About this quiz
50 questions covering every section of the note on Nepal's river types, the Koshi, Gandaki, Karnali and Mahakali systems, other rivers, lakes, glaciers and uses of rivers.
This Lok Sewa practice set has 50 multiple-choice questions (Subject: General Knowledge · For: Kharidar, Nayab Subba, Section Officer · Level: Medium). Take the quiz above first; after that, use the study list below to revise every question with its correct answer and a short explanation.
Study list: all 50 questions with answers and explanations
Rivers of Nepal that start in the Himalaya and flow all year round are fed mainly by what?
- A) Snow and glaciers ✔
- B) Only monsoon rain
- C) Underground springs of the Tarai
- D) Water from the Chure hills
Why: The big Himalayan rivers are fed by snow and glaciers, so they carry water even in the dry season.
Which of the following rivers starts in the Mahabharat range?
- A) Karnali
- B) Bagmati ✔
- C) Arun
- D) Kali Gandaki
Why: The Bagmati rises in the Mahabharat-Shivapuri hills; the other three are Himalayan rivers.
Rivers that start in the Chure hills are mostly of which kind?
- A) Fed by glaciers all year
- B) The longest rivers of Nepal
- C) Seasonal, swelling mainly during the monsoon ✔
- D) Rivers that flow north into Tibet
Why: Chure rivers are small and mostly seasonal, carrying a lot of water only in the rainy season.
Which is the correct order of Nepal's four big river systems from east to west?
- A) Gandaki, Koshi, Mahakali, Karnali
- B) Koshi, Karnali, Gandaki, Mahakali
- C) Mahakali, Karnali, Gandaki, Koshi
- D) Koshi, Gandaki, Karnali, Mahakali ✔
Why: From east to west the order is Koshi, Gandaki, Karnali and Mahakali.
Why is the Koshi also called the Saptakoshi?
- A) It flows through seven districts
- B) It is formed by seven tributaries ✔
- C) It has seven dams
- D) It is 700 km long
Why: Sapta means seven; the Koshi is formed by seven tributaries.
Which of the following is NOT a tributary of the Koshi?
- A) Tamor
- B) Dudhkoshi
- C) Marsyangdi ✔
- D) Indrawati
Why: The Marsyangdi belongs to the Gandaki system.
Which tributary of the Koshi begins in Tibet?
- A) Likhu
- B) Tamakoshi
- C) Indrawati
- D) Arun ✔
Why: The Arun rises in Tibet and cuts through the Himalaya before entering Nepal.
At Tribeni, which three rivers meet to form the Saptakoshi?
- A) Sunkoshi, Arun and Tamor ✔
- B) Dudhkoshi, Likhu and Tamakoshi
- C) Indrawati, Sunkoshi and Bhote Koshi
- D) Arun, Mechi and Kankai
Why: The Sunkoshi, Arun and Tamor meet at Tribeni, after which the river is called the Saptakoshi.
Which river was long known in India as the Sorrow of Bihar?
- A) Gandaki
- B) Koshi ✔
- C) Bagmati
- D) Karnali
Why: Frequent floods of the Koshi in Bihar earned it the name Sorrow of Bihar.
Which of the following is NOT a tributary of the Gandaki system?
- A) Seti
- B) Trishuli
- C) Tamor ✔
- D) Budhi Gandaki
Why: The Tamor is part of the Koshi system.
Where does the Kali Gandaki river originate?
- A) Upper Mustang ✔
- B) Gorkha
- C) Rasuwa
- D) Humla
Why: The Kali Gandaki rises in upper Mustang near the Tibetan border.
The Kali Gandaki gorge lies between which two mountain massifs?
- A) Everest and Lhotse
- B) Manaslu and Ganesh Himal
- C) Makalu and Kangchenjunga
- D) Dhaulagiri and Annapurna ✔
Why: The Kali Gandaki cuts one of the deepest gorges in the world between Dhaulagiri and Annapurna.
