Prelims 2012 · archive
MediumWith reference to the wetlands of India, consider the following statements:
- 1.The country’s total geographical area under the category of wetlands is recorded more in Gujarat as compared to other States.
- 2.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?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (a) 1 only
Only statement 1 is correct. In the National Wetland Inventory by ISRO's Space Applications Centre, Gujarat has the largest share of India's wetland area, over a fifth of the national total. Inland wetlands make up about 69% of the national wetland area, so coastal wetlands are far smaller.
- ✓ 1. Gujarat recorded about 34.5 lakh ha of wetlands in 2006-07, which is 22.49% of the national wetland area. In 2017-18 it had about 35 lakh ha (21.9%). This is the largest state share in India.
- ✗ 2. Inland wetlands cover about 1.06 crore ha, or 69.23% of India's wetland area. That leaves coastal wetlands well under a third of the total. Natural coastal wetlands, for example, cover about 37 lakh ha (24.27%). Inland wetlands are therefore far larger than coastal wetlands.
- ✗ c/d Options (c) and (d) fail because statement 2 is wrong. Option (b) fails because statement 1 is right.
Remember · In the National Wetland Inventory (ISRO-SAC), inland wetlands are about 69% of India's wetland area. Gujarat has the largest state share, about 22%.
Sources
- MoSPI EnviStats India 2020, Vol II, Ch 4 Wetlands (National Wetland Inventory, SAC-ISRO) ↗ “1 Total - Inland 1,88,470 1,05,64,899 69.23 73,68,368 47,69,871 2a Coastal Wetlands - Natural 10,204 37,03,971 24.27 9,30,663 7,50,339”
- MoSPI EnviStats India 2022, Ch 4 Wetlands (state-wise wetland area, 2006-07 and 2017-18) ↗ “7 Gujarat 17,613 34,99,429 21.9 14,734 34,49,413 22.49 50,016 8 Haryana 1,905 33,649 0.21”
Question: UPSC Civil Services (Preliminary) 2012, General Studies paper. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 25 Oct 2026 (how we verify). ·