Which of the following is the longest river?
- (a)Cauveri (Kaveri)
- (b)Tapti (Tapi)
- (c)Narmada
- (d)Son
Answer
Why
Correct — C, Narmada. At about 1,312 km, the Narmada is by far the longest of the four rivers listed here — well ahead of the Cauveri (~800 km), the Son (~784 km) and the Tapti (~724 km). It is the longest of India's west-flowing rivers, rising at Amarkantak (Anuppur district, Madhya Pradesh) and emptying into the Gulf of Khambhat (Arabian Sea) after flowing through Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat.
Why the others are wrong
- (a)Cauveri (Kaveri) — A major south Indian peninsular river of about 800 km, rising in Karnataka's Western Ghats and flowing east to the Bay of Bengal — shorter than the Narmada.
- (b)Tapti (Tapi) — The Narmada's smaller, parallel neighbour — also rising near the Satpura hills and flowing west, but at only about 724 km, distinctly shorter.
- (d)Son — A major left-bank tributary of the Ganga, roughly 784 km long, also rising on the Amarkantak plateau — shorter than the Narmada.
Concept
The Narmada is the longest of India's west-flowing rivers and one of the few major Indian rivers that flows west into the Arabian Sea rather than east into the Bay of Bengal, because it runs through a linear rift valley between the Vindhya and Satpura ranges.
Exams frequently rank peninsular rivers by length — the trap is assuming a river's fame or the number of dam projects on it (like the Narmada's) settles a length comparison; always anchor to the actual km figures.
Key facts
- Narmada: about 1,312 km — the longest west-flowing river of India.
- Rises at Amarkantak (Anuppur district, Madhya Pradesh); empties into the Gulf of Khambhat (Arabian Sea).
- Flows through Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat, in a rift valley between the Vindhya and Satpura ranges.
- Among this question's four rivers, Cauveri (~800 km) and Son (~784 km) are next-longest, with Tapti (~724 km) the shortest.
The Narmada is clearly the longest of the four rivers named in this question.
Study next
Common traps
- Assuming the Narmada's fame or its dam projects automatically make it the 'longest' — always check actual km figures
- Confusing the Narmada with the Tapti — both rise near the Satpuras and both flow west, but the Narmada is considerably longer
MPPSC/UPSC like ranking peninsular rivers by length or by flow direction (east vs west) — memorise the km figures, not just relative fame.
Related PYQs
What is the correct sequence of the rivers—Godavari, Mahanadi, Narmada and Tapti in the descending order of their lengths?
- (a) Godavari—Mahanadi—Narmada—Tapti
- (b) Godavari—Narmada—Mahanadi—Tapti
- (c) Narmada—Godavari—Tapti—Mahanadi
- (d) Narmada—Tapti—Godavari—Mahanadi
Answer(b) Godavari—Narmada—Mahanadi—Tapti
Directly tests the same concept — ranking peninsular rivers, including Narmada and Tapti, by length — and confirms Narmada is longer than Tapti, consistent with this question's answer.
Practice
- practice — not a real PYQ
Which of the following rivers, unlike most other large peninsular rivers of India, flows westward into the Arabian Sea?
- (a)Godavari
- (b)Krishna
- (c)Narmada
- (d)Mahanadi
Answer(c) Narmada — it flows west through a rift valley into the Gulf of Khambhat, while the others drain east into the Bay of Bengal. - practice — not a real PYQ
The Narmada river originates at which of the following places?
- (a)Mahabaleshwar
- (b)Amarkantak
- (c)Brahmagiri
- (d)Talakaveri
Answer(b) Amarkantak, in the Maikal hills of Madhya Pradesh (Anuppur district).