The correct answer is (c). Bageshwar and Chamoli are the most seismically active districts in Uttarakhand. The Himalayas are a young mountain range that is still being formed by the collision of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates. This collision causes a lot of stress to build up in the Earth’s crust, which can eventually lead to earthquakes. The Bageshwar and Chamoli districts are located in the central Himalayas, which is a particularly active seismic zone. In 1999, the Chamoli earthquake killed over 200 people and injured over 1,000. The Bageshwar earthquake in 1991 killed over 100 people and injured over 500.
(a) Almora and Nainital are located in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand, which is a less active seismic zone. The Kumaon region is located on the southern edge of the Himalayas, where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates are not colliding as directly. As a result, the Kumaon region is not as prone to earthquakes as the central Himalayas.
(b) Dehradun and Uttarkashi are located in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand, which is a moderately active seismic zone. The Garhwal region is located in the central Himalayas, where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates are colliding more directly. As a result, the Garhwal region is more prone to earthquakes than the Kumaon region, but not as prone to earthquakes as the central Himalayas.
(d) None of these is the correct answer.