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Peninsular rivers

मराठीत स्पष्टीकरण

Drainage of India · Part 3 / 4 · Fact-checked on · how we check

Written with AI from the sources listed at the bottom of this page, then fact-checked by a separate AI.

What the peninsular rivers share; the Mahanadi with the Brahmani, Baitarani and Subarnarekha; the Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri with their tributaries and projects; the smaller Pennar, Palar and Vaigai; the west-flowing Narmada, Tapi, Sabarmati, Mahi and Luni; the short Western Ghats rivers; and the main waterfalls.

Each idea is explained first in Marathi (मराठी), ending with the English and Hindi exam terms, followed by the same point in exam English. UPSC Prelims is in English or Hindi, so understand it in Marathi and revise it in English.

उत्तरेच्या बर्फाळ नद्या पाहिल्या; आता द्वीपकल्पातील नद्या. या जगातील सर्वात जुन्या खडकांवरून वाहतात आणि जवळपास पूर्णपणे पावसावर अवलंबून. पूर्व किनाऱ्याचे भाताचे त्रिभुज प्रदेश, दख्खनचे मोठे प्रकल्प यांच्यामुळेच; राज्यांमधील पाण्याचे तंटेही बहुतेक यांच्यावरूनच. या भागात आधी सामान्य वैशिष्ट्ये, मग पूर्ववाहिनी महानदी, गोदावरी, कृष्णा, कावेरी, पश्चिमवाहिनी नर्मदा, तापी, आणि शेवटी धबधबे. (→ English: peninsular rivers · हिन्दी: प्रायद्वीपीय नदियाँ)

In exam EnglishParts 1 and 2 dealt with the young, snow-fed rivers of the north. This part turns to the rivers of the Peninsula, which flow over some of the oldest rock in the world and depend almost entirely on monsoon rain. They are fewer in kind but vital: they water the rice deltas of the east coast, feed the big irrigation and power projects of the Deccan, and are the subject of most of India's inter-state water disputes. The part first looks at what the peninsular drainage has in common, then follows the large east-flowing rivers, the Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri, with the smaller ones between them, then the west-flowing rivers led by the Narmada and the Tapi, and ends with the waterfalls that break their courses.

द्वीपकल्पीय नद्यांची तीन वैशिष्ट्ये. एक — पश्चिम घाट हा मुख्य जलविभाजक; तो पश्चिम किनाऱ्याजवळ असल्याने पूर्वेकडे अंतर जास्त, पश्चिमेकडे कमी. घराच्या छपराचा माथा एका बाजूला सरकला तर पावसाचे पाणी बहुतेक दुसऱ्या बाजूने वाहते तसे. दोन — संपूर्ण पठार पश्चिमेकडून पूर्वेकडे उतरते; म्हणून गोदावरी, कृष्णा, कावेरी अरबी समुद्राजवळ उगम पावूनही बंगालच्या उपसागराला मिळतात. तीन — जुनी, झिजलेली जमीन; रुंद, उथळ दऱ्या, मार्ग बदलत नाही. पावसावर अवलंबून असल्याने पावसाळ्यात भरून, उन्हाळ्यात आटून. पूर्ववाहिनी नद्यांना त्रिभुज प्रदेश, पश्चिमवाहिनींना नदीमुख. (→ English: water divide · हिन्दी: जल विभाजक)

In exam EnglishThree features shape almost every peninsular river. First, the Western Ghats act as the main water divide: they rise close to the west coast, so the rivers that start on them have a long run east and only a short drop west. Second, the plateau as a whole slopes gently from west to east, which is why the largest rivers, the Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri, rise within a short distance of the Arabian Sea yet empty into the Bay of Bengal. Third, the land is ancient and worn down, so the rivers flow in broad, shallow, graded valleys and seldom change course. Because they are rain-fed, their flow rises sharply in the monsoon and falls in the dry months. The east-flowing rivers cross wide coastal plains and build deltas; the west-flowing ones meet the sea quickly, mostly through estuaries.