After the Kali Gandaki and Trishuli meet at Devghat, the Gandaki is called by which name?
- A) Rapti
- B) Narayani ✔
- C) Seti
- D) Sharda
Why: Below Devghat the Gandaki is called the Narayani; in India it is the Gandak.
Which river is generally regarded as the longest river of Nepal?
- A) Koshi
- B) Gandaki
- C) Karnali ✔
- D) Bagmati
Why: The Karnali, which rises in Tibet and enters Nepal in Humla, is regarded as Nepal's longest river.
In India the Karnali is known by which name?
- A) Ghaghara ✔
- B) Gandak
- C) Sharda
- D) Kosi
Why: The Karnali is called the Ghaghara in India.
Which river forms Nepal's western border with India?
- A) Karnali
- B) Seti
- C) Babai
- D) Mahakali ✔
Why: The Mahakali river forms the western border between Nepal and India.
In India the Mahakali river is called by which name?
- A) Ghaghara
- B) Sharda ✔
- C) Yamuna
- D) Gandak
Why: The Mahakali is known as the Sharda (Sarda) in India.
Where does the Bagmati river begin?
- A) Gosaikunda
- B) Phulchoki
- C) Baghdwar in Shivapuri ✔
- D) Chandragiri
Why: The Bagmati rises at Baghdwar in the Shivapuri hills north of Kathmandu.
Which river forms part of Nepal's eastern border with India?
- A) Mechi ✔
- B) Kamala
- C) Tamor
- D) Kankai
Why: The Mechi forms part of the eastern border, mainly in Jhapa district.
Which is the largest lake of Nepal?
- A) Phewa
- B) Tilicho
- C) Begnas
- D) Rara ✔
Why: Rara Lake in Mugu is the largest lake of Nepal.
Phoksundo, the deepest lake of Nepal, lies in which district?
- A) Mugu
- B) Dolpa ✔
- C) Manang
- D) Humla
Why: Phoksundo Lake lies in Dolpa district inside Shey Phoksundo National Park.
Kulekhani (Indrasarovar) in Makwanpur is best described as what?
- A) A natural glacial lake
- B) A Ramsar-listed oxbow lake
- C) A man-made reservoir for hydropower ✔
- D) The source of the Bagmati
Why: Kulekhani is a reservoir built to store water for hydropower.
Which was Nepal's first Ramsar site, listed in 1987?
- A) Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve ✔
- B) Rara Lake
- C) Ghodaghodi Lake
- D) Beeshazar Lake
Why: Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve became Nepal's first wetland of international importance in 1987.
What does GLOF stand for?
- A) Great Lake Overflow Factor
- B) Ground Level Of Flood
- C) Glacier Land Outflow Formation
- D) Glacial Lake Outburst Flood ✔
Why: A GLOF is a sudden flood caused when water bursts out of a glacial lake.
Which was the first hydropower plant of Nepal, started in 1968 BS?
- A) Trishuli
- B) Sundarijal
- C) Pharping ✔
- D) Panauti
Why: Pharping Hydropower Station (500 kW) began in 1968 BS (1911 AD) during Chandra Shumsher's rule.
Which three river systems are the main Himalayan systems along with the Mahakali?
- A) Koshi, Gandaki, Karnali ✔
- B) Bagmati, Kamala, Rapti
- C) Mechi, Kankai, Babai
- D) Seti, Madi, Marsyangdi
Why: The four big snow-fed rivers are Koshi, Gandaki, Karnali, Mahakali.
Snow-fed rivers are important for hydropower mainly because they:
- A) Are short
- B) Flow all year ✔
- C) Flow only in monsoon
- D) Are shallow
Why: They are perennial.
Which of these is a Mahabharat river?
- A) Arun
- B) Bagmati ✔
- C) Karnali
- D) Tamor
Why: Bagmati starts in the Mahabharat/hill region.
The Koshi Barrage lies between which districts?
