Which one of the following rivers flows in a rift valley?

The correct answer is The Narmada.

Key Points

• ​Narmada River
  • Narmada is the largest west flowing river of peninsular India.
  • Narmada flows westwards through a rift valley between the Vindhyan Range on the north and the Satpura Range on the south.
  • It rises from the Maikala range near Amarkantak in Madhya Pradesh.

• Rift Valley
  • A rift valley is a lowland region that forms where Earth’s tectonic plates move apart or rift.
  • Rift valleys are found both on land and at the bottom of the ocean and are created by the process of seafloor spreading.
  • Rift valleys differ from river valleys and glacial valleys in that they are created by tectonic activity and not the process of erosion.
  • The Great Rift Valley System which stretches from the Middle East in the north to Mozambique in the south is a geologically active area.
  • It features volcanoes, hot springs, geysers, and frequent earthquakes.

Additional Information

• There are three Peninsular rivers that flow in a rift valley.
• Narmada flows westward between the Satpura and Vindhya ranges.
• The Tapti River and Mahi River also flow through rift valleys, but between different ranges.
• Damodar river
  • ​The Damodar river rises in the hills of the Chotanagpur plateau and flows through a rift valley.
  • It has a number of tributaries and sub tributaries, such as Barakar, Konar, Bokaro, Haharo, etc.
• Tapti River
  • The Tapti is the second-largest west flowing river of Peninsular India and is known as ‘the twin’ or ‘the handmaid’ of the Narmada.
  • It originates near the Multai reserve forest in Madhya Pradesh at an elevation of 752 m.
  • Flows for about 724 km before outfalling into the Arabian Sea through the Gulf of Cambay.