INDIAN GEOGRAPHY

Detailed explanation-1: -Over 97 per cent of coal reserves occur in the valleys of Damodar, Sone, Mahanadi and Godavari. Petroleum reserves are located in the sedimentary basins of Assam, Gujarat and Mumbai High i.e. off-shore region in the Arabian Sea. New reserves have been located in the Krishna-Godavari and Kaveri basins.

Detailed explanation-2: -The Damodar valley along the Bihar–West Bengal border includes India’s most important coal-and mica-mining fields and has long been an area of active industrial development. The major coalfields (Jharia, Raniganj, and Giridih) are mostly open-pit and are easily mined.

Detailed explanation-3: -The major hard coal deposits of the country are located in the eastern states of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Orissa, and West Bengal, which account for more than 70% of the country’s coal reserves. Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra are the other significant coal-producing states in India.

Detailed explanation-4: -Jharkhand has the largest reserves of coal in India followed by Odisha and Chhattisgarh. Hence, Option 4 is correct. The most important Gondwana coal fields of India are located in Damodar Valley.

Detailed explanation-5: -Detailed Solution. The correct answer is Damodar Valley.