Geography · General Awareness

Indian Rivers and Waterways

2,831 Questions

This topic covers major Indian rivers, their basins, hydroelectric projects, and historical water management systems. Questions on river geography are essential for SSC, banking, railways, UPSC, and state exams. Solving these questions builds mapping and factual accuracy for test takers.

River hydroelectric projectsMajor river basinsAncient water managementInterlinking of riversMythological Indian rivers

Indian Rivers and Waterways Questions

Multiple choice

The second name of the Thein Dam is

  1. Hari Singh Dam

  2. Ranjit Singh Dam

  3. Ranjit Sagar Dam

  4. Bhakra Dam

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The Thein Dam, officially known as Ranjit Sagar Dam, is indeed also referred to by this name. It is located on the Ravi River in Pathankot district, Punjab (near the Punjab-Himachal Pradesh border). The dam is named after Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the founder of the Sikh Empire. It serves purposes including hydroelectric power generation, irrigation, and water supply. Hari Singh Dam is located in Jammu and Kashmir, while Bhakra Dam is in Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh, and is one of India's highest gravity dams.

Multiple choice

The Great Northern Plains of India are formed by

  1. Ganga, Sutlej and Brahmputra river systems

  2. Narmada and Tapti river systems

  3. Jamuna and Sutlej river systems

  4. None of these

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The Great Northern Plains were formed over millions of years by the alluvial deposits brought by the Ganga, Sutlej, and Brahmaputra river systems. These rivers carry sediments from the Himalayas and deposit them in the vast fertile plains that stretch across northern India.

Multiple choice

The Glacier from which the Ganga originates is called

  1. Manadakani

  2. Gangotri

  3. Hemkunt

  4. None of these

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The Ganga river originates from the Gangotri Glacier located in the Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand. This glacier, situated at about 4,000 meters elevation in the Garhwal Himalayas, is one of the primary sources of the river and is considered sacred in Hindu mythology.

Multiple choice

A smaller river which joins a larger river is called a

  1. tributary

  2. rivulet

  3. brook

  4. None of these

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

A tributary is a smaller river or stream that flows into and joins a larger river or lake, contributing its waters to the main flow. For example, the Yamuna and Son are important tributaries of the Ganga river system.

Multiple choice

Directions: Answer the given question based on the following passage.

A river which is still a main part of Punjab is______

Punjab is a state of India, located in the northwestern part of the subcontinent. It is bounded by the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir to the north, Himachal Pradesh to the northeast, Haryana to the south and southeast, and Rajasthan to the southwest and by the country of Pakistan to the west. Punjab in its present form came into existence on November 1, 1966, when most of its predominantly Hindi-speaking areas were separated to form the new state of Haryana. The city of Chandigarh, within the Chandigarh union territory, is the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana. The word Punjab is a compound of two Persian words, panj (“five”) and āb (“water”), thus signifying the land of five waters, or rivers (the Beas, Chenab, Jhelum, Ravi, and Sutlej). The word’s origin can perhaps be traced to panca nada, Sanskrit for “five rivers” and the name of a region mentioned in the ancient epic the Mahabharata. As applied to the present Indian state of Punjab, however, it is a misnomer: since the partition of India in 1947, only two of these rivers, the Sutlej and the Beas, lie within Punjab’s territory, while the Ravi flows only along part of its western border. The state of Punjab has also gained true recognition among all individuals due to the presence of forestry, tourism, agriculture, industries and minerals. Livestock is also one of the other key highlights of the state. However, the state of Punjab has scarcity of basic minerals and fuels. This is one of the prime factors behind the poor rate of industrial development. Agriculture has been always a strong point to the economy of the state. The state has indeed made a huge impact in the overall economy of the country as far as the production of wheat is concerned. A few of the agriculture-based industries associated with the state include paper, wood, beverages and food products.

  1. Jhelum

  2. Sutlej

  3. Ravi

  4. Chenab

  5. Dummy
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Because the other three rivers are now major part of Pakistan.

Multiple choice

Which of the following statements is/are correct?

a. The natural basin around Vijayanagara was formed by the river Tungabhadra, which flows in a north-westerly direction. b. Abdur Razzaq, an ambassador sent by the ruler of Persia to Vijaynagara, was very impressed with the elaborate arrangements that had been made to store rainwater and conduct it to the city. c. One of the most prominent waterworks to be seen among the ruins is the Hiriya canal built by kings of the Sangama dynasty.

  1. a only

  2. b only

  3. c only

  4. a and b

  5. a, b and c
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

This is the correct answer as this statement is correct.

Multiple choice

The Kamalapuram tank was built in the 15th century. Which of the following statements is/are correct?

a. Water from this tank irrigated the nearby fields and through a channel, water was carried to the royal centre. b. The water for this tank was brought from a lake, which itself overflowed into a little river. c. Pipes ran along the lower parts of the range outside and water was brought from fifteen kilometres away through them.

  1. a only

  2. b only

  3. c only

  4. b and c

  5. a, b and c
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
E Correct answer
Explanation

This is the correct answer as all the statements are correct.

Multiple choice

Which of the following statements is/are incorrect?

a. The surrounding landscape of Vijayanagara is characterised by stunning granite hills that seem to form a girdle around the city. b. Embankments were built along the streams that flow down the river from these rocky outcrops, to create reservoirs of varying sizes. c. The Kamalapuram canal, built by the Sangama dynasty, drew water from a dam across the Tungabhadra and irrigated the cultivated valley of Vijayanagara.

  1. a only

  2. b only

  3. c only

  4. a and b

  5. a, b and c
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

This is the correct answer as this statement is incorrect.

Multiple choice

Uttarkashi is situated on the banks of the river

  1. Alaknanda

  2. Bhagirathi

  3. Ganga

  4. Mandakini
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Uttarkashi is a town in Uttarakhand situated on the banks of the Bhagirathi River, which is one of the two main headstreams of the Ganga (the other being Alaknanda). The Bhagirathi originates at Gaumukh from the Gangotri Glacier and flows through Uttarkashi.