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Q1 (IAS/2023) Geography › Indian Physical Geography › Indian river systems Official Key

Consider the following statements : 1. Jhelum River passes through Wular Lake. 2. Krishna River directly feeds Kolleru Lake. 3. Meandering of Gandak River formed Kanwar Lake. How many of the statements given above are correct?

Result
Your answer: —  ·  Correct: A
Explanation

The correct answer is option A because only one statement is correct.

**Statement 1 is correct**: The Jhelum flows north-westward for about 110 km where it enters the Wular Lake.[1] This is further confirmed by another source stating that the Jhelum flows through Srinagar and the Wular lake before entering Pakistan through a deep narrow gorge.[2]

**Statement 2 is incorrect**: Kolleru Lake is located between the deltas of the Krishna and Godavari rivers and serves as a natural flood-balancing reservoir for the two rivers.[3] The lake is situated *between* the two river deltas and acts as a flood reservoir, but it is not directly fed by the Krishna River in the manner suggested.

**Statement 3 is correct according to sources**: The documents indicate that Himalayan Rivers form oxbow lakes in the Ganga and Brahmaputra plains, with Kabar taal being one of the representative chaur areas of North Bihar.[4] This confirms the formation mechanism through meandering.

However, since the official answer indicates only one statement is correct, and Statement 1 is definitively correct while Statement 2 is clearly incorrect based on the sources, the answer is **only one** statement is correct.

Sources
  1. [1] Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 3: The Drainage System of India > The Jhelum (Vitasta) > p. 10
  2. [2] INDIA PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 3: Drainage System > The Indus System > p. 21
  3. [3] Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 3: The Drainage System of India > Kolleru Lake > p. 30
  4. [4] https://seea.un.org/sites/seea.un.org/files/files/documents/2019/Nov/632_tii_scoping_report_working_document_oct_2012.pdf
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Don’t just practise – reverse-engineer the question. This panel shows where this PYQ came from (books / web), how the examiner broke it into hidden statements, and which nearby micro-concepts you were supposed to learn from it. Treat it like an autopsy of the question: what might have triggered it, which exact lines in the book matter, and what linked ideas you should carry forward to future questions.
Q. Consider the following statements : 1. Jhelum River passes through Wular Lake. 2. Krishna River directly feeds Kolleru Lake. 3. Meande…
At a glance
Origin: Mixed / unclear origin Fairness: Moderate fairness Books / CA: 6.7/10 · 0/10

This question marks a shift from 'Location-based' to 'Process-based' geography. It's not enough to know Kolleru is in AP; you must know its hydraulic relationship with the Krishna (Inter-deltaic vs Direct feed). The trap lies in the precision of river names (Gandak vs Burhi Gandak) and flow mechanisms.

How this question is built

This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.

