CHAPTER

DRAINAGE SYSTEM

Y
ou have observed water flowing through 2006) in this class . Can you, then, explain the
the rivers, nalas and even channels reason for water flowing from one direction to
during rainy season which drain the the other? Why do the rivers originating from the
excess water. Had these channels not been Himalayas in the northern India and the Western
there, large-scale flooding would have Ghat in the southern India flow towards the east
occurred. Wherever channels are ill-defined or and discharge their waters in the Bay of Bengal?
choked, flooding is a common phenomenon.

The flow of water through well-defined

channels is known as ‘drainage’ and the
network of such channels is called a
‘drainage system’. The drainage pattern
of an area is the outcome of the geological
time period, nature and structure of
rocks, topography, slope, amount of
water flowing and the periodicity of
the flow.

Do you have a river near your village or city?

Have you ever been there for boating or bathing? Figure 3.1 : A River in the Mountainous Region
Is it perennial (always with water) or ephemeral
(water during rainy season, and dry, otherwise)? A river drains the water collected from a
Do you know that rivers flow in the same specific area, which is called its ‘catchment area’.
direction? You have studied about slopes in the An area drained by a river and its tributaries
other two textbooks of geography (NCERT, is called a drainage basin. The boundary line

Important Drainage Patterns

(i) The drainage pattern resembling the branches of a tree is known as “dendritic” the examples
of which are the rivers of northern plain.
(ii) When the rivers originate from a hill and flow in all directions, the drainage pattern is known
as ‘radial’. The rivers originating from the Amarkantak range present a good example of it.
(iii) When the primary tributaries of rivers flow parallel to each other and secondary tributaries
join them at right angles, the pattern is known as ‘trellis’.
(iv) When the rivers discharge their waters from all directions in a lake or depression, the
pattern is know as ‘centripetal’.
Find out some of the patterns in the topo sheet given in Chapter 5 of Practical Work in
Geography– Part I (NCERT, 2006).

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22 INDIA : PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

Figure 3.2 : Major Rivers of India

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DRAINAGE SYSTEM 23

separating one drainage basin from the other in the Bay of Bengal. Identify these rivers of the
is known as the watershed. The catchments of South India.
large rivers are called river basins while those The Narmada and Tapi are two large rivers
of small rivulets and rills are often referred to which are exceptions. They along with many
as watersheds. There is, however, a slight small rivers discharge their waters in the
difference between a river basin and a Arabian Sea.
watershed. Watersheds are small in area while Name these rivers of the western coastal
the basins cover larger areas. region from the Konkan to the Malabar coast.
River basins and watersheds are marked On the basis of the mode of origin, nature
by unity. What happens in one part of the and characteristics, the Indian drainage may
basin or watershed directly affects the other also be classified into the Himalayan drainage
parts and the unit as a whole. That is why, they and the Peninsular drainage. Although it has
are accepted as the most appropriate micro, the problem of including the Chambal, the
meso or macro planning regions. Betwa, the Son, etc. which are much older in
Indian drainage system may be divided on age and origin than other rivers that have their
various bases. On the basis of discharge of water origin in the Himalayas, it is the most accepted
(orientations to the sea), it may be grouped into: basis of classification. Hence, this scheme has
(i) the Arabian Sea drainage; and (ii) the Bay of been followed in this book.
Bengal drainage. They are separated from each
other through the Delhi ridge, the Aravalis and DRAINAGE SYSTEMS OF INDIA
the Sahyadris (water divide is shown by a line
Indian drainage system consists of a large
in Figure 3.1). Nearly 77 per cent of the drainage
number of small and big rivers. It is the outcome
area consisting of the Ganga, the Brahmaputra,
of the evolutionary process of the three major
the Mahanadi, the Krishna, etc. is oriented
physiographic units and the nature and
towards the Bay of Bengal while 23 per cent
characteristics of precipitation.
comprising the Indus, the Narmada, the Tapi,
the Mahi and the Periyar systems discharge
THE HIMALAYAN DRAINAGE
their waters in the Arabian Sea.
On the basis of the size of the watershed, The Himalayan drainage system has evolved
the drainage basins of India are grouped into through a long geological history. It mainly
three categories: (i) Major river basins with includes the Ganga, the Indus and the
more than 20,000 sq. km of catchment area. Brahmaputra river basins. Since these are fed
It includes 14 drainage basins such as the both by melting of snow and precipitation,
Ganga, the Brahmaputra, the Krishna, the rivers of this system are perennial. These rivers
Tapi, the Narmada, the Mahi, the Pennar, the pass through the giant gorges carved out by
Sabarmati, the Barak, etc. (Appendix III). (ii) the erosional activity carried on simultaneously
Medium river basins with catchment area with the uplift of the Himalayas. Besides deep
between 2,000-20,000 sq. km incorporating gorges, these rivers also form V-shaped valleys,
44 river basins such as the Kalindi, the Periyar, rapids and waterfalls in their mountainous
the Meghna, etc. (iii) Minor river basins with
catchment area of less than 2,000 sq. km
include fairly good number of rivers flowing in
the area of low rainfall.
If you look at the Figure 3.1 you can see
that many rivers have their sources in the
Himalayas and discharge their waters either in
the Bay of Bengal or in the Arabian Sea. Identify
these rivers of North India. Large rivers flowing
on the Peninsular plateau have their origin in
the Western Ghats and discharge their waters Figure 3.3 : Rapids

