1

Chapter-3
Drainage

1 marks Questions
1. Name any two pe:nlnsular riven.

Ans. Krishna and Godavari.

2. Name tbe riven that fnnned Sundarban Delta.

Ans. Ganga and Brahmaputra.

3. What la tbe soun:e of river Narmada?

Ans. Amarl<.antak hWs.

4. Which river has a braided channel ln Its entire length?

Ans. Brahmaputra.

5. Name tbe longest river of Peninsular India.

Ans. Godavari.

6. In which state the Wular lab la situated?

Ans. Jammu and Kashmir.

7. What la name of Brahmaputra ln Tibet?

Ans. Tsagpo.
 2
8. Name a river which forms an estuary.

Ans. Narmada.

9. Where does the river Indus rise?

Ans. In Tiber, near the Mansarovar Lake.

10. What It gorge?

Ans. Gorge ls a deep narrow opening formed by the dver in the upper course,e.g., the gorge
formed bythe d ver.

11. What It canyon?

Ans. It ls a deep gorge with steep sides containing many streams, e.g., the Grand Canyon of
the Colorado River.

12. Name the tributaries of River Indus.

Ans. The Zaskar, the Shyok, the Nubra and the Hunza.

13. Which It the largest river buin ln India?

Ans. The Ganga river basin.

14. What It length of the river Ganga?

Ans. About 2500 km.

1S. What It the source of river Yamuna?

Ans. Yamunotri glacier in the H1malayas.

16. Which city ii located at the conftuence of the Yamuna and the Ganga?
Ana. Allahabad.

17. Name two large rivers of India whlchftow Into the Arabian Sea. 3
Ana. The Narmada and the Taptl.

18. From where doe:a the Tapd river arise?

Ana. In the Betul district of Madhya Pradesh.

19. Name the states through which the Tapd river ftowa.

Ana. Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra.

20. Which ii the main water divide In southern India?

Ana. Western Ghats.

 3 marks Questions

L Write a shon note on Sunderban Delta.

Ans. The Sunderban Delta ls the worlds' largest and the rastest growing delta.
Filled by various tributaries, the river Ganga reaches West Bengal.
The Sunderban Delta derived Its name the Sundri lree which grows well :In marshland.
It is also the home or Royal Bengal tiger.

4
2. What la Drainage and drainage basin?

Ans. The term drain.age means the river system of an area. It ls a system of flowing water
from the higher level to lower level
Some small streams flowing from different directions come together to form the main river,
which ultimately drains in 10 a large water body.
The area drained by a single river system ls called a drainage basin.

3. Explain Water Divide with an eu.mple.

Ans. Water Divide is an elevated area or uplands which separate two drainage basins.
Such uplands or elevated areas are known as Water Divide.
'Arnbala' is located at the water divide between the Indus and Ganga River.
It does not receive water from either or the two rivers.

4. From where does the Ganga nrigloate and name the tributaries ofGallga River.

Ans. Water Divide is an elevated area or uplands which separate two drainage basins.
Such uplands or elevated areas are known as Water Divide.
'Ambala' ls located at the water divide between the Indus and Ganga River.
It does not receive water from either or the two riven.

5. From where does the river Brahmaputra orlglnate and name th.e tributaries of
Brahmaputra Jtlver.

Ans. The Brahmaputra originates in Tibet east of Mansarowar Lake very dose to the sources
of the Indus and the Sutlej.
It is Joined by many tributaries Including the Dlbangm the Lohlt, the Kenula to form the
Brahmaputra ln Assam.
5
6. Two features A and B are marked in the given political map of India. Identify these
features with the help of the following information and write their correct names on
the Un,.. madrect on the map.
I) A west flowing dver
II) A river on which the world's highest gravity dam is built
On the same political map locate and label the following
Ill) Chllka lake

•• INDIA
~ IINlf'OUnC.III.I

,.

\l

---
--
Ana.
 N
• INDIA

t ...."
,.
;
,. ""- --
,
• l,' r

r ·1
........,
••
...
An.ilfl

I
~

\ '-1 ,
.-. ,..
•
--
--- 6

I . 0 I A Ii O (: lA •

7. From where does the Indus originate and name the crtbutaries oflndua River.

Ana. The Indus River ori&Jnates in Tibe1, near Lake Mansarowar flows towards west.
Many tributaries the Zaskar, the Nubra, the Shyok and the Hunza, join it In the Kashmir
region.
Near Mithankot in Pakistan, the Sutlej, the Beas, the Ravi. the Chenab and the jhelum join
together to enter the Indus.

8. Write a sh ort note on river Tapl Basin

Ans. The Tapi originates in the Satpura ranges in the Betul district of Madhya Pradesh.
It is much shorter in the length flowing in a rift valley parallel to the narmada.
Its basin covers the parts of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.
The coastal plains are very narrow lying between Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea.
9. Wdte a short note o.- Mabanadl baaln.

