RAS question
The Eastern Ghats are discontinuous because:
Correct answer: (B) Rivers like Godavari, Krishna, and Kaveri have cut through them.
The Eastern Ghats are discontinuous because major east-flowing rivers such as the Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri have eroded and cut through them on their way to the Bay of Bengal.
Explanation
The discontinuity of the Eastern Ghats is best explained by river erosion. Directorate of Education, Geography Support Material 2022-23 contrasts them with the Western Ghats, which are more continuous, and describes the Eastern Ghats as discontinuous, low hills that are highly eroded by rivers such as the Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri. These major rivers flow eastwards towards the Bay of Bengal and break the hill system into separated stretches. So the point being tested is not their origin or any connection with another mountain system, but the way peninsular rivers have dissected the Eastern Ghats over time.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Volcanic activity does not explain the discontinuous pattern here; it is attributed to river erosion and cutting.
- (C) The Eastern Ghats are described in the question material as erosional residual mountains, not fold mountains that became discontinuous through uneven erosion.
- (D) They are not part of the Himalayan system; they belong to the Peninsular Plateau and are contrasted with the Western Ghats.
Concept
This tests the physiography of Peninsular India, especially the contrast between the Western and Eastern Ghats. It recurs in RAS because river systems, plateau relief and mountain discontinuity are often linked in India-physical-geography questions.