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24 INDIA : PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

course. While entering the plains, they form the Potwar Plateau (Delhi Ridge), which acted
depositional features like flat valleys, ox-bow as the water divide between the Indus and
lakes, flood plains, braided channels, and Ganga drainage systems. Likewise, the down-
deltas near the river mouth. In the Himalayan thrusting of the Malda gap area between the
reaches, the course of these rivers is highly Rajmahal hills and the Meghalaya plateau
tortous, but over the plains they display a during the mid-pleistocene period, diverted the
strong meandering tendency and shift their Ganga and the Brahmaputra systems to flow
courses frequently. River Kosi, also know as towards the Bay of Bengal.
the ‘sorrow of Bihar’, has been notorious for
frequently changing its course. The Kosi brings THE RIVER SYSTEMS OF THE
huge quantity of sediments from its upper HIMALAYAN DRAINAGE
reaches and deposits it in the plains. The
course gets blocked, and consequently, the The Himalayan drainage consists of several
river changes its course. Why does the Kosi river systems but the following are the major
river bring such huge quantity of sediments river systems:
from the upper reaches? Do you think that
The Indus System
the discharge of the water in the rivers in
general and the Kosi in particular, remains the It is one of the largest river basins of the world,
same, or does it fluctuate? When does the river covering an area of 11,65,000 sq. km (in India
course receive the maximum quantity of water? it is 321, 289 sq. km and a total length of 2,880
What are the positive and negative effects of km (in India 1,114 km). The Indus also
flooding? known as the Sindhu, is the westernmost of
the Himalayan rivers in India. It originates
EVOLUTION OF THE HIMALAYAN DRAINAGE from a glacier near Bokhar Chu (31°15' N
latitude and 81°40' E longitude) in the
There are difference of opinion about the
Tibetan region at an altitude of 4,164 m in
evolution of the Himalayan rivers. However,
the Kailash Mountain range. In Tibet, it is
geologists believe that a mighty river called
known as ‘Singi Khamban; or Lion’s mouth.
Shiwalik or Indo-Brahma traversed the entire After flowing in the northwest direction
longitudinal extent of the Himalaya from Assam between the Ladakh and Zaskar ranges, it
to Punjab and onwards to Sind, and finally passes through Ladakh and Baltistan. It cuts
discharged into the Gulf of Sind near lower across the Ladakh range, forming a
Punjab during the Miocene period some 5-24 spectacular gorge near Gilgit in Jammu and
million years ago (See the table of geological Kashmir. It enters into Pakistan near Chilas
times scale in Chapter 2 of Fundamentals of in the Dardistan region. Find out the area
Physical Geography, NCER T, 2006). The known as Dardistan.
remarkable continuity of the Shiwalik and its The Indus receives a number of Himalayan
lacustrine origin and alluvial deposits tributaries such as the Shyok, the Gilgit, the
consisting of sands, silt, clay, boulders and Zaskar, the Hunza, the Nubra, the Shigar, the
conglomerates support this viewpoint. Gasting and the Dras. It finally emerges out of
It is opined that in due course of time Indo– the hills near Attock where it receives the Kabul
Brahma river was dismembered into three main river on its right bank. The other important
drainage systems: (i) the Indus and its five tributaries joining the right bank of the Indus
tributaries in the western part; (ii) the Ganga are the Khurram, the Tochi, the Gomal, the
and its Himalayan tributaries in the central Viboa and the Sangar. They all originate in the
part; and (iii) the stretch of the Brahmaputra Sulaiman ranges. The river flows southward
in Assam and its Himalayan tributaries in the and receives ‘Panjnad’ a little above Mithankot.
eastern part. The dismemberment was The Panjnad is the name given to the five rivers
probably due to the Pleistocene upheaval in of Punjab, namely the Satluj, the Beas, the Ravi,
the western Himalayas, including the uplift of the Chenab and the Jhelum. It finally discharges

