Kharai Camel: Illegal Salt Pans and Coastal Encroachment Threaten Gujarat’s Unique Breed

• Reports have highlighted the continuing threat posed by illegal salt pans and encroachment on tidal creeks to Kharai camels in Gujarat’s Kutch region. 
• Despite National Green Tribunal (NGT) directions concerning mangrove protection and restoration, damage to grazing habitats remains a conservation concern.

About the Breed

• The Kharai camel is a rare indigenous domestic camel breed associated with Gujarat’s coastal and saline landscapes.
• Its name derives from “Khara”, meaning saline, reflecting its adaptation to desert and coastal environments.
•  It is recognised as a distinct indigenous camel breed by the National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources.

Why Is It Called a Swimming Camel?

• Kharai camels can swim through seawater to reach coastal islands and mangrove grazing areas. They are known to swim distances of up to approximately three kilometres.
• Mangrove vegetation forms an important part of their diet. Their ability to move between land and tidal waters distinguishes them from camel breeds generally associated with dry inland environments.

Distribution and Traditional Custodians

• The breed is primarily associated with Kutch and other coastal areas of Gujarat. Rabari and Fakirani Jat pastoral communities have traditionally reared these camels.
• Their knowledge of tides, grazing routes and seasonal conditions supports camel husbandry. 
• The breed also contributes to household livelihoods through milk production and other pastoral activities.

Major Threats

• Salt Pan Expansion: Conversion of coastal areas into salt pans reduces access to traditional grazing grounds.
• Creek Encroachment: Embankments and blocked tidal channels can disrupt water movement and access to mangrove areas.
• Mangrove Degradation: Loss of mangrove vegetation reduces the availability of fodder.
•  Industrial Development: Coastal infrastructure and industrial expansion can fragment grazing landscapes and obstruct traditional movement routes.

Conservation Significance

• Protecting Kharai camels requires conserving both the breed and its coastal grazing ecosystem. Priorities include restoring tidal flows, preventing illegal encroachment, protecting mangroves and involving pastoral communities in habitat management.
• Breed conservation also safeguards livestock genetic diversity and traditional ecological knowledge.

MCQ - ENGLISH

Q. With reference to the Kharai camel, consider the following statements

1. It is an indigenous camel breed associated with Gujarat.
2. It can swim through seawater to reach mangrove grazing areas.
3. It is naturally restricted to the cold deserts of the Himalayas.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only
 (b) 2 and 3 only
 (c) 1 and 3 only
 (d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (a) 

Explanation:

•  Kharai camels are associated with Gujarat’s coastal landscapes and swim to mangrove grazing areas. They are not restricted to Himalayan cold deserts.
• SHORT NEWS 
•  

