Drainage and Geography of the Sutlej River

GeographyOceanography & Water ResourcesFactual single● MediumStatic

Question

Identify the river of the Indian sub-continent on the basis of the following information:

1It has an antecedent drainage system.

2It flows through three countries.

3It originates in the Tibetan Plateau and is an important river for irrigation.

4It does not form distributaries.

Select the answer from the following:

Options

Brahmaputra

Indus

Sutlej

Answer

Teesta

Explanation

The correct answer is Sutlej (c). The Sutlej River originates in the Rakshastal lake on the Tibetan Plateau, cuts through the Himalayan ranges via antecedent gorges, and flows through China, India, and Pakistan, making it an international river system. It functions as a key water source for major irrigation projects like the Bhakra-Nangal dam network. As a major tributary that joins the Indus River system directly, it does not form its own independent delta mouth or coastal distributaries. While the Indus (b) and Brahmaputra (a) share similar Tibetan origins, they form extensive delta distributaries or independent mouths near the coast, which does not match condition 4.

The Sutlej River flows through China, India, and Pakistan, cutting through the Himalayas via antecedent channels to supply irrigation networks without forming independent coastal distributaries.