Which one among the following Indian rivers originates in Maharashtra and flows through Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh to meet the Bay of Bengal in Andhra coast ?

The Krishna River is the second-largest east-flowing peninsular river in India. It originates in the Western Ghats near Mahabaleshwar in the Satara district of Maharashtra [3]. From its source, the river flows approximately 1,400 km across the Deccan Plateau. Its course traverses through the states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Telangana before entering Andhra Pradesh [3]. Finally, it forms a large delta and empties into the Bay of Bengal at the Andhra coast [3]. In contrast, the Godavari originates in Nashik and primarily drains Maharashtra, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh [4]. The Cauvery originates in Karnataka and flows through Tamil Nadu, while the Mahanadi originates in Chhattisgarh and flows through Odisha [2]. Therefore, the Krishna is the only river among the options that originates in Maharashtra and flows through both Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh to reach the Bay of Bengal.

Sources

1. [3] CONTEMPORARY INDIA-I ,Geography, Class IX . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 3: Drainage > The Godavari Basin > p. 21
2. [1] INDIA PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 3: Drainage System > River Systems of the Peninsular Drainage > p. 24
3. [4] INDIA PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 3: Drainage System > River Systems of the Peninsular Drainage > p. 23
4. [2] CONTEMPORARY INDIA-I ,Geography, Class IX . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 3: Drainage > The Krishna Basin > p. 22