RAS question
Which of the following rivers flows through a rift valley?
Correct answer: (D) Narmada.
The Narmada flows through a rift valley between the Satpura range in the south and the Vindhyan range in the north.
Explanation
The Narmada flows through a rift valley. NCERT describes the Narmada as originating on the western flank of the Amarkantak plateau and then flowing in a rift valley between the Satpura range to the south and the Vindhyan range to the north before meeting the Arabian Sea south of Bharuch. In the standard Peninsular drainage pattern, most major Peninsular rivers flow from west to east, but the Narmada and the Tapi are exceptions that flow through rift valleys and discharge westward into the Arabian Sea. The Narmada's structural setting, not just its direction of flow, distinguishes it from the other major Peninsular rivers.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Godavari is listed by NCERT among the major Peninsular river systems, but it flows through the Deccan Plateau rather than through a rift valley.
- (B) Krishna is an east-flowing Peninsular river, so it does not share the Narmada-Tapi rift-valley exception.
- (C) Kaveri is another major Peninsular river system, but it belongs in the Deccan Plateau context, not in a rift valley.
Concept
Peninsular drainage includes structural control of river valleys. RAS often repeats this concept because Narmada and Tapi are clear exceptions to the usual east-flowing pattern of major Peninsular rivers.