UPSC Essentials daily subject quiz : Environment and Geography MCQs (Week 172)

3. The project lies in Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Relevance: The Ken–Betwa Link Project remains in focus due to its significance as India’s first interlinking of rivers project and debates surrounding water sharing and environmental conservation. The topic combines Geography, Environment, Water Resources, and Infrastructure, making it highly relevant for Prelims.

Explanation

— The Ken-Betwa Link Project, India’s first river interlinking project, involves construction of the Daudhan Dam across the Ken River, a 221-km link canal and associated irrigation infrastructure to transfer water from the Ken basin in Madhya Pradesh to the Betwa basin in Uttar Pradesh. Hence, statement 1 is correct and statement 3 is not correct.

— The project is expected to provide irrigation to drought-prone Bundelkhand, supply drinking water and generate hydropower, but it also requires the displacement of thousands of families and the diversion of forest land, making rehabilitation one of its most contentious aspects. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 2

Which of the following Hydroelectric Projects are based on the Chenab River?

1. Sawalkote Hydroelectric Project

2. Pakal Dul Project

3. Kishanganga Project

4. Bhakra Nangal Dam

5. Ratle Project

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

(a) 3, 4 and 5 only

(b) 1, 2 and 3 only

(c) 2, 3, 4 and 5

(d) 1, 2 and 5 only

Relevance: Hydroelectric projects in the Indus River system are frequently in the news due to the Indus Waters Treaty, India-Pakistan water issues, and infrastructure development in Jammu and Kashmir. UPSC can test the mapping of rivers, tributaries, and associated dams and hydropower projects through elimination-based questions.

Explanation

— A year after India put the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) “in abeyance” following the Pahalgam terror attack, it is pushing for speedy development of hydropower projects on the Chenab with a combined capacity of over 5,000 megawatts and renegotiation of the six-decade-old pact, government sources said.

— For any future reactivation of the river water-sharing provisions, the treaty would need to be renegotiated in a modified format — a step that remains contingent on Islamabad permanently halting its support for terrorism directed against India, sources said.

— India’s key priority is the speedy completion of hydropower projects on the Chenab — 1,856 MW Sawalkote Hydroelectric Project, 1,000 MW Pakal Dul Project, 850 MW Ratle Project, 624 MW Kiru Project, and 540 MW Kwar Project. While the Kiru and Pakal projects are expected to be completed by the end of this year, the remaining are expected to be completed in the next two-three years, sources said.

— These projects are critical for India’s clean energy transition, grid stability and regional development, and will substantially enhance India’s hydropower capacity while enabling the fuller utilisation of its legitimate rights under the Indus basin.

— Kishanganga Project is located on the Kishanganga (Neelum) River, a tributary of the Jhelum River.

— Bhakra Nangal Dam is constructed on the Sutlej River.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 3

The Bab el-Mandeb Strait connects:

(a) Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden

(b) Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea

(c) Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea

(d) Red Sea and Suez Canal

Relevance: The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is a strategically important maritime chokepoint that frequently appears in the news due to conflicts in West Asia, disruptions to global shipping, and energy security.

Explanation

— Bab el-Mandeb, which translates to “Gate of Tears” in Arabic, is a narrow waterway and a major global chokepoint that connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. It sits between Yemen on one side and Djibouti and Eritrea, in the Horn of Africa, on the other.

— At its narrowest point, the Strait is just 29 km wide, with just two channels for inbound and outbound traffic. The strait is located at the mouth of the Red Sea, which leads to the Suez Canal — the gateway to Europe.

Source: US Energy Energy Information Administration

— The Strait is one of the world’s most important shipping and energy passages. Around 12% of global trade usually passes through it. In 2024 alone, about 4.1 billion barrels of oil and petroleum products passed through the Strait, roughly 5% of the global total, Al Jazeera reported.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 4

The term ‘Wet-bulb temperature’ refers to:

(a) temperature of the air measured in direct sunlight using a standard thermometer.

(b) temperature at which atmospheric water vapour begins to condense into dew (dew point).

(c) highest temperature that air can attain under completely dry atmospheric conditions.

(d) lowest temperature that air can reach through the evaporation of water.

Relevance: Wet-bulb temperature has become an important current affairs topic due to increasing heatwaves, climate change, and studies on human survivability under extreme heat. The topic integrates Physical Geography with environmental and climate-related current affairs, making it relevant for both conceptual understanding and application-based questions.

Explanation

— According to UNU-EHS’s Interconnected Disaster Risks 2023 assessment, excessive heat and wet-bulb temperature are one of six global “risk tipping points” that the globe is nearing. According to the paper, exposure to wet-bulb temperatures above 35°C for more than six hours might have serious health consequences, even for a healthy young adult resting in shaded and ventilated surroundings. Dangerous repercussions can occur at even lower temperatures for the elderly, outdoor workers, and persons with specific medical conditions.

— Wet-bulb temperature is the lowest temperature that air can reach through the evaporation of water. It combines heat and humidity into a single measurement.

— At a wet-bulb temperature of 35°C, the human body is unable to cool itself, even in the shade with access to water. Prolonged exposure to these conditions can quickly prove deadly.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

(Source: unu.edu/ehs)

QUESTION 5

With reference to the Miyawaki plantation method, consider the following statements:

1. It is a Japanese afforestation technique.

2. This technique helps to build dense, native forests in barren lands in rural areas.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Relevance: UPSC can ask conceptual questions on ecological restoration techniques, afforestation methods, and conservation approaches linked to current affairs. The topic connects Environment and Ecology with sustainable urban development, making it relevant for application-based Prelims questions.

Explanation

— The Miyawaki method is a Japanese afforestation technique developed by botanist Dr. Akira Miyawaki. Instead of planting trees far apart, it packs native shrubs, understory plants and canopy trees closely together, with multiple species growing within a single square meter. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— Miyawaki technique helps to build dense, native forests in the urban areas around the world. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

Objectives of Miyawaki Plantation

— To increase green patches in urban jungles.

— Create and optimise the Miyawaki Afforestation model system, which can be used as a carbon sink in big cities.

— Urban forestation can help to increase overall biodiversity in various parts of cities.

— Spread awareness about environmental protection and sustainability.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

Previous Daily Subject-Wise-Quiz

Daily Subject-wise quiz — History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 159)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Polity and Governance (Week 172)

Daily subject-wise quiz —  Science and Technology (Week 172)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 172)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment and Geography (Week 171)

Daily subject-wise quiz – International Relations (Week 171)

Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter and stay updated with the news cues from the past week.

Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – IndianExpress UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X.