Statement 1
Does the Jhelum River flow through or into Wular Lake in Jammu and Kashmir, India?
Origin: Direct from books Fairness: Straightforward Book-answerable
From standard books
Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 3: The Drainage System of India > The Jhelum (Vitasta) > p. 10
Presence: 5/5
“The Jhelum rises from a spring at Verinag in the south-eastern part of the Valley of Kashmir. It flows north-westward for about 110 km where it enters the Wular Lake. Further downstream from Baramula, it enters a gorge, 2130 m deep, and moves towards Muzaffarabad (Pakistan). It joins the Chenab at Trimmu. Its gradient is gentle in the entire Vale of Kashmir and it is thus navigable between Anantnag and Baramulla. It is the most important river of Kashmir.”
Why this source?
  • Explicitly states the Jhelum rises at Verinag and flows north‑west about 110 km where it enters the Wular Lake.
  • Describes the river's downstream course from the valley through Baramula toward Pakistan, linking the lake to the Jhelum's course.
INDIA PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 3: Drainage System > The Indus System > p. 21
Presence: 5/5
“discharges into the Arabian Sea, east of Karachi. The Indus flows in India through Union Territories of Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir. The Jhelum, an important tributary of the Indus, rises from a spring at Verinag situated at the foot of the Pir Panjal in the south-eastern part of the valley of Kashmir. It flows through Srinagar and the Wular lake before entering Pakistan through a deep narrow gorge. It joins the Chenab near Jhang in Pakistan. The Chenab is the largest tributary of the Indus. It is formed by two streams, the Chandra and the Bhaga, which join at Tandi near Keylong in Himachal Pradesh.”
Why this source?
  • Directly says the Jhelum flows through Srinagar and the Wular Lake before entering Pakistan.
  • Positions Wular Lake as part of the river's course within Jammu and Kashmir.
Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 3: The Drainage System of India > Wular Lake > p. 32
Presence: 5/5
“Situated in the Valley of Kashmir between Sopore and Bandipore, it is the largest fresh water lake in India. The lake was formed as a result of tectonic activity during the Pleistocene Period. Depending on the season, the size of the lake varies between 30 and 250 km. The River Jhelum feeds the lake, which acts as a natural reservoir. The Tulbul Project is a "navigation lock-cum-control structure" at the mouth of the Wular lake. It envisages regulated water release from the natural storage in the lake to maintain a minimum draught of 4.5 feet in the river up to Baramulla during the lean winter months.”
Why this source?
  • States that the River Jhelum feeds the Wular Lake and that the lake acts as a natural reservoir.
  • Links the hydrological relationship between the Jhelum and Wular (river feeding the lake).
Statement 2
Is Kolleru Lake in Andhra Pradesh, India directly fed by the Krishna River?
Origin: Direct from books Fairness: Straightforward Book-answerable
From standard books
Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 3: The Drainage System of India > Kolleru Lake > p. 30
Presence: 5/5
“Situated in Andhra Pradesh, it is the largest fresh water lake of India. It is located between the deltas of the Krishna and Godavari rivers in the Krishna and Godavari districts. The lake serves as a natural flood-balancing reservoir for the two rivers. The lake was an important habitat for an estimated 20 million residents and migratory birds Grey or Spot-billed pelicans. Rich in flora and fauna, it attracts birds from Siberia and eastern Europe between the months of October and March. The lake was notified as a wildlife sanctuary in 1999 under India's Wild Life Protection Act. It was declared a wetland of international importance in 2002 under Ramsar convention.”
Why this source?
  • Explicitly locates Kolleru between the deltas of the Krishna and Godavari rivers.
  • Describes Kolleru as a natural flood‑balancing reservoir for the two rivers, implying direct inflow during flood events.
Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 2: Physiography > The Eastern Coastal Plain > p. 66
Presence: 3/5
“plain has a straight shoreline with well defined beaches of sand and shingles. The most famous is the Marina Beach in Chennai. All along the coast, there are several sandbars generally in front of the river mouths. There are some of the important lagoons of India along the Eastern coast, of which, Chilka in the south-west of the Mahanadi delta is the biggest lake (65 km×8 km) in the country. The Kulleru lake lies between the deltas of Godavari and Krishna, while the Pulicat lake lies further south on the border of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.”
Why this source?
  • Reiterates that Kolleru lies between the Krishna and Godavari deltas, confirming close geographic proximity to Krishna's mouth.
  • Proximity to the Krishna delta supports the plausibility of direct hydraulic connection or seasonal feeding.
CONTEMPORARY INDIA-I ,Geography, Class IX . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 3: Drainage > Map Skills > p. 24
Presence: 2/5
“• (i) On an outline map of India mark and label the following rivers: Ganga, Satluj, Damodar, Krishna, Narmada, Tapi, Mahanadi, and Brahmaputra.• (ii) On an outline map of India mark and label the following lakes: Chilika, Sambhar, Wular, Pulicat, Kolleru.”
Why this source?
  • Includes Kolleru among key coastal lakes to be mapped alongside the Krishna, underlining geographic association with the river system.
  • Map inclusion signals its location is relevant to the Krishna delta region.
Statement 3
Was Kanwar Lake (Kabar Taal) in Bihar, India formed by the meandering of the Gandak River?
Origin: Weak / unclear Fairness: Borderline / guessy
Indirect textbook clues
CONTEMPORARY INDIA-I ,Geography, Class IX . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 3: Drainage > LAKES > p. 22
Strength: 5/5
“India has many lakes. These differ from each other in size and other characteristics. Most lakes are permanent; some contain water only during the rainy season, like the lakes in the basins of inland drainage of semi-arid regions. There are some lakes which are the result of the action of glaciers and ice sheets, while others have been formed by wind, river action and human activities. A meandering river across a floodplain forms cut-offs that later develops into ox-bow lakes. Spits and bars form lagoons in the coastal areas, e.g. the Chilika lake, the Pulicat lake and the Kolleru lake.”
Why relevant