महानदी छत्तीसगडच्या धमतरी जिल्ह्यात सिहावाजवळच्या टेकड्यांत उगम पावून, शिवनाथ घेऊन ओडिशात येते. संबलपूरजवळ हिराकुड धरण — जगातील सर्वात लांब मातीच्या धरणांपैकी एक — त्रिभुज प्रदेश उद्ध्वस्त करणारे पूर रोखण्यासाठी, सिंचन व विजेसाठी. जुनी राजधानी कटक त्रिभुज प्रदेशाच्या टोकाशी; तिथून नदी हाताच्या बोटांसारखी अनेक फाट्यांत विभागून बंगालच्या उपसागरात. पाणीवाटपावरून ओडिशा-छत्तीसगड तंट्यासाठी 2018 मध्ये न्यायाधिकरण. (→ English: delta · हिन्दी: डेल्टा)

In exam EnglishThe Mahanadi rises in the hills near Sihawa in the Dhamtari district of Chhattisgarh and flows north and then east across the Chhattisgarh plain, collecting the Seonath, before entering Odisha. Near Sambalpur it is held back by the Hirakud dam, one of the longest earthen dams in the world and one of independent India's early river valley projects, built to control the floods that used to ravage the delta and to provide irrigation and power. Below the dam the river passes Cuttack, the old capital of Odisha, which stands at the head of its delta, and divides into many branches before reaching the Bay of Bengal. Sharing its water became a dispute between Odisha and Chhattisgarh, and a tribunal was set up in 2018 to settle it.

गंगेचा त्रिभुज प्रदेश आणि महानदी यांच्यामध्ये तीन लहान पूर्ववाहिनी नद्या. ब्राह्मणी — पोलादनगरी राउरकेलाजवळ शंख आणि दक्षिण कोयल मिळून बनते. वैतरणी — केओंझरच्या टेकड्यांत उगम. किनाऱ्याजवळ या दोघी मिळून एकच त्रिभुज प्रदेश — तिथेच खाऱ्या पाण्यातील मगरींसाठी प्रसिद्ध भितरकणिकाची खारफुटी जंगले. उत्तरेला सुवर्णरेखा ('सोन्याची रेघ') रांचीजवळ उगम पावून, हुंड्रू धबधब्यावरून उडी घेऊन, जमशेदपूरमार्गे झारखंड, बंगाल, ओडिशा पार करून समुद्रात. लहान नद्या, पण लोखंड, कोळसा, उद्योगांच्या प्रदेशातून. (→ English: Brahmani and Baitarani · हिन्दी: ब्राह्मणी और वैतरणी)

In exam EnglishBetween the Ganga delta and the Mahanadi lie three smaller east-flowing rivers that drain the Chota Nagpur plateau and northern Odisha. The Brahmani is formed by the meeting of the Sankh and the South Koel near Rourkela, the steel town, and flows south-east through Odisha. The Baitarani rises in the hills of Keonjhar district. Near the coast these two rivers build a joint delta, part of which is covered by the mangrove forests of Bhitarkanika, known for its saltwater crocodiles. Further north the Subarnarekha, whose name means 'streak of gold', rises near Ranchi, drops over the Hundru falls, passes Jamshedpur and runs through Jharkhand, West Bengal and Odisha to the Bay of Bengal. These rivers are short by peninsular standards but cross a region rich in iron ore, coal and industry.

