Question

Which tributary of Indus originates from Himachal Pradesh?
A. Satluj
B. Beas
C. Ravi
D. Chenab

Answer 1

Hint: The river that originates from Himachal Pradesh is a major river that flows both in India and Pakistan. It is the largest tributary of river Indus with an average length of 974 kilometres.

Complete answer: The river is formed with the confluence of two streams, the Chandra and the Bhaga at Tandi near Keylong in Himachal Pradesh. It is also known as the Chandrabhaga river. It is categorised as a left-bank tributary of the Indus river.

Now let us examine the answer:
Option A: Satluj or Sutlej river is one of the five major tributaries of river Indus. It is the major source of water for Rajasthan, Delhi, Haryana, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. The Satluj river originates from Lake Rakshastal in Tibet with an altitude of 4572 metres. The river before meeting into the Gobindsagar reservoir also known as the Bhakra reservoir is joined by river Spiti. It is the longest river of the five major tributaries of the Indus river.
Option B: The Beas river originates from Beas Kund. Hence the name Beas. The river rises at an elevation of 4361 metres in the western Himalayas at the Rohtang Pass and flows through the Kullu valley before joining river Satluj. The length of about 470 kilometres.
Option C: The river Ravi originates in the Himalayas near the Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh. The length of the river is 720 kilometres.
Option D: Chenab river is one of the major rivers of the five major tributaries of the Indus River and the largest of them all. It originates at Tandi near Keylong in Himachal Pradesh when the two streams - the Chandra and Bhaga join together. Hence, it is also called the Chandrabhaga river.

Thus, the correct answer is option (D).

Note: The five major tributaries of the river Indus are Satluj, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, and Beas. These five rivers gave Punjab its name. The total catchment area of river Indus is 321,289 square kilometres.