Indian Hydrography & Water Bodies

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.

1. Brahmani: This river is formed by the confluence of two rivers, Sankh and Koel, which rise from the Chota Nagpur Plateau and flow through the Eastern Ghats before merging. So, it doesn't originate from the Eastern Ghats itself. 2. Nagavali: The Nagavali River originates in the Eastern Ghats in Odisha and flows through Andhra Pradesh before joining the Bay of Bengal. 3. Subarnarekha: This river originates from the Chota Nagpur Plateau in Jharkhand and flows through Odisha before finally joining the Bay of Bengal. It does not rise from the Eastern Ghats. 4. Vamsadhara: The Vamsadhara River originates from the Eastern Ghats in Andhra Pradesh and flows through Odisha before joining the Bay of Bengal. Hence, only 2 and 4 are correct.

Nagarhole National Park is located in the Kodagu and Mysore districts of Karnataka and is part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. It is indeed located in the Cauvery basin. Papikonda National Park is not located in the Cauvery basin. It is actually located in the Godavari basin. Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve lies on the banks of the River Bhavani, a tributary of the River Cauvery in the foothills of the Eastern Ghats. So, it is located in the Cauvery basin. Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary: The Kabini river, a tributary of the Cauvery river, flows through the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary. Hence, it is also located in the Cauvery basin. So, the correct answer includes Nagarhole National Park, Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve, and Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary.

Statement 1 is incorrect: As per the report National Compilation on Dynamic Groundwater Resources of India, 2017 of CGWA, out of the total 6881 assessment units (Blocks/Mandals/ Talukas) in the country, 1186 units in various States (17%) have been categorized as Over-Exploited, 313 units (5%) as Critical, and 972 units (14%) as Semi-Critical. Statement 2 is correct: The CGWA was established in 1997 under Section 3(3) of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 to regulate and manage groundwater resources. Statement 3 is correct: India has the largest area under groundwater irrigation in the world. This is due to the country's heavy reliance on agriculture, which is predominantly rain-fed. Therefore, the correct answer is B. 2 and 3 only.

Bandarpunch : Yamuna - This is correct. Bandarpunch is a mountain massif of the Garhwal division of the Himalayas, in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is a source of the Yamuna River. Bara Shigri : Chenab - This is also correct. Bara Shigri is the second-longest glacier in the Himalayas and it feeds the Chenab River. Milam : Mandakini - This is incorrect. The Mandakini River originates from the Chorabari Glacier, not the Milam Glacier. Siachen : Nubra - This is correct. The Siachen Glacier, one of the world's longest mountain glaciers, lies in the Karakoram Range system of Kashmir and is the source for the Nubra River. Zemu : Manas - This is incorrect. The Zemu Glacier is in Sikkim and it feeds the Teesta River, not the Manas River. So, the correctly matched pairs are 1, 2, and 4.

Pair 1 is correct: Pandharpur is a well-known pilgrimage town on the banks of Chandrabhaga River in Solapur district, Maharashtra, India. Pair 2 is correct: Tiruchirapalli is located along the Kaveri River in Tamil Nadu, India. Pair 3 is incorrect: Hampi, also referred to as the Group of Monuments at Hampi, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in east-central Karnataka, India. It is located near the Tungabhadra River. Thus, only 1 and 2 are correct.