Rivers of India-1

Drainage system of India

Himalayan Vs Peninsular River system

Indus and its tributaries

Ganga and its tributaries

India Mapping Series

Lecture 27

Santosh Choudhary

CSE 2018

Insta: little_simple_buddha

The Indian Drainage System

• It is an outcome of:

• The evolutionary process of the three major physiographic units

• The nature and characteristics of precipitation.

Classification of Drainage Systems in India: • On the basis of discharge of water

(orientations to the sea), the drainage system of India may be grouped into:

• the Arabian Sea drainage

• the Bay of Bengal drainage

• They are separated from each other by the Delhi ridge, the Aravalis and the Sahyadris .

• Nearly 77 percent of the drainage area consisting of the Ganga, the Brahmaputra, the Mahanadi, the Krishna, etc. is oriented towards the Bay of Bengal

• while 23 percent comprising the Indus, the Narmada, the Tapi, the Mahi and the Periyar systems discharge their waters in the Arabian Sea.

Classification On the basis of the mode of origin, nature and characteristics

• The Himalayan drainage

• The Peninsular drainage.

• There is no clear-cut line of demarcation between these two drainage systems, as many of the peninsular rivers like the Chambal, Betwa, Sind, Ken and Son are much older in age and origin than the Himalayan rivers.

The Himalayan Drainage system

• It consists of the rivers originating in the Himalayan and trans-Himalayan region. It further consists of three river systems namely:

• the Ganga,

• the Indus, and

• the Brahmaputra river systems.

• Since these are fed both by the melting of snow and precipitation, rivers of this system are perennial. The various geographical features made by the Himalayan rivers are:

• In upper reaches (Youthful stage): Gorges, V-shaped valleys, rapids, waterfalls, truncated spurs etc.

• In plain areas or middle part (Mature stage): While entering the plains, they form depositional features like flat valleys, ox-bow lakes, flood plains, braided channels, and deltas near the river mouth. Over the plains, they display a strong meandering tendency and shift their courses frequently.

River characteristics

• Since these are fed both by melting of snow and precipitation, rivers of this system are perennial.

• These rivers pass through the giant gorges carved out by the erosion activity carried on simultaneously with the uplift of the Himalayas.

• Besides deep gorges, these rivers also form V-shaped valleys, rapids and waterfalls in their mountainous course.

• While entering the plains, they form depositional features like flat valleys, ox-bow lakes, floodplains, braided channels, and deltas near the river mouth.

• In the Himalayan reaches, the course of these rivers is highly tortuous, but over the plains, they display a strong meandering tendency and shift their courses frequently.

The Indus river system

• It is one of the largest river basins of the world.

• A little over one-third of the Indus basin is located in India; in the states of Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab. The rest of the portion is in Pakistan.

• The Indus also known as the Sindhu, is the westernmost of the Himalayan rivers in India.

• Origin: It originates from a glacier near Bokhar Chu in the Kailash Mountain range (Tibetan region). In Tibet, it is known as ‘Singi Khamban; or Lion’s mouth, It enters India in the Ladakh district of Jammu & Kashmir.

• The river-course:

• The Indus cuts through Himalayas and enters India near Damchok.

• flows in India only through the Leh district in Jammu and Kashmir.

• It enters into Pakistan near Chillar in the Dardistan region through a deep gorge near the hair-pin bend of Nanga Parbat.

• It finally discharges into the Arabian Sea, east of Karachi.

The Indus river system

• Zaskar, Nubra, Shyok and Hunza are the main tributaries which join the Indus in Kashmir region.

• Sutlej, Beas, Ravi, Chenab and Jhelum join together and enter the Indus near Mithankot in Pakistan.

• The left-bank tributaries of Indus:

• Zaskar

• ‘Panjnad’ joins Indus a little above Mithankot). The Panjnad is the name given to the five rivers of Punjab, namely:

• Satluj

• Beas

• Ravi

• Chenab

• Jhelum

The Indus river system

• The right-bank tributaries of Indus:

• Shyok

• Gilgit

• Hunza

• Nubra

• Kabul

• Khurram

• Tochi

• Gomal

• Sangar

• Kunar

The Ganga river system

• The Ganga originates as the Bhagirathi from the Gangotri glacier.

• Before it reaches Devprayag in the Garhwal Division, the Mandakini, Pindar, the Dhauliganga and the Bishenganga rivers merge into the Alaknanda and the Bheling drain into the Bhagirathi.

• The Pindar River rises from East Trishul and Nanda Devi unite with the Alaknanda at Karan Prayag. The Mandakini meets at Rudraprayag.

• The water from both Bhagirathi and the Alaknanda flows in the name of the Ganga at Devprayag.

• The concept of Panch Prayag

• Vishnuprayag: where the river Alaknanda meets river Dhauli Ganga

• Nandprayag: where river Alaknanda meets river Mandakini

• Karnaprayag: where river Alaknanda meets river Pinder

• Rudraprayag: where river Alaknanda meets river Mandakini

• Devprayag: where river Alaknanda meets river Bhagirathi -GANGA

The Ganga river system

• The major left tributaries of Ganga river are:

• Ramganga West river

• Gomti river

• Ghaghara river

• Kali/Mahakali/Sharda river

• Gandak/Gandaki river

• Burhi Gandak river:

• Kosi/Koshi/Saptakoshi river

The Ganga river system

• The right-bank tributaries of Indus:

• Yamuna river

• Tamsa river

• Son river

• Punpun river

• Damodar river

The Yamuna river system

• Yamuna River is largest tributary of Ganga River, while Bangladesh’s Jamuna River is largest distributary channel of the Brahmaputra River.

• Yamuna is another sacred river of India that origins from Yamunotri Glacier at height 6,387 metres, on the south western slopes of Banderpooch peak, in the Lower Himalayas in Uttarakhand.

• It merge with the Ganga at Triveni Sangam or Prayag at Allahabad.

• The river passes through many states such as Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, going across Himachal Pradesh, and then Delhi.

• The Yamuna joins many of its tributaries on its itinerary, which include Tons, the biggest and most extensive tributary of Yamuna, Chambal, which has its individual big catchment area, and the Betwa, Sindh, and Ken.

The Yamuna river system

• Right bank tributaries of river Yamuna:

• Chambal,

• Sind,

• Betwa

• Ken.

• Left bank tributaries of river Yamuna :

• Hindan,

• Rind,

• Senger,

• Varuna.