गोदावरी ही द्वीपकल्पातील लांबीने आणि खोऱ्याच्या आकाराने सर्वात मोठी नदी — 'दक्षिण गंगा'. महाराष्ट्रात नाशिकजवळ त्र्यंबकेश्वर येथे — अरबी समुद्रापासून फक्त सुमारे 80 किमीवर — उगम पावून, तेलंगणामार्गे आंध्र प्रदेशात. मोठ्या उपनद्या बहुतेक डाव्या तीरावर — पैनगंगा, वर्धा-वैनगंगेचे पाणी आणणारी प्राणहिता, इंद्रावती, शबरी; उजवीकडून मांजरा. मोठ्या कुटुंबातील भावंडे एकाच घरी जमावीत तसे. राजमुंद्रीनंतर फाट्यांत विभागून भाताचा त्रिभुज प्रदेश. खालच्या गोदावरीवर पोलावरम राष्ट्रीय प्रकल्प. (→ English: Godavari, Dakshin Ganga · हिन्दी: गोदावरी, दक्षिण गंगा)

In exam EnglishThe Godavari is the largest river of the Peninsula, both in length and in the size of its basin, and is often called the 'Dakshin Ganga', the Ganga of the south. It rises at Trimbakeshwar near Nashik in Maharashtra, only about 80 km from the Arabian Sea, and flows south-east across Maharashtra and Telangana into Andhra Pradesh, its basin also reaching into Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Karnataka. Most of its big tributaries join from the north and east, the left bank: the Penganga; the Pranhita, which carries the combined water of the Wardha and the Wainganga; the Indravati from Odisha and Chhattisgarh; and the Sabari. The Manjra joins from the right. Below Rajahmundry the river splits into branches that form a rich rice-growing delta. The Polavaram project on the lower Godavari has been declared a national project.

कृष्णा ही द्वीपकल्पातील दुसरी मोठी पूर्ववाहिनी नदी. महाराष्ट्राच्या सह्याद्रीत महाबळेश्वरजवळ उगम पावून, कर्नाटक, तेलंगणा, आंध्रमार्गे पूर्वेकडे. कोयना, घटप्रभा, मलप्रभा पश्चिम घाटातून; कोयना धरण महत्त्वाचे जलविद्युत केंद्र. भीमा पुण्याजवळ उगम पावून रायचूर भागात मिळते. सर्वात मोठी उपनदी तुंगभद्रा — शिवमोग्याजवळ तुंगा व भद्रा मिळून, हंपीवरून. हैदराबादची मुसी डावीकडून. अलमट्टी, श्रीशैलम, नागार्जुनसागर धरणे; विजयवाड्याच्या प्रकाशम बंधाऱ्याच्या कालव्यांनी कृष्णा त्रिभुज प्रदेश — किनाऱ्यालगत गोदावरीच्या त्रिभुज प्रदेशाला जोडलेला, दोन बहिणींची घरे शेजारी असावीत तसा. (→ English: Krishna · हिन्दी: कृष्णा)

In exam EnglishThe Krishna is the second largest east-flowing river of the Peninsula. It rises near Mahabaleshwar in the Sahyadri of Maharashtra and flows east through Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Its tributaries are many. The Koyna, Ghataprabha and Malaprabha come down from the Western Ghats; the Koyna dam is an important hydropower station. The Bhima rises near Pune and joins in the Raichur region. The Tungabhadra, the largest tributary, is formed when the Tunga and the Bhadra meet near Shivamogga in Karnataka, and it flows past the ruins of Hampi. The Musi, on which Hyderabad stands, joins from the left. The main river is dammed at Almatti, Srisailam and Nagarjuna Sagar, and at Vijayawada the Prakasam barrage feeds canals that water the Krishna delta, which merges with the Godavari delta along the coast.

