Question 15 from UPSC CSE 2021 - Geography

Question

Consider the following rivers:
1. Brahmani
2. Nagavali
3. Subarnarekha
4. Vamsadhara
Which of the above rise from the Eastern Ghats?

IASCODEX · Accepted Answer

Correct Option: B. 2 and 4

Strategy: Identify the geographical origins of the listed rivers. Recall that the Brahmani and Subarnarekha rivers originate from the Chotanagpur Plateau, not the Eastern Ghats, and eliminate any options containing them. The correct answer will be the option featuring the Nagavali and Vamsadhara rivers, both of which originate in the Eastern Ghats.

Key Info: **Brahmani River**
- Formed by the confluence of the Sankh and South Koel rivers near Rourkela, Odisha.
- Its tributaries originate in the Chotanagpur Plateau region (Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh), not the Eastern Ghats.
- It flows through Odisha before entering the Bay of Bengal.

**Nagavali River**
- Originates on the eastern slopes of the Eastern Ghats near Lakhbahal in Kalahandi district, Odisha, at approximately 1300m elevation.
- It flows through southern Odisha and northern Andhra Pradesh.
- It joins the Bay of Bengal near Srikakulam.

**Subarnarekha River**
- Rises near Ranchi in Jharkhand on the Chotanagpur Plateau, not in the Eastern Ghats.
- It traverses Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Odisha.
- It flows into the Bay of Bengal.

**Vamsadhara River**
- Starts in the border region between Kalahandi and Rayagada districts of Odisha in the Eastern Ghats.
- It flows through Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.
- It empties into the Bay of Bengal at Kalingapatnam and provides irrigation to the coastal plains.

**Eastern Ghats**
- A chain of discontinuous, eroded mountains along India's eastern coast, spanning Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu.
- Important rivers like the Nagavali and Vamsadhara drain eastwards from these hills toward the Bay of Bengal.

IASCODEX · Answer

Option A: 1 and 2

IASCODEX · Answer

Option C: 3 and 4

IASCODEX · Answer

Option D: 1 and 3

Consider the following rivers: Brahmani Nagavali Subarnarekha Vamsadhara Which of the above rise from the Eastern Ghats?

Consider the following rivers:

Brahmani

Nagavali

Subarnarekha

Vamsadhara
Which of the above rise from the Eastern Ghats?