Question

Give a geographical reason for the following:

Most of the rivers in South India flow into the Bay of Bengal.

Answer 1

Most rivers in South India originate in the Western Ghats. The Western Ghats’ west-to-east slope causes rivers to flow into the Bay of Bengal.

Answer 2

Most of the rivers in South India flow into the Bay of Bengal because the Eastern Ghats are lower and more broken compared to the Western Ghats, and the peninsular plateau slopes eastwards. As a result, major rivers like the Godavari, Krishna and Cauvery flow eastwards and drain into the Bay of Bengal, forming wide catchment areas and large deltas. In contrast, the west-flowing rivers are fewer, shorter, and flow through narrow coastal plains into the Arabian Sea without forming large deltas.