Question

Satluj river originates at the west of Lake Rakshastal in ___
A) Jammu & Kashmir
B) Tibet
C) Himachal Pradesh
D) Haryana

Answer 1

Hint: The Sutlej River, also known as the Satluj River, is the longest of the five rivers that flow through Punjab in northern India and Pakistan's historic crossroads region. Satadru is another name for the Sutlej River. It is the Indus River's easternmost tributary.

Complete answer:
The Sutlej originates as springs in an ephemeral stream west of Lake Rakshastal's catchment area in Tibet. Long ago, Lake Rakshastal was a part of the Sutlej river basin, but geological action separated it from the Sutlej. Under the Tibetan name Langqên Zangbo, the young river flows west-northwest for roughly 260 kilometres to the Shipki La pass, where it enters Himachal Pradesh.

Now, let us look at the given options:
A) Jammu & Kashmir: This option is incorrect because the primary Himalayan rivers that run through Jammu and Kashmir are the Jhelum, Chenab, Indus, and Tawi. Satluj does not originate in this state.
B) Tibet: This is the correct option. The Red River is another name for the Sutlej. It is the Indus River's easternmost tributary. Lake Rakshastal in Tibet is its source. From there, it runs west-northwest for about 260 kilometres to the Shipki La pass, where it enters India in the Himachal Pradesh state, under the Tibetan name Langqên Zangbo (Elephant River).
C) Himachal Pradesh: This option is incorrect because Rakshastal Lake is a saltwater lake in China's Tibet Autonomous Region. Thus, the river does not originate in Himachal Pradesh.
D) Haryana: This option is incorrect because Satluj originates in China whereas Haryana is a part of India.

Thus, the correct answer is option (B) i.e, Tibet.

Note: The Indus Waters Treaty between India and Pakistan allocates the Sutlej's waters to India, and they are largely redirected to irrigation canals in India, such as the Sirhind Canal, Bhakra Main Line, and Rajasthan Canal. The Bhakra Dam is erected around the Sutlej River to offer irrigation and other services to the Punjab, Rajasthan, and Haryana states.