GS1 Previous Year Questions Mains: Himalayas | Geography for UPSC CSE PDF Download

Q1. Differentiate the causes of landslides in the Himalayan region and Western Ghats. (UPSC GS1 Mains Paper)

Answer:

Landslides are the movement of mass of debris, earth or rock, sliding down under the effect of gravity. Landslides are a common problem across the Himalayas and Western Ghats. 
However, the factors for the two differ, as seen in the following table:

Landslide as a challenge has grown in the recent years, due to anthropogenic activities. In this light, along with sustainable development policies, indigenous knowledge should be leveraged. Construction in eco-sensitive zones need to be checked. Recommendations of Kasturirangan/ Madhav Gadgil reports and guidelines of NDMA on landslides need to be followed.

Q2: Why is India considered as a subcontinent? Elaborate your answer. (UPSC GS1 Mains Paper)

Answer:

The Indian subcontinent, a physiographic region in South Asia, is located on the Indian Plate and extends southward into the Indian Ocean from the Himalayas.

Geologically, the Indian subcontinent shares a connection with the landmass that separated from the supercontinent Gondwana during the Cretaceous period and fused with the Eurasian landmass approximately 55 million years ago. Geographically, it constitutes the peninsular region in South-Central Asia, bordered by the Himalayas to the north, the Hindu Kush to the west, and the Arakanese to the east.

This natural landmass in South Asia has been relatively isolated from the rest of Eurasia. The Himalayas (spanning from the Brahmaputra River in the east to the Indus River in the west), Karakoram (from the Indus River in the east to the Yarkand River in the west), and the Hindu Kush mountains (from the Yarkand River westwards) serve as its northern boundaries. The southern, south-eastern, and south-western boundaries are formed by the Indian Ocean, Bay of Bengal, and Arabian Sea.

Furthermore, India's substantial population and its diverse array of races, religions, castes, languages, and customs give it the appearance of a small continent within the subcontinent. This diversity is largely influenced by the physical characteristics of the land itself, shaping historical events like migrations and invasions. Despite numerous differences, there exist numerous similarities in the socio-cultural-economic way of life at the fundamental level.

Q3: How will the melting of Himalayan glaciers have a far-reaching impact on the water resources of India? (UPSC GS1 Mains Paper)

Answer:  

India, renowned for its rivers considered as blessings, possesses both perennial and non-perennial rivers. The rivers in North India have their origins in the Himalayas and Himalayan glaciers, known as perennial rivers, including Ganga, Brahmaputra, and Satluj.

Impact of Melting Glaciers on Water Resources in India:

• Global Warming Cycle: The melting of glaciers is a natural phase in the Earth's global warming cycle. However, anthropogenic activities have accelerated the rate of glacier melting in recent years.

• Consequences of Melting Glaciers:
  

  • Melting glaciers can lead to river overflow, causing floods, dam breaks, and expansion of river courses. This poses threats to human and animal life, habitat destruction, and crop loss.

  • Increased river flow enhances the erosion power of rivers, leading to deeper river bed erosion, potential sedimentation overload, and siltation.

  • The sediments carried by rivers drain into the sea, elevating sea water salinity. This results in the destruction of coral reefs, submergence of islands, and other adverse effects.

• Water Scarcity: While melting glaciers temporarily alleviate water scarcity in India, the government must implement measures such as river interlinking, pond formation, and improved irrigation facilities for optimal utilization. These steps are crucial for mitigating the impacts and reducing the likelihood of long-term water scarcity caused by declining availability of fresh water due to glacier melting.

Q4: How can the mountain ecosystem be restored from the negative impact of development initiatives and tourism? (UPSC GS1 Mains Paper)

Answer: The Himalayan States, including the Northeast, and the Western Ghats are grappling with the adverse impacts of development initiatives and tourism, as highlighted in the NITI Aayog's report on Sustainable Tourism in the Indian Himalayan Region.

