Which of the following National Parks is unique in being a swamp with floating vegetation that supports a rich biodiversity?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (b) Keibul Lamjao National Park
Keibul Lamjao National Park in Manipur lies on Loktak Lake. Its habitat is made of phumdis, which are floating mats of soil, vegetation and organic matter. This makes it the world's only floating national park.
- ✗ (a) Bhitarkanika, in Odisha, is known for its mangrove forests and estuarine crocodiles. It is not a swamp of floating vegetation.
- ✓ (b) The park lies on Loktak Lake, and its habitat consists of floating meadows (phumdis). It shelters the Sangai, or Manipur brow-antlered deer.
- ✗ (c) Keoladeo (Bharatpur) is a wetland in Rajasthan and a World Heritage Site. It is one of the major wintering areas for aquatic birds, but its vegetation is not a floating mat.
- ✗ (d) Sultanpur, in Haryana, is a small protected area known for its birds. It is not a floating swamp.
Remember · Keibul Lamjao (Loktak Lake, Manipur) is the world's only floating national park. Its phumdis support the Sangai, or brow-antlered deer.
Sources
- Incredible India (Ministry of Tourism) – Keibul Lamjao National Park ↗ “Keibul Lamjao National Park is renowned as the world's only floating national park. It spans an area of about 40 square kilometres on the Loktak Lake”
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre – Tentative List: Loktak Lake and Keibul Lamjao National Park ↗ “The habitat exclusively consists of floating meadows and an elevated strip of hard ground that dissects the park into northern and southern zones.”
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre – Keoladeo National Park ↗ “This former duck-hunting reserve of the Maharajas is one of the major wintering areas for large numbers of aquatic birds from Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, China and Siberia.”
Question: UPSC Civil Services (Preliminary) 2015, General Studies Paper I. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 25 Oct 2026 (how we verify). ·
