Which river in eastern India is popularly known as the Sorrow of Bengal because of its destructive floods?

Introduction / Context:
Many rivers in India have traditional nicknames that reflect their behaviour and impact on the regions they flow through. This question asks you to identify which river has been called the Sorrow of Bengal because of its history of destructive floods. Such names often appear in both geography and history questions.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The rivers listed are Son, Damodar, Hooghly and Kosi.
• The phrase Sorrow of Bengal refers to the impact on parts of Bengal, not on distant regions.
• We assume the classic terminology used before large scale flood control projects were implemented.
• Modern mitigation may have reduced flood damage, but the historical nickname remains important in exams.

Concept / Approach:
The Damodar River, which flows through Jharkhand and West Bengal, used to flood large areas in its lower valley almost every year, damaging crops, settlements and infrastructure. Because of these frequent and destructive floods, it gained the nickname Sorrow of Bengal. The correct approach is to distinguish this from the Kosi River, which is called the Sorrow of Bihar, and from other rivers that do not carry this particular label.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that the Damodar flows eastward from the Chotanagpur Plateau towards the plains of West Bengal, where it joins the Hugli system.Step 2: Historically, the river used to overflow its banks during the monsoon, causing extensive damage in districts of Bengal.Step 3: These recurring floods led local people and administrators to describe the Damodar as a river that brought sorrow rather than benefit, hence the famous nickname.Step 4: In contrast, Kosi is known as the Sorrow of Bihar, not Bengal, so Damodar is the correct answer for this specific phrase.

Verification / Alternative check:
Standard exam oriented geography books often have a table that lists rivers and their nicknames. In such tables, Damodar appears as Sorrow of Bengal, while Kosi is linked with Bihar. Looking up the history of the Damodar Valley Corporation also shows that it was specifically created to control flooding and harness the river for power and irrigation, confirming the earlier flood reputation.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Son River flows through central India and into the Ganga and has not been widely known by this nickname. Hooghly River is a distributary of the Ganga flowing past Kolkata, but it is more associated with ports and trade than with recurring devastating floods that gave rise to the Sorrow of Bengal title. Kosi River is indeed called the Sorrow of Bihar, so while it has a similar kind of nickname, it is attached to a different state and therefore not correct in this context.

Common Pitfalls:
Students frequently confuse Damodar and Kosi because both are associated with destructive floods and sorrow based nicknames. The key distinction is that Damodar is linked to Bengal and Kosi to Bihar. Some learners also incorrectly assume that Hooghly, because of its importance in Bengal, might carry this nickname, but that is not supported by standard references.

Final Answer:
The river known as the Sorrow of Bengal is the Damodar River, due to its historical record of frequent flooding in parts of Bengal.