The south-eastern part of Madhya Pradesh receives maximum rainfall from:
- (a)Arabian Sea branch of monsoon
- (b)Bay of Bengal branch of monsoon
- (c)Retreating monsoon
- (d)Cyclones
Correct — B, Bay of Bengal branch of monsoon. On striking peninsular India, the south-west monsoon splits into the Arabian Sea branch and the Bay of Bengal branch; the latter curves up over the Bay, crosses West Bengal, Odisha and Chhattisgarh, and moves into south-eastern Madhya Pradesh, delivering that region's heaviest rainfall — districts such as Balaghat, Mandla, Dindori and Seoni receive markedly higher rainfall as a result.
- (a)Arabian Sea branch of monsoon — The Arabian Sea branch moves up India's west coast and the western Deccan interior; it is not the main rainfall source for MP's south-eastern, inland-eastern tracts.
- (c)Retreating monsoon — The retreating (north-east) monsoon is a post-monsoon (October-November) phase whose rainfall chiefly benefits Tamil Nadu's Coromandel coast, not south-eastern MP.
- (d)Cyclones — Cyclones are episodic, localised storm systems, not the season's primary, consistent rainfall source for the region.
The south-west monsoon splits into two branches on reaching peninsular India — the Arabian Sea branch and the Bay of Bengal branch. The Bay of Bengal branch curves northward across the Bay, strikes the eastern Indian coast, and moves inland across West Bengal, Odisha and Chhattisgarh into eastern/south-eastern Madhya Pradesh, delivering that region's heaviest rainfall.
The trap is assuming a landlocked, central-Indian state must be dominated by the (more commonly discussed) Arabian Sea branch; but MP's south-eastern districts lie in the path of the Bay of Bengal branch as it moves west across the Chhattisgarh plains.
- The south-west monsoon splits into the Arabian Sea branch and the Bay of Bengal branch on reaching peninsular India.
- The Bay of Bengal branch moves across eastern and central India (via West Bengal, Odisha, Chhattisgarh) and brings maximum rainfall to south-eastern Madhya Pradesh.
- South-eastern MP districts such as Balaghat, Mandla, Dindori and Seoni receive comparatively high rainfall because of this branch.
- The two monsoon branches ultimately converge over the north-western Gangetic plain.
South-eastern MP sits in the inland path of the Bay of Bengal branch as it moves west across the Chhattisgarh plains.
- Assuming a central/landlocked state is dominated only by the more talked-about Arabian Sea branch
- Confusing 'retreating monsoon' (Oct-Nov, mainly Tamil Nadu) with the Bay of Bengal branch of the advancing south-west monsoon
MPPSC geography questions often test which monsoon branch feeds which part of MP — map the state's regions (Malwa/Nimar in the west vs Mahakoshal/south-east) to their dominant rainfall source.
No directly related past UPSC PYQ was found on the specific monsoon branch feeding south-eastern Madhya Pradesh.
- practice — not a real PYQ
The south-west monsoon splits into two branches on reaching peninsular India. These are the:
- (a)Arabian Sea branch and Retreating branch
- (b)Arabian Sea branch and Bay of Bengal branch
- (c)Bay of Bengal branch and North-East branch
- (d)Coromandel branch and Malabar branch
Answer(b) Arabian Sea branch and Bay of Bengal branch.
- practice — not a real PYQ
The north-east (retreating) monsoon is the principal rainy season for which Indian state?
- (a)Punjab
- (b)Tamil Nadu
- (c)Madhya Pradesh
- (d)Rajasthan
Answer(b) Tamil Nadu — it receives the bulk of its rainfall in October-December from the retreating monsoon's north-east winds picking up moisture over the Bay of Bengal.