Indian Rivers and Waterways

The Narmada River flows between the Satpura Range to the north and the Vindhya Range to the south. It is one of the major west-flowing rivers of peninsular India. Mahanadi, Krishna, and Ganga flow eastward.

The Brahmaputra River originates from a glacier near Lake Mansarovar (also spelled Manasarovar) in Tibet, China. This region is called the Chemayungdung Glacier. Lake Mansarovar is a holy site in Hinduism and Buddhism. The river then flows through Arunachal Pradesh and Assam before entering Bangladesh. Options A (Pindari Glacier) is Ganga's source, C is vague, and D (Punjab) is incorrect.

Himalayan rivers flow continuously throughout the year because they receive water from snow and glacier melt during summer, which provides a steady flow even when monsoon rains are seasonal. The snowmelt from high mountains acts as a continuous water source, supplemented by monsoon rainfall. Option A correctly identifies the primary reason for their perennial nature.

The Hirakud Dam, built across the Mahanadi River in Odisha, is one of the longest dams in the world. It was India's first major multipurpose river valley project after independence, serving irrigation, flood control, and hydroelectric power generation.

Among the given options, Godavari is the southernmost river. The Godavari flows through Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and empties into the Bay of Bengal at around 16°N latitude, which is the southernmost among the listed rivers.

The Kosi river is called the 'Sorrow of Bihar' because of its frequent and devastating floods caused by its heavy sediment load and tendency to change course. The Damodar River is called the 'Sorrow of Bengal' for similar reasons. Gandak and Sone are major rivers but not associated with this epithet.

Indira Sagar, Maheshwar, and Jobat are all dams on the Narmada River. Koyna Dam is on the Koyna River, a tributary of the Krishna River in Maharashtra. Therefore, Koyna is the only dam not on the Narmada.

The Ganga-Brahmaputra delta, particularly the Hooghly region of West Bengal, has the ideal climate and soil for jute cultivation. High temperature, heavy rainfall, and humid conditions create perfect growing conditions for jute.

Almatti Dam is built on the Krishna River in Karnataka. It is part of the Upper Krishna irrigation project and is one of the largest dams on the Krishna River system.

Kaushalya Dam is located near Pinjore in Haryana, on the Kaushalya River (a tributary of the Ghaggar River). This dam is part of the water resources infrastructure in Haryana and serves irrigation and water storage purposes. Pinjore is in the Panchkula district of Haryana, near the Himachal Pradesh border.

The Yamuna River flows through the state of Haryana, including forming part of the Haryana-Delhi border. Other major rivers like Satluj flow primarily through Punjab, while the Ganges flows through Uttar Pradesh. The Brahmaputra flows through the northeastern states, not Haryana.

Ahmedabad is the major city located on the banks of the Sabarmati River in Gujarat. It was founded by Sultan Ahmed Shah in 1411 and hosts the Sabarmati Ashram, which played a key role in Gandhi's freedom movement. The other options are not on the Sabarmati - Bhavnagar and Rajkot are in Gujarat but on different river systems, and Aurangabad is in Maharashtra.

The Cauvery River originates in Karnataka's Western Ghats, flows through Tamil Nadu, and forms border areas with Kerala. It does not flow through Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, or Andhra Pradesh. The river's course is primarily confined to these three southern states, making it a major inter-state water dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

The height of Tehri Dam is 260 m

Kanpur is where the Ganga becomes most polluted due to discharges from tanneries, textile industries, and sewage. The city has numerous industries releasing untreated effluents directly into the river, making it a critically polluted stretch.