• Ashoke Sen Receives the Oskar Klein Medal 2026	Ashoke Sen became the first Indian physicist to receive the Oskar Klein Medal in 2026.  He is the Infosys Madhava Chair Professor at the International Centre for Theoretical Sciences, Bengaluru. Established in 1988, the medal is awarded by Stockholm University and the Nobel Committee for Physics of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.  Sen’s major contributions concern string theory, S-duality and black hole entropy.  His earlier honours include the Padma Shri in 2001, Padma Bhushan in 2013 and Dirac Medal in 2014.
  Irwin Allan Sealy Selected for Lifetime Achievement Honour	Indian English-language writer Irwin Allan Sealy was selected for the Godrej Literature Live! Lifetime Achievement Award 2026. Its presentation features in the Mumbai literary festival’s programme. His major books include The Trotter-Nama, The Everest Hotel and Asoca. The Everest Hotel was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 1998.  Asoca received the Literature Live! Best Book Award in 2021.  Sealy lives in Dehradun and received the Padma Shri for literature and education in 2012.
  Lionel Messi Receives the Princess of Asturias Sports Award	Argentina’s Lionel Messi received the 2026 Princess of Asturias Award for Sports on 23 October at the Campoamor Theatre in Oviedo, Spain. Princess Leonor presented the award. Messi became the first footballer to receive it as a sole laureate. The honour recognises his sporting achievements and work supporting children’s education and healthcare. He has won eight Ballon d’Or awards and captained Argentina’s 2022 World Cup-winning team. He has served as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador since 2010.
  Usha Mangeshkar Selected for First Bhupen Hazarika National Award	The Assam government selected Usha Mangeshkar for the inaugural Bharat Ratna Dr. Bhupen Hazarika National Award.  Its presentation is scheduled for 29 November 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. The award carries ₹10 lakh and a citation. It will recognise a distinguished personality in music, arts or cinema once every three years. Mangeshkar was selected for her contribution to Indian music. Born in Sadiya, Assam, Hazarika was a singer, composer and filmmaker.  He received the Bharat Ratna posthumously in 2019.
  Padma Shri Awardee Chef Damu Passes Away	Culinary expert K. Damodaran, popularly known as Chef Damu, died in Chennai on 25 October 2026 at the age of 72. He popularised Tamil and South Indian cuisine and was a judge on Cooku with Comali.  He received the Padma Shri in 2025. In 2010, he established a Guinness World Record by preparing 617 dishes during a continuous cooking session lasting 24 hours, 30 minutes and 12 seconds. His contributions covered regional culinary heritage, professional training and hospitality skills.
  Japanese Author Ryu Murakami Dies	Japanese novelist and filmmaker Ryu Murakami died on 17 October 2026 at the age of 74. His death was announced on 23 October. Born in Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture, in 1952, he won the Akutagawa Prize in 1976 for his debut novel, Almost Transparent Blue.  His major works include Coin Locker Babies, In the Miso Soup and Audition.  His writing explored alienation and problems in modern Japanese society. He was a different writer from Haruki Murakami, and the two were not related.
  Pankaj Advani Wins His 29th World Title	Pankaj Advani won the World Billiards Championship at the Landywood Snooker Club in Walsall, England, in October 2026. He defeated England’s Robert Hall 1,906–1,206 in the final, after beating David Causier in the semi-final and Sourav Kothari in the quarter-final. This was his 29th career world title across billiards and snooker combined. His previous victory in this particular championship came in 2014.  The Bengaluru-associated champion has won world titles in both cue sports.
  Meaning of ‘Form 47 Government’ in Pakistan	“Form 47 government” is a political expression questioning the electoral mandate of Pakistan’s government. It is not an official constitutional designation. Form 45 records the result at an individual polling station and is prepared by the presiding officer. Form 47 provides the provisional consolidated result for a constituency and is prepared by the returning officer.  The expression gained prominence after alleged discrepancies between these records during Pakistan’s 2024 election.  It concerns electoral transparency and the credibility of declared results.
  String Theory and Black Hole Entropy	Ashoke Sen’s Oskar Klein Medal has brought renewed attention to string theory and black hole entropy. String theory models fundamental particles as extremely small vibrating strings and seeks to unify gravity with quantum physics. Black hole entropy relates to the number of possible microscopic quantum states.  Under the Bekenstein–Hawking relation, it is proportional to the event horizon’s area. String theory provides a microscopic explanation for certain special theoretical black holes.  However, the framework has not yet received decisive experimental confirmation as a description of nature.
  India Wins Record 114 Medals at Asian Para Games 2026	India finished fourth with a record 114 medals at the fifth Asian Para Games, held in Aichi–Nagoya, Japan. The tally comprised 30 gold, 35 silver and 49 bronze medals, exceeding the previous best of 108 at the Hangzhou edition held in 2023 by six medals. In the final medal standings of the Asian Para Games 2026, China ranked first with 435 medals, including 207 golds, followed by Japan with 186 medals, including 64 golds, Uzbekistan with 145 medals, including 45 golds, India with 114 medals, including 30 golds, and South Korea with 100 medals, including 29 golds.

•