Question

The longest and the important range of Lesser Himalaya is __________.
a)Mahabharat range
b)Pir Panjal range
c)Zaskar range
d)Kailash range

Answer 1

Hint:The Himalayas are young fold mountains in the northern part of Indian subcontinent. The Himalayas are further grouped into four parallel longitudinal mountain belts of varying width which are - Outer Himalaya, Lesser Himalaya, Great Himalaya and Tibetan Himalayas.

Complete Answer:The lesser Himalayas are also called Middle Himalayas. They extend from north west of northern limit of Indian Subcontinent to south west of the same. Sandwiched between Great Himalayas and Shivalik ranges, the lesser Himalayas run for around 2500 km.

Let us look at the options given to us
Option A- Mahabharat range has an elevation of about 1500-2000m above sea level and runs east to west in Nepal. Koshi, Gandaki and Karnali rivers flow in this range. The southern slope of the range is steep and sparsely inhabited due to the Main Boundary Thrust. This range is a part of Lesser Himalayas.

Option B-Pir Panjal range is the longest and most important of all the ranges in Lesser Himalayas. The range has an average elevation of 5000m above sea level. It runs through the states of Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. Jhelum, Kishanganga and Chenab flow through this range. Rohtang la and Banihal passes are important passes in this range.

Option C-Zaskar range is part of Trans Himalaya and is located south of Ladakh.

Option D-Kailash range is located south west of Tibet and is part of Trans Himalayas.

The option (A) is the correct answer.

Note:The Jawahar tunnel, Atal tunnel and Banihal tunnel are all located in Pir Panjal range. Deo Tibba and Indrasan are two important peaks of the range.