UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — NGT seeks Centre’s response on change in floodplain rules
Q1. With reference to the River Ganga (Rejuvenation, Protection and Management) Authorities (Second Amendment) Order, 2026, consider the following:
1. 'Active floodplain' is the area of the Ganga or its tributaries coming under water due to a flood corresponding to a one-in-five-year return period.
2. The 'regulatory zone' covers areas inundated between a one-in-five-year and a one-in-twenty-five-year flood.
3. The 'warning zone' covers areas inundated between a one-in-twenty-five-year and a one-in-hundred-year flood.
4. The amendment retains, for the active floodplain, the express 'construction-free zone' provision carried in the parent 2016 Order.
Which of the above is/are correctly identified?
- 'Active floodplain' is the area of the Ganga or its tributaries coming under water due to a flood corresponding to a one-in-five-year return period.
- The 'regulatory zone' covers areas inundated between a one-in-five-year and a one-in-twenty-five-year flood.
- The 'warning zone' covers areas inundated between a one-in-twenty-five-year and a one-in-hundred-year flood.
- The amendment retains, for the active floodplain, the express 'construction-free zone' provision carried in the parent 2016 Order.
- A. 1 and 3 only
- B. 2 and 4 only
- C. 1, 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Q2. The River Ganga (Rejuvenation, Protection and Management) Authorities Order, 2016 — the instrument amended in August 2026 to redefine the river's active floodplain — was made by invoking the authority to constitute authorities contained in which one of the following enactments?
- A. The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, under its provisions for constituting pollution control boards
- B. The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, under its provisions empowering the Centre to constitute authorities
- C. The National Green Tribunal Act, 2010, under its provisions for environmental enforcement bodies
- D. The Disaster Management Act, 2005, under its provisions for constituting disaster management authorities
Q3. Under the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010, holding or having held which one of the following offices alone qualifies a person for appointment as Chairperson of the Tribunal?
- A. Judge of the Supreme Court of India, or Chief Justice of a High Court
- B. Judge of a High Court, with at least five years of service on environmental benches
- C. Chief Justice of India, on demitting office in that capacity
- D. Secretary to the Government of India, with fifteen years in environment and forests
Q4. Consider the following statements regarding how the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010 altered the pre-existing environmental adjudication framework:
1. It repealed the National Environment Tribunal Act, 1995.
2. It repealed the National Environment Appellate Authority Act, 1997.
3. An appeal against an award, decision or order of the Tribunal lies to the concerned High Court within ninety days of its communication.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- It repealed the National Environment Tribunal Act, 1995.
- It repealed the National Environment Appellate Authority Act, 1997.
- An appeal against an award, decision or order of the Tribunal lies to the concerned High Court within ninety days of its communication.
- A. 1 only
- B. 1 and 2 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q5. With reference to flood plain zoning legislation in India, consider the following:
1. A model draft bill on flood plain zoning was circulated by the Union Government to the States in 1975 for their consideration and enactment.
2. Manipur, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and the erstwhile State of Jammu & Kashmir are among those that enacted such legislation.
3. Because it was circulated by the Union Government, the model bill operated as binding central legislation on every State from the date of its circulation.
4. Arunachal Pradesh enacted a Flood Plain Zoning Act in 2025.
Which of the above is/are correctly identified?
- A model draft bill on flood plain zoning was circulated by the Union Government to the States in 1975 for their consideration and enactment.
- Manipur, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and the erstwhile State of Jammu & Kashmir are among those that enacted such legislation.
- Because it was circulated by the Union Government, the model bill operated as binding central legislation on every State from the date of its circulation.
- Arunachal Pradesh enacted a Flood Plain Zoning Act in 2025.
- A. 1, 2 and 4 only
- B. 1 and 3 only
- C. 2, 3 and 4 only
- D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Q6. Before Arunachal Pradesh legislated on the subject in 2025, how many States/Union Territories had enacted dedicated flood plain zoning legislation following the Union Government's model draft bill?
- A. Two
- B. Four
- C. Seven
- D. Eleven
Q7. With reference to the demarcation of the Yamuna floodplain in Delhi being monitored by the National Green Tribunal, consider the following:
1. The Central Water and Power Research Station, Pune has been assigned the scientific assessment of the river through the application of a hybrid model.
2. Preparation of the 1:100-year floodplain map with one-metre contour lines was held up because the Survey of India data supplied was found inadequate for the required analysis.
3. To bridge the data gap, the Irrigation and Flood Control Department was to procure high-resolution satellite imagery from Airbus.
4. Physical demarcation of the floodplain on the ground, with ground-truthing alongside the revenue department, was entrusted to the Central Water Commission.
Which of the above is/are correctly identified?
- The Central Water and Power Research Station, Pune has been assigned the scientific assessment of the river through the application of a hybrid model.
- Preparation of the 1:100-year floodplain map with one-metre contour lines was held up because the Survey of India data supplied was found inadequate for the required analysis.
- To bridge the data gap, the Irrigation and Flood Control Department was to procure high-resolution satellite imagery from Airbus.
- Physical demarcation of the floodplain on the ground, with ground-truthing alongside the revenue department, was entrusted to the Central Water Commission.
- A. 1, 2 and 3 only
- B. 1 and 4 only
- C. 2, 3 and 4 only
- D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Q8. In the compliance status placed before the National Green Tribunal, the Delhi Irrigation and Flood Control Department reported completing pre-monsoon 2026 de-silting of how many drains falling within its own jurisdiction?
- A. 22 drains, from which about 1.5 million tonnes of silt were removed
- B. 45 drains, from which about 2.3 million tonnes of silt were removed
- C. 77 drains, from which about 3.1 million tonnes of silt were removed
- D. 201 drains, from which about 4.6 million tonnes of silt were removed
Q9. In which year did India's national disaster management architecture first issue a dedicated set of guidelines treating urban flooding as a subject distinct from riverine floods?
- A. 2005
- B. 2010
- C. 2017
- D. 2019
Q10. In the context of India's urban flood management framework, the 'Urban Flooding Cell' refers to which one of the following?
- A. A dedicated unit recommended for creation within each urban local body
- B. A specialised response formation raised within each battalion of the National Disaster Response Force
- C. A monitoring desk set up in every State Disaster Management Authority for city drainage
- D. A field station of the Central Water Commission attached to each metropolitan river basin
Q11. Under the River Ganga (Rejuvenation, Protection and Management) Authorities Order, 2016, which one of the following is the executive body granted Mission status with a two-tier structure whose Governing Council and Executive Committee are both chaired by its Director General?
- A. The National Ganga Council, the apex body on Ganga rejuvenation policy
- B. The National Mission for Clean Ganga, the implementing arm for Ganga rejuvenation
- C. The Empowered Task Force on River Ganga, the inter-ministerial coordination body
- D. The Central Water Commission, the technical body on river basin management
Q12. Fresh guidelines on flood zoning, delineating areas according to the return period of flooding, were issued in July 2025 on the authority of which one of the following?
- A. The Central Water Commission along with the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti
- B. The National Disaster Management Authority, whose guidelines bind every State without exception
- C. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change with the Central Pollution Control Board
- D. The National Green Tribunal, whose directions override all State land-use laws entirely