Drainage System of India – NDA Geography PYQs

Question 1 [NDA 2006-I]
Which of the following pairs is/are correctly matched?

1. Hirakund Reservoir: Sambalpur
2. Ukai Reservoir: Amravati
3. Tawa Reservoir: Pachmarhi

(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (c) 1 and 3 only
Hirakud Reservoir is near Sambalpur in Odisha — correct (1). Ukai Reservoir is in Gujarat on the Tapti River — not Amravati (which is in Maharashtra) — wrong (2). Tawa Reservoir is in MP near Pachmarhi — correct (3).

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Question 2 [NDA 2007-I]
Consider the following statements:

1. Ranjit Sagar Dam is on the river Beas.
2. Hirakud Dam is on the river Damodar.
3. Gandhi Sagar Reservoir is on the river Chambal.

(a) 1 and 2
(b) 3 only
(c) 2 and 3
(d) 1 and 3

Answer: (b) 3 only
Ranjit Sagar Dam is on the Ravi River — NOT Beas (1 is wrong). Hirakud Dam is on the Mahanadi — NOT Damodar (2 is wrong). Gandhi Sagar Reservoir is on the Chambal — correct (3 is right). Only statement 3 is correct.

Question 3 [NDA 2007-II]
Consider the following statements:

1. Alamatti dam is on the Cauvery river.
2. Mettur dam is on the Krishna river.
3. Gandhi Sagar Reservoir is on the Chambal river.

(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 3 only

Answer: (d) 3 only
Alamatti Dam is on the Krishna River — NOT Cauvery (1 is wrong). Mettur Dam is on the Cauvery River — NOT Krishna (2 is wrong). Gandhi Sagar is on the Chambal — correct (3 is right). Only statement 3 is correct.

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Question 4 [NDA 2008-I]
Mahatma Gandhi Hydroelectric Project is on which river?
(a) Godavari
(b) Sharavati
(c) Cauvery
(d) Krishna

Answer: (b) Sharavati
The Mahatma Gandhi Hydroelectric Project (also called Sharavati Power Project) is on the Sharavati River in Karnataka. It is associated with the Jog Falls, which is the highest waterfall in India.

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Question 5 [NDA 2011-I]
Which one among the following is not a reason for practising tank irrigation in Peninsular India?
(a) The undulating relief and hard rocks
(b) Little percolation of rain water due to impervious rock structure
(c) Most of the rivers of Peninsular India are perennial
(d) There are many streams which become torrential during the rainy season

Answer: (c) Most of the rivers of Peninsular India are perennial
Peninsular rivers are NOT perennial — they are seasonal, depending on monsoon rain. This statement is wrong. The other options correctly explain why tanks are used — hard rocky terrain makes wells and canals difficult; impervious rocks mean little groundwater; torrential streams can be stored in tanks.

Question 6 [NDA 2012-II]
In which among the following terrains can bore wells and canals be dug easily?
(a) Gneiss, granites and basaltic terrain of Peninsular India
(b) Rolling and hilly terrain of North-East India
(c) Soft alluvium of the Northern Plains
(d) Confined aquifer below the normal water table

Answer: (c) Soft alluvium of the Northern Plains
The alluvial soil of the Northern Plains is soft and easy to dig. It holds groundwater well. Bore wells and canals are most easily dug here. Hard rocks of the Peninsular Plateau and hilly terrain of the northeast make digging canals and wells difficult.

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Question 7 [NDA 2014-I]
Which one among the following lakes is situated on the west coast of India?
(a) Chilika
(b) Pulicat
(c) Ashtamudi
(d) Kolleru

Answer: (c) Ashtamudi
Ashtamudi Lake is in Kerala — on the west coast. It is a lagoon. Chilika is in Odisha (east coast). Pulicat is on the AP/TN border (east coast). Kolleru is in Andhra Pradesh between the Krishna and Godavari deltas (east coast).

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Question 8 [NDA 2015-I]
Which one of the following irrigation canals is most important in terms of area coverage in Haryana?
(a) Bhakra canal
(b) The Western Yamuna canal
(c) Jawaharlal Nehru canal
(d) Gurgaon canal

Answer: (a) Bhakra canal
The Bhakra Canal, which receives water from the Bhakra Nangal Dam on the Sutlej River, is the most important irrigation canal in Haryana in terms of area coverage. It feeds a large part of agricultural Haryana and parts of Punjab and Rajasthan.

Question 9 [NDA 2016-I]
The Amarkantak Hills is the source of which of the following rivers?

1. Narmada
2. Mahanadi
3. Tapti
4. Son

(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 only
(c) 1, 3 and 4 only
(d) 1, 2 and 4 only

Answer: (d) 1, 2 and 4 only
Narmada originates at Amarkantak — correct (1). Mahanadi originates at Sihawa in Chhattisgarh — NOT Amarkantak. Wait — the PYQ answer is (d) 1, 2 and 4, suggesting Mahanadi also starts near Amarkantak region. Actually, the Mahanadi starts in Sihawa which is in the broader Dandakaranya region, while Narmada and Son start at Amarkantak specifically. Tapti originates in Satpura range (Betul district) — not Amarkantak (3 is wrong). Son originates at Amarkantak — correct (4). Answer as per PYQ: (d) 1, 2 and 4 only — meaning Narmada, Mahanadi, and Son. However, the standard accepted answer is that Narmada and Son originate at Amarkantak; Mahanadi starts at Sihawa. Follow the PYQ answer: (d).

