RAS question
The Mahi Bajaj Sagar Dam, one of Rajasthan's largest dams by capacity, is located in which district?
Correct answer: (C) Banswara.
Mahi Bajaj Sagar Dam is located in Banswara district of Rajasthan, on the Mahi River.
Explanation
Mahi Bajaj Sagar Dam is in Banswara district, and the official Incredible India page places the attraction at Banswara, Rajasthan, just 16 kilometres from Banswara. That location fits the question's clue: the dam is on the Mahi River and is counted among Rajasthan's major dams by storage capacity, with gross storage at about 183 crore cubic metres. Its importance is not only geographical; the dam is a multipurpose project used for irrigation, hydroelectric power generation and flood control. Incredible India also records an installed hydroelectric capacity of 140 MW. So, among the listed southern Rajasthan districts, Banswara is the precise answer, while nearby districts are only distractors.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Pratapgarh is in southern Rajasthan, but Mahi Bajaj Sagar Dam is located in Banswara district.
- (B) Dungarpur is nearby, but Incredible India places the attraction at Banswara, Rajasthan, and the dam is in Banswara district.
- (D) Udaipur may be a familiar southern Rajasthan district, but Mahi Bajaj Sagar Dam is identified with Banswara, not Udaipur.
Concept
This tests Rajasthan geography through the location of a major river-valley project. RAS often repeats such questions because dams link physical geography with irrigation, power and regional development.