With reference to river Teesta, consider the following statements: 1. The source of river Teesta is the same as that of Brahmaputra but it flows through Sikkim. 2. River Rangeet originates in Sikkim and it is a tributary of river Teesta. 3. River Teesta falls into Bay of Bengal at the border of India and Bangladesh. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

The correct answer is B (2 only). Statement 2 is the only one that holds.

• Statement 1 is wrong. The Teesta rises from the Cholamu lake in North Sikkim, near the Chho Lhamu area. The Brahmaputra rises from the Chemayungdung glacier near Kailash in Tibet. Both are in the Tibet-Sikkim region, but they are different sources.
• Statement 2 is correct. The Rangeet rises in Sikkim and joins the Teesta near the Sikkim-West Bengal border, so it is a right-bank tributary of the Teesta.
• Statement 3 is wrong. The Teesta does not reach the Bay of Bengal directly at the India-Bangladesh border. It flows south through Bangladesh and joins the Jamuna (lower Brahmaputra) near Fulchhari.

The core concept is the drainage system of the Eastern Himalayas, where the Teesta is a major tributary of the Brahmaputra. It matters for Mains GS-1 and GS-2 on inter-state and India-Bangladesh water sharing, where the Teesta water-sharing treaty has remained pending for years.

Trap: Aspirants see that the Teesta and the Brahmaputra both come from the Tibet-Sikkim belt and mark statement 1 as correct. Source location and drainage destination are separate facts, and you must check both.