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Question

Which one of the following is not a tributary of the river Ganga?

This question was previously asked in
CDS I 2016 English Previous Year Paper (14-Feb-2016)
The correct answer is

Teesta

Identifying Non-Tributaries of the River Ganga

A tributary is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream, river, or lake. The Ganga River is one of the major river systems in India, and it has numerous tributaries joining it from both its left and right banks.

The question asks us to identify which among the given options is not a tributary of the River Ganga.

Analysis of the Options

  • Son: The Son River is a major right-bank tributary of the Ganga. It originates near Amarkantak in Madhya Pradesh and flows northeast, eventually joining the Ganga near Patna, Bihar. Therefore, the Son is a tributary of the Ganga.
  • Mahananda: The Mahananda River is an important left-bank tributary of the Ganga. It rises in the Darjeeling hills of West Bengal and flows through Bihar and West Bengal before joining the Ganga in Bangladesh. Therefore, the Mahananda is a tributary of the Ganga.
  • Teesta: The Teesta River originates in the eastern Himalayas, flows through Sikkim and West Bengal, and enters Bangladesh. In Bangladesh, it does not join the Ganga. Instead, the Teesta River is a major tributary of the Brahmaputra River. The Brahmaputra River itself joins the Ganga (known as Padma in Bangladesh) much further downstream, but the Teesta directly joins the Brahmaputra. Therefore, the Teesta is not a direct or indirect tributary of the Ganga.
  • Sharada: The Sharada River, also known as Kali or Mahakali, is a trans-boundary river that forms the border between India and Nepal. It joins the Ghaghara River, which is a major left-bank tributary of the Ganga. Since the Sharada joins the Ghaghara, which in turn joins the Ganga, the Sharada can be considered a tributary of a tributary of the Ganga. While not directly joining the main stem of the Ganga, it is part of the larger Ganga river system's network through the Ghaghara.

Based on the analysis, the Teesta River is the only one among the options that flows into the Brahmaputra River and not the Ganga River system.

Therefore, the Teesta is not a tributary of the river Ganga.

River Relationship to Ganga Notes
Son Direct Tributary Right bank tributary, joins near Patna.
Mahananda Direct Tributary Left bank tributary, joins before the Ganga enters Bangladesh.
Teesta Not a Tributary Tributary of the Brahmaputra River.
Sharada Tributary of a Tributary Joins the Ghaghara River, which is a Ganga tributary.

Conclusion

Comparing the options, the Teesta River is the one that does not flow into the Ganga River or its tributaries but instead flows into the Brahmaputra River.

Revision Table: Ganga River Tributaries

Understanding the major tributaries is crucial for studying the Ganga River system.

  • Left Bank Tributaries: Ramganga, Ghaghara, Gandak, Kosi, Mahananda.
  • Right Bank Tributaries: Yamuna, Son, Damodar.
  • The Yamuna itself has significant tributaries like the Chambal, Sind, Betwa, and Ken.
  • Rivers like the Sharada are tributaries of the Ghaghara, thus part of the Ganga system.

Additional Information: The Ganga River System

The Ganga River is the national river of India. It originates from the Gangotri Glacier in the Himalayas as the Bhagirathi, which then joins the Alaknanda at Devprayag to form the Ganga. It flows through several states of North India and enters Bangladesh where it is known as the Padma. It is joined by the Brahmaputra (known as Jamuna in Bangladesh) and finally flows into the Bay of Bengal as the Meghna after joining the Meghna river.

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