Question

The Shyok, the Gilgit and the Zaskar are major tributaries of the ______.
1. Mahanadi River
2. Indus River
3. Godavari River
4. Brahmaputra River

Answer 1

Correct Answer - Option 2 : Indus River

The Correct Answer is the Indus River.

• The Shyok, the Gilgit, and the Zaskar are major tributaries of the Indus River.
• The Indus System is one of the largest river basins in the world.
• It is also known as the Sindhu and is in the westernmost of the Himalayan rivers in India.
• It originates from a glacier near Bokhar Chu in the Tibetan region at an altitude of 4,164 m in the Kailash Mountain range. 
• Tributaries of Indus River:-
  • The Indus receives a number of Himalayan tributaries such as The Shyok, The Gilgit, The Zaskar etc.
  • It finally emerges out of the hills near Attock where it receives the Kabul River on its right bank.
• Shyok River:-
  • It rises in the Karakoram Range in the Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir state.
  • The Shyok, which flows generally northwestward, is fed by meltwater from numerous glaciers on its journey through the range.
  • At times the Chong Kumdan Glacier dams the river, causing serious floods in nearby areas hence, the Shyok river is known as the river of death. 
• Gilgit River:-
  • The river rises from a high alpine glacier in the area where the Hindu Kush, Karakoram Range, and western (Punjab) Himalayas meet. Descending through a deep valley, it flows north and then east and southeast to the town of Gilgit.
• Zanskar River:
  • It is the first major tributary of the Indus River, equal or greater in volume than the main river, which flows entirely with Ladakh, India.
  • It originates northeast of the Great Himalayan range and drains both the Himalayas and the Zanskar Range within the region of Zanskar.
  • It flows northeast to join the Indus River near Nimo.