Defence
Pahalgam, the base for the Amarnath Yatra in Kashmir, lies on the banks of which river?
Answer (Detailed Solution Below)View answer ▾Hide ▴
Answer: Option A — Lidder
Detailed Solution
Pahalgam is a hill station in the Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir. It lies on the banks of the Lidder (also spelt Liddar) river, in the Lidder valley, at a height of about 2,200 metres.
About the Lidder river:
- It rises from the Kolahoi Glacier, the largest glacier in the Kashmir Valley, and also receives water from Sheshnag Lake.
- It flows south-west through the Lidder valley, past Pahalgam, and joins the Jhelum near Anantnag.
- It is a source of drinking and irrigation water for the southern Kashmir valley.
- Its cold, clear waters are known for trout fishing and white-water rafting.
About Pahalgam:
Its name is often explained as "valley of shepherds".
It is the starting point of the traditional route to the Amarnath cave shrine, via Chandanwari, Sheshnag and Panchtarni. The other route starts from Baltal near Sonamarg.
Nearby attractions include Aru valley, Betaab valley and Baisaran meadow.
The Overa-Aru Wildlife Sanctuary is located nearby.
Rivers of the Kashmir valley:
The Jhelum is the main river of the valley. It rises at Verinag and flows north-west, past Srinagar, into Wular Lake and then out towards Baramulla.
The Lidder and the Sindh are among its main tributaries.
The Kishanganga (called the Neelum in Pakistan-administered territory) joins the Jhelum near Muzaffarabad.
Why not the other options?
- ✗The Kishanganga flows through the Gurez valley; the Kishanganga hydroelectric project is built on it.
- ✗The Sindh river (not to be confused with the Indus) flows past Sonamarg and joins the Jhelum near Srinagar.
- ✗The Tawi flows past the city of Jammu and is a tributary of the Chenab.
Quick tip
Remember: Pahalgam = Lidder (from Kolahoi Glacier); Sonamarg = Sindh; Jammu = Tawi; Srinagar = Jhelum.
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Rivers, Lakes & Dams of India — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Rivers, Lakes & Dams of India, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers India's drainage system: the Himalayan rivers (the Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra systems), the peninsular rivers (Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri, Narmada, Tapi and Mahanadi), their tributaries and origins, waterfalls, lakes, and the major dams and multipurpose river projects. Exams ask about the origin of a river, its tributaries, the cities on its banks, and the river on which a dam is built. For example, the Bhakra Nangal Dam is on the Sutlej, the Hirakud Dam on the Mahanadi, and the Sardar Sarovar Dam on the Narmada. Remember that the Narmada and Tapi flow west into the Arabian Sea, while most peninsular rivers flow east. Practise the rivers, lakes and dams of India questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.