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DRAINAGE SYSTEM 25

into the Arabian Sea, east of Karachi. The Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand. Here, it is
Indus flows in India only through Jammu and known as the Bhagirathi. It cuts through the
Kashmir. Central and the Lesser Himalayas in narrow
The Jhelum, an important tributary of the gorges. At Devprayag, the Bhagirathi meets
Indus, rises from a spring at Verinag situated the Alaknanda; hereafter, it is known as the
at the foot of the Pir Panjal in the south-eastern Ganga. The Alaknanda has its source in the
part of the valley of Kashmir. It flows through Satopanth glacier above Badrinath. The
Srinagar and the Wular lake before entering Alaknanda consists of the Dhauli and the
Pakistan through a deep narrow gorge. It joins Vishnu Ganga which meet at Joshimath or
the Chenab near Jhang in Pakistan. Vishnu Prayag. The other tributaries of
The Chenab is the largest tributary of the Alaknanda such as the Pindar joins it at
Indus. It is formed by two streams, the Karna Prayag while Mandakini or Kali Ganga
Chandra and the Bhaga, which join at meets it at Rudra Prayag. The Ganga enters
the plains at Haridwar. From here, it flows first
Tandi near Keylong in Himachal Pradesh.
to the south, then to the south-east and east
Hence, it is also known as Chandrabhaga.
before splitting into two distributaries, namely
The river flows for 1,180 km before entering
the Bhagirathi and the Hugli. The river has a
into Pakistan.
length of 2,525 km . It is shared by
The Ravi is another important tributary of
Uttarakhand (110 km) and Uttar Pradesh
the Indus. It rises west of the Rohtang pass in
(1,450 km), Bihar (445 km) and West Bengal
the Kullu hills of Himachal Pradesh and flows
(520 km). The Ganga basin covers about 8.6
through the Chamba valley of the state. Before lakh sq. km area in India alone. The Ganga
entering Pakistan and joining the Chenab near river system is the largest in India having a
Sarai Sidhu, it drains the area lying between number of perennial and non-perennial rivers
the southeastern part of the Pir Panjal and the originating in the Himalayas in the north and
Dhauladhar ranges. the Peninsula in the south, respectively. The
The Beas is another important tributary of Son is its major right bank tributary. The
the Indus, originating from the Beas Kund near important left bank tributaries are the
the Rohtang Pass at an elevation of 4,000 m Ramganga, the Gomati, the Ghaghara, the
above the mean sea level. The river flows Gandak, the Kosi and the Mahananda. The
through the Kullu valley and forms gorges at river finally discharges itself into the Bay of
Kati and Largi in the Dhaoladhar range. It Bengal near the Sagar Island.
enters the Punjab plains where it meets the The Yamuna, the western most and the
Satluj near Harike. longest tributary of the Ganga, has its source
The Satluj originates in the Rakas lake near in the Yamunotri glacier on the western slopes
Mansarovar at an altitude of 4,555 m in Tibet of Banderpunch range (6,316 km). It joins the
where it is known as Langchen Khambab. It Ganga at Prayag (Allahabad). It is joined by
flows almost parallel to the Indus for about 400 the Chambal, the Sind, the Betwa and the Ken
km before entering India, and comes out of a on its right bank which originates from the
gorge at Rupar. It passes through the Shipki Peninsular plateau while the Hindan, the Rind,
La on the Himalayan ranges and enters the the Sengar, the Varuna, etc. join it on its left
Punjab plains. It is an antecedent river. It is a bank. Much of its water feeds the western and
very important tributary as it feeds the canal eastern Yamuna and the Agra canals for
system of the Bhakra Nangal project. irrigation purposes.

