With reference to hydroelectricity in North India, which of the following statements is/are correct?

Question

With reference to hydroelectricity in North India, which of the following statements is/are correct?

1. There are huge possibilities of hydroelectricity in the Himalayan region.

2. Eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar cannot utilise this potential because the Himalayas situated to their North lies in boundary of Nepal.

Select the correct answer from the code given below:

1. A. Only 2
2. B. Neither 1 nor 2
3. C. Both 1 and 2 (Correct answer)
4. D. Only 1

Correct Answer

Option C — Both 1 and 2

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is Both 1 and 2.

Key Points

• Statement 1 is correct. The Himalayan region has enormous hydroelectric potential — perennial snow-fed rivers, steep gradients and deep gorges provide the natural head required for power generation.
• Statement 2 is correct. Eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar cannot tap this potential because the Himalayan stretch lying to their north falls within Nepal's territory, not India's.
• Both hold, giving option (c).

Additional Information

• This is exactly why Indo-Nepal river cooperation matters so much for the region. Key agreements: the Kosi Agreement (1954), the Gandak Agreement (1959) and the Mahakali Treaty (1996).
• The Kosi is called the "Sorrow of Bihar" for its frequent course changes and floods; the Damodar was the "Sorrow of Bengal" before the Damodar Valley Corporation was set up in 1948, India's first multipurpose river valley project modelled on the Tennessee Valley Authority.
• India's hydro potential is concentrated in the Brahmaputra, Indus and Ganga basins, with Arunachal Pradesh holding the single largest untapped share.