Question

The branch of the Ganga which flows southward through west Bengal is known as _____
A. Padma
B. Bhagirathi-Hooghly
C. Ganga
D. Damodar

Answer 1

Hint: This branch is a 260-kilometre-long (160 mi) distribution of the Ganga River in West Bengal. It leaves the Ganges area just south of Jahangirpur and flows south past Jiaganj Azimganj, Murshidabad and Baharampur.

Complete Answer:
Padma or locally known as Podda is a major river in Bangladesh and India. It is one of the largest and major distributors of the Ganges, which usually flows southeast for 120 kilometres to its confluence with the Meghna River near the Bay of Bengal. Hence, it’s an incorrect option.

- Bhagirathi-Hooghly leaves the Ganges area just south of Jahangirpur and flows south past Jiaganj Azimganj, Murshidabad and Baharampur. Hence, it’s a correct answer.
- In its upper reaches, the river is commonly known as the Bhagirathi, till it reaches Hooghly. Like the rest of the Ganges, the Bhagirathi-Hooghly is considered sacred to the Hindus, and its water is considered holy.
- The question is asking about the branch of Ganga, and since Ganga can’t be the branch of Ganga, This option C is also incorrect.
- The Damodar River is a river running through the Indian states of Jharkhand and West Bengal. Rich in natural wealth, the valley is home to large-scale mining and manufacturing operations. Hence it’s an incorrect option.

The correct option is B. Bhagirathi-Hooghly.

Note: The Ganges is a transboundary river in Asia that runs through India and Bangladesh. The 2.704 km (1.680 mi) river originates from the Gangotri Glacier in the western Himalayas in the Indian state of Uttarakhand, and it flows south and east across the Gangetic Plain of India and Bangladesh, ultimately flowing into the Bay of Bengal.