The Ganga System Name the states which are drained by

the river Yamuna.
The Ganga is the most important river of India
both from the point of view of its basin and The Chambal rises near Mhow in the
cultural significance. It rises in the Gangotri Malwa plateau of Madhya Pradesh and flows
glacier near Gaumukh (3,900 m) in the northwards through a gorge up wards of Kota

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26 INDIA : PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

in Rajasthan, where the Gandhisagar dam has the Ganga, originating in the Amarkantak
been constructed. From Kota, it traverses down plateau. After forming a series of waterfalls at
to Bundi, Sawai Madhopur and Dholpur, and the edge of the plateau, it reaches Arrah, west
finally joins the Yamuna. The Chambal is of Patna, to join the Ganga.
famous for its badland topography called the
Chambal ravines. The Brahmaputra System
The Gandak comprises two streams,
The Brahmaputra, one of the largest rivers
namely Kaligandak and Trishulganga. It rises
of the world, has its origin in the
in the Nepal Himalayas between the Dhaulagiri
Chemayungdung glacier of the Kailash range
and Mount Everest and drains the central part
near the Mansarovar lake. From here, it
of Nepal. It enters the Ganga plain in
traverses eastward longitudinally for a
Champaran district of Bihar and joins the
distance of nearly 1,200 km in a dry and
Ganga at Sonpur near Patna.
flat region of southern Tibet, where it is
The Ghaghara originates in the glaciers of
known as the Tsangpo, which means ‘the
Mapchachungo. After collecting the waters of
purifier.’ The Rango Tsangpo is the major
its tributaries – Tila, Seti and Beri, it comes
right bank tributary of this river in Tibet. It
out of the mountain, cutting a deep gorge at
emerges as a turbulent and dynamic river
Shishapani. The river Sarda (Kali or Kali
after carving out a deep gorge in the Central
Ganga) joins it in the plain before it finally meets
Himalayas near Namcha Barwa (7,755 m).
the Ganga at Chhapra.
The river emerges from the foothills under
The Kosi is an antecedent river with its
the name of Siang or Dihang. It enters India
source to the north of Mount Everest in Tibet,
west of Sadiya town in Arunachal Pradesh.
where its main stream Arun rises. After
Flowing southwest, it receives its main left
crossing the Central Himalayas in Nepal, it is
bank tributaries, viz., Dibang or Sikang and
joined by the Son Kosi from the West and the
Lohit; thereafter, it is known as the
Tamur Kosi from the east. It forms Sapt Kosi
Brahmaputra.
after uniting with the river Arun.
The Brahmaputra receives numerous
The Ramganga is comparatively a small
tributaries in its 750 km long journey through
river rising in the Garhwal hills near Gairsain.
the Assam valley. Its major left bank
It changes its course to the southwest direction
tributaries are the Burhi Dihing and Dhansari
after crossing the Shiwalik and enters into the
(South) whereas the important right bank
plains of Uttar Pradesh near Najibabad. Finally,
tributaries are the Subansiri, Kameng, Manas
it joins the Ganga near Kannauj.
and Sankosh. The Subansiri which has its
The Damodar occupies the eastern margins
origin in Tibet, is an antecedent river. The
of the Chotanagpur Plateau where it flows
Brahmaputra enters into Bangladesh near
through a rift valley and finally joins the Hugli.
Dhubri and flows southward. In Bangladesh,
The Barakar is its main tributary. Once known
the Tista joins it on its right bank from where
as the ‘sorrow of Bengal’, the Damodar has
the river is known as the Yamuna. It finally
been now tamed by the Damodar Valley
merges with the river Padma, which falls in the
corporation, a multipurpose project.
Bay of Bengal. The Brahmaputra is well-known
The Sarda or Saryu river rises in the Milam
for floods, channel shifting and bank erosion.
glacier in the Nepal Himalayas where it is
This is due to the fact that most of its tributaries
known as the Goriganga. Along the Indo-Nepal
are large, and bring large quantity of sediments
border, it is called Kali or Chauk, where it joins
owing to heavy rainfall in its catchment area.
the Ghaghara.
The Mahananda is another important
THE PENINSULAR DRAINAGE SYSTEM
tributary of the Ganga rising in the Darjiling
hills. It joins the Ganga as its last left bank The Peninsular drainage system is older than
tributary in West Bengal. the Himalayan one. This is evident from the
The Son is a large south bank tributary of broad, largely-graded shallow valleys, and the

