UPSC NCERT Notes – Geography – Drainage System of India

The drainage system is an integrated system of tributaries and a mainstream that collects and funnel surface water to the sea, lake or some other water bodies. The total area that contributes water to a single drainage system is known as a drainage basin

Introduction to Drainage

• The movement of water along well-defined channels is referred to as drainage, with these channels carving out distinct paths in various directions. Drainage is influenced by factors such as the nature and structure of rocks, geology, slope, topography, velocity, etc.
• A watershed denotes a smaller land area that directs water flow towards a particular stream, lake, or wetland.
• A river basin encompasses multiple watersheds, and these watersheds serve as boundaries that separate one drainage basin from another.
• The catchment area is where water accumulates before being directed by the river. 

Drainage Pattern of Rivers

• Drainage basins represent regions where a large river, along with its tributaries, collects and discharges all its water.
• The arrangement formed by the river and its tributaries from the origin of the river to its mouth is termed a drainage pattern.

Drainage Pattern of Rivers

Name	Description
Dendritic Drainage	A drainage pattern resembling tree branches with lots of twigs. Examples include rivers in the Northern plain like Ganga, Yamuna, etc., following a dendritic pattern.
Radial Drainage	A drainage pattern in which rivers originate from a hill and flow in all directions. Examples include rivers originating from the Amarkantak range like Narmada, Son, etc.
Centripetal Drainage	Formed when rivers discharge their water from all directions into a lake or a depression. Examples include Loktak Lake in Manipur.
Trellis Drainage	Main stream bends at right angles, and the tributaries join at right angles, creating rectangular patterns. Examples include streams found in the Vindhyan mountain range.
Rectangular Drainage	Main stream bends at right angles, and the tributaries join at right angles, creating rectangular patterns. Examples include streams found in the Vindhyan mountain range.
Parallel Drainage	Tributary streams stretch out in a parallel-like fashion following the slope of the surface. Examples include rivers originating in the Western Ghats.
Annular Drainage	Streams flow in a nearly circular or concentric pattern along with a weak rock band, resembling a ring in the plan. Examples include Nilgiri hills in Tamil Nadu.
Deranged Drainage	Drainage pattern with no coherent pattern, formed when an area is recently vacated by an ice-sheet.
Barbed Drainage	A rare drainage pattern formed when tributaries flow in the opposite direction to their master streams.
River § Tributary	Formed when primary tributaries of main rivers flow parallel to each other, and secondary tributaries join them at right angles. Examples include the old folded mountains of the Singhbhum (Chhota Nagpur plateau).
Rectangular Drainage	Main stream bends at right angles, and the tributaries join at right angles, creating rectangular patterns. Examples include streams found in the Vindhyan mountain range.
Parallel Drainage	Tributary streams stretch out in a parallel-like fashion following the slope of the surface. Examples include rivers originating in the Western Ghats.
Annular Drainage	Streams flow in a nearly circular or concentric pattern along with a weak rock band, resembling a ring in the plan. Examples include Nilgiri hills in Tamil Nadu.
Deranged Drainage	Drainage pattern with no coherent pattern, formed when an area is recently vacated by an ice-sheet.
Barbed Drainage	A rare drainage pattern formed when tributaries flow in the opposite direction to their master streams.
River § Tributary	Formed when primary tributaries of main rivers flow parallel to each other, and secondary tributaries join them at right angles. Examples include the old folded mountains of the Singhbhum (Chhota Nagpur plateau).

Drainage system 

• A drainage system refers to a network of defined channels, categorized into two parts based on slope and geological structure:

Sequent Drainage System

• Consequent Stream: Develops in accordance with the initial slope, present in the area. Examples include Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri, etc.
• Subsequent Stream: Develops after the consequent stream and joins it at a right angle. Examples include Chambal, Sindh, Betwa, etc.
• Obsequent Stream: Moves in the opposite direction to the consequent stream but joins it at a right angle.
• Resequent Stream: Moves in the direction of the master stream but joins it at a right angle.

Insequent Drainage System

• Antecedent Stream: Maintains its original course and pattern despite changes in underlying rock topography. Examples include Indus, Brahmaputra, Sutlej, etc.
• Superimposed Stream: Does not follow the slope of the landmass. Examples include Son, Chambal, Banas, etc.

Drainage System of Indian Rivers:

• The drainage system of Indian rivers can be divided into the Himalayan drainage system and the Peninsular drainage system.

