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Q38 (IAS/2024) Science & Technology › New Materials, Energy & Environment-linked Tech › Renewable power systems Official Key

Recently, the term "pumped-storage hydropower" is actually and appropriately discussed in the context of which one of the following ?

Result
Your answer: —  Âˇ  Correct: C
Explanation

Pumped storage hydropower (PSH) is a proven, existing, grid-scale, long-duration energy storage technology that currently provides over 90% of the utility-scale energy storage capacity in the United States.[1] It makes use of two water reservoirs at different elevations, where power from the grid is used to pump water to the upper reservoir during times of low electricity demand or abundant clean power generation, and power is generated during peak demand as water moves down to the lower reservoir using a turbine.[2] It works like a battery storing the electricity generated by other power sources like solar, wind, and nuclear for later use.[3] This technology is specifically discussed in the context of energy storage and grid management, not for irrigation or rainwater harvesting purposes. Therefore, option C (Long duration energy storage) is the correct and appropriate context in which pumped-storage hydropower is discussed.

Sources
  1. [1] https://www.energy.wsu.edu/documents/WSUEEP25-003%20-%20PSH%20Siting%20Study-%20June%202025-Final.pdf
  2. [2] https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/844471635952134217/pdf/Indonesia-Development-of-Pumped-Storage-Hydropower-in-the-Java-Bali-Project.pdf
  3. [3] Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 22: Renewable Energy > G) Pumped storage > p. 291
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PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
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Q. Recently, the term "pumped-storage hydropower" is actually and appropriately discussed in the context of which one of the following ? [A…
At a glance
Origin: Mostly Current Affairs Fairness: Low / Borderline fairness Books / CA: 0/10 ¡ 5/10
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This is a classic 'Term in News' question rooted in static science. While it appears in Current Affairs due to India's energy transition policies, the core definition is available in standard texts like Shankar IAS (Chapter 22). The strategy is simple: When a technology is hyped, define its primary utility (Energy Storage) rather than its medium (Water).

How this question is built

This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.

Statement 1
Is pumped-storage hydropower used or discussed for irrigation of terraced crop fields?
Origin: Weak / unclear Fairness: Borderline / guessy
Indirect textbook clues
Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 22: Renewable Energy > 22.4,t Tlpes of hydro power stations > p. 291
Strength: 4/5
“There are three types of hydropower facilities: impoundment, diversion, and pumped storage. Some hydropower plants use dams and some do not.”
Why relevant

Identifies pumped storage as a distinct type of hydropower facility, establishing that water can be actively moved/stored as part of power schemes.

How to extend

A student could infer that if pumped-storage moves water between reservoirs, it might be repurposed or coordinated to supply irrigation on sloped/terraced land and then seek case examples or technical discussions.

NCERT. (2022). Contemporary India II: Textbook in Geography for Class X (Revised ed.). NCERT. > Chapter 3: The Making of a Global World > Hydraulic Structures in Ancient India > p. 56
Strength: 5/5
“Dams were traditionally built to impound rivers and rainwater that could be used later to irrigate agricultural fields. Today, dams are built not just for irrigation but for electricity generation, water supply for domestic and industrial uses, flood control, recreation, inland navigation and fish breeding. Hence, dams are now referred to as multi-purpose projects where the many uses of the impounded water are integrated with one another. For example, in the Sutluj-Beas river basin, the Bhakra – Nangal project water is being used both for hydel power production and irrigation. Similarly, the Hirakud project in the Mahanadi basin integrates conservation of water with flood control.”
Why relevant

Explains that dams/hydropower projects are often multi-purpose — integrating irrigation with electricity generation.

How to extend

One could extend this pattern to ask whether pumped-storage plants (a kind of hydro facility) have been or could be intentionally designed to serve irrigation for terraced fields.

Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 9: Agriculture > Sources of Irrigation > p. 32
Strength: 4/5
“Depending on the availability of surface and underground water, slope of the land, nature of the soil, and the types of crops grown in a region, a number of sources of irrigation are utilised. The main sources of irrigation used in different parts of the country are: (i) canals, (ii) wells and tubewells, (iii) tanks, and (iv) other sources (springs, kuhls, Himachal Pradesh, swing-basket; dhenkli, dongs Assam, and bokka Telangana, etc.). The areas irrigated by the different sources have been plotted in (Fig. 9.8) while (Table 9.8) gives the temporal changes in the irrigated area under different sources.”
Why relevant

Lists factors (surface/underground water, slope of the land) that determine suitable irrigation sources, highlighting that slope/terrain (as in terraces) influences irrigation choices.

How to extend

Using basic geography, a student could combine slope relevance with pumped-storage's ability to move water uphill to assess feasibility for terraced irrigation.

Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 11: Irrigation in India > 4. Micro-Irrigation > p. 365
Strength: 3/5
“However, there are certain issues/challenges under micro-irrigation that need to be addressed. They are: • Need to improve the efficiency of the entire process of micro-irrigation.• Convergence of micro-irrigation methods with water harvesting storage structures (ponds, tanks, check dams, injection wells, etc.) and related afforestation to recharge aquifers.”
Why relevant

Recommends convergence of micro‑irrigation with water‑harvesting/storage structures (ponds, tanks, check dams), showing precedent for integrating storage and irrigation systems.

How to extend

This suggests pumped-storage reservoirs might be considered as part of integrated water/irrigation systems; a student could look for examples where storage for energy also feeds irrigation infrastructure on terraces.

Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 9: Agriculture > Table 9.9 > p. 39
Strength: 3/5
“Tube-well irrigation is the easiest source of irrigation. It can be installed in a short duration of time. It is however, expensive and diminishes the underground watertable, especially in the years of drought like 2009. The most important problem of tube-well irrigation is the high energy costs for pumping groundwater because of farmers dependence on diesel and electricity. The prices of these energy resources have increased rapidly. The largest area under tube-well irrigation is in Uttar Pradesh followed by”
Why relevant

Notes that irrigation using tube‑wells is energy‑intensive and that energy cost matters for pumping water for irrigation.

How to extend

A student could reason that pumped‑storage (which supplies electricity) might be relevant to powering pumps for terraced irrigation or offsetting energy costs, and then investigate operational links between energy storage and irrigation pumping.

Statement analysis

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Statement analysis

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Statement analysis

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