Question

Consider the following statements regarding the Kosi River:

1. The river is formed by the confluence of three rivers in Nepal.

2. It deposits heavy sediment in the plains and often changes course.

• A. 1 only
• B. 2 only
• C. Both 1 and 2
• D. Neither 1 nor 2

Answer 1

Answer:

C. Both 1 and 2

• Correct Answer: Option C) Both 1 and 2

• The Kosi River, also known as the "Sorrow of Bihar," is one of the major tributaries of the Ganges River and has several distinctive features:

• Statement 1: The river is formed by the confluence of three rivers in Nepal.

• This statement is correct. The Kosi River is formed by the confluence of three Himalayan streams in Nepal - the Sun Kosi, Arun, and Tamur rivers. These tributaries meet at Triveni in Nepal, forming the Saptkosi or Kosi River before it enters India.

• Statement 2: It deposits heavy sediment in the plains and often changes course.

• This statement is also correct. The Kosi River is notorious for carrying an enormous amount of silt and sediment from the Himalayas. It has one of the highest sediment loads among Indian rivers, which leads to extensive deposition in the plains of Bihar. This heavy sedimentation has earned it the reputation of being a river that frequently changes its course.

• The river has shifted its course westward by about 150 km in the last 250 years, causing devastating floods and destruction in Bihar. The 2008 Kosi flood was a recent example of the river's tendency to change course dramatically, affecting millions of people.