Learning Objective
- Drainage Systems in India
- The Himalayan Rivers
- The Peninsular Rivers
- Lakes
- Role of Rivers in the Economy
- River Pollution
A drainage basin refers to the area drained by a single river system. Meanwhile, a water divide is an elevated region that separates two drainage basins.
Drainage Systems in India
The Indian rivers are divided into two major groups:
- The Himalayan rivers
- The Peninsular rivers
| The Himalayan rivers | The Peninsular rivers |
| Most of the Himalayan rivers are perennial, which means they have water throughout the year. | Peninsular rivers are seasonal. |
| These rivers receive water from rain as well as from melted snow from high mountains. | The flow of these rivers is dependent on rainfall. |
| Two major Himalayan rivers, the Indus and the Brahmaputra originate from the north of the mountain ranges. | Most of the rivers of peninsular India originate in the Western Ghats and flow towards the Bay of Bengal. |
| The Himalayan rivers have long courses from their source to the sea. | These rivers have shorter and shallower courses as compared to the Himalayan rivers. |
The Himalayan Rivers
The major Himalayan rivers are the Indus, the Ganga and the Brahmaputra. A river, along with its tributaries, may be called a river system.
The Indus River System
- Indus is one of the longest rivers in the world, with a total length of 2900 km.
- The river Indus rises in Tibet near Lake Man Sarovar.
- It enters India in the Ladakh district of Jammu and Kashmir, where it forms a picturesque gorge.
- The Satluj, the Beas, the Ravi, the Chenab and the Jhelum join together to enter the Indus near Mithankot in Pakistan.
The Ganga River System
- The source of the Ganga called the ‘Bhagirathi’, is fed by the Gangotri Glacier and joined by the Alaknanda at Deva Prayag in Uttarakhand.
- The Ganga emerges from the mountains to the plains at Haridwar.
- The Ganga is joined by many tributaries from the Himalayas, a few of them being major rivers, such as the Yamuna, the Ghaghara, the Gandak and the Kosi.
- The length of the Ganga is over 2500 km.
Farakka in West Bengal is the northernmost point of the Ganga Delta where the Ganga River divides into 2 parts.
- The Bhagirathi-Hooghly flows southwards through the deltaic plains to the Bay of Bengal.
- The mainstream flows southwards into Bangladesh and is joined by the Brahmaputra. Further downstream, it is known as the Meghna. The Meghna River flows into the Bay of Bengal and forms Sundarban Delta.
The Brahmaputra River System
- The Brahmaputra rises in Tibet east of Man Sarovar Lake.
- It is slightly longer than the Indus.
- On reaching the Namcha Barwa (7757 m), it takes a ‘U-turn’ and enters India in Arunachal Pradesh, where it is called the Dihang.
- Dihang is joined by the Dibang, the Lohit, and many other tributaries to form the Brahmaputra in Assam.
The Peninsular Rivers
The Western Ghats create the primary water divide in Peninsular India. Most major rivers in the Peninsula, including the Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, and Kaveri, flow eastward and eventually drain into the Bay of Bengal, forming deltas. However, the Narmada and the Tapi are the exceptions—they flow westward and create estuaries.
The Narmada Basin
- The Narmada rises in the Amarkantak hills in Madhya Pradesh. The Narmada flows through a deep gorge at the ‘Marble Rocks’ near Jabalpur.
- At Dhuadhar Falls, the river jumps over steep rocks. The Narmada basin covers parts of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat.
The Tapi Basin
- The Tapi rises in the Satpura ranges in the Betul district of Madhya Pradesh. Its basin covers parts of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra.
The Godavari Basin
- The Godavari is the largest Peninsular River. Its length is about 1500 km. It rises from the slopes of the Western Ghats in the Nasik district of Maharashtra.
- The basin covers parts of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. The Godavari is joined by a number of tributaries, such as the Purna, the Wardha, the Pranhita, the Manjra, the Wainganga and the Penganga.
- Owing to its length and the area it covers, it is also known as the Dakshin Ganga.
The Mahanadi Basin
- The Mahanadi rises in the highlands of Chhattisgarh.
- The length of the river is about 860 km. Its drainage basin is shared by Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Odisha.
The Krishna Basin
- It rises from a spring near Mahabaleshwar. The length of the river is about 1400 km.
- Its drainage basin is shared by Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
The Kaveri Basin
- The Kaveri rises in the Brahmagri range of the Western Ghats. The total length of the river is about 760 km. Its basin drains parts of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Besides these major rivers, there are some smaller rivers flowing towards the east. Some of them are:
- The Damodar
- The Brahmani
- The Baitarni
- The Subarnarekha
Lakes
India has many lakes. These lakes differ from each other in size and other characteristics.
- Most lakes are permanent
- Some contain water only during the rainy season
- Some lakes are the result of the action of glaciers and ice sheets
- Some have been formed by wind, river action and human activities
Role of Rivers in the Economy
- Rivers have been of fundamental importance throughout human history.
- Water from rivers is a basic natural resource, essential for various human activities. Rivers are used for irrigation, navigation, hydropower generation etc.
River Pollution
Increasing demand for water from domestic, municipal, industrial, and agricultural sectors is adversely impacting river water quality. Pollution is on the rise due to the discharge of untreated sewage and industrial effluents into rivers. In response, several action plans have been initiated to combat river pollution.
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