Which one of the following rivers is west- flowing?

The Periyar is a significant west-flowing river in India, originating in the Western Ghats of Kerala and discharging its waters into the Arabian Sea [4]. While the majority of peninsular rivers follow the general slope of the plateau toward the east, the Periyar is one of the notable exceptions along with the Narmada and Tapi [5]. In contrast, the Godavari, Krishna, and Cauvery (Kaveri) are classified as east-flowing consequent rivers that drain into the Bay of Bengal [3]. The Tungabhadra is a major tributary of the Krishna river, which also flows eastward [3]. West-flowing rivers like the Periyar are typically shorter and swifter compared to their eastern counterparts and often form estuaries rather than deltas at their mouths [4].

Sources

1. [4] Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 3: The Drainage System of India > Mahi River > p. 19
2. [1] CONTEMPORARY INDIA-I ,Geography, Class IX . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 3: Drainage > The Peninsular Rivers > p. 21
3. [5] INDIA PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 3: Drainage System > Important Drainage Patterns > p. 19
4. [2] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 16: Fluvial Landforms and Cycle of Erosion > Consequent Rivers > p. 210
5. [3] Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 3: The Drainage System of India > 1.1 Consequent Rivers > p. 1