The Himalayan Drainage System

• The Himalayan drainage system comprises all the international rivers of India, i.e., the Indus, the Ganga and the Brahmaputra,
• Most of these rivers and their major tributaries are perennial in character, obtaining their water from the glaciers, springs and rains.
• These rivers are in their youthful stage carving out a number of erosional landforms like Waterfalls, cataracts, rapids, gorges, steep-sided valleys, alluvial fans and river terraces.
• The regimes of these rivers exhibit wide seasonal fluctuations, causing devastating floods, especially during the season of general rains.
• Most of the rivers, which rise in the Himalayas are antecedent in nature
• These antecedent rivers existed and flowed before the Himalayas were formed.

Ganga River System

• The Ganga originates as the Bhagirathi from the Gangotri glacier. Before it reaches, Devprayag in the Garhwal Division, the Mandakini, Pindar, Dhauli Ganga and the Bishen Ganga rivers merge into the Alaknanda and the Bheling drain into the Bhagirathi.
• The Pindar river rises from East Trishul and Nanda Devi unites with the Alaknanda at Karnaprayag. The Mandakini meets at Rudraprayag
• The water from both Bhagirathi and the Alaknanda flows in the name of the Ganga at Devprayag

Panch Prayag

• Vishnuprayag Where the river Alaknanda meets river Dhauli Ganga.
• Nandprayag Where river Alaknanda meets river Nandakini.
• Karnaprayag Where river Alaknanda meets river Pindar.
• Rudraprayag Where river Alaknanda meets riverMandakini.
• Devprayag Where river Alaknanda meets river Bhagirathi Ganga.

The Ganga System

Rivers	Source	Total Length (km)	River Basin (Sq km)	Information
Ganga (formed by Alaknanda and Bhagirathi)	Gangotri glacier	2525	861404	Above Devprayag, it is called as Bhagirathi and below it is referred as the Ganga. Total length of 861404 sq km, largest river basin in India. Covers more than 1/4th of the country’s total surface. Left bank tributaries: Ramganga, Gomati, Ghaghara, Gandak, Burhi Gandak, and Kosi. Right bank tributaries: Yamuna, Son. The Bhagirathi-Hooghly is the Westernmost distributary of the river. Beyond Farakka, it bifurcates itself into Bhagirathi-Hooghly in West Bengal and Padma-Meghana in Bangladesh.
Yamuna	Yamunotri glacier	1376	366223	Rises in Yamunotri glacier, which is West of Ganga source. 1300 km from its source to Allahabad, where it joins Ganga. Feeded by Bandarpunch glacier. Important tributaries: Chambal (rises in Mhow in the Vindhya), Son, Betwa, and Ken. It joins Ganga at Allahabad.
Son (right bank tributary of Ganga)	Amarkantak plateau	780	71900	Rises from the Amarkantak plateau. It joins Ganga near Patna.
Ramganga	Kumaun Himalaya	696	32412	Rises in the Kumaun Himalaya near Nainital. It joins the left bank of Ganga below Farukkhabad.
Ghaghara	East of Gangotri	1080	127500	Rises from East of Gangotri. 127500 sq km more than half of its basin is in Nepal. It joins the left bank of Ganga near Chapra (Bihar).
Gomati	Manikot Taala lake	960	30843	Rises near Manikot from Gomat Taala lake. It is the only tributary of Ganga that originates in plains. It joins the left bank of Ganga near Patna.
Saryu	Milam glacier	350	–	It demarcates the Western border of Nepal and India.
Mahananda	Darjeeling Hills	–	–	It is the last left bank tributary of Ganga.
Gandak	Nepal-China border	360	20600	Rises near the Nepal-China border at an altitude of 7600 m in the Central Himalaya. It flows through the Central part of Nepal, enters Bihar in Champaran district, and turns South-East to join the left bank of Ganga near Sonepur.
Kosi (formed by the confluence of the Son, Kosi, Arun Kosi, and Tamur Kosi)	Nepal-Tibet	730 (in India)	11600 (in India)	It flows through Eastern Nepal, enters Bihar in Saharsa district, and joins the left bank of Ganga below Bhagalpur (Bihar).
Damodar	Chhota Nagpur plateau	541	22000	It joins the Bhagirathi-Hooghly in West Bengal. It is also known as the Sorrow of Bengal.

