UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 16 March 2026 covers important current affairs of the day, their backward linkages, their relevance for Prelims exam and MCQs on main articles
InstaLinks : Insta Links help you think beyond the current affairs issue and help you think multidimensionally to develop depth in your understanding of these issues. These linkages provided in this ‘hint’ format help you frame possible questions in your mind that might arise(or an examiner might imagine) from each current event. InstaLinks also connect every issue to their static or theoretical background.
Table of Contents
GS Paper 1/3 :
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Melting Glaciers Greater Threat
GS Paper 4:
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Morality and War
Content for Mains Enrichment (CME):
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Sharansthli Initiative
Facts for Prelims (FFP):
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Force Majeure
-
NavIC’s Atomic Clock Failure
-
The Pinaka Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher (MBRL) System
-
Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974
-
Sujal Gaon ID
-
The Sejjil Ballistic Missile
Mapping:
-
Megamalai Wildlife Sanctuary
UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 16 March 2026
GS Paper 1/3 :
Melting Glaciers Greater Threat
Source: TH
Subject: Critical Geographical Features – Ice-Caps/Disaster Management
Context: A new ISRO study published in NPJ Natural Hazards reveals that the August 2025 Dharali flash flood in Uttarakhand was triggered by the collapse of an exposed ice patch on the Srikanta Glacier.
- The findings shift the focus of disaster monitoring from large glacial lakes to smaller, overlooked instabilities in the cryosphere caused by rapid deglaciation.
About Melting Glaciers Greater Threat:
What it is?
- Glacier melting (deglaciation) refers to the reduction in the volume and mass of a glacier’s ice due to ablation (melting and sublimation) outstripping the accumulation of new snow. As temperatures rise, the protective layer of seasonal snow and firn (intermediate ice) thins, exposing older, unstable ice patches to the elements.
Data and Facts on Glacier Melting:
- Accelerated Rate: Himalayan glaciers have been losing ice at an average rate of nearly 0.5 meters of vertical height per year since 2000.
- Global Warming Impact: The Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region is warming at a rate higher than the global average, leading to a projected loss of up to 75% of glacier volume by 2100.
- Water Insecurity: Over 1.3 billion people depend on the 10 major rivers originating from the Himalayas; melting glaciers initially increase flow but lead to long-term water scarcity.
- Increased Hazard Frequency: The frequency of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) and ice-patch collapses has tripled in the last two decades.
Factors Contributing to Glacier Melting:
- Rising Atmospheric Temperatures: Global warming reduces the insulating snow cover, exposing the darker ice beneath.
Example: The Srikanta Glacier saw its firn cover thin significantly before the 2025 flood due to record summer temperatures.
- Black Carbon Deposition: Pollutants from biomass burning and vehicle emissions settle on glaciers, absorbing sunlight and accelerating melt.
Example: High levels of black carbon have been recorded near the Gangotri Glacier, leading to faster recession than in neighboring regions.
- Changes in Precipitation Patterns: Shift from snowfall to rainfall at high altitudes prevents the recharging of glaciers.
Example: Reduced winter snowfall in Ladakh has led to the drying up of several small peripheral glaciers that local farmers rely on.
- Infrastructural Development: Tunnelling and road construction in fragile eco-zones create localized heat islands and vibrations.
Example: The Char Dham road project in Uttarakhand has faced criticism for increasing slope instability near glaciated zones.
- Nivation and Geomorphic Changes: Alternate freezing and thawing erode the ground beneath snowbanks, creating nivation hollows that eventually collapse.
Example: The Dharali flash flood was specifically linked to the collapse of an ice patch within such a hollow on steep northeast-facing slopes.
Initiatives Taken:
- National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem (NMSHE): A part of India’s Climate Change Action Plan focused on monitoring forest cover and glacier health.
- ISRO Satellite Monitoring: Use of high-resolution imagery (like RISAT and Cartosat) to map over 9,500 Himalayan glaciers and track GLOF risks.
