The correct Answer is
Mumbai and Pune
Explanation
The 'rain shadow' effect describes a dry area on the leeward side of a mountainous region. Mountains block the passage of rain-producing weather systems, casting a "shadow" of dryness behind them. This phenomenon occurs when moist air rises over a mountain range, cools, condenses, and precipitates on the windward side. By the time the air descends on the leeward side, it has lost most of its moisture and warms up, leading to arid conditions.Statement-wise Analysis
Mumbai and Pune
- Correct. Mumbai is located on the windward side of the Western Ghats, receiving heavy rainfall from the Arabian Sea branch of the Southwest Monsoon. Pune, situated on the leeward side of the Western Ghats, experiences significantly less rainfall due to the rain shadow effect. The Western Ghats obstruct the moisture-laden winds, causing them to shed their moisture on the Mumbai side, leaving Pune in a drier zone.
Delhi and Kolkata
- Incorrect. Delhi and Kolkata are located in the Indo-Gangetic Plain and do not exhibit a rain shadow effect relative to each other. Their rainfall patterns are primarily influenced by the Bay of Bengal branch of the Southwest Monsoon and their geographical positions within the plain, not by a mountain barrier between them.
Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram
- Incorrect. Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram are both coastal cities in South India. While they experience different rainfall patterns (Chennai receives more rainfall during the Northeast Monsoon, and Thiruvananthapuram during the Southwest Monsoon), their relationship does not illustrate a rain shadow effect caused by a mountain range between them.
Shillong and Cherrapunji
- Incorrect. Cherrapunji (and nearby Mawsynram) is known for extremely high rainfall due to its unique orographic location on the windward side of the Khasi Hills, facing the Bay of Bengal monsoon winds. Shillong, while relatively close, is situated on a plateau at a higher elevation and experiences less rainfall than Cherrapunji, but this is not a classic rain shadow effect where one city is on the leeward side of the mountain that causes the other city's heavy rainfall. Shillong's position within the plateau and its specific topography contribute to its comparatively lower rainfall, but it is not a direct leeward rain shadow of the same mountain system causing Cherrapunji's extreme rainfall.