UPSC Prelims 2021 question on Rivers Rising Eastern Ghats

Statement by statement

Statement 1 – INCORRECT: Brahmani is a major seasonal river in the Odisha state of eastern India. The Brahmani is formed by the confluence of the Sankh and South Koel rivers near the major industrial town of Rourkela. The Sankh has its origins near the Jharkhand-Chhattisgarh border. The South Koel too arises in Jharkhand, near Lohardaga, on the other side of a watershed that also gives rise to the Damodar River. Both of these sources are in the Chota Nagpur Plateau, not the Eastern Ghats. Hence, option 1 is not correct.

Statement 2 – CORRECT: Nagavali River forms a prime river of north eastern Andhra Pradesh and southern Odisha. The origin of Nagavali River lies in the eastern slopes of the Eastern Ghats near Lakhbahal, located at an altitude of 1,300 metres in the Kalahandi district of the Indian state Odisha. Hence option 2 is correct.

Statement 3 – INCORRECT: Subarnarekha River flows through the Indian states of Jharkhand, West Bengal and Odisha. After originating near Ranchi it traverses a long distance through Ranchi and East Singhbhum. Thereafter, it flows for shorter distances through West Bengal and Odisha before joining the Bay of Bengal. Hence, option 3 is not correct.

Statement 4 – CORRECT: Vamsadhara river rises in the Eastern Ghats on the border Kalahandi district and Rayagada district of Odisha. It runs for a distance of about 254 kilometers, where it joins the Bay of Bengal at Kalingapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. Hence option 4 is correct.