In which of the following states of India Achanakmar-Amarkantak Biosphere…
2025
In which of the following states of India Achanakmar-Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve is located ?
- A.
Gujarat
- B.
Madhya Pradesh
- C.
Jharkhand
- D.
Uttarakhand
Attempted by 8 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
A Biosphere Reserve is an area of terrestrial or coastal ecosystem, recognised under UNESCO's Man and Biosphere (MAB) Programme, that conserves biodiversity together with the livelihoods of local communities. Each reserve is typically organised into a core zone for strict conservation, a buffer zone for regulated activity, and a transition zone for sustainable use, and it is usually named after the local landscape or river system it protects.
The Achanakmar-Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve was notified in 2005 around the Amarkantak plateau — the source of the Narmada, Son, and Johila rivers — and the adjoining Achanakmar Wildlife Sanctuary. By area, the larger share of the reserve lies in the Bilaspur district of Chhattisgarh, with the remainder spread across the Anuppur and Dindori districts of Madhya Pradesh. Since Chhattisgarh is not among the options offered here, Madhya Pradesh — the other state the reserve extends into — is the one to select.
Gujarat has its own biosphere reserve, the Kachchh (Kutch) Biosphere Reserve, located in the Great Rann of Kutch — a completely different landscape from the Amarkantak plateau.
Jharkhand does not host any UNESCO-designated biosphere reserve at present, so it cannot be the location of Achanakmar-Amarkantak.
Uttarakhand's biosphere reserve is the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve in the Himalayas, which is unrelated to the Amarkantak region of central India.
Hence, the Achanakmar-Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve is located in Madhya Pradesh.