Ans. The Mahanadi rises in the highlands of Chhattisgarh flowing through Orlssa to reach to
Bay of Bengal.
Its length Is about 860 km.
The drainage basin lncludes Maharashtra, Chhattlsgarh, Jharkhand and Orlssa.

10, Write a ahort note on Krishna buin.

Ana. The Krishna rises from a spring near Mahabaleshwar extending over about 1400 km
and reaches the Bay of Bengal.
The Tungabhadra, the Koyana, the Ghatprabha, the Musi and the Bhima are some of Its
tributaries.
Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh are Involved in Its dralnage system
7
11. Write a short note on Kaverl ba&ln.

Ana. It also reaches the Bay of Bengal rising In the Brahmagri range of the Western Ghats.
It particulady reaches In the south of Cuddalore In Tamil Nadu.
Its total length ls about 760 km.
The Amravati, Bhavani, Hemavati and Kabini are Its main tributaries.

12. Two features A and B are marked ln the given polltlcal map of India. Identify these
features with the help of the following information and write their correct names on
the lines marked on the map.
i) A Salt Wa.ter Lake
Ii) A river which form an estuary
On the same political map locate and label the following
ill) Walur lake
 ••

,. ,,'
--
-~~-
- - - - - -~- ! ...
. ..r

---
--
----
.......=:.:-,_,,,,_=~-
Ans.

INDIA
OUlUNt MN'O'QUTICAL>

r'

----
13. Write any thrtt economic benefits of rivers.

Ans. Water from the dvers is basic natural resource, essentlal for vadous human activities.
The banks of dver have attracted settlers. These settlements have now become hig cities.
The river water is used for Irrigation, navlgatlon, hydro power generation significantly.
They are very useful particularly to a country like India.

14. Write down the feahln!S of the East Flowing Rivera.

Ans. These rivers originate from the Western Ghats and flow eastwards.
They all form deltas at their mouths.
They drain Into the Bay of Bengal.
They have large volume or water.
Example: Mahanadl, Godavarl.

15. Write down the featurff of the West Flowing Rivera.

Ans. These rivers originate in Central India and flow eastwards.

They form estuaries since they floe from rift valleys.
They drain into the Arabian Sea.
They have lesser volume of water.
Example: Narmada and Tapl

16. Explain the dralnag• patterns Rectangular and Radial

9
Ana. A Rectangular Drainage pattern develops on a strongly Joined Rocky terrain.
A Radial pattern develops when streams flow in different directions from a central peak or
dome-like structure.
Examples of radial drainage patterns can be found on a smaJl scale in the Aravalls and hilly
terrains of central lmdla.

17. Explain the dralnav patterns Dendritlc and Trellls.

Ana. The Oendritic pattern develops where the dver channel follows the slop of the terrain.
The stream with its ttributartes resembles the branches of the tree, thus the name dendrttlc.
Example: The Ganga basin.
A river joined by its tributaries at approximately right angle develops a trellis patterns. A
trellis drainage pattern develops where hard and soft rocks exist parallel to each other.
Example: The Nannada River Syst.e m.

18. Two featun!s A and B are marked in the given polllical map of lodla Identify these
features with the help of the following information and write their correct names on
the lines marked on the map.
J)ADam
il)ADam
On the same political map locate and label the following
ill) Pullcat lake

--- INDIA

---
--
I III OHdl O(l .\N
10
Ana.
 4
I'
l.t--s
\ / ...
Ptdk:ajl t>:c f
••
\
l ■ DI AN OCL .t.•

19. Which river is known as 'Dakshin Ganga'? Give it three features.

Ans. Godavari River is known as the 'Oak.sh.in Ganga•

It is the largest Peninsular River, which rises from the slopes of the Western Ghats in the
Nasik district of Maharashtra.
The length Is about 1 S00 km draining Into Bay or Bengal.
Many tributaries join !he Godavari such as !he Puma, the Wardha, and !he Penganga.

20. Write a short note on Indus Waler Treaty of 1960.

11
Ans. This treaty was done by India and Pakistan.
According to this regulation of the Indus water treaty of 1960, India can 11Se only 20% of the
total water carried by Indus river system.
This water is used for Irrigation in Punjab, Haryana and the Southern and western partS or
Rajasthan.

21. What are Salt-water labs?

Ans. Spits and bars from lagoons In coastal areas like the Chllka Lake, the Pulldt Lake and
the Kolleru Lake.
Some lakes are seasonal in the region of inland drainage Including the Sa.mbhar Lake in
Rajasthan which ls salt water lake. Its water Is used ror producing sail.

