Consider the following pairs
Glacier River
- Bandarpunch – Yamuna
- Bara Shigri – Chenab
- Milam – Mandakini
- Siachen – Nubra
- Zemu – Manas
Which of the pairs correctly matched?
[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2019 Prelims]
(a) 1, 2 and 4
(b) 1, 3 and 4
(c) 2 and 5
(d) 3 and 5
Answer: (a)
Explanation:
- Pair 1 is correctly matched: Bandarpunch, situated in the Garhwal division of the Himalayas in Uttarakhand, is a mountain massif that lies within the Govind Pashu Vihar National Park and Sanctuary and is part of the Sankari Range. The Yamuna River originates from this massif above Yamnotri, on the west end of the massif below White Peak.
- Pair 2 is correctly matched: Bara-Shigri glacier, which is the second-longest glacier in the Himalayas after Gangotri, is located in the Chandra valley of Lahaul, and feeds the Chenab river.
- Pair 3 is not correctly matched: Milam glacier, a significant glacier of the Kumaon Himalaya, is located in the Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand and is the source of the Goriganga River.
- Pair 4 is correctly matched: Siachen glacier, located in the eastern Karakoram range in the Himalayas, is just northeast of the point NJ9842 where the LOC between India and Pakistan ends. The glacier’s melting waters are the main source of the Nubra River in the Indian region of Ladakh, which drains into the Shyok River, and the Shyok, in turn, joins the 3000-kilometre-long Indus River that flows through Pakistan.
- Pair 5 is not correctly matched: Zemu glacier, the largest glacier in the Eastern Himalaya, is located at the base of Kangchenjunga in the Himalayan region of Sikkim, India. The glacier is the source of water for numerous rivers as it feeds them when it melts, including the Teesta River.
Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.
