Rivers of India — Set 6

Correct Answer: C. Godavari

• **Nashik** = located on the banks of the Godavari river in Maharashtra; one of the four Kumbh Mela sites. • **4** — Nashik is one of only four cities to host Kumbh Mela (others: Prayagraj, Haridwar, Ujjain). • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Wardha: tributary of Wainganga, flows through Vidarbha; Tapi: flows through Surat and Bhusawal, not Nashik; Krishna: flows through Vijayawada, not Nashik.

Correct Answer: B. Cauvery

• **Cauvery Delta** = known as the 'Granary of South India' due to its extremely fertile soil and centuries-old rice production in Tamil Nadu. • **2,000+ years** — the Cauvery delta has been a prosperous rice-growing region; the Cholas built the Grand Anicut dam here. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Krishna: delta is fertile but not specifically called 'Granary of South India'; Godavari: has a productive delta but not this specific title; Pennar: smaller seasonal river, no significant delta.

Correct Answer: D. Beas

• **Pong Dam** = built on the Beas river in Himachal Pradesh; also called the Beas Dam; the reservoir is a Ramsar-listed wetland. • **1974** — year Pong Dam was completed; its reservoir hosts lakhs of migratory birds and is one of India's key bird sanctuaries. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Sutlej: has the Bhakra Nangal Dam, not Pong; Ravi: smaller river, no major dam called Pong; Chenab: has Baglihar Dam in Jammu, not Pong.

Correct Answer: C. Narmada

• **Narmada** = flows through a structural rift valley between the Vindhya range (north) and the Satpura range (south), directing it westward. • **1,312 km** — length of Narmada; it is the largest west-flowing river of the Indian peninsula. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Tapi: flows through a separate rift valley to the south of Satpura, not between Vindhya and Satpura; Son: flows north-east to join Ganga, not between these ranges; Mahi: flows through central Gujarat plains.

Correct Answer: A. Mahanadi

• **Mahanadi** = traditionally called the 'Sorrow of Odisha' due to devastating floods; Hirakud Dam now largely controls the flooding. • **1957** — year Hirakud Dam was completed on Mahanadi, taming floods that had destroyed farmlands for centuries. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Brahmani: major east-flowing river in Odisha but not called Sorrow of Odisha; Vansadhara: smaller river in south Odisha; Rushikulya: shorter river flowing through Ganjam district.

Correct Answer: B. Sabarimala

• **Pamba River** = considered sacred by Sabarimala pilgrims in Kerala; devotees take a ritual bath in its waters before ascending the temple hill. • **3rd longest** — Pamba is the third-longest river in Kerala; it originates in the Periyar plateau of the Western Ghats. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Guruvayur: temple in central Kerala, not associated with Pamba; Palani: hill temple in Tamil Nadu, associated with the Amaravathi river; Tirupati: in Andhra Pradesh, associated with the Swarnamukhi river.

Correct Answer: B. Beas

• **Beas River** = originates at Beas Kund near the Rohtang Pass in Himachal Pradesh; the only Indus tributary flowing entirely within India. • **470 km** — length of Beas in India; it joins the Sutlej at Harike in Punjab, forming the Harike Barrage. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Chenab: originates at Tandi (Chandra-Bhaga confluence) in Lahaul, not at Rohtang; Ravi: originates at Bara Bangahal in Himachal Pradesh; Jhelum: originates at Verinag spring in Kashmir.

Correct Answer: C. Chota Nagpur Plateau

• **Damodar River** = rises in the Palamau hills of Jharkhand's Chota Nagpur plateau, flowing through a rift valley rich in coal deposits. • **592 km** — length of Damodar; it joins the Hooghly river in West Bengal, passing through the Jharia coalfields. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Malwa Plateau: source of Chambal and Betwa rivers; Shillong Plateau: in Meghalaya, unrelated to Damodar; Deccan Plateau: source of peninsular rivers like Godavari and Krishna.

Correct Answer: D. Yamuna

• **Yamuna** = also called 'Kalindi', a name linked to the Kalinda mountains near its source and deeply associated with Krishna legends. • **1,376 km** — Yamuna's length, making it the second-longest river in the Ganga system after the Ganga itself. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Ganga: called 'Bhagirathi' at source, not Kalindi; Sarda: a Himalayan river in UP, different names like Kali Ganga; Sutlej: called 'Langchen Khambab' in Tibet.

Correct Answer: D. Goa

• **Mandovi and Zuari** = the two most important rivers of Goa; Panaji (Goa's capital) is situated on the Mandovi river. • **2** — Goa has essentially two primary rivers — Mandovi and Zuari — that drain most of the state's area. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Kerala: has Periyar, Bharathapuzha as main rivers; Maharashtra: major rivers are Godavari, Krishna, Tapi; Karnataka: has Tungabhadra, Cauvery, Krishna as main rivers.