Question

River Mahanadi flows through Chhattisgarh and Orissa before falling into __________.
A. Arabian Sea
B. Bay of Bengal
C. Brahmaputra
D. None of these

Answer 1

Hint: 1. River Mahanadi is the major river in East Central India.
2. River Mahanadi is also known for Hirakud Dam in Odisha.
3. Mahanadi valley is best known for its fertile soil and flourishing agriculture.

Complete Answer:
- The 858 km long Mahanadi river flows through the states of Chattisgarh and Odisha. It gets formed by numerous mountain streams and the farthest headstream is located in hills of the Dhamtari district of Chhattisgarh. The river first flows north and drains Raipur. After Bilaspur, it is joined by its major tributary river Seonath.
- After the river flows eastward and reaches Odisha. Near Sambalpur of Odisha, the largest dam of the world Hirakud Dam blocks its water, spread between Lamdungri and Chandli Dunguri hills.
- After crossing the Gorge, it meets the plains of Odisha and reaches Cuttack. Before entering the Cuttack city, it gives off a large distributary called the Kathjori. Then the Mahanadi River empties into Bay of Bengal via channels near Paradeep at False point, Jagatisinghpur. The major tributaries of Mahanadi Rivers are Seonath, Jonk, Hasdo, Mand etc.

Hence the correct answer is Option B.

Note: 1. Mahanadi River is one of the most active silt depositing streams in the Indian Subcontinent.
2. The Mahanadi basin is divided into 3 sub basins, namely upper, middle and lower Mahanadi.
3. The Mahanadi Delta is one of the largest delta in the world.