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DRAINAGE SYSTEM 27

maturity of the rivers. The Western Ghats Bengal. It is 851 km long and its catchment area
running close to the western coast act as the spreads over 1.42 lakh sq. km. Some
water divide between the major Peninsular navigation is carried on in the lower course of
rivers, discharging their water in the Bay of this river. Fifty three per cent of the drainage
Bengal and as small rivulets joining the basin of this river lies in Madhya Pradesh and
Arabian Sea. Most of the major Peninsular Chhattisgarh, while 47 per cent lies in Odisha.
rivers except Narmada and Tapi flow from west The Godavari is the largest Peninsular river
to east. The Chambal, the Sind, the Betwa, the system. It is also called the Dakshin Ganga. It
Ken, the Son, originating in the northern part rises in the Nasik district of Maharashtra and
of the Peninsula belong to the Ganga river discharges its water into the Bay of Bengal. Its
system. The other major river systems of the tributaries run through the states of
Peninsular drainage are – the Mahanadi the Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh,
Godavari, the Krishna and the Kaveri. Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. It is 1,465 km
Peninsular rivers are characterised by fixed long with a catchment area spreading over 3.13
course, absence of meanders and non- lakh sq. km 49 per cent of this, lies in
perennial flow of water. The Narmada and the Maharashtra, 20 per cent in Madhya Pradesh
Tapi which flow through the rift valley are, and Chhattisgarh, and the rest in Andhra
Pradesh. The Penganga, the Indravati, the
however, exceptions.
Pranhita, and the Manjra are its principal
tributaries. The Godavari is subjected to heavy
The Evolution of Peninsular Drainage
floods in its lower reaches to the south of
System
Polavaram, where it forms a picturesque gorge.
Three major geological events in the distant It is navigable only in the deltaic stretch. The
past have shaped the present drainage river after Rajamundri splits into several
systems of Peninsular India: (i) Subsidence branches forming a large delta.
of the western flank of the Peninsula leading The Krishna is the second largest east-
to its submergence below the sea during the flowing Peninsular river which rises near
early tertiary period. Generally, it has Mahabaleshwar in Sahyadri. Its total length is
disturbed the symmetrical plan of the river 1,401 km. The Koyna, the Tungbhadra and
on either side of the original watershed. the Bhima are its major tributaries. Of the total
(ii) Upheaval of the Himalayas when the catchment area of the Krishna, 27 per cent lies
northern flank of the Peninsular block was in Maharashtra, 44 per cent in Karnataka and
subjected to subsidence and the consequent 29 per cent in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
trough faulting. The Narmada and The Tapi The Kaveri rises in Brahmagiri hills
flow in trough faults and fill the original (1,341m) of Kogadu district in Karnataka. Its
cracks with their detritus materials. Hence, length is 800 km and it drains an area of
there is a lack of alluvial and deltaic deposits 81,155 sq. km. Since the upper catchment
in these rivers. (iii) Slight tilting of the area receives rainfall during the southwest
Peninsular block from northwest to the monsoon season (summer) and the lower part
southeastern direction gave orientation to the during the northeast monsoon season (winter),
entire drainage system towards the Bay of the river carries water throughout the year with
comparatively less fluctuation than the other
Bengal during the same period.
Peninsular rivers. About 3 per cent of the Kaveri
basin falls in Kerala, 41 per cent in Karnataka
River Systems of the Peninsular Drainage
and 56 per cent in Tamil Nadu. Its important
There are a large number of river systems in tributaries are the Kabini, the Bhavani and the
the Peninsular drainage. A brief account of the Amravati.
major Peninsular river systems is given below: The Narmada originates on the western flank
The Mahanadi rises near Sihawa in Raipur of the Amarkantak plateau at a height of about
district of Chhattisgarh and runs through 1,057 m. Flowing in a rift valley between the
Odisha to discharge its water into the Bay of Satpura in the south and the Vindhyan range

