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RAS question

Assertion (A): The CPCB inspection placed before the NGT on 12 May 2026 found that Kaliapani Chromite Mines were discharging treated effluent that exceeded the prescribed standard for hexavalent chromium. Reason (R): The Sukinda Valley in Odisha was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2024 in recognition of its biodiversity. In light of the above, choose the correct option:

Correct answer: (B) A is true but R is false.

The CPCB inspection of Sukinda Valley effluent made Assertion (A) true, while the Reason (R) was false because Sukinda Valley was not declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2024.

  1. (A)

    Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A

  2. (B)

    A is true but R is false

  3. (C)

    Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A

  4. (D)

    A is false but R is true

Explanation

Assertion (A) is true because the CPCB report placed before the NGT records that the treated effluent from the ETP of Kaliapani Chromite Mines of Jindal Stainless Ltd had hexavalent chromium at 0.16 mg/L, above the prescribed limit of 0.05 mg/L, and was being discharged to Dharamshala Nalla. This directly establishes non-compliance with the Cr6+ standard. Reason (R) is false: Sukinda Valley has not been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has instead been associated with severe industrial pollution. The PIB release on a 2024 UNESCO World Heritage recognition concerns Charaideo Maidams in Assam, not Sukinda Valley in Odisha. Therefore, A is true but R is false.

Why the other options are wrong

  • (A) Option A is wrong because R is false: Sukinda Valley was not declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2024, so it cannot explain the CPCB finding.
  • (C) Option C is wrong because it treats R as true, whereas the UNESCO World Heritage claim about Sukinda Valley is false.
  • (D) Option D is wrong because A is true: the CPCB report recorded Cr6+ at 0.16 mg/L against the 0.05 mg/L limit in treated effluent from Kaliapani Chromite Mines.

Concept

This tests environmental compliance monitoring, especially how NGT proceedings use CPCB inspection reports and prescribed effluent standards. It recurs in RAS because mining pollution, statutory regulators and statement-reasoning traps are frequent environment questions.

Source

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