Which of the following rivers forms a delta on the eastern coast?

Correct answer: Godavari

The direct answer is A: Godavari forms a delta on the eastern coast. A delta forms when a river slows near its mouth and deposits the sediment it has carried. Godavari flows eastward across Peninsular India and enters the Bay of Bengal. Its large sediment load and distributary channels help create a broad delta on the eastern coastal plain. The reasoning is: identify Godavari; recall that it is an east-flowing Peninsular river; identify its destination as the Bay of Bengal; connect major east-flowing rivers with delta formation on the eastern coast. Option A is correct because Godavari is one of the important east-flowing rivers that forms a delta. Option B is wrong because Narmada flows westward into the Arabian Sea and is associated with an estuary rather than a large delta. Option C is wrong for the same basic reason: Tapi also flows westward into the Arabian Sea. Option D is wrong because Luni is an inland-draining river of the arid region and does not form the large eastern coastal delta described here. The memory cue is: “East-flowing Godavari goes to the Bay of Bengal and builds a delta.”