NCERT Solutions for Class 5th The World Around Us Chapter 2 Journey of a River
Updated on 2026-09-19
About this chapter
A river starts small and grows as it travels. The Godavari begins in the Brahmagiri Hills of the Western Ghats at Trimbakeshwar in Maharashtra. The place where a river begins is called its origin . At the start she is only a thin stream. As she moves across the land, rainwater and other small streams join her and she becomes wider and stronger. A small stream or river that joins a bigger river is called a tributary . Three of the Godavari's tributaries are named on the map — the Manjira , the Indravati and the Sabari . She is India's second longest river. The book says she travels 1,465 kilometres before joining the Bay of Bengal . Only the Ganga is longer. She is also called Dakshina Ganga — the Ganga of the south — because she flows through southern India and people treat her as sacred.
- Where I Begin, Where I Flow
- Look at the image given below and answer the following
- The Many Ways I Support Lives
- How people depend on the Godavari
- Make a poster on the ways rivers help people
- Dams
- Problems after a dam is built
- What Pollutes Me and Why it Matters
- Water bodies then and now
- What our waste would do to a river
Quick revision
| Word | What it means | Where it appears | An everyday example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Origin | The place where a river begins | Page 21, the Godavari's story | The Brahmagiri Hills at Trimbakeshwar |
| Tributary | A small stream or river that joins a bigger river | Page 21; the map on page 22 | The Manjira joining the Godavari |
| Perennial river | A river that has water all through the year | The Life I Hold, page 23 | The Godavari, even in summer |
| Seasonal river | A river that flows only when the rains fill it | The Life I Hold, page 23 | A village nala that dries up after the monsoon |
| Delta | The flat land made where a river splits into many streams before the sea | Page 23 | The Coringa Mangrove Forests |
| Mangrove forest | A salty-water forest that grows where a river meets the sea | Page 23 | Coringa, where the Godavari ends |
| Livelihood | The work a person does to earn a living | The Many Ways I Support Lives, page 24 | Fishing, farming, boating |
| Ecotourism | Visiting natural places to enjoy and learn, without harming them | Page 25 | A guided river-rafting or bird-watching trip |
| Dam | A giant wall across a river that blocks and stores its water | Dams, page 26 | The Polavaram Dam |
| Reservoir | The large water body that fills up behind a dam | Dams, page 26 | The lake behind Sriram Sagar Project |
| Pollution | Waste, plastic, chemicals or dirty water spoiling the river | What Pollutes Me, page 27 | A drain emptying into a river |
| Dissolve | To mix into water completely, so it cannot be seen any more | Activity 3, page 29 | Sugar stirred into a glass of water |
| ‘Green blanket’ | A thick cover of fast-growing plants over the water surface | Activity 4, page 30 | A pond fully covered with green weed |
| Flood | Water rising over the river banks and spreading over the land | When a River Floods, page 31 | Water standing in fields and streets after very heavy rain |
| Evacuate | To leave a dangerous place and go somewhere safe | Activity 6, page 33 | Moving to a school building on higher ground |
| Water ATM | A machine that gives clean water for a card or a coin | Page 36 | A water ATM at a bus stand |
Exercises
- Where I Begin, Where I Flow — In-text Question Page 21
- Look at the image given below and answer the following — In-text Questions Page 22
- The Many Ways I Support Lives — In-text Question Page 24
- How people depend on the Godavari — In-text Questions Page 25–26
- Make a poster on the ways rivers help people — Activity 1 Page 26
- Dams — In-text Question Page 26
- Problems after a dam is built — Write Page 27
- What Pollutes Me and Why it Matters — Write Page 28
- Water bodies then and now — Discuss Page 28
- What our waste would do to a river — Activity 2 Page 29
- Sugar and oil in two glasses of water — Activity 3 Page 29–30
- Two pictures of a river — Activity 4 Page 30
- Protecting the water bodies near you — Write Page 31
- Match the Columns — Activity 5 Page 32
- Flood Safety Tips — Activity 6 Page 33
- Role-play as Sarpanch or Municipal Corporator — Activity 7 Page 34
- When a River Runs Dry! — In-text Questions Page 35
- Closing questions — Let us reflect Page 37