- Indo-Swiss Collaboration: Joint research programs (CAPH) aimed at improving climate resilience and glaciology expertise in the Indian Himalayas.
- Early Warning Systems (EWS): Installation of sensor-based EWS in high-risk zones like the Rishiganga and Dhauliganga valleys following the 2021 disaster.
Challenges Associated:
- Remote and Rugged Terrain: Difficulty in installing and maintaining ground-based monitoring equipment at high altitudes.
Example: Reaching the Srikanta peak for manual data verification is hazardous due to its avalanche-prone 6,133 m height.
- Lack of Historical Data: Incomplete records make it difficult to predict black swan events like ice-patch collapses.
Example: Until the 2025 Dharali event, ice-patch collapse was an under-recognized hazard compared to GLOFs.
- Transboundary Management: Glaciers span borders (India, China, Pakistan), making data sharing and coordinated disaster response difficult.
Example: Tensions along the LAC often limit the ability of scientists to conduct comprehensive field studies on transboundary glaciers.
- Socio-Economic Vulnerability: Communities live in narrow valleys where even a small flood can be catastrophic.
Example: Dharali village is split by the Khir Gad stream, making its residents highly vulnerable to sudden surges from the glacier above.
- Unpredictable Micro-Climates: High-altitude weather can change in minutes, bypassing regional forecasts.
Example: The 2021 Chamoli rock-ice avalanche occurred on a clear day, catching authorities off-guard as there was no heavy rain to signal danger.
Way Ahead:
- Integrated Monitoring: Combine satellite data with ground-based sensors to monitor smaller nivation hollows and ice patches.
- Community-Led Warning: Train local populations in high-altitude villages to recognize landscape signals, such as the sudden exposure of dark ice.
- Climate-Resilient Infrastructure: Enforce strict environmental audits for all construction projects within 50 km of the glaciated line.
- Regional Cooperation: Establish a Himalayan Council for real-time data sharing on glacier health across neighboring countries.
- Nivation Mapping: Systematically identify and monitor north-facing steep slopes as geomorphologically sensitive zones.
Conclusion:
The Dharali disaster proves that Himalayan hazards are evolving beyond traditional glacial lake outbursts to more subtle cryospheric collapses. As deglaciation exposes unstable ice patches, the ridge-to-valley monitoring approach must become the new standard for disaster risk reduction. Protecting these fragile ecosystems is no longer just an environmental goal but a critical necessity for the safety of millions living downstream
UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 16 March 2026 – GS Paper 4:
Morality and War
Source: NDTV
Subject: Ethics and morality
Context: China has condemned a deadly missile strike on a school in southern Iran, calling it a breach of the bottom line of morality after reports indicated at least 165 people, including many children, were killed.
About Morality and War:
What it is?
- Morality in war refers to the ethical framework, often codified as Just War Theory (Jus in Bello), that dictates how combatants must behave during a conflict. It seeks to balance the necessity of defeating an enemy with the humanity of protecting those who are not part of the fight.
Types of Morals in Ethics:
- Moral: Acts that respect human dignity even in violence (e.g., providing medical aid to an injured enemy soldier).
- Immoral: Deliberate cruelty or targeting of the defenseless (e.g., the My Lai Massacre during the Vietnam War).
- Amoral: Decisions based purely on efficiency or statistics, ignoring human cost (e.g., Body counts used as a metric of success in conflict).
Importance of Morals in War Situations
- Protection of Non-Combatants: Moral norms and international humanitarian law protect civilians, prisoners of war, and medical personnel, preserving human dignity even during armed conflict.
Example: In the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, the Indian Army treated about 93,000 Pakistani POWs humanely under the Geneva Conventions, setting a global ethical benchmark.
- Maintaining Civilised Standards: Ethical rules restrict weapons and tactics that cause unnecessary suffering, ensuring warfare remains limited to legitimate military objectives.
