A contour line joins locations having the same height above the mean sea level. The following is a contour plot of a geographical region. Contour lines are shown at 25 m intervals in this plot. If in a flood, the water level rises to 525 m, which of the villages P, Q, R, S, T get submerged?

A village gets submerged if its elevation above mean sea level is less than the flood level of $525\text{ m}$.

Given the contour interval is $25\text{ m}$:

• Village P: Lies inside the $550\text{ m}$ contour line (specifically enclosed by the higher inner contour of $575\text{ m}$), so its elevation is $> 550\text{ m}$. It will not be submerged.

• Village Q: Lies above the $550\text{ m}$ contour region, with an elevation $> 525\text{ m}$. It will not be submerged.

• Village R: Located between the lower contours ($450\text{ m}$ to $500\text{ m}$), so its elevation is $< 525\text{ m}$. It will get submerged.

• Village S: Located near the $450\text{ m}$ to $475\text{ m}$ contour line (below the $500\text{ m}$ line), so its elevation is $< 525\text{ m}$. It will get submerged.

• Village T: Located outside and below the $500\text{ m}$ to $525\text{ m}$ contour line, so its elevation is $< 525\text{ m}$. It will get submerged.

Thus, the villages that get submerged are R, S, and T.

Therefore, option (C) is correct.