Identify the Odd One Out:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Mahanadi River
Option (1) Tapti River — rises in the Satpura range of Madhya Pradesh and flows west into the Arabian Sea near Surat.
Option (2) Mandovi River — rises in the Western Ghats of Karnataka and flows west through Goa into the Arabian Sea at Panaji.
Option (3) Mahanadi River — rises in Chhattisgarh and flows east through Odisha into the Bay of Bengal, forming a delta. It is the only east-flowing river here, so the Mahanadi is the odd one out.
Option (4) Narmada River — rises at Amarkantak and flows west through a rift valley into the Arabian Sea (Gulf of Khambhat).