Example: The St. Petersburg Declaration (1868) banned certain explosive weapons, establishing the principle of avoiding unnecessary suffering in war.
- Facilitating Post-War Reconciliation: Ethical conduct during conflict reduces bitterness and enables peaceful reconstruction and cooperation after the war.
Example: After World War II, the Marshall Plan helped rebuild European nations instead of imposing harsh punitive measures.
- Global Legitimacy and Support: Respecting humanitarian norms strengthens diplomatic legitimacy and helps build international coalitions.
Example: During the 1991 Gulf War, the US-led coalition emphasised avoiding civilian and cultural targets to maintain global support.
- Limiting Unnecessary Suffering: Moral restraints discourage indiscriminate destruction and reduce long-term humanitarian and environmental damage.
Example: India’s No First Use (NFU) nuclear policy reflects a moral commitment to use nuclear weapons only as deterrence.
Challenges to Morals in War Situations:
- Fog of War and Intelligence Failures: Confusion and incomplete intelligence during combat can lead to tragic mistakes and civilian casualties.
Example: The 2021 Kabul drone strike killed 10 civilians, showing how faulty intelligence can undermine ethical warfare.
- Dehumanisation of the Enemy: Propaganda portraying opponents as inferior weakens moral restraints and legitimizes violence.
Example: During the 1994 Rwandan Genocide, propaganda labeled victims as cockroaches, facilitating mass killings.
- Asymmetric Warfare: Insurgents often operate among civilians, forcing security forces to balance military objectives with civilian safety.
Example: In counter-insurgency operations in Jammu & Kashmir, militants hiding in civilian areas create moral dilemmas for forces.
- Technological Detachment: Advanced technologies such as drones and autonomous weapons distance soldiers from battlefield consequences, reducing human judgment.
Example: Autonomous Weapon Systems (AWS) raise ethical concerns as machines cannot exercise compassion or moral reasoning.
- Political Pressure for Results: Governments may prioritize quick victory over humanitarian considerations during intense conflicts.
Example: The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (1945) remain debated as strategic decisions overriding civilian protection.
Rare Ethical Principles Associated:
- The Principle of Distinction: The absolute requirement to distinguish at all times between the civilian population and combatants.
- Jus Post Bellum: Justice after war, focusing on the moral obligations of winners to help losers rebuild a stable society.
- Martens Clause: A safety net principle stating that even in cases not covered by specific laws, civilians and combatants remain under the protection of the principles of humanity.
- Moral Injury: The psychological trauma suffered by soldiers when they are forced to perform or witness acts that violate their deep-seated moral beliefs.
Way Ahead:
- Human-in-the-Loop AI: Ensure that every lethal strike involving AI or drones requires a final, accountable human moral check.
- Universal Jurisdiction: Empower international courts to prosecute war crimes regardless of where they happened or the nationality of the perpetrator.
- Digital No-Strike Registries: Create a blockchain-verified global list of schools, hospitals, and heritage sites that are automatically updated in the targeting software of all nations.
- Moral Literacy in Military Academies: Shift training from just how to kill to when not to kill, making ethics a core tactical skill rather than an afterthought.
- Sanctions for Disproportionate Force: Implement automatic economic penalties for nations that cause civilian casualties beyond an internationally agreed-upon proportionality ratio.
Conclusion:
War is the ultimate test of a civilization’s values, where the pressure to win often collides with the duty to be human. Whether it is a school in Iran or a hospital in a conflict zone elsewhere, the moral bottom line remains the same: civilians are not targets. Progress in warfare must not just be measured by the range of a missile, but by the strength of the moral constraints placed upon it.
UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 16 March 2026 – Content for Mains Enrichment (CME)
Sharansthli Initiative
Context: The Lieutenant Governor of Jammu & Kashmir, distributed compassionate appointment letters to 50 next of kin of terrorism victims under the Sharansthli initiative in Srinagar.