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28 INDIA : PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

in the north, it forms a picturesque gorge in Find out the name of the river on which
marble rocks and Dhuandhar waterfall near the Gersoppa (Jog) fall is found.
Jabalpur. After flowing a distance of about
1,312 km, it meets the Arabian sea south of Goa has two important rivers which can be
Bharuch, forming a broad 27 km long estuary. mentioned here. One is Mandovi and the other
Its catchment area is about 98,796 sq. km. The is Juari. You can locate them on the map.
Sardar Sarovar Project has been constructed Kerala has a narrow coastline. The longest
on this river. river of Kerala, Bharathapuzha rises near
The Tapi is the other important westward Annamalai hills. It is also known as Ponnani.
flowing river. It originates from Multai in the Betul It drains an area of 5,397 sq. km. Compare its
district of Madhya Pradesh. It is 724 km long catchment area with that of the Sharavati river
and drains an area of 65,145 sq. km. Nearly 79 of Karnataka.
per cent of its basin lies in Maharashtra, 15 per The Periyar is the second largest river of
cent in Madhya Pradesh and the remaining Kerala. Its catchment area is 5,243 sq. km.
6 per cent in Gujarat. You can see that there is a marginal difference
Luni is the largest river system of in the catchment area of the Bhartapuzha and
Rajasthan, west of Aravali. It originates near the Periyar rivers.
Pushkar in two branches, i.e. the Saraswati Another river of Kerala worth mentioning is
and the Sabarmati, which join with each other the Pamba river which falls in the Vemobanad
at Govindgarh. From here, the river comes out lake after traversing a course of 177 km.
of Aravali and is known as Luni. It flows
Teachers may explain the comparative
towards the west till Telwara and then takes a importance of west flowing small rivers
southwest direction to join the Rann of River Catchment area
Kuchchh. The entire river system is ephemeral. sq. km
Sabarmati 21,674
Smaller Rivers Flowing Towards the West Mahi 34,842
Dhandhar 2,770
The rivers flowing towards the Arabian sea Kalinadi 5,179
have short courses. Why do they have short Sharavati 2,029
courses? Find out the smaller rivers of Bharathapuzha 5,397
Gujarat. The Shetruniji is one such river Periyar 5,243
which rises near Dalkahwa in Amreli district.
The Bhadra originates near Aniali village in Small Rivers Flowing towards the East
Rajkot district. The Dhadhar rises near There are a large number of rivers flowing
Ghantar village in Panchmahal district. towards the east along with their tributaries.
Sabarmati and Mahi are the two famous rivers
Can you name some of these rivers? There are
of Gujarat.
small rivers which join the Bay of Bengal,
Find out the places of confluence of these though small, these are important in their own
rivers. Find out some important west right. The Subarnrekha, the Baitarni, the
flowing rivers of Maharashtra. Brahmani, the Vamsadhara, the Penner, the
Palar and the Vaigai are important rivers. Find
The Vaitarna rises from the Trimbak hills out these rivers from the atlas.
in Nasik district at an elevation of 670 m. The
Teachers may explain the comparative
Kalinadi rises from Belgaum district and falls
importance of east flowing small rivers
in the Karwar Bay. The source of Bedti river
River Catchment area
lies in Hubli Dharwar and traverses a course
sq. km
of 161 km. The Sharavati is another important
Subarnarekha 19,296
river in Karnataka flowing towards the west. Baitarni 12,789
The Sharavati originates in Shimoga district Brahmani 39,033
of Karnataka and drains a catchment area of Penner 55,213
2,209 sq. km. Palar 17,870