Doab of Ganga River System

Doab	River Region
Ganga Yamuna Doab	Ganga and Yamuna
Plain of Rohilkhand	Ramganga and Gomati
Awadh Plains	Gomati and Ghaghara
Eastern Plains of Uttar Pradesh	Ghaghara and Gandak
Sam Plain	Gandak and Old Gandak
Mithila Plain	Old Gandak and Kosi
Plain of West Bengal	Kosi and Mahananda

Government Initiatives for Ganga Conservation

Several government initiatives aimed at the rejuvenation of the Ganga river include

• Namami Ganga Programme: Launched in 2014, this flagship program under the Ministry of Jal Shakti focuses on the effective abatement of pollution and the conservation and rejuvenation of the National River Ganga.
• Smart Ganga City: Introduced in 2016 by the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development, and Ganga Rejuvenation, in collaboration with the Ministry of Urban Development, the Smart Ganga City scheme targets ten major cities along the banks of the Ganga, including Haridwar, Rishikesh, Mathura-Vrindavan, Varanasi, Kanpur, Allahabad, Lucknow, Patna, Sahibgunj, and Barrackpore.
• Chitale Committee: Constituted in July 2016 by the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development, and Ganga Rejuvenation, the Chitale Committee was tasked with preparing guidelines for the desolation of the Ganga river from Bhimgauda (Uttarakhand) to Farakka (West Bengal).

The Indus River System

• The Indus, also known as Sindhu, boasts one of the world’s largest river basins, covering an area of 1,165,000 sq km. With a total length of 2,880 km (1,114 km in India), it originates from a glacier near Bokhar Chu in the Tibetan region, within the Kailash mountain range.
• Cutting across the Ladakh range, the Indus forms a gorge near Gilgit in Jammu and Kashmir, with major tributaries including Shyok, Gilgit, Zanskar, Nubra, Shigar, and Dras in the upstream region. It then flows southward, receiving the Panjnad above Mithankot, which comprises the five rivers of Punjab: Sutlej, Beas, Ravi, Chenab, and Jhelum.
• Finally, the Indus discharges into the Arabian Sea east of Karachi, with its presence in India limited to the Leh district in Jammu and Kashmir.
• Notable tributaries like Beas, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, and Sutlej contribute to the overall flow of the Indus, each originating from different regions and adding to the river’s vast and intricate system.

The Brahmaputra River System 

• The Brahmaputra River System Eastward direction. When it Heches Namcha Barwa.
• It flows parallel to the Himalayas in the Fate of Arunachal Pradesh. Here, it is known as the Dihang River.
• In India, it flows through the states of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam and is connected by several

The Brahmaputra System (Brahmaputra and its Tributaries)

River	Sources	Total Length	River Basins
Ganga	Gomukh, Gangotri Glacier in the Himalayas	2,525 km	1,086,000 sq km (in India)
Brahmaputra	Chemayungdung glacier in the Kailash range	2,960 km	240,000 sq km (in India), 580,000 sq km (total)

• Sankosh River serves as a significant North bank tributary to the Brahmaputra, establishing the boundary between Assam and West Bengal.
• Teesta River, a tributary of the Brahmaputra (known as Jamuna in Bangladesh), flows through India and Bangladesh. Its source lies in the Himalayas near Chunthang, Sikkim, and it courses southward through West Bengal before entering Bangladesh.
• Rangit River, a tributary of the Teesta, holds the distinction of being the largest river in Sikkim, originating within the state. Notably, it is renowned for various water sports activities.

The accurate descending order of the rivers of India by length is as follows:

• Ganga
• Indus
• the Godavari
• Krishna
• the Brahmaputra
• Mahanadi

Major dams Related to Himalaya Rivers

Dam	State	River
Tilaiya Dam	Jharkhand	Barakar
Baglihar Dam	Jammu and Kashmir	Chenab
Rihand Dam	Uttar Pradesh	Rihand
Maithon Dam	Jharkhand	Barakar
Pong Dam	Himachal Pradesh	Beas
Salal Dam	Jammu and Kashmir	Chenab
Uri Dam	Jammu and Kashmir	Jhelum
Chamera Dam	Himachal Pradesh	Ravi
Dulhasti Dam	Jammu and Kashmir	Chenab
Bhakra Nangal Dam	Punjab, Himachal Pradesh	Sutlej
Border Dam	Uttarakhand	Bhagirathi

The Peninsular Drainage System

• The Peninsular drainage system comprises the Mahanadi, the Godavari, the Krishna, the Kaveri and other numerous West flowing rivers.
• The drainage of Peninsular India is much older than that of the Himalayan drainage system. They are mostly seasonal. Their erosional and carrying capacity is low. Their channels are more defined and are close to the base level.
• There are many small rivers in the coastal areas and called coastal rivers. These flow towards the Arabian Sea in the West and towards the Bay of Bengal in the East.
• The major West flowing rivers are Shetrunji, Kalindi, Sharavati, Bhadra, Mandavi, Zuari, Bharathapuzha, Pamba, Periyar, etc. The major east-flowing rivers are Vamsadhara, Brahmani, Baitarani, Subarnarekha, Penneru, Palar, Tamrapani and Vaigai, etc.