Negative Impacts:

• Traditional eco-friendly and aesthetic architecture is being replaced by inappropriate and hazardous constructions.
• Improperly designed roads and associated infrastructure pose challenges.
• Inadequate solid waste management contributes to environmental degradation.
• Air pollution, degradation of water sources, and loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services are growing concerns.
• These issues were evident in the Kedarnath floods of 2013.

Suggested Solutions:

• Urgent attention is required for the reports by committees on Western Ghats ecology led by Madhav Gadgil and K. Kasturirangan, emphasizing the importance of ecological sensitive zones (ESZ) in the face of development.
• The establishment of a Himalayan Authority for coordinated and holistic development of the entire Himalayan region is recommended by NITI Aayog.
• Clear demarcation and planning for infrastructure development, incorporating systematic urban planning, and developing tourist hubs with stringent controls are essential. This includes provisions for no encroachment areas and well-preserved forested zones.
• In tourism, applying the carrying capacity concept to destinations, implementing and monitoring tourism sector standards, and offering performance-based incentives for States adhering to these standards are crucial measures.
• States should increase spending on sustainable tourism development. For instance, Uttarakhand invests only 0.15% of its total expenditure in a sector that ranks second in tourist arrivals.
• Sharing and adopting best practices among States can be promoted. Sikkim, for example, can serve as a model for sustainable agriculture, waste management, and ecotourism.
• Collaborative and participatory frameworks for capacity building in conservation are necessary. Encouraging viable enterprises that provide sustained economic incentives and support local communities align with SDG Goal 8 (decent work and economic growth) and Goal 12 (responsible consumption and production).
• Establishing a linkage between development and conservation is crucial to improve the standard of living for mountain communities and meet overall economic needs.
• Effective implementation of schemes and policies holds significance for achieving desirable results.

Q5: Briefly mention the alignment of major mountain ranges of the world and explain their impact on local weather conditions, with examples. (UPSC GS1 Mains Paper)

Answer:

A mountain range is a sequential chain of mountains or hills with similarity in alignment. The major mountain ranges of the World include, the Himalayas, The Alps mountain range, The Atlas mountain range, the Andes mountain range and the Rocky mountain ranges.
The alignment of these ranges and their impact on local weather condition can be seen as:
1. The Himalayas:

• Himalayas extend for a 2500 km from west to east, in an arc shaped manner.   
• They protect the Indian subcontinent from the frigid, dry winds blowing from the Tibetan plateau.  
• It acts as barrier for monsoon winds, causing rainfall in India, it also is responsible for the for the Taklamakan and Gobi Desert as they fall in the rain shadow area. 

2. The Alps:

• It is the highest mountain range system of Europe, stretching for 1200 km, west to east, across 8 alpine countries, such as: France, Switzerland, Italy etc.  
• It influences precipitation patterns, in South Europe and Eurasia.  
• Alps influence presence and direction of local winds like, Foehn, Mistral etc.

3. The Atlas:

• The Atlas Mountain range stretches through Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia in a South West to North East direction.  
• It separates the Mediterranean region from the Sahara Desert.  
• It causes high rainfall in the region between them and the Mediterranean Sea by capturing the moisture laden winds  
• They also act as a rain shadow, preventing the rainfall in the desert region of Sahara. 

4. The Andes:

• They are the longest continental mountain ranges in the world.   
• They extend from  North to South through seven South American countries.  
• The north, east and the South West part of the Andes is rainy and moist.  
• Andes acts as the rain shadow for the Atacama Desert.

5. The Rockies:

• Rockies extend from the northernmost part of British Columbia to New Mexico in Southwestern United States.  
• The size and locale play important part in formation of warm snow-eater Chinhook winds.  
• Rockies capture the moisture laden winds from the Pacific and cause ample rainfall in its windward side, while giving a rain-shadow effect to the deserts in Southwest North America. 

Mountain ranges play an important role in influencing the local weather patterns and lifestyles of the people. For this reason, they are important for not only the geography but also the various cultural and economic factors.