कावेरी कर्नाटकच्या कोडगू जिल्ह्यात ब्रह्मगिरी टेकड्यांतील तलकावेरी येथे उगम पावून, म्हैसूर पठार ओलांडून तमिळनाडूत. म्हैसूरजवळ कृष्णराजसागर पाणी साठवते; पुढे शिवनसमुद्रम बेटाभोवती विभागून धबधब्यावरून कोसळते — तिथे 1902 मध्ये आशियातील पहिल्या जलविद्युत केंद्रांपैकी एक. सीमेवर होगेनक्कलची खडकाळ घळ, तमिळनाडूत मेट्टूर धरण. उपनद्या हेमावती, काबिनी, भवानी, अमरावती. तिरुचिरापल्लीनंतर तंजावूर त्रिभुज प्रदेश. वैशिष्ट्य — वरच्या भागाला नैऋत्य मान्सून, खालच्या भागाला ईशान्य मान्सून; दोन पगार येणाऱ्या घरासारखे वर्षभर पाणी जरा स्थिर. (→ English: monsoon · हिन्दी: मानसून)

In exam EnglishThe Kaveri rises at Talakaveri in the Brahmagiri hills of Kodagu district in Karnataka and flows south-east across the Mysuru plateau into Tamil Nadu. The Krishna Raja Sagar dam near Mysuru stores its water, and further down it forks round the island of Shivanasamudra and plunges over falls where one of Asia's first hydroelectric stations began work in 1902. At the Tamil Nadu border it tumbles through the rocky gorge of Hogenakkal, and in Tamil Nadu it is held by the Mettur dam. Its tributaries include the Hemavati and Kabini in Karnataka and the Bhavani and Amaravati in Tamil Nadu. Below Tiruchirappalli the river forms the Thanjavur delta. Unusually for a peninsular river, its upper basin gets the south-west monsoon and its lower basin the north-east monsoon, so its flow is steadier through the year than that of most peninsular rivers.
The four big east-flowing rivers of the Peninsula
RiverSourceMain tributariesProjects
MahanadiNear Sihawa, ChhattisgarhSeonath, IbHirakud
GodavariTrimbakeshwar, near NashikPranhita (Wardha + Wainganga), Indravati, ManjraPolavaram
KrishnaNear MahabaleshwarTungabhadra, Bhima, Koyna, MusiAlmatti, Srisailam, Nagarjuna Sagar
KaveriTalakaveri, Brahmagiri hills (Kodagu)Hemavati, Kabini, Bhavani, AmaravatiKrishna Raja Sagar, Mettur

मोठ्या चौघींच्या मध्ये काही लहान पूर्ववाहिनी नद्या. पेन्नार कर्नाटकच्या नंदी टेकड्यांत उगम पावून, रायलसीमा पार करून नेल्लोरजवळ समुद्रात. पालारही कर्नाटकातून उत्तर तमिळनाडूतून. वैगई मदुराईच्या पश्चिमेच्या टेकड्यांतून; मदुराई मंदिरनगरी तिच्याच काठावर; तलावांच्या जाळ्याला पाणी देऊन रामनाथपुरमजवळ पाल्क उपसागर भागात संपते. या लहान, वर्षाचा मोठा भाग पाणी कमी — पश्चिम घाटाच्या पर्जन्यछायेत असल्याने. छत्रीखाली उभ्या माणसावर पाऊस पडत नाही तसे. म्हणूनच दक्षिणेत गावतलाव, आणि मोठ्या नद्यांच्या प्रत्येक थेंबासाठी चढाओढ. (→ English: rain shadow · हिन्दी: वृष्टि छाया)

In exam EnglishBetween the big four lie several smaller east-flowing rivers that matter to their regions and turn up in map-based questions. The Pennar rises in the Nandi hills of Karnataka and crosses the dry Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh before reaching the sea near Nellore. The Palar, also from Karnataka, flows through northern Tamil Nadu. The Vaigai drains the hills west of Madurai, the temple city that stands on its banks, and, after supplying a dense network of irrigation tanks, ends in the Palk Bay region near Ramanathapuram. These rivers are short and carry little water for much of the year, because the areas they drain lie in the rain shadow of the Western Ghats. That is why South India traditionally stored rain in thousands of village tanks, and why every drop of the larger rivers is contested.

