Indian Hydrography & Water Bodies

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.

The common feature among the places Aliyar, Isapur and Kangsabati is that they are all known for their water reservoirs. - Aliyar Reservoir is located in Aliyar village, Tamil Nadu.
- Isapur Dam is an irrigation project in Maharashtra.
- Kangsabati Dam is located on the Kangsabati River in West Bengal.

Statement 1 is incorrect: Sand mining in riverbeds does not directly affect the salinity levels in the river water. Salinity is primarily influenced by factors like the inflow of saline water from the sea or other sources, dissolution of salts from surrounding rocks and soil and anthropogenic activities like irrigation return flows and industrial discharge. Statement 2 is correct: Sand plays a crucial role in natural filtration, helping to remove impurities from water percolating through riverbeds. Excessive sand removal can disrupt this filtration process, allowing pollutants to seep into groundwater, increase turbidity, making water more susceptible to contamination, expose toxic substances previously trapped in sediments. It can: Statement 3 also correct: Excessive sand mining can significantly disrupt the hydrological balance of a river system.
- Reduce water-holding capacity of riverbeds, leading to lower groundwater recharge.
- Cause river incision, deepening the riverbed and lowering adjacent groundwater levels.
- Affect agriculture and drinking water sources, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions. Hence, the correct answer is option (b) 2 and 3 only.

Kodaikanal Lake, also known as Kodai Lake is a manmade lake located in the Kodaikanal city in Dindigul district in Tamil Nadu, India. Sir Vere Henry Levinge, the then Collector of Madurai, was instrumental in creating the lake in 1863, amidst the Kodaikanal town which was developed by the British and early missionaries from the USA.

Statement 1 is Incorrect: The IOD phenomenon is characterised by a difference in sea surface temperature between the tropical Western Indian Ocean and the tropical Eastern Indian Ocean, not the Eastern Pacific Ocean. During a positive IOD, the western Indian Ocean is warmer than the eastern Indian Ocean, and vice versa for a negative IOD. Statement 2 is Correct: The IOD phenomenon can indeed influence El Nio's impact on the Indian monsoon. El Nio itself is a climate pattern in the Pacific Ocean, but it can interact with the IOD. Depending on the phases of both phenomena (positive/negative IOD and El Nino/La Nina), the overall impact on the Indian monsoon rainfall can be amplified or weakened. Hence, option B is the correct answer.

Statement 1 is Incorrect: The Teesta River originates from the Pahunri (or Teesta Kangse) glacier and flows southward through the Sikkim Himalaya. where the Rangpo River joins, and where it forms the border between Sikkim and West Bengal up to Teesta Bazaar. Statement 2 is correct: Just before the Teesta Bridge, where the roads from Kalimpong and Darjeeling join, the river is met by its main tributary, the Rangeet River. Hence Statement 2 is correct. Statement 3 is Incorrect: It changes course southwards, flowing into West Bengal. The river then merges up with the Brahmaputra River after it bifurcates the city of Jalpaiguri and flows just touching Cooch Behar district at Mekhliganj and moves to Fulchori in Bangladesh. Thus it does not flow directly into the Bay of Bengal. Hence statement 3 is not correct. Hence, option B is the correct answer.