UPSC Prelims 2019 Question:

Consider the following pairs

SI. No.	Glacier		River
1.	Bandarpunch	:	Yamuna
2.	Bara Shigri	:	Chenab
3.	Milam	:	Mandakini
4.	Siachen	:	Nubra
5.	Zemu		Manas

Which of the above pairs given are correctly matched?

Explanation:

• Bandarpunch Glacier: It is strategically located at the western edge of the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand. It is a major watershed for the headwaters of the Yamuna River, whose source lies above Yamunotri. So, pair 1 is correctly matched.
  
  

• Bara Shigri Glacier: It is the second largest of the  Himalayan glaciers after Gangotri, and is located in Lahaul. It is a major source of water for the Chenab river. So, pair 2 is correctly matched.
  
  
• Milam Glacier: It is located in district Pithoragarh at the height of 4250 meters above sea level. River Gori Ganga, a tributary of the river Kali, starts from the Milam Glacier. So, pair 3 is not correctly matched.
  
  
• Siachen Glacier: It lies between the Saltoro Ridge, a subrange of the Karakorams, to the west and the main Karakoram Range to the east. At the glacier’s snout, two proglacial meltwater streams merge to form the Nubra River (tributary of the Indus river) in the Indian union territory of Ladakh. So, pair 4 is correctly matched.
  
  
• Zemu Glacier: It is the largest glacier in the Eastern Himalaya. The Zemu Glacier drains the east side of Kanchenjunga (near Sikkim) whereas Manas River is a transboundary river in the Himalayan foothills between southern Bhutan and India. So, pair 5 is not correctly matched.
  
  

Therefore, option (1) is the correct answer.

Subject: Geography | Drainage Basins