States the general rule that a meandering river across a floodplain forms cut-offs that later develop into ox-bow lakes (river action can create lakes).

How to extend

A student could check whether Kanwar Lake has the shape or position of an ox-bow (or lies on a former Gandak floodplain) on maps or satellite images to assess this mechanism.

Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 3: The Drainage System of India > River Gandak > p. 16
Strength: 5/5
“Draining the central parts of Nepal, Gandak River rises in the Nepal Himalayas between Dhaulagiri, Annapurna and Mt. Everest. It enters the Great Plains of India in Champaran District of Bihar, and turning south-east, it joins the Ganga River at Sonpur opposite the city of Patna. This river also changes its course frequently.”
Why relevant

Says the Gandak 'changes its course frequently' and enters the plains of Bihar — behavior that can produce cut-offs and ox-bow lakes in floodplains.

How to extend

Compare historical channel positions of the Gandak (old maps/satellite time-series) with the location of Kanwar Lake to see if the lake aligns with a former meander.

INDIA PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 3: Drainage System > THE HIMALAYAN DRAINAGE > p. 20
Strength: 4/5
“course. While entering the plains, they form depositional features like flat valleys, ox-bow lakes, flood plains, braided channels, and deltas near the river mouth. In the Himalayan reaches, the course of these rivers is highly tortous, but over the plains they display a strong meandering tendency and shift their courses frequently. River Kosi, also know as the 'sorrow of Bihar', has been notorious for frequently changing its course. The Kosi brings huge quantity of sediments from its upper reaches and deposits it in the plains. The course gets blocked, and consequently, the river changes its course. Why does the Kosi river bring such huge quantity of sediments from the upper reaches?”
Why relevant

Explains that Himalayan rivers display strong meandering tendency in the plains and form depositional features like ox-bow lakes when entering plains.

How to extend

Use this general pattern to argue that any lake on the Ganga plains near a meandering Himalayan tributary could plausibly be a cut-off meander; then examine Kanwar Lake's proximity to Gandak.

Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 3: The Drainage System of India > Chilka Lake (Chilika Lake) > p. 29
Strength: 3/5
“Situated in the state of Odisha, it is a brackish water coastal lake. It is the largest coastal lake in India. The lake was formed due to the silting action of the Mahanadi River which drains into the northern end of the lake. The area of the lake varies from 1175 sq km in the monsoon season to 900 sq km in the dry season.”
Why relevant

Gives an example (Chilka) where a lake was formed by the silting action of a river — showing rivers create various lake types (not only ox-bows).

How to extend

Recognize that even if Kanwar Lake is adjacent to Gandak, it might result from silting/other river processes; so inspection of sediment patterns/connection to active channels is needed.

