UPSC Prelims 2022 Q70: Geography – Indian Rivers & Water Resources
Consider the following pairs: Reservoirs - States
1. Ghataprabha - Telangana
2. Gandhi Sagar - Madhya Pradesh
3. Indira Sagar - Andhra Pradesh
4. Maithon - Chhattisgarh How many pairs given above are not correctly matched?
- (a) Only one pair
- (b) Only two pairs
- (c) Only three pairs
- (d) All four pairs
Answer: (c) Only three pairs
Explanation
Reservoirs and their States
| Reservoir | Given State | Actual State | River | Matched? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ghataprabha | Telangana | Karnataka | Ghataprabha (Krishna basin) | No |
| Gandhi Sagar | Madhya Pradesh | Madhya Pradesh | Chambal | Yes |
| Indira Sagar | Andhra Pradesh | Madhya Pradesh | Narmada | No |
| Maithon | Chhattisgarh | Jharkhand (West Bengal border) | Barakar (DVC) | No |
Three pairs are not correctly matched.
Note: Andhra Pradesh has an Indira Sagar (Polavaram) project on the Godavari, but the large Indira Sagar reservoir is in Madhya Pradesh.
Answer: (c) Only three pairs.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. Three pairs are wrong: Ghataprabha, Indira Sagar and Maithon.
- (b) Incorrect. Besides Ghataprabha and Maithon, Indira Sagar (Madhya Pradesh) is also wrong.
- (c) CORRECT. Only Gandhi Sagar (MP) is right; the other three are mismatched.
- (d) Incorrect. Gandhi Sagar on the Chambal is correctly placed in Madhya Pradesh.
Key point
Ghataprabha = Karnataka; Gandhi Sagar = MP (Chambal); Indira Sagar = MP (Narmada); Maithon = Jharkhand (Barakar, DVC).
Remember
Only Gandhi Sagar (MP) matched; three pairs wrong.
Common mistakes
- Missing that the question asks how many are not correctly matched.
- Placing Indira Sagar in Andhra Pradesh because of the Polavaram project's name.
- Forgetting Maithon is a Damodar Valley Corporation dam in Jharkhand.
Exam tip
Learn dams with their rivers: Gandhi Sagar-Chambal, Indira Sagar-Narmada, Maithon-Barakar, Ghataprabha-Krishna basin.
Sources
- Central Water Commission — National Register of Large Dams
- NCERT Class X — Contemporary India II, Ch 3 (Water Resources)