UPSC Prelims 2020 · CSAT (Paper 2) · Q44

Comprehension

Medium · Validity of assumptions

Read the following passage and answer the item that follows. Your answer to this item should be based on the passage only.

In India, dam authorities routinely fill reservoirs close to their maximum permissible level even before the monsoon season has fully receded, in order to guarantee sufficient water for irrigation and power generation through the dry months ahead. International practice instead calls for keeping a reservoir's level below a safe threshold until the rains are clearly over, preserving room to absorb a late-season surge and to release flows in a controlled manner. Indian authorities, however, often fill reservoirs close to capacity even before the monsoon has fully ended, prioritising irrigation and power generation.

With reference to the above passage, the following assumptions have been made:

1. High risks from holding a reservoir near maximum capacity stem from over-dependence on hydropower.

2. A dam's storage capacity should not be fully used before or during the monsoon season.

3. The role of dams in flood control is underestimated in India.

Which of the above assumptions is/are valid?