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Question 10 [NDA 2016-I]
The Nagarjuna Sagar Project is located on which one of the following rivers?
(a) Godavari
(b) Krishna
(c) Cauvery
(d) Mahanadi

Answer: (b) Krishna
Nagarjuna Sagar Dam is one of the largest masonry dams in the world. It is located on the Krishna River, on the border of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. A large reservoir was formed here.

Question 11 [NDA 2018-II]
‘Majuli’, the river island, is located in which one of the following rivers?
(a) Jamuna
(b) Padma
(c) Ganga
(d) Brahmaputra

Answer: (d) Brahmaputra
Majuli is the world’s largest river island. It is located in the Brahmaputra River in Assam. It is famous for its unique neo-Vaishnavite culture and satra (monastery) system.

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Question 12 [NDA 2019-II]
Loktak lake is situated in the state of:
(a) Sikkim
(b) Manipur
(c) Odisha
(d) Mizoram

Answer: (b) Manipur
Loktak Lake is the largest freshwater lake in northeastern India. It is in Manipur. It is famous for its floating islands called Phumdis and the Keibul Lamjao National Park — the world’s only floating national park — which is home to the endangered Sangai deer.

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Question 13 [NDA 2020-I]
Bagalihar, Dulhasti and Salal hydro power projects have been developed on which of the following rivers?
(a) Chenab and Jhelum
(b) Chenab and Indus
(c) Ravi
(d) Chenab only

Answer: (d) Chenab only
All three projects — Bagalihar, Dulhasti, and Salal — are on the Chenab River in Jammu & Kashmir. These are run-of-the-river hydroelectric projects. Under the Indus Waters Treaty, India has rights to build hydroelectric projects on the western rivers including Chenab.

Question 14 [NDA 2021-II]
Which one of the following is a crater lake in India?
(a) Lonar Lake
(b) Sambhar Lake
(c) Chilika Lake
(d) Vembanad Lake

Answer: (a) Lonar Lake
Lonar Lake in Maharashtra was formed by a meteorite impact millions of years ago. It is one of only four known impact craters in basaltic rock in the world. The water is both saline and alkaline. Sambhar is a saltwater lake (evaporation). Chilika is a lagoon. Vembanad is a backwater.

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Question 15 [NDA 2022-II]
Consider the following statements:

1. The Sharavati river creates Jog Falls.
2. The Brahmani river is formed by the confluence of the Kosi and Sankh rivers.
3. The Tamraparni is a river of Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu.

How many of the above statements is/are correct?
(a) 1
(b) 2
(c) 3
(d) None

Answer: (b) 2
Statement 1 is correct — Sharavati River creates Jog Falls in Karnataka. Statement 2 is correct — Brahmani is formed by Kosi (not to be confused with the Kosi in Bihar) and Sankh rivers in Jharkhand/Odisha. Statement 3 — Tamraparni is indeed a river in Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu. The PYQ answer is (b) 2, suggesting one of these three is disputed.

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Question 16 [NDA 2023-II]
In which one of the following states is Roopkund lake located?
(a) Kerala
(b) Manipur
(c) Himachal Pradesh
(d) Uttarakhand

Answer: (d) Uttarakhand
Roopkund Lake is a high-altitude glacial lake in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. It is also called “Skeleton Lake” because of the hundreds of human skeletal remains found in and around it.

Question 17 [NDA 2024-I]
Which of the following statements regarding the given rivers is/are correct?

1. Tsangpo crosses over into India under the name of Dihang.
2. Godavari has the second largest river basin covering about 10% of India’s area.
3. Rivers Chambal and Betwa are important tributaries of Ganga which join Ganga directly in UP.

(a) 1 only
(b) 1 and 2 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (b) 1 and 2 only
Statement 1 is correct — Tsangpo enters India as Dihang/Siang in Arunachal Pradesh. Statement 2 is correct — Godavari has the second largest river basin in India. Statement 3 is wrong — Chambal and Betwa are tributaries of the Yamuna, not directly of the Ganga.

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Question 18 [NDA 2024-II]
Consider the following facts of the rivers of the Indus system:

1. The Satluj originates in Tibet where it is known as Langchen Khambab.
2. The Satluj is a classic example of an antecedent river.
3. The Jhelum is the largest tributary of the Indus System.

(a) 2 only
(b) 3 only
(c) 1 and 2
(d) 2 and 3

Answer: (c) 1 and 2
Statement 1 is correct — Sutlej originates in Tibet as Langchen Khambab. Statement 2 is correct — Sutlej is a classic antecedent river that predates the Himalayas. Statement 3 is wrong — Jhelum is NOT the largest tributary of the Indus. Chenab is the longest tributary.