Question

Which of the following rivers is not a tributary of River Godavari?
A. Purna
B. Ghataprabha
C. Manjira
D. Pranhita

Answer 1

Hint: The tributaries of the Godavari river are classified into two - left bank tributaries and right bank tributaries. The left bank tributaries include more rivers in contrast to the right bank tributaries.

Complete answer: The river Godavari is one of the sacred and longest rivers in India. It is also known as Burhi Ganga or Dakshini Ganga and has a drainage basin of some 313,000 square kilometres. It originates at Trimbakeshwar in Nasik district of Maharashtra. It flows through Kneiss and Gondwana rocky terrain for 1465 kilometres.

Now let us examine the options:
Option A - Purna river is a tributary of Godavari and originates from the Ajanta range of hills in Aurangabad district of the state of Maharashtra. It lies in the rain shadow region on the Deccan Plateau. The length of the river is 373 kilometres with a catchment area of about 15,579 square kilometres.
Option B - Ghataprabha river is a tributary of the Krishna river, with a river basin of 8,829 kilometres wide. River Markandeya and Hiranyakeshi are two tributaries of the Ghataprabha river.
Option C - Manjira is a tributary of Godavari and rises in the Balaghat Range of Hills near Ahmednagar district. It passes through the states of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Telangana. Some of the tributaries of Manjira river are Terna, Manyad, Lendi, Gharni and Tawarja rivers.
Option D - Pranhita is the largest tributary of the river Godavari with a catchment area of 109,078 square kilometres, covering 34 percent of the total drainage basin. The river does not have any dams built on it. However, the Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project, a water project is currently underway to construct a barrage across the river.

Thus, the correct answer is option (B).

Note: The Godavari or Burhi Ganga or Dakshini Ganga is another important river of the Peninsular plateau. The river has formed a gorge, 60 kilometres long and 240 metres wide.