In Ladakh, for drinking water, people depend on the melting snow during the:

(a) Winter

(b) Autumn

(c) Monsoon

(d) Summer

The correct Answer: (d) Summer

Ladakh is a cold desert in the rain-shadow of the Himalayas, so it gets very little rainfall and the monsoon has minimal effect. Most of its water is stored as snow and glacial ice in winter. When temperatures rise in summer, the snow and glaciers melt, feeding streams and the Indus and its tributaries. This meltwater is the primary source of safe drinking water (and irrigation) for villages, often carried through traditional channels called khuls/kuls.

Why the other options are incorrect:

• (a) Winter: Water remains frozen; streams are scant.
• (b) Autumn: Meltwater declines as temperatures fall.
• (c) Monsoon: Ladakh lies in a rain-shadow; monsoon rains are weak and unreliable.