The Peninsular River System

River	Sources	Length (km)	River’s Basin Areas (Sq km)	Informations
Godavari	Nashik district of Maharashtra	1465	3.13 lakh	Mahabaleshwar in Sahyadri, Brahmagiri hills in Karnataka
Narmada	Rises in Amarkantak in Madhya Pradesh	1312	98796 sq km	Mewar hills in Aravalli range, Vindhya range at an altitude of 500 m, flows through a Rift valley between the Vidhyas and the Satpura range
Sabarmati	Rises in the Mewar hills in Aravalli range	320	21674 sq km shared by Rajasthan and Gujarat	Sihawa Mountain, Chhattisgarh, Western slopes of Aravalli ranges
Mahi	Western slopes of Aravalli ranges	583	34862 sq km	The Penganga, Indravati, Pranhitra, and the Manjra are its main tributaries, shared by Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Gujarat
Tapti	Rises near Multai on the Satpura range	724	65145 sq km (in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat)	Koyna, Tungabhadra, and Bhima are the major tributaries, Left bank tributaries (Tawa, Burner, etc.), Right bank tributaries (Hiran, Dhuan, Dhar, etc.)
Krishna	Mahabaleshwar in Sahyadri	1401	258948	It receives rainfall from both South-West and North-East Monsoon, Kabini, Bhavan, and Amravati are the important tributaries
Chambal	Rises in the Sihawa Mountain, Chhattisgarh	800	81155	Important tributaries; Hathmati, Sedhi, Wakul, etc.
Yamuna	Rises in the Yamunotri glacier in the Himalayas	1376	366223	Left bank tributaries (Tons, Chambal, Betwa, Ken, etc.), Right bank tributaries (Hindon, Rind, Sengar, etc.)
Bhima	Rises in the Bhimashankar hills in Maharashtra	861	70515	It flows through the Deccan Plateau region
Kaveri	Brahmagiri hills Kgad district in Karnataka	765	81155	It receives rainfall from both South-West and North-East Monsoon, Kabini, Bhavan, and Amravati are the important tributaries
Son	Rises in the Amarkantak hills in Madhya Pradesh	784	110,100	It flows through the states of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Jharkhand
Gandak	Rises in the Nepal Himalayas	630	46,300	It is a tributary of the Ganges river
Mahanadi	Rises in the Sihawa Mountain, Chhattisgarh	858	1.41 lakh	Hirakud dam, the longest Earthen dam in the world, is located on it
Luni	Rises in the Aravalli Range	496	37,363 sq km	Largest river system of Rajasthan, its water is brackish below Balotra

Differences Between the Himalayan and Peninsular Rivers

Feature	Peninsular Rivers	Himalayan Rivers
Perennial or Seasonal	Perennial (linked with glaciers)	Seasonal (South-West Monsoon)
Basin Size	Small (e.g., Narmada basin, Tapi basin)	Large (e.g., Ganga basin, Indus basin)
River Length	Comparatively smaller	Longer (due to distant water sources)
Valley Characteristics	Deep valleys with steep rock sides	Shallow river valleys
Flow Destination	Most flow into the ocean (high peninsular slope)	Most flow into the ocean
Valley Formation	Form deep valleys and gorges in source areas	River valleys are often shallow
Meanders Formation	Form meanders through plains (soft land)	Form meanders through rocky areas
Delta Formation	Often form large deltas at mouths	Often form estuaries or small deltas at mouths
Drainage Pattern	Antecedent drainage (existing before uplift)	Sequent or consequent drainage (formed after uplift)