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DRAINAGE SYSTEM 29

Table 3.1 : Comparison between the Himalayan and the Peninsular River

Sl. No. Aspects Himalayan River Peninsular River

1. Place of origin Himalayan mountain covered with Peninsular plateau and central highland
glaciers
2. Nature of flow Perennial; receive water from glacier Seasonal; dependent on monsoon
and rainfall rainfall
3. Type of drainage Antecedent and consequent leading to Super imposed, rejuvenated resulting
dendritic pattern in plains in trellis, radial and rectangular
patterns
4. Nature of river Long course, flowing through the Smaller, fixed course with well-adjusted
rugged mountains experiencing valleys
headward erosion and river capturing;
In plains meandering and shifting of
course

5. Catchment area Very large basins Relatively smaller basin

6. Age of the river Young and youthful, active and Old rivers with graded profile, and have
deepening in the valleys almost reached their base levels

RIVER REGIMES sizeable flow in the early part of summer due

to snow melt before the monsoon rains begin.
Do you know that the quantity of water
The mean maximum discharge of the Ganga
flowing in a river channel is not the same
at Farakka is about 55,000 cusecs while the
throughout the year? It varies from season
mean minimum is only 1,300 cusecs. What
to season. In which season do you expect the
factors are responsible for such a large
maximum flow in Ganga and Kaveri? The
pattern of flow of water in a river channel over difference?
The two Peninsular rivers display
a year is known as its regime. The north Indian
interesting differences in their regimes
rivers originating from the Himalayas are
compared to the Himalayan rivers. The
perennial as they are fed by glaciers through
snow melt and also receive rainfall water during Narmada has a very low volume of discharge
rainy season. The rivers of South India do not from January to July but it suddenly rises in
originate from glaciers and their flow pattern August when the maximum flow is attained.
witnesses fluctuations. The flow increases The fall in October is as spectacular as the rise
considerably during monsoon rains. Thus, the in August. The flow of water in the Narmada,
regime of the rivers of South India is controlled as recorded at Garudeshwar, shows that the
by rainfall which also varies from one part of maximum flow is of the order of 2,300 cusecs,
the Peninsular plateau to the other. while the minimum flow is only 15 cusecs. The
The discharge is the volume of water flowing Godavari has the minimum discharge in May,
and the maximum in July-August. After
in a river measured over time. It is measured
August, there is a sharp fall in water flow
either in cusecs (cubic feet per second) or
although the volume of flow in October and
cumecs (cubic metres per second).
The Ganga has its minimum flow during November is higher than that in any of the
the January-June period. The maximum flow months from January to May. The mean
is attained either in August or in September. maximum discharge of the Godavari at
After September, there is a steady fall in the Polavaram is 3,200 cusecs while the mean
flow. The river, thus, has a monsoon regime minimum flow is only 50 cusecs. These figures
during the rainy season. give an idea of the regime of the river.
There are striking differences in the river
EXTENT OF USABILITY OF RIVER WATER
regimes in the eastern and the western parts
of the Ganga Basin. The Ganga maintains a The rivers of India carry huge volumes of water

