Which one among the following rivers does not flow into the Bay of Bengal ?

The Tapti (or Tapi) river is a major west-flowing river in Peninsular India that discharges its waters into the Arabian Sea rather than the Bay of Bengal [2]. Originating in the Betul district of Madhya Pradesh, it flows through a rift valley between the Satpura and Ajanta ranges before reaching the Gulf of Khambhat [c1][t9]. In contrast, the Mahanadi, Godavari, and Cauvery (Kaveri) are major east-flowing rivers that drain into the Bay of Bengal [c2][t2]. The Mahanadi rises in Chhattisgarh and flows through Odisha [c3], while the Godavari and Cauvery originate in the Western Ghats and traverse the Deccan plateau to reach the eastern coast [c2][t1]. The Tapti and Narmada are the primary exceptions to this eastward drainage pattern due to the geological slope of the rift valleys they occupy [t9].

Sources

1. [1] INDIA PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 3: Drainage System > Important Drainage Patterns > p. 19
2. [2] CONTEMPORARY INDIA-I ,Geography, Class IX . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 3: Drainage > The Peninsular Rivers > p. 21