Daily Current Affairs (MCQ's) | 30-01-2023

Q1. The Ratle hydropower project is located on river

1. Jhelum
2. Neelum
3. Chenab
4. KisenGanaga

Answer (c)

Explanation:

The Ratle Hydroelectric Plant is a run-of-the-river hydroelectric power station currently under construction on the Chenab River.

Q2. Consider the following statements with regard to the Indus Waters Treaty

1. India was allotted unrestricted access to the eastern rivers
2. China is not party to the treaty
3. Indus river system is exclusively located in India and Pakistan only

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

1. 1 and 3 only
2. 1 and 2 only
3. 2 and 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

Answer (b)

Explanation:

India’s call to modify the Indus Waters Treaty:

In a notice to Pakistan on January 25, India said that it has been compelled to call for the ‘modification’ of the 63-year-old Indus Waters Treaty owing to Pakistan’s persistent objections regarding India’s Kishenganga (KHEP) and Ratle hydropower projects in Kashmir.

The Indus Waters Treaty:

In 1960, an agreement brokered by the WB was reached between the two countries, and the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) was signed by former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and then President of Pakistan, Ayub Khan.

Key provisions:

• The Indus river basin has six rivers — Indus, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas and Sutlej — originating from Tibet and flowing through the Himalayan ranges to enter Pakistan, ending in the south of Karachi.
• The treaty allocated the three western rivers — Indus, Chenab and Jhelum — to Pakistan for unrestricted use, barring certain non- consumptive, agricultural and domestic uses by India. Similarly, the three Eastern rivers — Ravi, Beas and Sutlej — were allocated to India for unrestricted usage.
• It also required both the countries to establish a Permanent Indus Commission constituted by permanent commissioners from both sides. The functions of the commission include serving as a forum for exchange of information on the rivers and as a first stop for the resolution of conflicts.

• Annexure D of the IWT allows India to build ‘run of the river’ hydropower projects on western rivers (projects which do not require live storage of water). The treaty also allows Pakistan to raise objections over such projects being built, if it does not find them to be compliant with the rules.

Q3. The Kishanganga hydroelectric project (KHEP) is situated on the river

1. Nubra
2. Shyok
3. Neelum
4. Rattle

Answer (c)

Explanation:

Q4. Consider the following statements with regard to the karewas.

1. Karewas are ancient tablelands of the Kashmir Valley
2. Rich in fossils, karewas also hold clues to studying past environments
3. Karewas are alluvial deposits of different soil and sediments such as sand, clay, silt, shale, mud, lignite and loess
4. Their soft soils are key to the region’s agricultural prowess in saffron, apples and almonds.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 3 and 4 only
3. 1, 2 and 3 only
4. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Answer (d)

Explanation:

Nourishing soils of Kashmir’s karewas crumble under infrastructure:

• Karewas are ancient tablelands of the Kashmir Valley. Their soft soils are key to the region’s agricultural prowess in saffron, apples and almonds.
• Formed around four million years ago, karewas (or wudur) are more or less flat terraces or tablelands which cover a great part of the Kashmir Valley, especially on the left bank of the Jhelum.
• Karewas are alluvial deposits of different soil and sediments such as sand, clay, silt, shale, mud, lignite and loess. However, some beds may also contain boulders, prints of volcanic ash and coal in some places.
• Rich in fossils, karewas also hold clues to studying past environments.
• The karewas are imperilled by rapid urbanisation and illegal extractive land uses. Karewa soils now line the base of highways or railway tracks and karewa sites are being converted to commercial residential areas.

Q5. To adapt and reduce disaster risk, the indigenous Mising community constructs and lives in traditional flood-resilient houses called chang ghors that are perched above the ground on bamboo stilts. This practice is prevalent in state of

1. Kerala
2. Karnataka
3. Assam
4. Odisha

Answer (c)

Explanation:

How Assam’s Mising community is coping with floods through architectural design.To adapt and reduce disaster risk, the indigenous Mising community in Assam constructs and lives in traditional flood-resilient houses called chang ghors that are perched above the ground on bamboo stilts.