द्वीपकल्पात पश्चिमेकडे वाहणाऱ्या मोठ्या नद्या थोड्याच. नर्मदा आणि तापी सामान्य उताराच्या उलट जातात कारण त्या भ्रंशांमधून वाहतात — जमिनीला भेग असेल तर पाणी त्या भेगेतूनच वाहते तसे. नर्मदा अमरकंटकला उगम पावून, उत्तरेला विंध्य आणि दक्षिणेला सातपुडा यांच्यामधील खचदरीतून पश्चिमेकडे. जबलपूरजवळ भेडाघाटच्या संगमरवरी खडकांत धुआंधार धबधबा. इंदिरासागर, सरदार सरोवर धरणे — गुजरात, राजस्थानला पाणी; विस्थापितांसाठी नर्मदा बचाओ आंदोलन. भरुचजवळ रुंद नदीमुखातून खंबातच्या आखातात. (→ English: rift valley; estuary · हिन्दी: भ्रंश घाटी; ज्वारनदमुख)

In exam EnglishOnly a few large rivers of the Peninsula flow west, and the two biggest, the Narmada and the Tapi, do so because they run along faults rather than down the general slope. The Narmada rises on the Amarkantak plateau in Madhya Pradesh and flows west through a rift valley between the Vindhya range to the north and the Satpura range to the south. Near Jabalpur it cuts a narrow gorge through marble rocks at Bhedaghat, where it drops over the Dhuandhar falls. Lower down it is dammed at Indira Sagar in Madhya Pradesh and at Sardar Sarovar in Gujarat, a very large project that brought water to Gujarat and Rajasthan and also led to the Narmada Bachao Andolan over the displacement of people. The Narmada reaches the Gulf of Khambhat through a broad estuary near Bharuch; it is the largest west-flowing river of the Peninsula.

तापी मध्य प्रदेशच्या बैतूल जिल्ह्यात मुलताईजवळ उगम पावून, नर्मदेला जवळपास समांतर — सातपुड्याच्या दक्षिणेला स्वतःच्या खचदरीत — महाराष्ट्र, गुजरातमार्गे पश्चिमेकडे. उकाई धरण; सुरतजवळ नदीमुख. उत्तरेला साबरमती (अरवलीतून, अहमदाबादवरून), माही (विंध्यातून, कर्कवृत्त दोनदा ओलांडणारी वेगळी नदी) खंबातच्या आखातात. थारची नदी लुणी अजमेरजवळ उगम पावून, खाली खारट होऊन, समुद्रापर्यंत न जाता कच्छच्या रणातील दलदलीत हरवते — घरातून निघून गावच्या तळ्याजवळच थांबावे तसे. हेच अंतर्गत जलनिस्सारण. (→ English: inland drainage · हिन्दी: अंतःस्थलीय अपवाह)

In exam EnglishThe Tapi rises near Multai in the Betul district of Madhya Pradesh and flows west, roughly parallel to the Narmada but south of the Satpura, in its own rift valley, through Maharashtra and Gujarat. The Ukai dam stores its water, and it meets the Arabian Sea through an estuary at Surat. Further north, two rivers drain into the Gulf of Khambhat: the Sabarmati, which rises in the Aravalli hills of Rajasthan and flows past Ahmedabad, and the Mahi, which rises in the Vindhya hills of Madhya Pradesh and is unusual in crossing the Tropic of Cancer twice. The Luni, the main river of the Thar, rises near Ajmer, turns salty in its lower course and does not reach the sea at all, losing itself in the marshes of the Rann of Kachchh. It is a case of inland drainage, where water ends in a desert basin.

