With reference to the wetlands of India, consider the following statements: [2012]

With reference to the wetlands of India, consider the following statements:

The country’s total geographical area under the category of wetlands is recorded more in Gujarat as compared to other States.
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?

1 only
2 only
Both 1 and 2
Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

Gujarat has 34,99,429 hectares of wetlands, which is the highest compared to other states.

Statement 2 is incorrect

Inland wetlands (69.23% of total wetlands) cover a much larger area than coastal wetlands.

Pie chart showing wetlands distribution in India by area, divided into four categories: natural inland wetlands (45%), man-made inland wetlands (27%), natural coastal wetlands (25%), and man-made coastal wetlands (3%). The chart uses blue, orange, white, and yellow segments with percentage labels and category names highlighted in corresponding colors for clear differentiation.

Answer: (a) 1 only; Difficulty Level: Hard

2012, PYQs