Rivers of India — Set 3
Geography · भारत की नदियां · Questions 21–30 of 100
The river Tapi (Tapti) flows into which water body?
Correct Answer: A. Arabian Sea
• **Tapi (Tapti) River** = one of the few large peninsular rivers flowing westward, emptying into the Arabian Sea at the Gulf of Khambhat. • **724 km** — length of Tapi; it flows parallel to the Narmada to the south, also through a rift valley. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Indian Ocean: peninsular rivers do not directly drain into the Indian Ocean; Palk Strait: separates India and Sri Lanka, not a mouth for Tapi; Bay of Bengal: receives east-flowing rivers like Godavari and Krishna.
Which river's basin is the largest in India?
Correct Answer: C. Ganga
• **Ganga Basin** = covers about 26.3% of India's total geographical area, supporting the world's densest river-basin population. • **8.6 lakh sq km** — area of Ganga basin in India, spanning UP, Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Indus: about 11.5% of India, mostly in Pakistan; Brahmaputra: basin mostly in China and Bangladesh; Godavari: large ~3.1 lakh sq km but smaller than Ganga.
The Hirakud Dam, one of the longest in the world, is built on which river?
Correct Answer: B. Mahanadi
• **Hirakud Dam** = built across the Mahanadi in Odisha; the first major multipurpose river valley project completed after India's independence. • **4.8 km** — length of Hirakud Dam, one of the longest earthen dams in the world, forming the vast Hirakud Reservoir. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Damodar: DVC built dams on Damodar, not called Hirakud; Narmada: has Sardar Sarovar Dam; Krishna: Nagarjuna Sagar is the major dam on Krishna.
The Teesta river is a major tributary of which river?
Correct Answer: C. Brahmaputra
• **Teesta River** = rises in Tso Lhamo Lake in Sikkim and joins the Brahmaputra in Bangladesh; called the lifeline of Sikkim. • **309 km** — length of Teesta in India; flows through Sikkim and West Bengal with high-speed currents ideal for hydropower. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Yamuna: tributaries are Chambal, Betwa, Ken — Teesta is not one; Ganga: Teesta historically joined Ganga but changed course after 1787 floods; Indus: north-western river system, Teesta is in the north-east.
Which river is the longest tributary of the Ganga?
Correct Answer: B. Yamuna
• **Yamuna** = the longest tributary of the Ganga at ~1,376 km, originating from the Yamunotri glacier in the Uttarakhand Himalayas. • **1,376 km** — Yamuna's length, draining Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Ghaghara: second-longest tributary at ~1,080 km, not the longest; Kosi: infamous for course changes in Bihar, shorter; Gandak: Nepal-origin tributary, much shorter.
The Vaigai river flows through which state?
Correct Answer: B. Tamil Nadu
• **Vaigai River** = flows through the Madurai region of Tamil Nadu; historically central to the Pandya kingdom's civilization. • **258 km** — length of Vaigai; it disappears into the Palk Strait, making it an intermittent seasonal river. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Karnataka: Cauvery and Krishna are the main rivers here; Kerala: has its own independent west-flowing rivers; AP: Pennar and Krishna are the major rivers.
Which of the following is NOT a tributary of the Indus?
Correct Answer: C. Lohit
• **Lohit River** = a tributary of the Brahmaputra, NOT the Indus; it flows through Arunachal Pradesh and Assam. • **3** — Zanskar, Nubra, and Shyok are all left-bank tributaries of the Indus in the Ladakh region. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Zanskar: joins Indus near Leh, Ladakh; Nubra: flows from Karakoram into Shyok which joins Indus; Shyok: drains Nubra valley into the Indus.
The Sardar Sarovar Dam is constructed on which river?
Correct Answer: A. Narmada
• **Sardar Sarovar Dam** = largest dam on the Narmada in Gujarat; supplies water and power to Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and MP. • **163 m** — height of Sardar Sarovar Dam, one of India's tallest concrete gravity dams. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Tapi: flows through Surat, no major dam of national scale; Sabarmati: smaller river; Mahi: has Kadana Dam, not Sardar Sarovar.
Which river is known as the 'Red River' of India?
Correct Answer: C. Brahmaputra
• **Brahmaputra** = called the 'Red River' because reddish-brown Tibetan plateau silt gives it a distinctive red hue during monsoon. • **2.9 lakh sq km** — Brahmaputra's drainage basin in India, known for extreme discharge and silt load in the Assam valley. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Indus: called 'Singi Khamban' in Tibet, runs clear in Ladakh; Ganga: brownish-grey hue from Gangetic silt, not red; Yamuna: known for dark/black colour due to pollution near Delhi.
The Musi river, a tributary of the Krishna, flows through which city?
Correct Answer: B. Hyderabad
• **Musi River** = flows through Hyderabad, Telangana; the historic Charminar stands near its banks; the city's main water source for centuries. • **161 km** — length of Musi; it is a right-bank tributary of the Krishna river. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Hampi: located on the Tungabhadra river; Pune: situated on the Mula-Mutha rivers; Vijayawada: located on the Krishna river, not the Musi.