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Indian Rivers & Lakes

RBI Grade B · General Awareness

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Core Concept

Read this first — the foundation of the topic

→Core Concept

India has two major river systems - the Himalayan rivers (perennial, fed by glaciers and monsoons) and the Peninsular rivers (seasonal, monsoon-dependent). Rivers flow into either the Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, or are landlocked

💡Key Classification Rules

Himalayan Rivers: Indus, Ganga, Brahmaputra - these are antecedent rivers (older than mountains) Peninsular Rivers: Narmada, Tapti, Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri - these follow the slope of the land Direction Formula (TRICK): • West-flowing rivers: Narmada, Tapti, and all rivers in Western Ghats south of Goa • East-flowing rivers: All major Peninsular rivers except above two • Remember: 'NT West, Rest East' (Narmada-Tapti go West, rest go East)

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Exam Patterns

What examiners ask — read before attempting PYQs

SSC frequently asks about river sources, confluences (sangam), tributaries, and dams. Questions often test: 1. Longest/largest rivers and their tributaries 2. Rivers and their meeting points 3.

Lakes - natural vs artificial, saltwater vs freshwater 4. River origins (glaciers, hills, springs) Worked Example 1: River Tributary Question Q: Which is the longest tributary of River Ganga? Step 1: Recall major Ganga tributaries - Yamuna, Gomti, Ghaghra, Gandak, Kosi, Son Step 2: Apply length ranking - Yamuna (1,376 km) is longest Step 3: Verify - Yamuna joins Ganga at Allahabad (Prayagraj) Answer: Yamuna Worked Example 2: Lake Classification Q: Chilika Lake is an example of which type of lake? Step 1: Identify Chilika's characteristics - located in Odisha, connected to Bay of Bengal Step 2: Apply classification - has both fresh and saltwater, connected to sea Step 3: Conclude - it's a lagoon (coastal lake) Answer: Lagoon

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Shortcuts

Use these to save 30–60 seconds per question

⚡Tributary Memory Trick

'You Go Get Good Karma Soon' for Ganga tributaries (Yamuna, Gomti, Ghaghra, Gandak, Kosi, Son) 2

🔑Lake Type Quick Check

If lake name has 'tal' or 'sar' - likely in hills (Nainital). If 'kol' or 'vembanad' - likely coastal 3

🔑Source Altitude Rule

Higher the source, longer the river generally flows Most Common Mistake (#1 Trap): Students confuse between 'longest river IN India' vs 'longest river OF India'. Ganga is longest river OF India (entirely within India - 2,525 km), but Indus is longer IN India if you count total length (3,180 km total, but most flows through Pakistan). Always read the question carefully - 'in' vs 'of' makes the difference

→Lake Classification System

Freshwater: Dal, Nagin, Wular, Nainital, Bhimtal Saltwater: Sambhar, Pachpadra, Didwana Lagoons: Chilika, Pulicat, Vembanad River Joining Points (Sangam): Prayagraj - Ganga + Yamuna + Saraswati (Triveni Sangam) Devprayag - Alaknanda + Bhagirathi = Ganga Rudraprayag - Alaknanda + Mandakini Dam Connection Strategy: Major rivers have major dams - Ganga (Tehri), Narmada (Sardar Sarovar), Krishna (Nagarjuna Sagar). Link rivers with their biggest dams for easy recall.

🔑 Key Points

Ganga is India's longest river at 2,525 km, originating from Gangotri glacier
NT West Rule: Narmada and Tapti flow west, all other major peninsular rivers flow east
Brahmaputra is known as Tsangpo in Tibet and Jamuna in Bangladesh
Tributary trick: 'You Go Get Good Karma Soon' for Ganga's main tributaries
Chilika (Odisha) is India's largest coastal lagoon and brackish water lake
Wular Lake in Kashmir is India's largest freshwater lake
Sambhar Lake (Rajasthan) is India's largest inland saltwater lake
Indus system includes 5 rivers: Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, Sutlej
Godavari (1,465 km) is the longest peninsular river, called 'Dakshin Ganga'
Triveni Sangam at Prayagraj: confluence of Ganga, Yamuna, and mythical Saraswati

📌 Exam Facts

Ganga originates from Gangotri glacier at Gomukh (3,892 m altitude)
Brahmaputra total length is 2,900 km (916 km flows through India)
Narmada and Tapti are the only major west-flowing peninsular rivers
Yamuna at 1,376 km is the longest tributary of River Ganga
Sundarbans delta is formed by Ganga-Brahmaputra river system
Dal Lake is located in Srinagar, Kashmir at 1,583 m above sea level
Tehri Dam on River Bhagirathi is India's highest dam at 260.5 m
Krishna River originates from Mahabaleshwar in Western Ghats

🚀 60-Second Revision

Remember: Ganga longest OF India (2,525 km), Indus longest IN India (3,180 km total)
Formula: NT West, Rest East - only Narmada-Tapti flow west among major peninsular rivers
Trap: Don't confuse Brahmaputra's regional names - Tsangpo (Tibet), Brahmaputra (India), Jamuna (Bangladesh)
Key confluences: Prayagraj (Ganga-Yamuna), Devprayag (Alaknanda-Bhagirathi forms Ganga)
Lake types: Wular (largest freshwater), Chilika (largest lagoon), Sambhar (largest saltwater)
Tributary memory: Yamuna is Ganga's longest tributary at 1,376 km
Quick check: Rivers with 'Maha' prefix are usually long - Mahanadi, Mahananda

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