Indian Hydrography & Water Bodies

* Gomati: The Gomti River originates in the Central Himalayas and joins the Ganga near Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. * Ghaghara: The Ghaghara River, also known as the Ghagra-Rapti River, is the largest tributary of the Ganga. It originates in the Nepal Himalayas and joins the Ganga near Chhapra, Bihar. * Gandak: The Gandak River originates in the Nepal Himalayas and joins the Ganga near Patna, Bihar. * Kosi: The Kosi River, also known as the Koshi River, is known for its erratic behaviour and floods. It originates in the Nepal Himalayas and joins the Ganga near Katihar, Bihar. Therefore, the correct sequence is Gomati - Ghaghara - Gandak - Kosi.

* Dhuandhar: This waterfall is located on the Narmada River, but the region is not Malwa. It is in Madhya Pradesh Mahakoshal region. Hence, pair 1 is incorrectly matched. * Hundru: This waterfall is indeed located on the Subarnarekha River within the Chota Nagpur Plateau. Hence, pair 2 is correctly matched. * Gersoppa (also known as Jog Falls): This waterfall is on the Sharavati River in the Western Ghats, not the Netravati River. Hence, pair 3 is incorrectly matched.

* Statement 1 is correct. According to the United Nations World Water Development Report 2022, with an estimated 251 km3 annual withdrawal from an estimated 20 million wells and tube wells, India is the world's greatest groundwater user. This accounts for more than a quarter of the total groundwater extracted internationally. * Statement 2 is incorrect. India uses about 89% of this groundwater for irrigation. Major share of total groundwater extracted by India is utilised for irrigation purposes and not for drinking and sanitation purposes.

Statement 1 is correct: The Jhelum River originates from Verinag Spring in the Pir Panjal range and flows through Srinagar. It passes through Wular Lake, one of the largest freshwater lakes in India, before continuing westward toward Baramulla and entering Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Statement 2 is not correct: Kolleru Lake lies between the Krishna and Godavari deltas in Andhra Pradesh but is not directly fed by either river. The lake receives inflows mainly from smaller rivers such as Budameru and Tammileru, which are distributaries of the Krishna and Godavari systems. Therefore, the Krishna River does not directly feed Kolleru Lake. Statement 3 is not correct: Kanwar Lake (also known as Kabartal) in Begusarai district of Bihar is an oxbow lake formed by the meandering of the Burhi Gandak River, not the main Gandak River. The Burhi Gandak (Old Gandak) is a separate channel originating near Someshwar Hills and flowing parallel to the Ganga.

* Statement 1 is incorrect: The Mundra Thermal Power Plant employs a closed-cycle induced draft circulating cooling water system that utilises seawater. Seawater is drawn from the Gulf of Kutch through robust glass reinforced pipes of significant diameter. In addition, purified seawater from a reverse osmosis plant is utilised by various supplementary systems. * Statement 2 is incorrect:  According to recent research by WRI (World Resources Institute), 40 percent of India's thermal power plants are situated in regions experiencing significant water stress. This poses a challenge as these plants rely on water for cooling purposes. The scarcity of water is already causing disruptions in electricity generation in these areas, with 14 out of India's 20 largest thermal utilities having experienced at least one shutdown between 2013 and 2016 due to water shortages. * Statement 3 is incorrect:  India has a total of 269 Thermal Power Plants, with 138 of them being owned by the public sector and the remaining 131 owned by the private sector.

Hokera Wetland - Punjab: Incorrect. The Hokera Wetland is located in Jammu and Kashmir, not Punjab. It is a significant wetland in the region. Renuka Wetland - Himachal Pradesh: Correct. The Renuka Wetland is located in the Sirmaur district of Himachal Pradesh. It is a famous wetland in the region, particularly known for the Renuka Lake. Rudrasagar Lake - Tripura: Correct. The Rudrasagar Lake is located in Tripura. It is a large lake and a significant water body in the state. Sasthamkotta Lake - Tamil Nadu: Incorrect. The Sasthamkotta Lake is located in Kerala, not Tamil Nadu. It is the largest freshwater lake in Kerala.

Gandikota is a small village in the Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh. The village is majorly known for housing the spectacular gorge which is famously adjudged as the “Grand Canyon of India”. The canyon is a gorge carved out over millions of years by the Pennar River that streams from the Erramala hills. It's known for its red-hued, layered, and jagged rock formations.

Pair 1 is not correctly matched. Ghataprabha Reservoir Located in Karnataka, not Telangana. Pair 2 is correctly matched. Gandhi Sagar Reservoir Located in Madhya Pradesh (correctly matched). Pair 3 is not correctly matched. Indira Sagar Reservoir Located in Madhya Pradesh, not Andhra Pradesh. Pair 4 is not correctly matched. Maithon Reservoir Located in Jharkhand, not Chhattisgarh.

Option A is incorrect. The Chenab joins Satluj in Pakistan. Option B is incorrect. The Jhelum joins the Chenab near Jhang in Pakistan. Option C is incorrect. The Ravi joins the Chenab near Sarai Sidhu. Option D is correct. Satluj is joined by the Chenab in Pakistan. Thus, Satluj receives the collective drainage of the Ravi, Chenab and Jhelum rivers. It joins the Indus a few kilometres above Mithankot.

Didwana, Kuchaman, Sargol, and Khatu are the names of saline lakes of Rajasthan.