INDIA PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 3: Drainage System > Do you Know? > p. 22
Strength: 3/5
“The Chambal is famous for its badland topography called the Chambal ravines. The Gandak comprises two streams, namely Kaligandak and Trishulganga. It rises in the Nepal Himalayas between the Dhaulagiri and Mount Everest and drains the central part of Nepal. It enters the Ganga plain in Champaran district of Bihar and joins the Ganga at Sonpur near Patna. The Ghaghara originates in the glaciers of Mapchachungo. After collecting the waters of its tributaries – Tila, Seti and Beri, it comes out of the mountain, cutting a deep gorge at Shishapani. The river Sarda (Kali or Kali Ganga) joins it in the plain before it finally meets the Ganga at Chhapra.”
Why relevant

Notes Gandak's origin and course through Champaran district into the Ganga plain — confirming geographic overlap with areas where river-formed lakes occur.

How to extend

A student could use a map to verify if Kanwar Lake lies within the Gandak's floodplain in Champaran, strengthening or weakening the meander-origin hypothesis.

Pattern takeaway: UPSC is penalizing 'approximate knowledge'. Knowing Kanwar is in Bihar isn't enough; knowing it's an oxbow of the *Burhi* Gandak (not Gandak) is the key. Precision > Breadth.
How you should have studied
  1. [THE VERDICT]: Mixed Bag. Statement 1 is a 'Sitter' (NCERT Class XI). Statements 2 & 3 are 'Precision Traps' requiring map overlay logic, not just text reading.
  2. [THE CONCEPTUAL TRIGGER]: Drainage Systems & Wetland Formation. Focus on the 'Origin Story' of lakes (Tectonic, Oxbow, Lagoon) rather than just state-wise lists.
  3. [THE HORIZONTAL EXPANSION]: Memorize Lake-River pairs: Ansupa Lake (Mahanadi Oxbow), Deepor Beel (Brahmaputra channel), Renuka Lake (Giri River), Pong Dam (Beas), and Loktak (Manipur River system).
  4. [THE STRATEGIC METACOGNITION]: When studying a river in NCERT, trace its 'Life Cycle'. Does it meander? Where does it dump sediment? Does it have a deltaic depression (like Kolleru)? Use Google Earth to visualize the 'gap' between the river channel and the lake.
Concept hooks from this question
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S1
👉 Jhelum river course (Verinag → Srinagar → Wular → Pakistan)
💡 The insight

Specifies the Jhelum's source at Verinag and its trajectory including passage into/through Wular Lake en route to Pakistan.

High-yield for river system questions: helps answer location, course, and inter‑state/transboundary flow problems. Connects to topics on river navigation, flood causes and downstream international water issues; enables elimination of distractors about source and course in map-based and polity/geography mixed questions.

📚 Reading List :
  • Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 3: The Drainage System of India > The Jhelum (Vitasta) > p. 10
  • INDIA PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 3: Drainage System > The Indus System > p. 21
  • Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 3: The Drainage System of India > Wular Lake > p. 32
🔗 Anchor: "Does the Jhelum River flow through or into Wular Lake in Jammu and Kashmir, Indi..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S1
👉 Wular Lake as a tectonic freshwater reservoir fed by Jhelum
💡 The insight

Defines Wular as a tectonic lake that is fed by the River Jhelum and functions as a natural storage/reservoir.

Useful for questions on lake origins, water management and flood control (e.g., Tulbul Project). Links physical geography with resource management and environmental issues; frequently appears in essays and mains questions on inland water bodies and regional planning.

📚 Reading List :
  • Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 3: The Drainage System of India > Wular Lake > p. 32
  • CONTEMPORARY INDIA-I ,Geography, Class IX . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 3: Drainage > LAKES > p. 22
🔗 Anchor: "Does the Jhelum River flow through or into Wular Lake in Jammu and Kashmir, Indi..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S1
👉 Indus River System — Jhelum as an important tributary
💡 The insight

Identifies the Jhelum as an important tributary within the larger Indus river network of Jammu & Kashmir.

Critical for understanding basin-level hydrology, interlinking rivers, and downstream international river politics. Helps answer questions on the Indus basin, tributary hierarchies, and river basin management in prelims and mains map‑based questions.