22. What are Fresh-water lakes?

Ans. Fresh water lakes are mostly found in the Himalayas.

They originate from glaciers.
In other words, they formed the glaciers dugging out a basin which was later fllled with
snow melt.
The bigger example of such lake Is the Wular Lake in Jammu and Kashmir which Is the result
of tectonic activities. II is the largest fresh water lake in India.

23. What are Man-made lakes?

Ans. The damming o:f rivers is an example of manmade lakes.

The reservoir behind the dam Is an example of mane made lakes.
These dams are constructed for the generation of hydel power.
Guru Goblnd Sagar Lake behind the Bhakra Dam Is an example of manmade lake.
The dams are also known as the Multipurpose River Projects.

24. Two features A and Bare marked in the given poUtiw map of India. Identify these
features with the help of the following information and write their correct names on
the lines marked on the map.
i) A River
il)ARiver
On the same political map locate and label the following
ill) Krishna River
12
 ••

'.
- ~ .

. .-
~
'

'
,I .....
--··- _,.

"·
'
.4
' • "'C,.; • -
---
' -
---
Ans .

•• INDIA

,.

..
., '"'-~_.,.."""'_____......
\
-- •••

--
---

25. What are the beneftts of lakel?

Ans. Lakes are very useful and lmpona.nt for human bel.ngs.A lake Is useful in regulating the
flow of the river. It prevents flooding during heavy rainfall and it helps to maintain water
level du.ring the dry season. Lakes can also be used for developing hydel power.

26. What are the causes of river pollution?

Ans. Th.e quality of water is affected by the growing domestic, municipal. industrial and
agricultural demand for waler. As result more and more waler is being drained out Qf the
rivers reducing their volume. Due to increasing urbanization and industrialization, the
pollution level of many rivers has, been rising day by day.
On the other hand industrial effluents and heavy load of untreated sewerage are only
affected the quality of water but also the self cleansing capacity of the river.

27. Why a.re peninsular rivers seasonal In nature?

Ans. Th.e flow of peninsular river is dependent on rainfall. The peninsular rivers have
shorter and shallower courses as compared to their Himalayan Rivers.
The tributaries are very short and less 1n number and bring less amount of water.

28. Write a short note on Delta.

Ans. The triangular deposits made by the river at their mouth form delta. 01!Jcas are formed
in the regions oflow tide and coastal plains. Deltas are fertile lands.
The river Ganga, the Krishna, the Godavari is some of the rivers which form delta.

29. Write a short note on Estuary.

Ans. The sharp edge at the mouth of the river devoid of any deposits id known as estuary.
The regions of high tides and rift valleys witness estuaries.
Estuaries do not have fertile lands.Narmada and Tapi Rivers form esruaries.

30. Two features A and B a.re marked in the given political map of India Identity·these
features with the help of the following lnfonnation and write their correct names on
the lines marked on the map.
l) A west flowing river ll) A river on which the world's highest gravity dam ls built
On the same polldcal map locate and label the following
ill) Chllka lake

••
----INDIA

,.
'

,
•
---
-
Ans •

••
- INDIA
.,,...,.,,.,

,.
,. ...
.
,.
JII
- <

• um
........
•••
r
,_
~
...
•••
I
..., • •
---
--
 5 marks Questions

L Descrl!-e the role of rivers in the economic development.

Ans. The areas along the banks of rivers have witnessed great cultural and economic
progress since ancient times. Rivers are Integral part of our folklore and folk songs.
Water from the rivers is basic natural resource, essential for human, agricultural and
Industrial activities.
Rivers and their associated alluvial soils provide the most productive agricultural lands of
country. irrigation and generation of hydraulic energy from rivers have been backbone of
the development if an economy.
lndustrlal development has flourished along rivers as many Industrial processes rely on
water-as a raw material, as a coolant and for the generation of hydraulic energy.
Rivers provide primary channels of Inland transportation, not only directly In the form of
navigable waterways.

2.. What are the Importances of Lakes?

Ans. Lakes help to regulate the flow of water.

During heavy rainfall it prevents flooding and during the dry season it helps to maintain an
even flow of water.
Lakes can also be used for developing hydraulic power.
Lakes are valuable source of water.
Lakes moderate the climate of the surrounding, maintain the aquatic ecosystem, enhance
natural beauty, helps to develop tourism and provide recreation.

3. Write down the features of Himalayan Rivers?

Ans. These rivers rlse from the snow covered Himalayas hence these are perennial
The Himalayan Rivers have large basins and extensive catchment areas. Therefore, these
have a large volume of water.
These rivers flow over plains. There for these are useful for Irrigation and navigation.
These rivers pass through deep gorges before entering the plains and have meandering
courses on plains.
These rivers form vasl aUuvlal plains by depositing sediments.
Many lmponant towns have been developed on the courses of these rivers.