Source	Name	Mouth
Vindhya Range (Kumhra village, Betwa)	Kosi	Ganga
Raisen, Madhya Pradesh	Betwa	Yamuna
Near Mansarovar Lake	Son	Ganga
Betul district, Madhya Pradesh	Narmada	Gulf of Khambat
Gulf of Khambat	Tapti	Gulf of Khambat
Bay of Bengal	Mahanadi	Bay of Bengal
Bay of Bengal	Luni	Rann of Kutch
Shiwalik Hills (Himalayas)	Ghaggar	Gulf of Khambat
Aravalli Range of the Udaipur district of Rajasthan	Sabarmati	Gulf of Khambat
Near Fatehabad	Yamuna (Saraswati)	Gulf of Khambat
Near Mahabaleshwar, Jor village (Satara district, Maharashtra)	Krishna	Bay of Bengal
Bay of Bengal	Godavari	Bay of Bengal
Brahmagiri Mountain, Tryambakeshwar (Nashik, Maharashtra)	Kaveri	Bay of Bengal
Talakaveri, Kodagu, Western Ghats, Karnataka	Tungabhadra	Krishna
Koodli, Bhadravathi, Karnataka	Krishna River	Bay of Bengal

List of Major Rivers of India

Name	Source	Mouth
Ganga	Gangotri Glacier	Bay of Bengal
Sutlej	Lake Rakshastal in Tibet	Indus
Chenab	Glacier near Bokhar Chu in the Tibetan region of the Kailash Mountain range	Arabian Sea
Ravi	Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh	Chenab
Beas	Beas Kund, Himalayas, Himachal Pradesh	Sutlej
Jhelum	Verinag Spring (Pir Panjal Range)	Chenab
Yamuna	Yamunotri, Champasar Glacier	Ganga
Chambal	Singar Chouri (Mhow in Indore district, Madhya Pradesh)	Yamuna
Ghaghara	Mapchachungo Glacier, Tibet, China	Ganga

Major Towns Situated on the Banks of Rivers

Town	River
Agra	Yamuna
Jaunpur	Gomati
Ahmedabad	Sabarmati
Jagdalpur	Indravati
Allahabad	Ganga
Ajmer	Luni
Kota	Chambal
Leh	Indus
Betul	Tapti
Chamba	Ravi
Lucknow	Gomati
Cuttack	Mahanadi
Ludhiana	Sutlej
Delhi	Yamuna
Nasik	Godavari
Dibrugarh	Brahmaputra
Nellore	Pennar
Farrukhabad	Ganga
Patna	Ganges
Guwahati	Brahmaputra
Srinagar	Jhelum
Haridwar	Ganga
Surat	Tapti
Hyderabad	Musi
Tiruchirapalli	Kaveri
Varanasi	Ganga

Inland Drainage

• Some rivers in India don’t reach the sea or ocean; instead, they discharge water into lakes or inland seas, constituting inland drainage. 
• These rivers are mostly found in the drier regions like Western Rajasthan, Ladakh, and Aksai Chin. The Chaggar River serves as a significant example of inland drainage, acting as a seasonal stream flowing on the ancient dried bed of River Saraswati. It forms a boundary between Punjab and Haryana, eventually getting absorbed in the Rajasthan desert.
• Another instance of inland drainage is the River Luni, which rises from the lower slopes of the Himalayas, draining the steep North-West of Aravalli hills, and joining the Rann of Kutch in the left side. Its entire catchment area falls within Rajasthan.

River Regimes

• River regime refers to the annual variation in a river’s discharge—the amount of water flowing through it and how this changes throughout the year. Factors influencing river regimes include changes in the water cycle, temperature, and the characteristics of the drainage basin. Examples of river regimes can be observed in the two Himalayan rivers (Ganga and Jhelum) and two Peninsular rivers (Narmada and Godavari).

Inter-State River Water Disputes

• Despite India’s abundant water resources, the distribution is uneven. Himalayan rivers are large, perennial, and glacier-fed, while Peninsular rivers are seasonal. 
• The overwhelming demands of riparian states during dry seasons lead to disputes due to excessive demand, inadequate water supply, and varied utilizations like irrigation and hydropower projects. The Inter-State River Water Disputes (ISRWD) Act of 1956 was enacted by Parliament for adjudication of such disputes.

Major Inter-State River Disputes

River(s)	States
Ravi and Beas	Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan
Narmada	Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan
Krishna	Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana
Godavari	Andhra Pradesh and Odisha
Vamsadhara	Andhra Pradesh and Odisha
Kaveri	Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry
Mahanadi	Chhattisgarh, Odisha
Mahadayi	Goa, Maharashtra, Karnataka
Periyar	Tamil Nadu, Kerala

National Water Grid

• The National Water Grid, proposed by Dr. KL Rao in 1972, aims to interlink rivers for irrigation and hydro projects. If implemented, it would connect major Himalayan and Peninsular rivers through a network of canals.
• The project involves linking 37 rivers with 30 different canals to redistribute surplus water from Himalayan rivers to water-deficient Peninsular regions. However, environmental concerns and political difficulties pose challenges to the project.