पश्चिम घाटाच्या संपूर्ण लांबीवर अनेक लहान, वेगवान नद्या तीव्र पश्चिम उतारावरून अरबी समुद्राकडे धावतात. अंतर काही दहा किमीच, पण मुसळधार पावसाने पाणी भरपूर; तीव्र उतार जलविद्युतसाठी आदर्श. कठीण खडकाची पायरी ओलांडते तिथे धबधबा — जिन्याच्या पायऱ्यांवरून पाणी उड्या घेते तसे. शरावतीचा जोग धबधबा, मांडवीचा दूधसागर, वाराहीचा कुंचिकल. मांडवी आणि झुआरी गोव्याची बंदरे; मार्मागोवा झुआरीच्या मुखाशी. केरळमध्ये पेरियार सर्वात लांब (इडुक्की कमानी धरण), भारतपुळा दुसरी. (→ English: waterfall · हिन्दी: जलप्रपात)

In exam EnglishAlong the whole length of the Western Ghats, a large number of short, swift rivers race down the steep western face to the Arabian Sea. Their courses are only tens of kilometres long, but heavy monsoon rain gives them a great deal of water, and their steep fall makes them ideal for hydropower. Where a river crosses a ledge of hard rock it drops as a waterfall. The Sharavati in Karnataka plunges over the Jog Falls, among the highest plunge falls in India; the Mandovi on the Goa-Karnataka border forms Dudhsagar; and the Varahi falls at Kunchikal. The Mandovi and the Zuari form the harbours of Goa, Mormugao lying at the mouth of the Zuari. In Kerala the Periyar is the longest river, with the Idukki arch dam on it, and the Bharathapuzha is the second longest. The table below gathers the main waterfalls.
Important waterfalls and their rivers
WaterfallRiverState
JogSharavatiKarnataka
KunchikalVarahiKarnataka
ShivanasamudraKaveriKarnataka
HogenakkalKaveriTamil Nadu
DudhsagarMandoviGoa-Karnataka border
DhuandharNarmadaMadhya Pradesh
ChitrakoteIndravatiChhattisgarh
HundruSubarnarekhaJharkhand

एकूण पाहता द्वीपकल्पीय नद्यांचे तर्कशास्त्र सोपे. पश्चिम घाटाजवळ उगम, पावसावर जगणे, कललेल्या पठारावरून पूर्वेकडे वाहणे, आणि ओडिशा, आंध्र, तमिळनाडूच्या भाताच्या त्रिभुज प्रदेशांना पोसणे. नर्मदा आणि तापी खचदऱ्यांतून पश्चिमेकडे — अपवाद. घाटातील लहान नद्या तीव्र उतारावरून धबधबे आणि वीज. पावसावर अवलंबित्व, राज्यांच्या सीमा ओलांडणारी खोरी — म्हणून पाणी साठवणे आणि वाटणे हीच मुख्य समस्या; एकच विहीर चार घरांनी वाटून घ्यावी तसे. पुढच्या भागात सरोवरे, नदीजोड, अनुच्छेद 262 ची न्यायाधिकरणे, शेजारी देशांशी करार. (→ English: peninsular drainage · हिन्दी: प्रायद्वीपीय अपवाह)

In exam EnglishPut together, the rivers of the Peninsula follow a simple logic. Rising on or near the Western Ghats and fed by the monsoon, the big rivers roll east over the tilted plateau, collecting tributaries mostly from one side, and end in deltas that feed the rice bowls of Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. The Narmada and the Tapi break the pattern because they follow rift valleys and flow west into estuaries, while the short Ghats rivers fall steeply to the Arabian Sea, forming waterfalls and offering hydropower. Because the flow depends on rain and the basins cross state lines, storing and sharing water is the central problem of peninsular rivers. Part 4 takes that up, along with India's lakes, river interlinking, the tribunals under Article 262 and the river treaties with neighbouring countries.

Exam traps

Recap

Practice questions

Q1. Which one of the following is the largest river of peninsular India?

  1. Krishna
  2. Godavari
  3. Kaveri
  4. Mahanadi
Show answer

Answer: B. Godavari

The Godavari is the largest peninsular river in length and basin size. The Krishna is the second largest east-flowing river; the Kaveri and the Mahanadi are smaller than both.

