Question

Which of the following rivers have almost the same point of beginning?
A.Ganga and Indus
B.Ganga and Brahmaputra
C.Beas and Tapi
D.Indus and Brahmaputra

Answer 1

Hint: The rivers in India are divided into two broad categories— the Himalayan rivers and the Peninsular rivers. As the names suggest, these two categories have different points of origin from the Himalayas and the Deccan Plateau respectively. Apart from that, the Himalayan rivers are perennial as their sources are glaciers in the Himalayas and the Peninsular rivers depend on rainwater.

Complete answer: Option A: is incorrect. The Ganga originates from the Gangotri glacier in Uttarakhand as two rivers— Alaknanda and Bhagirathi and later emerge as the Ganga from Haridwar. The Indus originates in the northern slopes of Mount Kailash near the Mansarovar lake in Tibet Autonomous Region of China.
Option B: is incorrect. The Ganga originates from the Gangotri glacier in Uttarakhand as two rivers— Alaknanda and Bhagirathi and later emerge as the Ganga from Haridwar. The Brahmaputra originates near the Mansarovar lake in Tibet Autonomous Region in China. It flows through Tibet as Tsang Po and enters India in Arunachal Pradesh where it is called the Dihang. It flows southwards into Bangladesh where it is called the Jamuna.
Option C: is incorrect. The Beas originates near the Rohtang pass in Kullu, Himachal Pradesh and flows southwards to join the Sutlej in Kapurthala, Punjab. The Tapi River originates near Multai Reserve forest in Madhya Pradesh and flows westwards into the Arabian Sea.
Option D: is correct. Both the Indus and the Brahmaputra originate near the Mansarovar Lake and Mount Kailash in Tibet Autonomous Region of China. Their exact sources are unknown but their area of origin has been narrowed down to this.

Hence, The correct answer is Option D.

Note: Ganga, Indus, Brahmaputra and Beas are Himalayan rivers. Other Himalayan rivers include Sutlej, Chenab, Jhelum and Ravi. Tapi is a peninsular river. Other peninsular rivers include Narmada, Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri.