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The Silent Valley Movement, started in 1973 to save a tropical rainforest from a hydroelectric project, took place in:
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Answer: Option B — Kerala
Detailed Solution
The Silent Valley Movement was a famous environmental movement in Kerala to protect the Silent Valley, an untouched tropical evergreen rainforest in the Palakkad district.
About the Silent Valley Movement:
In 1973, the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) proposed to build a hydroelectric dam across the Kunthipuzha river, which flows through the Silent Valley. The dam would have flooded a large part of the forest.
Scientists, environmentalists, writers and citizens opposed the project because the forest is very rich in biodiversity and is home to rare species.
The Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad (KSSP), a people's science movement, played a key role in raising public awareness.
The poet Sugathakumari was a leading figure of the movement. Her poem "Marathinu Stuthi" ("Ode to a Tree") became a symbol of the campaign.
The ornithologist Dr. Salim Ali and the scientist M. S. Swaminathan also supported the campaign.
Prime Minister Indira Gandhi took a personal interest in protecting the forest.
In 1983, the project was cancelled.
In 1984, the Silent Valley was declared a national park, and it was formally inaugurated in 1985 by Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
About Silent Valley National Park:
- It is located in the Nilgiri Hills, in the Western Ghats, and is part of the core area of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (India's first biosphere reserve, 1986).
- It is called "Silent Valley" because it is said to lack the noise of cicadas, which are common in other forests, although this is disputed.
- Its local name is "Sairandhrivanam", after Sairandhri (Draupadi in disguise) from the Mahabharata.
- It is one of the last remaining undisturbed tropical evergreen forests in India.
- It is famous for the endangered lion-tailed macaque, an important symbol of the movement.
Other environmental movements in India:
- Chipko Movement (1973, Uttarakhand): villagers hugged trees to stop felling.
- Appiko Movement (1983, Karnataka): a tree-hugging movement in the Western Ghats.
- Narmada Bachao Andolan (1985): against large dams on the Narmada; led by Medha Patkar.
- Jungle Bachao Andolan (1982, Bihar/Jharkhand).
Why not the other options?
- ✗Karnataka saw the Appiko Movement.
- ✗Uttarakhand saw the Chipko Movement.
- ✗Tamil Nadu has the Nilgiris, but the Silent Valley is in Kerala.
Quick tip
Remember: Silent Valley Movement = Kerala (1973 onwards; against Kunthipuzha dam; KSSP and poet Sugathakumari; national park 1984; lion-tailed macaque); Chipko = Uttarakhand; Appiko = Karnataka.
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Biodiversity, National Parks & Wildlife — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Biodiversity, National Parks & Wildlife, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers biodiversity and its conservation: biodiversity hotspots, endangered and endemic species, the IUCN Red List, in-situ and ex-situ conservation, India's national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, tiger reserves and biosphere reserves, and wildlife conservation projects. Questions commonly ask in which state a national park is located and which animal it is known for (Kaziranga in Assam for the one-horned rhinoceros, and Gir in Gujarat for the Asiatic lion), when Project Tiger began (1973), and which regions of India are biodiversity hotspots. The number of protected areas changes as new ones are declared, so check the latest lists. Practise the biodiversity and conservation questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.