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CBSE · Class 11 · Social Science

Drainage System

Standard difficulty · 20 questions · 40 marks · Time: 37 minutes

Name: Date: Score: ____ / 40

Write full answers in Sections B and C. Answers are on the last page — try every question first!

Section A — Choose the correct answer8 × 1 = 8 marks
1.
A drainage pattern like the branches of a tree is called:
  1. trellis
  2. centripetal
  3. radial
  4. dendritic
2.
What is a radial drainage pattern?
  1. rivers flowing out in all directions from a hill, as from Amarkantak
  2. a single river with no tributaries
  3. rivers that never reach the sea or a lake
  4. rivers draining from all sides into a lake or depression
3.
Where does the Chambal rise?
  1. the Beas Kund near the Rohtang Pass
  2. the Satopanth glacier
  3. the Gangotri glacier near Gaumukh
  4. near Mhow in the Malwa plateau
4.
The Bhavani is a tributary of the:
  1. Kaveri
  2. Krishna
  3. Godavari
  4. Ganga
5.
What is the Godavari known for?
  1. the “sorrow of Bihar”, often changing course
  2. badland ravines
  3. the largest Peninsular river, the Dakshin Ganga
  4. once the “sorrow of Bengal”, flowing in a rift valley
6.
A river basin has a catchment area of 97,000 sq km. How is it classed?
  1. not a river basin at all
  2. medium (2,000–20,000 sq km)
  3. major (over 20,000 sq km)
  4. minor (under 2,000 sq km)
7.
The Krishna is about 1,401 km long and the Narmada about 1,312 km. How many km longer is the longer river?
  1. 189 km
  2. 2,713 km
  3. 89 km
  4. 99 km
8.
About 77 per cent of India’s drainage area drains into the Bay of Bengal and 23 per cent into the Arabian Sea. Of 466,000 sq km, how much would drain into the Arabian Sea?
  1. 1,071,800 sq km
  2. 358,820 sq km
  3. 107,180 sq km
  4. 108,180 sq km
Section B — Short answer8 × 2 = 16 marks
9.
Distinguish between a river basin and a watershed.
10.
Describe each drainage pattern: (a) centripetal (b) radial
11.
Where does each river rise? (a) the Kaveri (b) the Son
12.
Name the main river each joins: (a) Kabini (b) Subansiri
13.
Is each a feature of Himalayan or Peninsular rivers? (a) perennial flow (b) fixed courses
14.
Which rivers meet at each place? (a) Vishnuprayag (Joshimath) (b) Sonpur near Patna
15.
The Mahanadi drains about 142,000 sq km and the Godavari about 313,000 sq km. How much larger is the bigger basin, and into which sea does each river flow?
16.
Is each river basin major, medium or minor? (a) 392,000 sq km (b) 14,500 sq km
Section C — Longer answers4 × 4 = 16 marks
17.
Compare the Himalayan and Peninsular drainage systems.
18.
Match each with its source: (a) the Chambal (b) the Alaknanda (c) the Beas. Choose from: near Mhow in the Malwa plateau; the Beas Kund near the Rohtang Pass; the Satopanth glacier.
19.
(a) Arrange these rivers from longest to shortest: the Ganga (2,525 km), the Tapi (724 km), the Godavari (1,465 km). (b) How much longer is the longest than the shortest? (c) Give two ways in which Peninsular rivers differ from Himalayan rivers.
20.
Suppose a region of 355,000 sq km drains like India as a whole: 77 per cent to the Bay of Bengal and 23 per cent to the Arabian Sea. (a) How many sq km drain to each sea? (b) One of its basins covers 14,200 sq km: is it major, medium or minor? (c) Why do most Peninsular rivers flow east?
AmbifulWorksheets
Practice that never repeats
CBSE · Class 11 · Social Science

Answer key

Drainage System · AW-11SS-GDR-2026-V1 · For parents — fold back or tear off before handing the sheet to your child.

QAnswerWorking
1(d) dendritic—
2(a) rivers flowing out in all directions from a hill, as from Amarkantak—
3(d) near Mhow in the Malwa plateau—
4(a) Kaveri—
5(c) the largest Peninsular river, the Dakshin Ganga—
6(c) major (over 20,000 sq km)major over 20,000; medium 2,000–20,000; minor under 2,000 sq km
7(c) 89 km1,401 − 1,312
8(c) 107,180 sq km23% of 466,000
9Both are areas drained by a river system; basins of large rivers are big, while watersheds are the small catchments of rivulets and rills.—
10(a) rivers draining from all sides into a lake or depression (b) rivers flowing out in all directions from a hill, as from Amarkantak—
11(a) the Brahmagiri hills of Karnataka (b) the Amarkantak plateau—
12(a) Kaveri (b) Brahmaputra—
13(a) Himalayan (b) Peninsular—
14(a) the Dhauli and Vishnu Ganga meet (b) the Gandak joins the Ganga—
15by 171,000 sq km; the Mahanadi: Bay of Bengal; the Godavari: Bay of Bengal313,000 − 142,000
16(a) major (b) mediummajor over 20,000; medium 2,000–20,000; minor under 2,000 sq km
17Himalayan rivers are perennial, carve gorges, meander and shift course in the plains and build deltas; Peninsular rivers are older, seasonal, with fixed courses and graded shallow valleys.—
18(a) near Mhow in the Malwa plateau (b) the Satopanth glacier (c) the Beas Kund near the Rohtang Pass—
19(a) the Ganga, the Godavari, the Tapi (b) 1,801 km (c) Peninsular rivers have fixed courses and seasonal flow; Himalayan rivers are perennial and shift their courses.2,525 − 724
20(a) 273,350 sq km to the Bay of Bengal, 81,650 sq km to the Arabian Sea (b) medium (c) The Peninsular block tilts from north-west to south-east, and the Western Ghats form the main water divide near the west coast.77% and 23% of 355,000