The Bhakra Nangal multipurpose dam project in northern India has been constructed across which river of the Indus river system?

Introduction / Context:
Questions about major river valley projects are standard in Indian geography and general studies. The Bhakra Nangal project is one of the most famous multipurpose river projects in India, associated with irrigation, hydroelectric power, and flood control. Knowing the river on which it is built is essential for exams like SSC, UPSC, state services, and other competitive tests. This question checks whether you can correctly associate Bhakra Nangal with the Sutlej River, which is a key tributary in the Indus river system.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The project mentioned is the Bhakra Nangal multipurpose dam project.
• The question asks across which river this project is constructed.
• The options are Ganga, Sutlej, Cauvery, Brahmaputra, and Beas.
• We assume basic familiarity with major rivers like Ganga, Brahmaputra, Cauvery, and the Indus tributaries.

Concept / Approach:
The Bhakra Nangal project is built on the Sutlej River in the foothills of the Himalayas, near the border of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab. It is a concrete gravity dam and forms the Gobind Sagar reservoir. A key approach for such questions is to remember a few flagship projects for each river: Bhakra Nangal on Sutlej, Hirakud on Mahanadi, Sardar Sarovar on Narmada, and so on. Linking one famous project with its river helps you correctly answer many related objective questions.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify that the topic is river valley projects, specifically Bhakra Nangal. Step 2: Recall that Bhakra Nangal is located in the Sutlej river basin and is a major project of Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan. Step 3: Scan the options and locate Sutlej among the possible rivers. Step 4: Confirm from your memory of standard geography facts that Bhakra Nangal is on the Sutlej River and mark Sutlej as the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
As a quick check, remember that the Ganga and Brahmaputra are associated with other major projects, and Cauvery is located in southern India, not in the Punjab Himachal region where Bhakra Nangal stands. Beas is also a river in the same broad region but is primarily associated with the Beas Satluj link and Pong Dam, not with Bhakra Nangal as the main dam. Geography textbooks and maps clearly label Bhakra Nangal on the Sutlej River, confirming the answer.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Ganga flows mainly through Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and West Bengal, and is connected to different dam projects such as Tehri. Cauvery flows in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and is associated with projects like Krishnaraja Sagar and Mettur, not with Bhakra Nangal. Brahmaputra flows through Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, and into Bangladesh, and is linked with projects such as Subansiri, again not Bhakra Nangal. Beas is a tributary of the Sutlej, and though canal link projects exist, the core Bhakra Nangal dam is not on Beas itself but on the Sutlej River.

Common Pitfalls:
A frequent confusion is between Sutlej and Beas, since both rivers flow through the same general region and are part of the Indus system. Some learners also misplace Bhakra Nangal on the Ganga simply because the Ganga is the most famous north Indian river. To avoid these pitfalls, remember a simple association list: Bhakra Nangal Sutlej, Pong Dam Beas, Hirakud Mahanadi, and Nagarjuna Sagar Krishna. Such pairs will help you quickly eliminate wrong options during exams.

Final Answer:
The Bhakra Nangal multipurpose project has been constructed across the Sutlej River.