4. Wrlte down tbe features of Peninsular Riven?

Ans. The Peninsular Rivers are seasonal. They get supply of water from summer rainfall
These rivers make waterfall and cataracts on the plateau. Hence these are useful for hydro-
electric projects.
The Peninsular Rivers have small basins and small catchment areas. Therefore these do not
have a large volume of water.
These rivers flow through shallow river valley having straight courses.
These rivers flow on rocky areas and are not used for navigation.
These rivers do not bring fertUe alluvium and do not form alluvium plains.

5. Write a shon note on the Narmadli Basin

Ans. Narmada rises in the Amatkantak hills In Madhya Pradesh flowing towards the wes1 in
the rift valley formed due to faulting.
The Narmada creates many picturesque locations on it, way to sea.
The Marble rocks near Jabalpur where the Narmada flows through a deep gorge and the
'Dhuadhar' falls where the river plunges over steep rocks, are some of the notable ones.
The shon tributaries of the Narmada River join the main stream at right angles.
The Narmada basin covers parts of Madhya Pradesh.

6. Write a shon note on Godavari Baaln.

Ans. The largest Peninsular River Is the Godavari which rises from the slopes of the Western
Ghats In the Nasllc dlstrlc1 of Maharashtra.
The length is about 1500 km draining into Bay of Bengal.
Its drainage basin is also the largest among the Peninsular Rivers.
The basin covers the parts of Maharashtra (about 50 percent of the basin area lays here)
Madhya Pradesh, Odlsha, and Andhra Pradesh.
Many tributaries Join the Godavarl such as the Purna, the Wardha, and the Penganga.
The last three covers a very large area.
It Is also known as the 'Dakshin Ganga'.

7. Write a ahon note on Brahmaputra River basin.

Ana. The Brahmaputra originates in Tibet east of Mansarowar Lake very dose to the sources
of the Indus and the Sutlej.
It Is slightly longer than the Indus and flows mostly outside India.
It flows eastward along with the Himalayas.
It takes 'U' turn and enters India in Arunachal Pradesh through a gorge on reaching the
Narmada Barwa.
Here Lt Is known as Dihang. II ls joined by many tributaries including the Dlbangm the Lohlt,
the Kenuia to form the Brahmaputra In Assam.
While In India passing through a high rainfall region It carries a large volume of water and
considerable amount of slit.

8. Wrlte a shon note on Ganga River basin.

Ana. Bhagiralhl Is the headwater of Ganga which Is fed by the Gangotrl Glacier. It Is joined
by the Alknanda at Deveprayag In Uttaranchal. The Ganga emerges from mountains on to
the plains at Harldwar.
The Ganga Ls joined by many tributaries from Himalayas including major rivers such as the
Yamuna, the Kos!. the Ghaghara and Gandak.
The Yamuna River rises from the Yamnotrl Glader In H1malayas flowing parallel to the
Ganga. It meets the Ganga at Allahabad.
The originating place of the Kos!. the Ghaghara and Gandak is the Nepal Himalayas.
The Chambal. the Betwa and the Son are the main tributaries coming from the peninsular
uplands.
The Ganga flows eastward t1ll Farakka In West Bengal enlarging water from Its right and left
bank tributaries.
9. Write a abort note on Indus River System.

Ans. The Indus River originates in Tibet, near Lake Mansarowar flows towards west.
It enters India in the Ladakh district ofJammu and Kashmir. A picturesque gorge is formed
In this part.
Many tributaries the Zaslcar, the Nubra, the Shyok and the Hunza, join It In the Kashmir
region.
The Indus emerges from mountains ar Allock and flows through Baltlstan and Gllgir.
Near Mithankot in Pakistan, the Sutlej, the Beas, the Ravi, the Chenab and the Jhelum join
together to enter the Indus.
After this the Indus flows southwards and reaches the Arabian Sea, east of Karachi
There Is very gentle slope of Indus plain.
The Indus Is one of the longest rivers having a 101al length of 2900 km.

10. Explain the National River Conservation Plan.

Ans. The central Ganga Aulhorlty phase-1 was set up In 1985. It laid down lhe policies for
works to be ta.ken under the Ganga Action Plan.
The steering Committee of the national Conservation Authority reviewed the progress of the
GAP and necessary correction on the basis of the lesson learnt and experiences gained from
GAP phase-1.
These have been applied to the major polluted rivers of the country under the NRCP.
The Ganga Action Plan phase-2 has been merged with the NRCP. The expanded NRCP now
covers 152 towns located along 27 interstate rivers in 16 states.
Under this action plan, pollution abatement works are been taken up in 57 towns.
A total of215 schemes of pollution abatement have been sanctioned. So far, 69 schemes have
been competed under this action plan.

19