With reference to the peninsular river drainage systems of India, which of the following rivers flows through a rift valley between the Vindhya and Satpura mountain ranges before draining into the Arabian Sea?

💡 Solution & Explanation

The Tapi River, along with the Narmada, flows westward through structural rift valleys formed by tectonic faulting, nestled between the Vindhya and Satpura hill ranges, emptying into the Gulf of Khambhat in the Arabian Sea. Krishna, Kaveri, and Mahanadi are major east-flowing peninsular rivers emptying into the Bay of Bengal through wide deltaic plains. West-flowing rivers do not form extensive deltas due to steep coastal gradients.