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30 INDIA : PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

per year but it is unevenly distributed both in find out the difficulties posed by the
time and space. There are perennial rivers unevenness of the terrain. How can the water
carrying water throughout the year while the be lifted from the plain area to the plateau area?
non-perennial rivers have very little water during Is there sufficient surplus water in the north
the dry season. During the rainy season, much Indian rivers which can be transferred on a
of the water is wasted in floods and flows down regular basis? Organise a debate on the whole
to the sea. Similarly, when there is a flood in one issue and prepare a write up. How do you rank
part of the country, the other area suffers from the following problems in using river water?
drought. Why does this happen? Is it the
(i) No availability in sufficient quantity
problem of availability of water resource or that
(ii) River water pollution
of its management? Can you suggest some
(iii) Load of silt in the river water
measures to mitigate the problems of floods and
(iv) Uneven seasonal flow of water
droughts simultaneously occuring in different
(v) River water disputes between states
parts of the country? (See Chapter 7 of the book).
(vi) Shrinking of channels due to the extension
Can these problems be solved or minimised of settlements towards the thalweg.
by trasfering the surplus water from one basin
Why are the rivers polluted? Have you seen
to the water deficit basins? Do we have some
the dirty waters of cities entering into the
schemes of inter-basin linkage? rivers? Where do the industrial affluents and
wastes get disposed of ? Most of the cremation
Teachers may explain the following
grounds are on the banks of rivers and the
examples
• Periyar Diversion Scheme dead bodies are sometimes thrown in the
• Indira Gandhi Canal Project rivers. On the occasion of some festivals, the
• Kurnool-Cuddapah Canal flowers and statues are immersed in the rivers.
• Beas-Satluj Link Canal Large scale bathing and washing of clothes
• Ganga-Kaveri Link Canal also pollute river waters. How can the rivers
be made pollution free? Have you read about
Have you read in the newspapers about the Ganga Action Plan, or about a campaign for
linking of rivers? Do you think that digging a cleaning the Yamuna at Delhi? Collect
canal is enough to transfer water from the Ganga materials on schemes for making rivers
basin to the Peninsular river? What is the major pollution free and organise the materials in a
problem? Consult Chapter 2 of this book and write up.

EXERCISES

1. Choose the right answer from the four alternatives given below.
(i) Which one of the following rivers was known as the ‘Sorrow of Bengal’?
(a) The Gandak (c) The Kosi
(b) The Son (d) The Damodar
(ii) Which one of the following rivers has the largest river basin in India?
(a) The Indus (c) The Ganga
(b) The Brahmaputra (d) The Krishna
(iii) Which one of the following rivers is not included in ‘Panchnad’?
(a) The Ravi (c) The Indus
(b) The Chenab (d) The Jhelum
(iv) Which one of the following rivers flows in a rift valley?
(a) The Son (c) The Yamuna
(b) The Narmada (d) The Luni

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DRAINAGE SYSTEM 31

(v) Which one of the following is the place of confluence of the Alaknanda and the
Bhagirathi?
(a) Vishnu Prayag (c) Karan Prayag
(b) Rudra Prayag (d) Deva Prayag
2. State the differences between the following.
(i) River Basin and Watershed
(ii) Dendritic and Trellis drainage pattern
(iii) Radial and Centripetal drainage pattern
(iv) Delta and Estuary
3. Answer the following questions in about 30 words.
(i) What are the socio-economic advantages of inter-linking of rivers in India?
(ii) Write three characterstics of the Peninsular river.
4. Answer the following questions in not more than 125 words.
(i) What are the important characteristic features of north Indian rivers? How are
these different from Peninsular rivers?
(ii) Suppose you are travelling from Haridwar to Siliguri along the foothills of the
Himalayas. Name the important rivers you will come across. Describe the
characteristics of any one of them.
Project/Activity
Study the Appendix III and answer the following questions.
(i) Which river has the largest proportion of catchment area in the country?
(ii) Make a comparative bar diagram on a graph paper to show the length of the
courses of the rivers.

2017-18