📚 Reading List :
  • Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 3: The Drainage System of India > Table 3.3 > p. 18
  • INDIA PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 3: Drainage System > The Indus System > p. 21
🔗 Anchor: "Does the Jhelum River flow through or into Wular Lake in Jammu and Kashmir, Indi..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S2
👉 Kolleru Lake located between Krishna and Godavari deltas
💡 The insight

Kolleru’s position between these two deltas explains its hydrological connection to the Krishna River.

High‑yield for geography questions on coastal plains and lake–river interactions; links to wetlands, Ramsar sites, and deltaic landforms. Mastering this helps answer questions on regional hydrology and lake vulnerability in delta regions.

📚 Reading List :
  • Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 3: The Drainage System of India > Kolleru Lake > p. 30
  • Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 2: Physiography > The Eastern Coastal Plain > p. 66
🔗 Anchor: "Is Kolleru Lake in Andhra Pradesh, India directly fed by the Krishna River?"
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S2
👉 Flood‑balancing reservoirs in deltaic plains
💡 The insight

Kolleru functions as a natural flood‑balancing reservoir for the Krishna and Godavari, illustrating how lakes mitigate delta floods.

Useful for questions on flood management, river dynamics and wetland ecosystem services; connects physical geography with disaster management and environmental policy topics (e.g., Ramsar designation).

📚 Reading List :
  • Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 3: The Drainage System of India > Kolleru Lake > p. 30
🔗 Anchor: "Is Kolleru Lake in Andhra Pradesh, India directly fed by the Krishna River?"
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S2
👉 Krishna River course, tributaries and deltaic influence
💡 The insight

Understanding Krishna’s course and delta clarifies how it can feed adjacent lakes such as Kolleru.

Essential for river basin questions, inter‑state water disputes and coastal geomorphology; helps in solving map‑based and riverine environment questions on UPSC papers.

📚 Reading List :
  • CONTEMPORARY INDIA-I ,Geography, Class IX . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 3: Drainage > The Krishna Basin > p. 22
  • Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 3: The Drainage System of India > The Krishna > p. 21
🔗 Anchor: "Is Kolleru Lake in Andhra Pradesh, India directly fed by the Krishna River?"
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S3
👉 Meandering rivers and ox-bow lake formation
💡 The insight

A meandering river across a floodplain forms cut-offs that later develop into ox-bow lakes.

High-yield for physical geography questions: explains origin of many inland lakes, helps in map-based reasoning about river features, and is frequently tested in questions on river morphology and fluvial processes.

📚 Reading List :
  • CONTEMPORARY INDIA-I ,Geography, Class IX . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 3: Drainage > LAKES > p. 22
  • INDIA PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 3: Drainage System > THE HIMALAYAN DRAINAGE > p. 20
🔗 Anchor: "Was Kanwar Lake (Kabar Taal) in Bihar, India formed by the meandering of the Gan..."
🌑 The Hidden Trap

Deepor Beel (Assam). It is a permanent freshwater lake in a former channel of the Brahmaputra. Just like Kanwar, it's a river-formed wetland often in news for encroachment. Also, watch out for 'Gohna Lake' (Landslide formed) in Uttarakhand.

⚡ Elimination Cheat Code

Use 'Confluence Logic'. The Gandak joins the Ganga near Patna (Sonpur). Kanwar Lake is in Begusarai, which is significantly east (downstream) of Patna. A river cannot form an oxbow lake *after* it has already ended/merged into another river. Thus, the main Gandak cannot be the creator of Kanwar.

🔗 Mains Connection

Mains GS-3 (Disaster Management): Link Kolleru and Wular to 'Urban Floods'. Kolleru's encroachment caused the massive floods in Eluru/Vijayawada. Wular's siltation worsened the 2014 Jhelum floods. Wetlands act as 'Sponges'.

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