Identify the river of the Indian sub-continent on the basis of the following information:

1. It has an antecedent drainage system.
2. It flows through three countries.
3. It originates in the Tibetan Plateau and is an important river for irrigation.
4. It does not form distributaries.

Select the answer from the following:

1. Indus
2. Brahmaputra
3. Sutlej
4. Teesta

Explanation

Option (c) is correct

• Satluj is an antecedent river. Antecedent rivers existed before the final uplift of the Himalayas and maintained their course by cutting deep gorges as the mountains rose.
• It originates in Tibet/China, enters India through Himachal Pradesh, and then joins the Chenab River (Indus system) in Pakistan.
• The Sutlej does not directly enter the sea and does not form a deltaic distributary system.

Answer: (c) Sutlej; Difficulty Level: Medium