Q2. Consider the following statements:
1. The Narmada flows west through a rift valley between the Vindhya and the Satpura ranges.
2. The Narmada builds a large delta where it meets the Gulf of Khambhat.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. 1 only
  2. 2 only
  3. Both 1 and 2
  4. Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer

Answer: A. 1 only

Statement 1 is correct. Statement 2 is wrong: the Narmada ends in an estuary near Bharuch, not a delta. So '2 only' and 'Both' are wrong, and 'Neither' rejects the true first statement.

Q3. The Pranhita, formed by the Wardha and the Wainganga, is a tributary of which river?

  1. Krishna
  2. Mahanadi
  3. Godavari
  4. Tapi
Show answer

Answer: C. Godavari

The Pranhita joins the Godavari from the left bank. The Krishna's main tributaries are the Tungabhadra and Bhima; the Mahanadi's include the Seonath; and the Tapi flows west and is not fed by the Pranhita.

Q4. Match List I (waterfall) with List II (river):
A. Jog
B. Chitrakote
C. Dudhsagar
D. Dhuandhar
1. Mandovi
2. Narmada
3. Sharavati
4. Indravati
Select the correct code:

  1. A-3, B-4, C-1, D-2
  2. A-3, B-1, C-4, D-2
  3. A-4, B-3, C-1, D-2
  4. A-3, B-4, C-2, D-1
Show answer

Answer: A. A-3, B-4, C-1, D-2

Jog is on the Sharavati, Chitrakote on the Indravati, Dudhsagar on the Mandovi and Dhuandhar on the Narmada. The second code swaps Chitrakote and Dudhsagar; the third swaps Jog and Chitrakote; the fourth swaps Dudhsagar and Dhuandhar.

Q5. Why does the Kaveri have a more even flow through the year than most peninsular rivers?

  1. It is fed by glaciers in the Nilgiris.
  2. Its upper basin gets the south-west monsoon and its lower basin the north-east monsoon.
  3. It flows through a rift valley that stores groundwater.
  4. It receives water diverted from the Godavari.
Show answer

Answer: B. Its upper basin gets the south-west monsoon and its lower basin the north-east monsoon.

Its catchment receives rain in both monsoon seasons. There are no glaciers in the Nilgiris; the Kaveri does not run in a rift valley (the Narmada and Tapi do); and no Godavari water is diverted into it as a source of its natural flow.

Q6. Consider the following statements:
1. The Mahi river crosses the Tropic of Cancer twice.
2. The Luni river drains into the Gulf of Khambhat.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. 1 only
  2. 2 only
  3. Both 1 and 2
  4. Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer

Answer: A. 1 only

Statement 1 is correct. Statement 2 is wrong: the Luni does not reach the sea and ends in the Rann of Kachchh; the Mahi and the Sabarmati are the ones that drain into the Gulf of Khambhat. So '2 only' and 'Both' are wrong, and 'Neither' rejects a true statement.

Q7. Which one of the following pairs of a river and a project on it is NOT correctly matched?

  1. Mahanadi : Hirakud
  2. Krishna : Nagarjuna Sagar
  3. Tapi : Ukai
  4. Kaveri : Polavaram
Show answer

Answer: D. Kaveri : Polavaram

Polavaram is on the Godavari, not the Kaveri, so this pair is wrong; the Kaveri has the Krishna Raja Sagar and Mettur dams. Hirakud on the Mahanadi, Nagarjuna Sagar on the Krishna and Ukai on the Tapi are all correctly matched.

Q8. Which one of the following is the longest river of Kerala?

  1. Bharathapuzha
  2. Periyar
  3. Pamba
  4. Chaliyar
Show answer

Answer: B. Periyar

The Periyar is Kerala's longest river and carries the Idukki arch dam. The Bharathapuzha is the second longest; the Pamba and the Chaliyar are shorter than both.

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