RAS question
The Terai region, south of the Bhabar, is characterized by:
Correct answer: (A) Marshy, swampy land with dense forests where underground streams re-emerge.
The Terai south of the Bhabar is a marshy, swampy belt where Bhabar streams re-emerge at the surface, supporting dense natural vegetation and wildlife.
Explanation
The Terai is the wet belt immediately south of the Bhabar. In the Bhabar, streams descending from the Shiwalik foothills deposit coarse boulders and often disappear into the porous zone. South of it, NCERT notes that most of these streams and rivers re-emerge without properly demarcated channels, creating marshy and swampy conditions. That hydrological contrast is the key: Terai is not a dry plain but a saturated surface where water returns above ground. The belt was originally covered with dense tropical forests, was malaria-infested, and later saw extensive clearing for agriculture after Independence. Its natural vegetation and varied wildlife also explain why wildlife reserves occur in this belt.
Why the other options are wrong
- (B) A dry, arid landscape describes the opposite condition, because Terai forms where re-emerging streams create wet, marshy and swampy ground.
- (C) Coastal sandy beaches are unrelated to Terai, which is an inland belt south of the Bhabar in the northern plains.
- (D) Rocky terrain with no vegetation does not fit Terai, which has marshy conditions with luxurious natural vegetation and varied wildlife.
Concept
This tests the physiographic divisions of the northern plains, especially the Bhabar-Terai contrast. It recurs in RAS because the question links landform, drainage and vegetation in one high-yield geography fact.