National River Linking Project Plan

The National River Linking Project plans to redistribute river water from surplus to deficit basins. It comprises two components:

• Himalayan Component: Includes 14 projects to link various Himalayan rivers like the Ghaghara-Yamuna link (feasibility study complete).(Feasibility study complete), Yamuna-Rajasthan link, Rajasthan-Sabarmati link, Kosi-Ghaghara link, Kosi-Mechi link, Manas-Sankosh-Tista-Ganga link, Jogighopa-Tista-Farakka link, Ganga-Damodar-Subarnarekha link, Subarnarekha-Mahanadi link, Farakka-Sunderbans link, Gandak-Ganga link, Chunar-Son Barrage link, Son dam-Southern tributaries of Ganga link.
• Peninsular Component Under this segment, 16 projects are enlisted to link various peninsular rivers, including inter-linking Mahanadi-Godavari-Krishna-Palar-Pennar-Kaveri, inter-linking West flowing rivers (North of Mumbai and South of Tapi), inter-linking Ken with Chambal, and diversion of water from West flowing rivers.

Lakes

• A lake is defined as an area of variable size, filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, without any other rivers or outlets surrounding it.

Lakes can be classified as

• Tectonic Lakes: Formed due to fractures and faults in the Earth’s crust, e.g., Nainital, Bhimtal, Wular, Dal Lake, etc.
• Crater Lakes: Formed when craters and calderas are filled with water, e.g., Lonar Lake in Buldhana.
• Glacial Lakes (Tarns): Resulting from glacial erosion, e.g., Gangabal Lake in Kashmir.
• Fluvial Lakes: Formed by rivers through erosional and depositional work, such as Ox-bow lakes, e.g., in the upper, middle, and lower courses of the Ganga and Brahmaputra rivers, and Kolleru Lake in Andhra Pradesh.
• Aeolian Lakes: Small depressions on wind-blown sand surfaces, e.g., Sambhar and Panchbhadra lakes.
• Lagoons: Formed by depositions of sand bars along the sea coast, e.g., Vembanad, Asthamudi, Kayals of Kerala, and Lake Chilika of Odisha.

Important Lakes in India

Name	State/UT	Type	Details
Pulicat Lake	Andhra Pradesh	Brackish Water	Pulicat Lake Bird Sanctuary; Satish Dhawan Space Centre is located here
Kolleru Lake	Andhra Pradesh	Freshwater	Home to migratory birds
Nagarjuna Sagar	Andhra Pradesh	Freshwater	Artificially constructed, Krishna river
Haflong Lake	Assam	Freshwater	High altitude lake
Deepor Beel	Assam	Freshwater	Under Ramsar Convention
Kanwar Lake	Bihar	Freshwater	Asia’s largest freshwater Ox-bow lake
Hamirsar Lake	Gujarat	Freshwater	Situated in the center of Bhuj
Blue Bird Lake	Haryana	Freshwater	Migratory Birds, Wetland Habitat
Chandra Taal	Himachal Pradesh	Freshwater	Ramsar wetland site
Suraj Taal	Himachal Pradesh	Freshwater	Freshwater
Maharana Pratap Sagar	Himachal Pradesh	Freshwater	Bhaga river inflow
Prashar Lake	Himachal Pradesh	Freshwater	Ramsar site
Renuka Lake	Himachal Pradesh	Freshwater	Holomictic
Dal Lake	Jammu and Kashmir	Freshwater	It has a floating Island
Pangong Tso	Ladakh	Saltwater	Remnants of past glacial period
Wular Lake	Jammu and Kashmir	Freshwater	Indo-China Border
Tso Moriri	Ladakh	Freshwater	Tectonic Lake Largest freshwater lake in India
Bellandur Lake	Karnataka	Brackish Water	Part of Bellandur drainage system
Ashtamudi Kayal	Kerala	Ramsar Wetland	Ramsar wetland site
Kuttanad Vembanad	Kerala	Backwater Paddy Cultivation	Brackish water
Sasthamkotta	Kerala	Ramsar Wetland	Ramsar site; largest artificial lake in India

