In which of the following state is Maguri Motapung Beel wetland is located?
(a) Assam
(b) Arunachal Pradesh
(c) Meghalaya
(d) Nagaland

Correct Option: (a)


Solution

  • Maguri Motapung Beel is less than 10 km south of the more famous Dibru-Saikhowa National Park and part of the Dibru-Saikhowa Biosphere Reserve.
  • The wetland derives its name from ‘Magur’, local word for the catfish Clarius batrachus, once found here in abundance. Motapung is a village nearby, and Beel is the Assamese word for wetland.
  • Significance:
    • It was declared an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) in 1996.
    • Important species: Golden Mahaseer, vulnerable species (like the Swamp Francolin and the Marsh Babbler), two endangered (Greater Adjutant and Pallas’s Fish-eagle) and six critically endangered (like Baer’s Pochard, Red-headed Vulture and White-bellied Heron).
  • Location:
    • This reserve connects the national park in Assam to Namdapha National Park in Arunachal Pradesh, creating a big wildlife corridor of immense importance in the Indo-Burma Biodiversity Hotspot.
    • The reserve is located within the Brahmaputra’s floodplains, and is limited by the Lohit river in the north and the Dibru in the south.
  • Why in News?
  • This wetland is 500m away from the oil well that exploded on June 9.


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