Question

Which one of the following railway zones and the corresponding headquarter pairs is not correctly matched?
A. North Eastern Railway: Gorakhpur
B. South Eastern Railway: Bhubaneswar
C. Eastern Railway: Kolkata
D. South East Central Railway: Bilaspur

Answer 1

Hint:The Railway Zones are divided for easy administration of the different areas.
The headquarters of every zone is situated within the area that it oversees. Thus, the headquarters will not be out of or away from its area of jurisdiction. To find which of the zones and headquarters are mis-matched, we need to see if the headquarters are situated within the probable areas.

Complete answer:
Option A. Terrace farming: Terrace farming is a method of farming which is constructed on the slopes of hills and mountains using "steps" known as terraces. When it rains, they flow to the next terrace, instead of rain bringing away the soil nutrients and plants down the slope.

Mainly in hilly areas, terrace farming is practiced. In India, it is primarily practiced in hilly regions such as Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and some northeastern states. In the South, like Andhra Pradesh, it is also practiced. Western and central Himalayas is the hilly region, where terrace farming method is used. hence this is the correct option.

Option B. Strip cropping: Strip cropping is a farming method that involves cultivating a field divided into long narrow strips that are alternated in a system of crop rotation. It is used when a slope is too steep or when soil erosion is not stopped by any alternative process.

The dry belts of Karnataka belong to the Chinnahagari and Upparahalla watersheds of the Chitradurga and Bellary districts. This is where the technique of strip cropping is used. Strip cropping is used when a slope is too steep, whereas Western and central Himalayas come under hilly areas. Hence this is an incorrect option.

Option C. Shelterbelts: Shelterbelts, commonly along fence lines, are rows of trees. They are planted primarily to protect animals or crops from cold winds, but also in hot weather to give shade.
i) Shelter belts also limit wind erosion in regions like Canterbury, where there is a lot of cultivated land. ii) Shelter belts are an arrangement of trees to stop soil erosion in the coastal, dry zone. The roots of trees bind to the soil and prevent water or wind from removing the top layer of soil.
iii) Shelter belts are practiced in the coastal, dry zone, whereas Western and central Himalayas come under hilly areas. Hence this is an incorrect option.

Option D. None of these: We know option A is the correct answer, so this is also an incorrect option.
Terrace farming method is used in Western and central Himalayas for soil conservation.

Hence, Option A. Terrace farming is the correct answer.

Note:
i) Bhubaneswar is the headquarters of the East Coast Railway zone (code ECoR). It covers the Khurda Road, Sambalpur and Rayagada divisions.
ii) Indian Railways is currently divided into 18 zones and 70 divisions.
iii) The zones are headed by the General Manager (GM) of the zone. Similarly, divisions are headed by iv) Divisional Railway Manager (DRM).
iv) Indian Railways earned Rs 197,214 crore (US$28 billion) in the year 2018 to 2019.