State/UT	Type	Details	Name
Maharashtra	Freshwater	Birdwatching	Salim Ali
Maharashtra	Freshwater	Koyna dam	Shivsagar
Maharashtra	Crater lake	National Geo-Heritage Monument	Lonar Lake
Manipur	Lenticular freshwater	Ramsar wetland; Phumdis (Floating Islands); Multipurpose project	Loktak Lake
Odisha	Brackish water	India’s largest brackish water lake; lagoon	Chilika Lake
Punjab	Freshwater	Ramsar wetland site	Harike
Punjab	Freshwater	Manmade riverine lake	Rupar
Punjab	Freshwater	Ramsar wetland site	Kanjil
Rajasthan	Saltwater	Ramsar wetland; largest inland saltwater lake in India	Sambhar Lake
Rajasthan	Freshwater	Built by Rana Raj Singh	Rajsamand
Tamil Nadu	Artificial lake	Boat club, boathouse, and boat service	Kodaikanal Lake
Uttar Pradesh	Man-made lake		Govind Ballabh Pant Sagar
Uttar Pradesh	Freshwater	Rihand dam	Bhimtal
Uttarakhand	Freshwater	Medium altitude lake	East Calcutta Wetlands
West Bengal	Brackish water	Ramsar wetland	–

Waterfalls

• A waterfall is an area where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops in the course of a stream or river.
• In India, waterfalls are mostly formed in the upper course of a river where lakes flow into valleys in steep mountains.

List of Major waterfalls in India

Name	Location
Talakona falls	Andhra Pradesh (Tirupati)
Tirathgarh falls	Chhattisgarh (Mugabahar river)
Chulia falls	Rajasthan (Chambal river)
Hundru falls	Jharkhand (Subarnarekha river)
Lodh falls	Jharkhand (Budha river)
Dudhsagar falls	Goa (Mandovi river)
Barkana falls	Karnataka (Sita river)
Unchalli falls	Karnataka (Aghanashini river)
Gokak falls	Karnataka (Ghataprabha river)
Gersoppa (Jog) falls (Highest)	Karnataka (Sharavathi river)
Shivasamudram falls	Karnataka (Kaveri river)
Palaruvi falls	Kerala
Chachai falls	Madhya Pradesh (Bihad river)
Rajat Prapat falls	Madhya Pradesh (Pachmarhi)
Dhuandhar (Marble) falls	Madhya Pradesh (Narmada river)
Nohkalikai falls	Meghalaya
Elephant falls	Meghalaya
Barehipani falls	Odisha (Budhabalanga river-Simlipal National Park)
Khandadhar falls	Odisha (Kaprani stream)
Catherine falls	Tamil Nadu
Kutralam falls	Tamil Nadu (River Siruvani)
Thalaiyar falls	Tamil Nadu (Near Kodaikanal)
Birthi falls	Uttarakhand (Panchooli peak)
Vasudhara falls	Uttarakhand (near Badrinath)
Kapildhara falls	Madhya Pradesh (Narmada river)
Jonha (Gautam Dhara) falls	Jharkhand (Ganga river and Raru river)
Dassam falls	Jharkhand (Kanchi river)

Prelims Facts

• The Western part of Teesta river is known as? – Terai /WBCS (Pre) 2019]
• Punarbhava and Atrai are the distributaries of which Rivers?- Teesta [WBCS (Pre) 2020]
• The Confluence of Bhagirathi and Alakananda is located at – Devprayaga [WBCS (Pre) 2021]
• River Beas, flowing from Himachal Pradesh and Punjab, joins the river – Sutlej [UPPSC (Pre) 2015]
• Geomorphologists opine that change of the course of the Kosi river resulted in – Ganga river flowing through Padma in Bangladesh [WBCS (Pre) 2017]
• Baspa, Spiti and Beas are the tributary of the river – Sutlej [UKPSC (Pre) 2022]
• The Main purpose of ‘Ganga Action Plan’ project, launched in 1985 was to – Make it water pollution free [UPPSC (Pre) 2022]
• ‘Moribund delta’ is a subdivision of which delta – Bengal Delta [UPPSC (Pre) 2019]
• In Bangladesh, the Ganga is know by the name of – Padma [UKPSC (Pre) 2005, UPPSC (Mains) 2016]
• From which place the Bhagirathi river originates? – Gaumukh [CGPSC (Pre) 2011, MPPSC 2013)
• The Tributaries of river Yamuna from West to East are – Chambal-Sindh-Betwa-Ken [UPPSC (Pre) 2020]
• Which valley is known for its deep ravine – Chambal [MPPSC (Pre) 2019]
• Which range acts as a water divide between Yamuna and Son? – Kaimur IMPPSC (Pre) 2016]
• Which river joins the Ganga at Fatuha? – Punpun [BPSC (Pre) 2017]
• What is the Indian name of the Yarluny Zangbo river? – Brahmaputra [BPSC (Pre) 2015]
• The river Manas is the tributary of river – Brahmaputra [BPSC (Pre) 2000]
• Rivers like Dibang, Kameng and Lohit are tributaries of – Brahmaputra [IAS (Pre) 2016]
• The most important reason for the construction of the Farakka Barrage was – Raise the Lower Ganges flow [UPPSC (Pre) 2005]
• What is the name of those two rivers which do not form delta? – Narmada and Tapi [MPPSC (Pre) 2013]
• The river Ganga flows into the Bay of Bengal through – A Triangular Delta [WBCS (Pre) 2012)