About Sharansthli Initiative:
What it is?
- Sharansthli is a rehabilitation initiative of the Jammu & Kashmir administration aimed at supporting families of victims who lost their lives due to terrorism.
- Under the programme, compassionate government employment is provided to the next of kin of terror victims to help them rebuild their livelihoods and restore dignity.
Aim:
- Provide stable government employment to families affected by terrorism.
- Acknowledge the suffering of terror victims and ensure institutional support.
Key Features:
- Eligible family members of terror victims receive government jobs under compassionate appointment rules to ensure long-term livelihood security.
- Cases are processed through coordination between police and civil administration to verify victims and ensure legitimate appointments.
- The government is reviewing additional cases of terror victim families, ensuring more beneficiaries receive employment assistance.
Relevance for UPSC Examination
- GS Paper 2
Governance & Social Justice
-
- Welfare measures for vulnerable sections affected by conflict and terrorism.
- Government policies for rehabilitation and compensation for victims of violence.
- Issues related to internal security and socio-economic reintegration in conflict regions such as Jammu & Kashmir.
- GS Paper 3
Internal Security
-
- Government initiatives addressing terrorism impacts and rehabilitation of affected communities.
UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 16 March 2026 Facts for Prelims (FFP)
Force Majeure
Source: TOI
Subject: Miscellaneous
Context: Major Gulf energy producers like Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain have invoked force majeure on oil and gas exports due to shipping disruptions and infrastructure attacks linked to the 2026 Iran vs. US-Israel conflict.
About Force Majeure:
What It Is?
- Force majeure is a legal clause included in contracts that allows a party to suspend or terminate its obligations without penalty when an extraordinary, unforeseeable event makes fulfillment impossible. It essentially pauses the contract because the circumstances are beyond the control of the parties involved.
Origin:
- The term is French, literally translating to superior force. It is rooted in civil law but is now a standard feature in international commercial contracts and maritime law worldwide.
Aim: The primary goal is to provide legal protection to businesses or governments. It ensures they aren’t sued for breach of contract or forced to pay massive late fees when Acts of God (like earthquakes) or Acts of Man (like war) prevent them from delivering goods or services.
Key Features:
- Unforeseeability: The event must have been impossible to predict at the time the contract was signed.
- Externality: The cause must come from an outside source, not the negligence of the company invoking it.
- Irresistibility: The event must create a genuine impossibility to perform the task, not just make it more expensive or difficult.
- Notification: The party invoking the clause must formally notify their partners immediately (as seen with Kuwait Petroleum and BAPCO).
- Mitigation: Even when invoked, the party is often required to prove they tried everything reasonable to fulfill the contract despite the event.
Significance:
- Protects companies and governments from penalties during disruptions such as wars or pandemics.
- Frequently used in oil, gas, and LNG contracts, allowing exporters to suspend deliveries during geopolitical crises.
- Establishes a clear framework for handling unexpected disruptions, reducing disputes between contracting parties.
NavIC’s Atomic Clock Failure
Source: IT
Subject: Science and Technology
Context: ISRO recently reported that the atomic clock on the IRNSS-1F satellite has failed, reducing the number of functional positioning satellites in the NavIC constellation.
About NavIC’s Atomic Clock Failure:
What is an Atomic Clock?
- An atomic clock is an ultra-precise timekeeping device that uses the vibrations of atoms (usually Rubidium or Cesium) to measure time. In navigation satellites, these clocks are essential because even a billionth of a second of error can lead to a location inaccuracy of several meters on the ground.
How it Works?
- Atomic Resonance: The clock measures the precise frequency of electromagnetic radiation emitted or absorbed by electrons when they change energy levels within an atom.
- Ultra-Stability: Unlike mechanical or quartz clocks, atoms vibrate at a perfectly constant rate, providing a stable frequency that does not drift over time.
