country, while coastal wetlands account for 27%, and other smaller wetlands account for 4%.
