UPSC Prelims 2024 Q9: Geography – Indian Geography
Consider the following information:
Waterfall : Region : River
1. Dhuandhar : Malwa : Narmada
2. Hundru : Chota Nagpur : Subarnarekha
3. Gersoppa : Western Ghats : Netravati
In how many of the above rows is the given information correctly matched?
- (a) Only one
- (b) Only two
- (c) All three
- (d) None
Answer: (a) Only one
Explanation
Waterfall, region and river
A row is right only when both the region and the river are right.
| Row | Waterfall | Region given | River given | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dhuandhar | Malwa | Narmada | Incorrect; the river is right, but the fall is at Bhedaghat near Jabalpur, which is in Mahakoshal, not Malwa |
| 2 | Hundru | Chota Nagpur | Subarnarekha | Correct; it is near Ranchi on the Subarnarekha |
| 3 | Gersoppa | Western Ghats | Netravati | Incorrect; the region is right, but Gersoppa (Jog Falls) is on the Sharavati |
The three falls at a glance:
| Waterfall | State | River | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dhuandhar | Madhya Pradesh | Narmada | Falls into the Marble Rocks gorge; the name means 'smoke flow' |
| Hundru | Jharkhand | Subarnarekha | About 98 metres high, on the Ranchi plateau |
| Gersoppa (Jog) | Karnataka | Sharavati | About 253 metres; four streams called Raja, Rani, Roarer and Rocket |
Only row 2 is fully right.
Answer: (a) Only one.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) CORRECT. Only Hundru - Chota Nagpur - Subarnarekha is fully right.
- (b) Incorrect. Dhuandhar is not in Malwa and Gersoppa is not on the Netravati, so only one row is right.
- (c) Incorrect. Row 1 has the wrong region and row 3 has the wrong river.
- (d) Incorrect. The Hundru row is correctly matched, so one row is right.
Key point
Dhuandhar: Narmada, Jabalpur (Mahakoshal). Hundru: Subarnarekha, Ranchi (Chota Nagpur). Gersoppa or Jog: Sharavati, Western Ghats of Karnataka.
Remember
Jog (Gersoppa) = Sharavati. Hundru = Subarnarekha. Dhuandhar = Narmada at Jabalpur.
Common mistakes
- Passing row 1 because Narmada is right, without checking the region.
- Passing row 3 because the Western Ghats is right; the river is the Sharavati.
- Thinking Malwa covers all of Madhya Pradesh; Jabalpur lies in Mahakoshal.
Exam tip
In three-column tables, one wrong cell fails the whole row. Check the region and the river separately.
Sources
- NCERT Class XI — India: Physical Environment, Ch 3 (Drainage System)
- Madhya Pradesh Tourism — Bhedaghat and Dhuandhar Falls, Jabalpur