Prelims 2013 · archive
MediumThe Narmada river flows to the west, while most other large peninsular rivers flow to the east. Why?
- 1.It occupies a linear rift valley.
- 2.It flows between the Vindhyas and the Satpuras.
- 3.The land slopes to the west from Central India.
Select the correct answer using the codes given below.
Answer & explanation
Answer: (a) 1 only
The Narmada flows west because it follows a rift (trough-fault) valley rather than the general slope of the Peninsula. The Peninsular block tilts from north-west to south-east, which turns most drainage towards the Bay of Bengal, so the land does not slope west from Central India. Only statement 1 explains the westward flow.
- ✓ 1. The Narmada runs along a fault-controlled trough, so its course follows the rift and not the general eastward tilt of the Peninsula. This is why it is a west-flowing exception.
- ✗ 2. The Narmada does lie between the Vindhyan range in the north and the Satpura in the south. But that only describes its location. The direction of flow comes from the rift valley it occupies, not from the ranges on either side.
- ✗ 3. The Peninsular block tilted slightly from north-west to south-east. This gave most of the drainage an orientation towards the Bay of Bengal, so the land does not slope west from Central India.
Remember · Narmada and Tapi flow west through rift (trough-fault) valleys. The Peninsular block tilts north-west to south-east, so most other large rivers flow east to the Bay of Bengal.
📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 11 India: Physical Environment, Ch 3 (practise this chapter) · Class 11 India: Physical Environment, Ch 3 (practise this chapter) · Class 11 India: Physical Environment, Ch 3 (practise this chapter)
Sources
- NCERT Class 11 · India: Physical Environment, Chapter 3 “Slight tilting of the Peninsular block from northwest to the southeastern direction gave orientation to the entire drainage system towards the Bay of Bengal during the same period.”
- NCERT Class 11 · India: Physical Environment, Chapter 3 “The Narmada and The Tapi flow in trough faults and fill the original cracks with their detritus materials.”
- NCERT Class 11 · India: Physical Environment, Chapter 3 “Flowing in a rift valley between the Satpura in the south and the Vindhyan range in the north, it forms a picturesque gorge in marble rocks”
Question: UPSC Civil Services (Preliminary) 2013, General Studies paper. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 25 Oct 2026 (how we verify). ·