Indian Geography Rivers Flashcards
Drainage and Drainage system
The flow of water through well-defined channels is known as ‘drainage’ and the network of such channels is called a ‘drainage system’.
Catchment area
A river drains the water collected from a specific area, which is called its ‘catchment area’.
Drainage basin
An area drained by a river and its tributaries is called a drainage basin.
Watershed
The boundary line separating one drainage basin from the other is known as the watershed.
River basins
The catchments of large rivers are called river basins while those of small rivulets and rills are often referred to as watersheds. There is, however, a slight difference between a river basin and a watershed. Watersheds are small in area while the basins cover larger areas.
Importance of river basins and watersheds
River basins and watersheds are marked by unity. What happens in one part of the basin or watershed directly affects the other parts and the unit as a whole. That is why, they are accepted as the most appropriate micro, meso or macro planning regions.
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’.
Division of Indian drainage system on basis of discharge
On the basis of discharge of water (orientations to the sea), it may be grouped into: (i) the Arabian Sea drainage; and (ii) the Bay of Bengal drainage. They are separated from each other through the Delhi ridge, the Aravalis and the Sahyadris.
Nearly 77 per cent of the drainage area consisting of the Ganga, the Brahmaputra, the Mahanadi, the Krishna, etc. is oriented towards the Bay of Bengal while 23 per cent comprising the Indus, the Narmada, the Tapi, the Mahi and the Periyar systems discharge their waters in the Arabian Sea.
Division of Indian drainage system on basis of watershed size
(i) Major river basins with more than 20,000 sq. km of catchment area. It includes 14 drainage basins such as the Ganga, the Brahmaputra, the Krishna, the Tapi, the Narmada, the Mahi, the Pennar, the Sabarmati, the Barak, etc.. (ii) Medium river basins with catchment area between 2,000-20,000 sq. km incorporating 44 river basins such as the Kalindi, the Periyar, 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.
Major river basins of india
Ganga (in India)
Brahmaputra (in India) Barak and others Flowing to Meghna Sabarmati
Mahi
Narmada
Tapti
Brahmani and Baitarni Mahanadi
Godavari
Krishna
Penner
Kaveri
Suvarnarekha
Division of Indian drainage system on basis of source
Himalayan drainage and the Peninsular drainage.
Problems of including the Chambal, the Betwa, the Son, etc
much older in age and origin than other rivers that have their origin in the Himalayas
Characteristics of the Himalayan drainage
includes the Ganga, the Indus and the Brahmaputra river basins
Since these are fed both by melting of snow and precipitation, rivers of this system are perennial.
Evolution of the Himalayan drainage
During the Miocene period (5-24 million years ago), the mighty Indo-Brahma River flowed from Assam to Punjab and discharged into the Gulf of Sind. Over time, it fragmented into three main drainage systems, likely due to Pleistocene uplift in the western Himalayas, including the Potwar Plateau, which created a divide between the Indus and Ganga systems. Additionally, the Malda Gap’s down-thrusting redirected the Ganga and Brahmaputra rivers toward the Bay of Bengal.
The Indus System aka in other countries
Sindhu in Pak, In Tibet, it is known as ‘Singi Khamban; or Lion’s mouth.
The Indus System origin and discharge
glacier near Bokhar Chu in the Tibetan region in the Kailash Mountain range. Discharges into the Arabian Sea, east of Karachi.
The Indus System India regions flow
northwest direction between the Ladakh and Zaskar ranges, it passes through Ladakh and Baltistan. It cuts across the Ladakh range, forming a spectacular gorge near Gilgit in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Indus System Himalayan tributaries
Shyok, the Gilgit, the Zaskar, the Nubra, the Hunza, the Shigar, the Gasting and the Dras.
The Indus System tributaries from the Sulaiman ranges
The other important tributaries joining the right bank of the Indus are the Khurram, the Tochi, the Gomal, the Viboa and the Sangar. They all originate in the Sulaiman ranges.
Which indian states does the Indus flow through
The Indus flows in India only through the Leh district in Jammu and Kashmir.
Panjnad
name given to the five rivers of Punjab, namely the Satluj, the Beas, the Ravi, the Chenab and the Jhelum
Important Indus tributaries in India
Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Satluj, Beas, Drass, Gilgit, Shigar, Hunza, Nubra, Shyok, Zaskar
Jhelum flows through which Indian states, rises where, flow
J&K only. Rises from a spring at Verinag at the foot of the Pir Panjal in the valley of Kashmir. It flows through Srinagar and the Wular lake before entering Pakistan through a gorge.
Chenab aka, which states
largest tributary of the Indus. It is formed by two streams, the Chandra and the Bhaga, which join at Tandi near Keylong in Himachal Pradesh. Hence, it is also known as Chandrabhaga. Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.
Beas origin, flow, states
originating from the Beas Kund near the Rohtang Pass. The river flows through the Kullu valley and forms gorges at Kati and Largi in the Dhauladhar range. meets Satluj near Harike. Himachal Pradesh and Punjab.
Ravi states, flow, joins Chenab where
Himachal Pradesh and Punjab and one UT, Jammu & Kashmir. It rises west of the Rohtang pass in the Kullu hills of Himachal Pradesh and flows through the Chamba valley of the state. (enters Pakistan and joining the Chenab near Sarai Sidhu) from Dhauladhar range.
Satluj origin, flow, states
Rakas lake near Mansarovar in Tibet where it is known as Langchen Khambab. Gorge at Rupar. It passes through the Shipki La. Feeds the canal system of the Bhakra Nangal project. Himachal Pradesh and Punjab
Indira Gandhi canal
The rivers on which the Indira Gandhi canal has been built are Beas and Sutlej. Irrigation facilities in the Thar Desert in the northwest of Rajasthan state.
Ganga origin
It rises in the Gangotri glacier in Uttarkashi district. Here, it is known as the Bhagirathi. At Devprayag, the Bhagirathi meets the Alaknanda; hereafter, it is known as the Ganga.
Important prayags and relationship to Alaknanda
At Devprayag, the Bhagirathi meets the Alaknanda;
Vishnu Prayag (Joshi Math)- Dhauli and the Vishnu Ganga meet
Karna Prayag-Pindar meets Alaknanda
Rudra Prayag- Mandakini/Kali Ganga meets Alaknanda
Ganga states
Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal.
The Ganga river system characteristics
is the largest in India having a number of perennial and non-perennial rivers originating in the Himalayas in the north and the Peninsula in the south, respectively.
