Consider the following pairs:

Wetland/Lake                                      Location

1. Hokera Wetland           —       Punjab
2. Renuka Wetland           —       Himachal Pradesh
3. Rudrasagar Lake           —       Tripura
4. Sasthamkotta Lake — Tamil Nadu

How many pairs given above are correctly matched?

[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2022 Prelims]

(a) Only one pair

(b) Only two pairs

(c) Only three pairs

(d) All four pairs

Answer: (b)

Explanation:

• The pairing of wetlands with their respective locations is mostly correct, except for Pair 1 and Pair 4.
• The Hokera Wetland is situated in the northwest Himalayan region of Kashmir, which is home to the remaining reedbeds of Kashmir. It is located only 10 kilometers away from the picturesque city of Srinagar and is a natural perennial wetland that is contiguous to the Jhelum basin.
• On the other hand, Renuka Wetland, located in Himachal Pradesh, is a natural wetland that boasts freshwater springs and inland subterranean karst formations. The lake is fed by a small stream that flows from the lower Himalayan to the Giri river, and is home to a diverse range of fauna, including at least 443 species and 19 species of ichthyofauna.
• Rudrasagar Lake, situated in Tripura, is a lowland sedimentation reservoir that is fed by three perennial streams discharging to the River Gomti. It provides an ideal habitat for the IUCN Red-listed Three-striped Roof Turtle (CR).
• Finally, Sasthamkotta Lake, which is the largest freshwater lake in Kerala, is located in the Kollam district. It used to have a unique replenishing system through a bar of paddy fields, but unfortunately, the lake is now depleting due to the destruction of this mechanism.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.