Identify the river of the Indian sub-continent on the basis of the following information: 1. It has an antecedent drainage system. 2. It flows through three countries. 3. It originates in the Tibetan Plateau and is an important river for irrigation. 4. It does not form distributaries.

Option (C) — Sutlej

• The Sutlej River originates near Lake Rakshastal (close to Lake Mansarovar) on the Tibetan Plateau and has an antecedent drainage system, meaning it predates the Himalayan uplift and has cut through the rising mountains.
• The Sutlej flows through three countries: China (Tibet), India (Himachal Pradesh and Punjab), and Pakistan (Punjab province), where it joins the Chenab to eventually form the Panjnad.
• The Sutlej is a crucial irrigation river, feeding the Bhakra-Nangal Dam and extensive canal systems in Punjab (both Indian and Pakistani sides), including the Indira Gandhi Canal system indirectly.
• Unlike the Brahmaputra or Indus, the Sutlej does not form a significant delta or distributary system. It merges into the Chenab River in Pakistan before reaching the Indus.