- Time-of-Flight Measurement: The satellite sends a signal with a timestamp. By comparing when the signal was sent to when it was received, the receiver calculates the distance.
- Trilateration: By calculating distances from at least four different satellites simultaneously, a receiver can pin-point a user’s exact latitude, longitude, and altitude.
Features:
- Precision: They are accurate to within one second every few million years.
- Redundancy: Satellites usually carry multiple clocks (often three or four) in case one fails.
- Indigenization: While earlier NavIC clocks were imported, the new generation (NVS series) features India-developed Rubidium atomic clocks.
About The NavIC Satellite System:
What it is?
- NavIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation), originally called the IRNSS (Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System), is India’s independent, regional satellite navigation system.
Launched In:
- The first satellite, IRNSS-1A, was launched in July 2013. The constellation was intended to be completed with seven satellites by 2016, though replenishment launches (like NVS-01 in 2023) continue to sustain the system.
Aim: The primary goal is to provide reliable position, navigation, and timing services over India and a region extending approximately 1,500 km around its borders, ensuring strategic independence from foreign systems like the American GPS.
Features:
- Dual Service: Provides Standard Positioning Service (SPS) for civilians and Restricted Service (RS)—an encrypted signal for military use.
- Geosynchronous Orbit: Unlike GPS satellites that move around the Earth, NavIC satellites are placed in higher orbits (36,000 km) that keep them permanently visible over the Indian region.
- Superior Accuracy: Because the satellites are always overhead for India, they provide better accuracy (approx. 10 meters) in dense forests and mountainous terrain compared to GPS.
- Frequency Bands: It operates in the L5 and S bands. Newer satellites (NVS series) have added the L1 band, making them compatible with common wearable devices like smartwatches.
The Pinaka Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher (MBRL) System
Source: NIE
Subject: Security
Context: The Indian Army has operationalized its seventh Pinaka regiment and is currently raising an eighth, with plans to reach ten regiments by next year.
About The Pinaka Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher (MBRL) System:
What it is?
- Pinaka is an indigenous, multi-barrel rocket launcher (MBRL) system capable of firing a salvo of 12 rockets in under 44 seconds. It is a high-volume, area-saturation weapon designed to neutralize enemy troop concentrations and infrastructure over large areas.
Developed By: the Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE).
Aim:
- The primary objective of the Pinaka system is to provide the Indian Army with deep-strike capability, allowing it to destroy enemy communication hubs, logistics depots, and artillery gun positions well behind the front lines.
Key Features of the System:
- Rapid Fire Capability: A single battery of six launchers can fire 72 rockets in just 44 seconds, covering an area of roughly 1,000 by 800 meters.
- Range Variants: The system is versatile, featuring Mk-I (38 km), Mk-II Extended Range (60 km), and Guided variants (75–90 km).
- High Precision: Guided Pinaka rockets utilize an Integrated Navigation System (INS) combined with GPS/NavIC for pinpoint accuracy.
- Mobility: The launchers are mounted on high-mobility Tatra trucks, allowing for shoot-and-scoot tactics to avoid enemy counter-fire.
- Automation: Equipped with an Automated Gun Aiming and Positioning System (AGAPS) and a computerized fire control system for quick deployment.
- Extreme Weather Resilience: The system is designed to operate in diverse Indian terrains, from the high-altitude cold of Ladakh to the intense heat of the Thar Desert.
Significance:
- The Pinaka system is strategically vital as it reduces India’s dependence on Russian Smerch and Grad systems.
- With the development of the Long-Range Guided Rocket (LRGR), which recently hit targets at 120 km, India is building a formidable Rocket Force capable of matching the integrated artillery networks of the PLA along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974
Source: TH
Subject: Miscellaneous
Context: The U.S. government has launched two major Section 301 investigations against India and several other nations to probe allegations of excess manufacturing capacity and forced labor.
About Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974:
What It Is?
