Indian Geography: UPSC Previous Year Questions (Geography)

Explanation

Option (a) is incorrect: Chenab River originates from Bara Lacha Pass in Himachal Pradesh. It is formed by the confluence of Chandra and Bhaga rivers in Himachal Pradesh, flows through Jammu and Kashmir and enters Pakistan. The Chenab does not join the Indus directly. It merges with the Sutlej River in Pakistan.

Option (b) is incorrect: Jhelum River originates from Verinag Spring in Jammu and Kashmir. It flows through the Kashmir Valley and enters Pakistan. Jhelum joins Chenab, which later merges with Sutlej before reaching the Indus. Jhelum does not directly join Indus.

Option (c) is incorrect: Ravi River originates from Bara Bhan-gal in Himachal Pradesh. It flows through Punjab before entering Pakistan. Ravi joins the Chenab River, which later merges with the Sutlej before meeting the Indus.

Option (d) is correct: Sutlej River originates from Rakshastal, near Lake Mansarovar, Tibet. It flows through Himachal Pradesh and Punjab before entering Pakistan. Sutlej is the only river that directly joins the Indus River at Mithankot, Pakistan. Thus, it is the only Satluj river in the Indus valley system which receives water from three rivers of the system and joins Indus directly. The Indus River System:

Fig: Map of the Indus River System

Explanation

A salt lake or saline lake is a landlocked body of water that has a concentration of salts and other dissolved minerals significantly higher than most lakes. These lakes are characterized by their high salt content, often due to the arid or semi-arid climate and the lack of outflowing rivers leading to the evaporation of water and the concentration of salts. Didwana, Kuchaman, Sargol and Khatu are saline lakes of Rajasthan.

Explanation

Option 1 is incorrect: The Brahmani River does not originate in the Eastern Ghats. The Brahmani River is formed by the confluence of the South Koel and Sankh rivers in Jharkhand. The South Koel originates near Nagri in Jharkhand, while the Sankh River originates in the Chotanagpur Plateau. After the confluence, it flows through the Eastern Ghats in Sundar-garh, Deogarh, Dhenkanal, and Jajpur districts.

Option 2 is correct: The Nagavali River originates in the Eastern Ghats near Lakhbahal in the Kalahandi district of Odisha. It flows through Odisha and Andhra Pradesh before draining into the Bay of Bengal.

Option 3 is incorrect: The Subarnarekha River originates near Nagri in the Chotanagpur Plateau of Jharkhand. It flows through Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Odisha before emptying into the Bay of Bengal. The Chotanagpur Plateau is part of the Deccan Plateau, not the Eastern Ghats.

Option 4 is correct: The Vamsadhara River rises in the Durgakangar Hills of the Eastern Ghats in the Kalahandi district of Odisha. It flows through Odisha and Andhra Pradesh before draining into the Bay of Bengal.