Water Resources – NDA Geography PYQs

Question 1 [NDA 2006-I]
Which of the following pairs is/are correctly matched?

1. Hirakund Reservoir: Sambalpur
2. Ukai Reservoir: Amravati
3. Tawa Reservoir: Pachmarhi

(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (c) 1 and 3 only
Hirakud Reservoir is in Odisha, near Sambalpur — correct. Ukai Reservoir is on the Tapti River in Gujarat — Amravati is a city in Maharashtra, not the location of Ukai — wrong. Tawa Reservoir is in Madhya Pradesh near Pachmarhi — correct.

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Question 2 [NDA 2007-I]
Consider the following statements:

1. Ranjit Sagar Dam is on the river Beas.
2. Hirakud Dam is on the river Damodar.
3. Gandhi Sagar Reservoir is on the river Chambal.

Which is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2
(b) 3 only
(c) 2 and 3
(d) 1 and 3

Answer: (b) 3 only
Ranjit Sagar Dam is on the Ravi River — NOT Beas (1 is wrong). Hirakud is on the Mahanadi — NOT Damodar (2 is wrong). Gandhi Sagar is on the Chambal — correct (3 is right).

Question 3 [NDA 2007-II]
Consider the following statements:

1. Alamatti dam is on the Cauvery river.
2. Mettur dam is on the Krishna river.
3. Gandhi Sagar Reservoir is on the Chambal river.

(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 3 only

Answer: (d) 3 only
Alamatti is on the Krishna — NOT Cauvery (1 wrong). Mettur is on the Cauvery — NOT Krishna (2 wrong). Gandhi Sagar is on the Chambal — correct (3 right).

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Question 4 [NDA 2008-I]
Mahatma Gandhi Hydroelectric Project is on which river?
(a) Godavari
(b) Sharavati
(c) Cauvery
(d) Krishna

Answer: (b) Sharavati
The Mahatma Gandhi Hydroelectric Project (Sharavati Power Project) is on the Sharavati River in Karnataka. It is linked to the Jog Falls — the highest waterfall in India.

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Question 5 [NDA 2011-I]
Which one among the following is NOT a reason for practising tank irrigation in Peninsular India?
(a) The undulating relief and hard rocks
(b) Little percolation of rain water due to impervious rock structure
(c) Most of the rivers of Peninsular India are perennial
(d) There are many streams which become torrential during the rainy season

Answer: (c) Most of the rivers of Peninsular India are perennial
Peninsular rivers are seasonal — they depend on the monsoon and are not perennial. This statement is wrong. The other three options correctly describe conditions that make tank irrigation necessary and suitable in Peninsular India.

Question 6 [NDA 2012-II]
In which among the following terrains can bore wells and canals be dug easily?
(a) Gneiss, granites and basaltic terrain of Peninsular India
(b) Rolling and hilly terrain of North-East India
(c) Soft alluvium of the Northern Plains
(d) Confined aquifer below the normal water table

Answer: (c) Soft alluvium of the Northern Plains
The soft alluvial soil of the Northern Plains is easy to dig. Groundwater is close to the surface. Canals and tube wells can be constructed without much difficulty. Hard rocks of Peninsular India and the hilly terrain of the northeast make digging very difficult.

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Question 7 [NDA 2013-I]
Which among the following areas is conducive for well irrigation?
(a) Rocky uneven surface of Peninsular India
(b) Dry tracts of Rajasthan and Gujarat
(c) Brackish groundwater region of Uttar Pradesh
(d) Deltaic regions of Mahanadi, Godavari and Krishna

Answer: (d) Deltaic regions of Mahanadi, Godavari and Krishna
River deltas have deep alluvial soil and good groundwater. Well irrigation works well in these areas. Rocky Peninsular terrain and dry Rajasthan have limited groundwater. Brackish water is not suitable for irrigation.

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Question 8 [NDA 2014-II]
Which one of the following pairs of power projects is NOT correctly matched?
(a) Papanasam — Hydropower
(b) Neyveli — Hydropower
(c) Ukai — Thermal power
(d) Rana Pratap Sagar — Hydropower

Answer: (b) Neyveli — Hydropower
Neyveli is NOT a hydropower project. It is a major thermal power station in Tamil Nadu that uses lignite coal. Papanasam is a hydroelectric project in Tamil Nadu. Rana Pratap Sagar is a hydroelectric project on the Chambal in Rajasthan. Ukai is associated with a thermal power station nearby (not hydropower).

Question 9 [NDA 2015-I]
Which one of the following irrigation canals is most important in terms of area coverage in Haryana?
(a) Bhakra canal
(b) The Western Yamuna canal
(c) Jawaharlal Nehru canal
(d) Gurgaon canal

Answer: (a) Bhakra canal
The Bhakra Canal draws water from the Bhakra Nangal Dam on the Sutlej River. It is the most important canal in Haryana, covering the largest irrigated area in the state. It also feeds parts of Punjab and Rajasthan.

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Question 10 [NDA 2016-I]
The Nagarjuna Sagar Project is located on which one of the following rivers?
(a) Godavari
(b) Krishna
(c) Cauvery
(d) Mahanadi

Answer: (b) Krishna
Nagarjuna Sagar Dam is on the Krishna River, on the border of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. It is one of the largest masonry dams in the world and serves irrigation, drinking water, and hydroelectric purposes.

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Question 11 [NDA 2020-I]
Bagalihar, Dulhasti and Salal hydro power projects have been developed on which of the following rivers?
(a) Chenab and Jhelum
(b) Chenab and Indus
(c) Ravi
(d) Chenab only

Answer: (d) Chenab only
All three projects are on the Chenab River in Jammu and Kashmir. Under the Indus Waters Treaty, India has the right to build run-of-the-river power projects on the western rivers (including Chenab), as long as they do not store large amounts of water.