- Section 301 is a powerful U.S. trade law that grants the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) the authority to investigate and respond to unreasonable, discriminatory, or unjustifiable trade practices by foreign countries that burden or restrict U.S. commerce.
Nations Involved:
- Investigation 1 (Excess Capacity): Involves 16 major economies, including India, China, the EU, Japan, Mexico, and Vietnam.
- Investigation 2 (Forced Labor): A much broader probe involving 60 countries, with India again being a primary focus.
Aim:
- The primary goal is to enforce U.S. rights under trade agreements and eliminate unfair foreign barriers. In the current context, the aim is to determine if foreign surpluses (like India’s solar modules) or labor practices (forced labor) are harming American workers and businesses.
Key Features of the Act:
- Unilateral Power: It allows the U.S. to take action without waiting for World Trade Organization (WTO) approval.
- Broad Scope: It covers everything from intellectual property theft and subsidies to unreasonable labor policies and excess production.
- Mandatory Investigations: Once a petition is accepted or the USTR initiates a probe, a formal investigation with public hearings must follow.
- Retaliatory Tools: If the USTR finds a violation, it can recommend various actions, most commonly the imposition of tariffs (import duties) or quotas on goods from the investigated country.
- Time-Bound: These investigations usually last between six to twelve months before a final decision on retaliation is made.
Recent Issue and India:
- The USTR claims India’s solar module manufacturing is nearly triple its domestic demand, potentially leading to dumping in the U.S. market. It also highlighted surpluses in steel, petrochemicals, and automotive goods.
- The U.S. cited a bilateral trade surplus with India of $58 billion in 2025, though Indian data estimates it closer to $42.2 billion.
- The second investigation examines whether India has taken sufficient steps to stop goods produced by forced labor from entering global supply chains.
Sujal Gaon ID
Source: PIB
Subject: Government Schemes
Context: The Union Ministry of Jal Shakti has launched Sujal Gaon ID, a unique digital identifier for mapping rural piped water supply schemes across India.
About Sujal Gaon ID:
What it is?
- Sujal Gaon ID is a scheme-based unique digital identifier assigned to each rural piped drinking water supply scheme in India.
- It enables digital mapping of rural water supply assets and service areas, integrating them into a unified national water management platform.
Launched Under:
- It has been introduced under Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0, the flagship programme aimed at providing Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTCs) to all rural households.
Aim:
- To digitally map and monitor rural drinking water infrastructure across India.
- To strengthen transparency, service delivery, and evidence-based decision making in rural water governance.
Key Features:
- Unique Digital Identification – Every rural drinking water scheme is assigned a distinct Sujal Gaon ID, ensuring traceability of assets and services.
- Integration with Sujalam Bharat Platform – The ID is linked with Sujalam Bharat IDs, combining infrastructure ID and service-area ID for complete mapping of water supply systems.
- National Digital Architecture – Creates a source-to-tap digital monitoring system for rural water supply schemes across the country.
- Real-time Monitoring and Data Governance – Enables governments to track scheme performance, infrastructure status, and service delivery outcomes in real time.
- Wide Coverage – Around 1.64 lakh Sujal Gaon IDs across 31 States and UTs have already been generated and linked with 67,000 Sujalam Bharat IDs.
Significance:
- Digital mapping reduces leakages and improves monitoring of rural water infrastructure.
- Data-driven tracking helps policymakers plan maintenance, expansion, and water security strategies.
- Ensures efficient operation and maintenance of piped water supply systems.
The Sejjil Ballistic Missile
Source: TN
Subject: Security
Context: Iran officially deployed the Sejjil ballistic missile for the first time in active combat during Wave 54 of its military operations against US and Israeli positions.
- The missile, nicknamed the dancing missile for its evasive maneuvers, reportedly struck strategic infrastructure.
About The Sejjil Ballistic Missile:
What it is?