- A) Jhapa and Morang
- B) Sunsari and Saptari ✔
- C) Siraha and Saptari
- D) Morang and Sunsari
Why: Sunsari and Saptari, near Bhimnagar.
Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve lies along which river?
- A) Gandaki
- B) Koshi ✔
- C) Karnali
- D) Bagmati
Why: Saptakoshi.
Which of these is a tributary of the Koshi?
- A) Trishuli
- B) Dudhkoshi ✔
- C) Seti
- D) Bheri
Why: Dudhkoshi is one of the seven Koshi tributaries.
The Gandaki is also called the Saptagandaki because:
- A) It has seven tributaries ✔
- B) It flows through seven districts
- C) It has seven dams
- D) It is seven km wide
Why: Seven main tributaries.
The Kali Gandaki and Trishuli meet at:
- A) Tribeni (Devghat) ✔
- B) Dolalghat
- C) Chatara
- D) Benighat
Why: After meeting at Devghat the river is called Narayani.
After Devghat the Gandaki is called the:
- A) Narayani ✔
- B) Seti
- C) Rapti
- D) Sunkoshi
Why: Narayani; Gandak in India.
In India the Gandaki is called:
- A) Gandak ✔
- B) Ghaghara
- C) Sarda
- D) Kosi
Why: Gandak.
The Karnali originates in:
- A) Mustang
- B) Tibet, near Mansarovar ✔
- C) Humla district
- D) Dolpa
Why: It rises in Tibet near Lake Mansarovar.
Which of these is a tributary of the Karnali?
- A) Bheri ✔
- B) Arun
- C) Tamor
- D) Marsyangdi
Why: Bheri and Seti (west) join the Karnali.
The Mahakali in India is called:
- A) Sarda (Sharda) ✔
- B) Ghaghara
- C) Gandak
- D) Son
Why: Sharda.
The Bagmati starts from:
- A) Baghdwar, Shivapuri ✔
- B) Gosaikunda
- C) Phulchoki
- D) Chandragiri
Why: Baghdwar in Shivapuri hills.
Rara lake lies in which district?
- A) Mugu ✔
- B) Dolpa
- C) Humla
- D) Jumla
Why: Rara, the largest lake, is in Mugu.
Phoksundo lake lies in:
- A) Dolpa ✔
- B) Mugu
- C) Mustang
- D) Manang
Why: Dolpa; deepest lake.
Gosaikunda lake lies in:
- A) Rasuwa ✔
- B) Dolakha
- C) Sindhupalchok
- D) Nuwakot
Why: Rasuwa; a sacred lake.
Phewa lake is in:
- A) Kaski ✔
- B) Lamjung
- C) Syangja
- D) Tanahun
Why: Pokhara, Kaski.
Nepal's first Ramsar site was:
- A) Koshi Tappu ✔
- B) Rara
- C) Beeshazar Tal
- D) Gokyo
Why: Koshi Tappu, listed 1987.
Nepal's first hydropower plant was at:
- A) Pharping ✔
- B) Sundarijal
- C) Panauti
- D) Trishuli
Why: Pharping, 1911 AD (1968 BS).
Tilicho lake, one of the highest lakes, lies in:
- A) Manang ✔
- B) Mustang
- C) Dolpa
- D) Solukhumbu
Why: Manang.
Which river forms Nepal's western border?
- A) Mahakali ✔
- B) Karnali
- C) Mechi
- D) Babai
Why: Mahakali.
The Arun river is special because it:
- A) Starts in Tibet and cuts across the Himalaya ✔
- B) Is the shortest river
- C) Flows north
- D) Is seasonal
Why: An antecedent river from Tibet.
Chure rivers are mostly:
- A) Perennial and snow-fed
- B) Seasonal, swelling in monsoon ✔
- C) Underground
- D) Glacial
Why: They depend on rain.
Imja and Tsho Rolpa lakes are:
- A) Glacial lakes ✔
- B) Oxbow lakes
- C) Man-made reservoirs
- D) Tal of the Tarai
Why: Glacial lakes at GLOF risk.