Indian Geography: UPSC Previous Year Questions (Geography)

Explanation

Option (c) is correct: Gandikota canyon is situated on the Pennar River in Andhra Pradesh and is known as the Grand Canyon of India. Gandikota is a small village in the Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh. Gorges are formed when rivers erode through gigantic rock formations over a long period of time. A gorge is any valley formed by a source of water flowing between tall slabs of steep rocks. The swift flowing waters of River Pennar cut through the granite rocks near the village of Gandikota, naturally eroding the rock and forming a deep valley.

Explanation

Pair 1 is incorrectly matched: Namcha Barwa is not situated in Garhwal Himalayas. It is part of Eastern Himalayas marking the easternmost section of the Himalayas. The peak lies inside the Great Bend of the Yarlung Tsangpo River, where the river takes a significant turn before entering India as the Brahmaputra.

Pair 2 is correctly matched: The part of the Himalayas lying between Satluj and Kali rivers is known as Kumaon Himalayas. Nanda Devi is part of the Kumaon Himalayas located in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. The peak is flanked by the Rishi-ganga valley to the west and the Goriganga valley to the east. The surrounding Nanda Devi National Park was recognized for its unique biodiversity and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Pair 3 is incorrectly matched: Nokrek Peak stands as the high-est point in Meghalaya’s Garo Hills, situated in northeastern In-dia. It belongs to the Shillong Plateau and is geographically separate from the Sikkim Himalaya which is located further north in Sikkim. It is recognized for its diverse flora and fauna and the Nokrek region has been designated a UNESCO Biosphere Re-serve.

Explanation

Pair 1 is incorrectly matched: The Ghataprabha Reservoir is built on the Ghataprabha River, a tributary of the Krishna River, located in the Belagavi district of Karnataka(not Telengana). It provides irrigation to the drought-prone regions of north Karnataka. The Gokak Falls is located on this river.

Pair 2 is correctly matched: The Gandhi Sagar Dam is constructed on the Chambal River is situated in the Mandsaur and Neemuch districts of Madhya Pradesh. It is one of the five major dams of the Chambal Valley Project and plays a vital role in irrigation and hydroelectricity.

Pair 3 is incorrectly matched: The Indira Sagar Dam is the largest dam in India, in terms of volume of water stored in the reservoir. It is located in Madhya Pradesh, not Andhra Pradesh. It is built on the Narmada River and is one of the largest reservoirs in India.

Pair 4 is incorrectly matched: The Maithon Dam is built on the Barakar River, a tributary of the Damodar River. It is situated in Dhanbad district of Jharkhand. It is a key component of the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) project, controlling floods and generating hydroelectric power.