Valley of Kashmir is situated between

Question

UnlockIAS · Accepted Answer

Correct — B, Pir-Panjal and Himadri ranges. The Kashmir Valley is an elongated intermontane (between-mountain) valley in the north-western Himalayas. Its south-western wall is the Pir Panjal Range (part of the Lesser/Middle Himalayas) and its north-eastern wall is the Great Himalaya, also called the Himadri (Zaskar) range. The valley floor, drained by the Jhelum, lies between these two parallel ranges — hence (b).

Why the other options are wrong — (a) These frame the Kangra Valley in Himachal Pradesh (between the Dhauladhar and the outer ranges), not the Kashmir Valley.  (c) The Mahabharat Range is the Lesser Himalaya of Nepal and the Dhauladhar lies in Himachal Pradesh; neither borders the Kashmir Valley.  (d) Pir Panjal is right for the south-western side, but the north-eastern wall is the Great Himalaya (Himadri), not the Mahabharat Range, which lies far east in Nepal.

Concept: The Kashmir Valley (Vale of Kashmir) is a synclinal/tectonic trough about 135 km long and about 32 km wide, cradled between the Pir Panjal Range to the south-west and the Great Himalaya (Himadri/Zaskar) to the north-east. It is drained by the Jhelum (Vitasta) and dotted with lakes such as Dal and Wular. Its floor is covered by Karewas — old lake-bed (lacustrine) deposits that support saffron, apples and almonds.

State PCS 2020 Q66 — Geography PYQ with Answer

State PCS 2020 Q66 — Geography PYQ with Answer