Read the following poem. Answer the question :

A River

In Madurai,
city of temples and poets,
who sang of cities and temples,
every summer
a river dries to a trickle
in the sand,
baring the sand ribs,
straw and women's hair
clogging the watergates
at the rusty bars
under the bridges with patches
of repair all over them
the wet stones glistening like sleepy
crocodiles, the dry ones
shaven water-buffaloes lounging in the sun
The poet only sang of the floods
He was there for a day
when they had the floods.
People everywhere talked
of the inches rising,
of the precise number of cobbled steps
run over by the water, rising
on the bathing places,
and the way it carries of three village houses,
one pregnant woman
and a couple of cows
named Gopi and Brinda as usual.

How is the drainage system in the city?

old and in need of repair

The correct answer is Option (2) - old and in need of repair

The poem describes the condition of the river and its surroundings, including the watergates and bridges, as follows:
"baring the sand ribs, straw and women's hair clogging the watergates at the rusty bars under the bridges with patches of repair all over them."

This implies that the drainage system is old and in need of repair, as evidenced by the rusty bars and patches of repair mentioned.

Options:

1. There is no drainage system in the city:

   • Incorrect: The presence of watergates and bars indicates that there is a drainage system, though it is poorly maintained.

2. Old and in need of repair:

   • Correct: The description of rusty bars and patches of repair indicates an outdated and poorly maintained system.

3. Freshly repaired:

   • Incorrect: The mention of "patches of repair" suggests partial, older repairs, not a freshly repaired system.

4. In a good condition:

   • Incorrect: The poem clearly points out flaws in the system, showing it is far from being in good condition.