- The Sejjil (also known as Sajjil or Ashura) is an indigenous, two-stage, medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM). It represents a major leap in Iranian missile technology, moving away from older liquid-fueled designs to more reliable and faster-launching solid-fuel systems.
Developed By: The missile was indigenously developed by Iran’s aerospace industries.
Aim:
- The primary objective of the Sejjil is to provide Iran with a rapid-response deterrent capable of striking targets across the Middle East and Southeastern Europe, specifically designed to bypass sophisticated missile defense shields like Israel’s Iron Dome and Arrow systems.
Key Features:
- Solid-Fuel Propellant: Unlike liquid-fueled missiles, it can be stored fully fueled for long periods, allowing for near-instant launches.
- Two-Stage Design: Uses two separate solid-propellant motors to achieve high altitudes and high speeds during its flight path.
- Extended Range: It has an operational strike range of approximately 2,000 kilometers, putting the entire Levant region within reach.
- High Payload Capacity: Capable of carrying a warhead weighing roughly 700 kilograms.
- Evasive Maneuverability: Known as the dancing missile because it can maneuver at high altitudes, making its trajectory difficult for radar and interceptors to track.
- Advanced Guidance: The Sejjil-2 variant used in the current conflict features integrated GPS and inertial guidance systems for improved terminal accuracy.
Significance:
- The use of the Sejjil signifies that Iran is now utilizing its most survivable assets—weapons that are hard to detect on the ground and difficult to intercept in the air.
- While some experts view its deployment as a sign of desperation following the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, it proves that Iran’s missile force has transitioned from a theoretical threat to a functional, high-tech combat tool.
UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 16 March 2026 Mapping:
Megamalai Wildlife Sanctuary
Source: TOI
Subject: Mapping
Context: The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) recently documented nine new species, including jumping spiders and damselflies, at the Megamalai Wildlife Sanctuary.
About Megamalai Wildlife Sanctuary:
What it is?
- Megamalai Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected landscape in Tamil Nadu, often referred to as the High Wavy Mountains. Since 2021, it has been a core component of the Srivilliputhur–Megamalai Tiger Reserve (SMTR), which is India’s 51st tiger reserve.
Established In: The sanctuary was formally part of the SMTR notification in 2021, though its Eco-Sensitive Zone was previously gazetted in 2018.
Habitat:
The sanctuary is a mosaic of diverse ecosystems, including:
- Montane Shola Forests and high-altitude grasslands.
- Tropical Wet Evergreen Forests.
- Tea and Cardamom Plantations interspersed with natural vegetation.
Rivers Flowing Through:
The landscape acts as a critical watershed for southern Tamil Nadu. Key rivers include:
- Vaigai: The lifeline of several southern districts.
- Suruliyaru and Shanmuganathi: Major tributaries that converge at the Vaigai Dam.
- Ephemeral Streams: Includes Arjuna Nadhi, Mudangiar, and Gundar, which support local agriculture and drinking water needs.
Key Features:
- Strategic Location: It forms a continuous elephant and tiger corridor connecting the Periyar Tiger Reserve in Kerala with the Grizzled Giant Squirrel Sanctuary in Srivilliputhur.
- Bio-Indicators: The presence of specific mayflies and amphibians serves as a natural gauge for water quality and habitat stability.
- Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ): The sanctuary maintains a protective buffer (ESZ) ranging from 0 km to 1.70 km to minimize human-wildlife conflict.
Species Identified:
The ZSI survey documented 977 species, with the following nine being entirely new to science:
- Jumping Spider: Stenaelurillus megamalai.
- Mayflies: Edmundsula meghamalaiensis.
- Damselfly: Thraulus vellimalaiensis – Protosticta sholai (endemic to the region).
- Bark Lice & Cockroaches: Allacta vellimalai and Lachesilla vellimalai.
- Other Notable Fauna: Megamalai rock gecko (Hemidactylus vanam), and historical records of the Critically Endangered Malabar Civet.
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