What is common to the places known as Aliyar, Isapur and Kangsabati?

The answer is D, Water reservoirs. Aliyar is a dam and reservoir in Coimbatore district, Tamil Nadu, on the Aliyar river. Isapur is a dam and reservoir on the Penganga river near Pusad in Yavatmal district, Maharashtra. Kangsabati is a reservoir in the Purulia-Bankura region of West Bengal, built on the Kangsabati river. Each name refers to a dam-reservoir project, which is why this is a question about reading place names as water bodies, not landforms.

• A: Uranium deposits are not associated with these sites. Uranium mining in India is linked to places like Jaduguda in Jharkhand.
• B: Tropical rain forests are not the common link. Aliyar lies near forest areas, but Isapur and Kangsabati are not known for that.
• C: None of these places is known for underground caves.

Core concept: major and medium irrigation and hydel projects, and the geography of river basins. For Mains GS-1 and GS-3, these projects connect to inter-state water disputes, reservoir-based irrigation, and the debate on displacement from dams.

Trap: Aspirants who rely on the look of a name, or assume Aliyar is a forest place because it sits near the Anamalai hills, may pick B. Check what the name refers to before you assume anything.