UPSC NCERT Practice Questions

1. When the rivers discharge their water from all directions in a lake or depression, the pattern is known as

(a) trellis

(b) dendritic

(c) radial

(d) centripetal

2. The rivers of South India mainly have which of the following drainage patterns? UPPSC (Pre) 2014

(a) Radial

(b) Intermittent

(c) Dendritic

(d) Trellis

3. Among the following tributaries, which one is the part of the Ganga river basin? BPSC (Pre) 2019

(a) Sankh

(b) North Koel

(c) South Koel

(d) Barakar

4. Which river flows through the valley of Kashmir? WBCS (Pre) 2013

(a) Sutlej

(b) Ravi

(c) Chenab

(d) Jhelum

5. Which of the following is not a tributary of Brahmaputra river? Manipur PSC (Pre) 2016

(a) Kolong

(b) Sankosh

(c) Kopili

(d) Dhaleshwari

6. Identify the only tributary of river Ganges which rises in the plains.

(a) Son

(b) Sharda or Saryu

(c) Gomati

(d) Ramganga

7. Consider the following tributaries of river Yamuna and arrange them from West to East.

1. Betwa

2. Ken

3. Sindh

4. Chambal

Codes

(a) 4, 3, 1, 2

(b) 1, 2, 3, 4

(c) 3, 2, 1, 4

(d) 2, 3, 1, 4

8. Four rivers have been mentioned below. What will be the decreasing order of these rivers in length (starting from the longest to the shortest)? HPSC (Pre) 2022

1. Mahanadi

2. Krishna

3. Godavari

4. Narmada

Codes

(a) 4, 1, 2, 3

(b) 2, 3, 1, 4

(c) 1, 2, 4, 3

(d) 3, 2, 4, 1

9. Dubbed as the Dakshin Ganga (the Ganges of the South), the largest river of South India is WBCS (Pre) 2021

(a) The Godavari

(b) The Kaveri

(c) The Penganga

(d) The Mahanadi

10. Consider the following rivers. IAS (Pre) 2015

1. Vansadhara

2. Indravati

3. Pranahita

4. Pennar

Which of the following above are tributaries of Godavari?

(a) 1, 2 and 3

(b) 2, 3 and 4

(c) 1, 2 and 4

(d) 2 and 3

11. Consider the following rivers. IAS (Pre) 2015

1. Brahmani

2. Nagavali

3. Subarnarekha

4. Vamsadhara

Which of the above rise from the Eastern ghats?

(a) 1 and 2

(b) 2 and 4

(c) 3 and 4

(d) 1 and 3

12. Which of the following characteristic feature is appropriate for Narmada River? JPSC (Pre) 2021

(a) Wind origin

(b) Structural origin

(c) Glacial origin

(d) Volcanic origin

13.  The following characteristics are of which river?

1. Originates from the Aravallis near the fort of Kumbhalgarh.

2. Flows through the Mewar plain.

3. Bedach, Kothari and Morel are its tributaries.

Codes

(a) Champal

(b) Mahi

(c) Banas

(d) Luni

14. The source of the Kaveri river lies in UPPSC (Mains) 2011

(a) Sahyadri

(b) Brahmagiri hills

(C) Gavaligarh hills

(d) Amarkantak

15. Kolleru Lake is located between WBCS (Pre) 2019,2021

(a) Godavari and Kaveri

(b) Godavari and Krishna

(c) Krishna and Kaveri

(d) Mahanadi and Godavar

16. Which of the following statements is correct? UPPSC (Pre) 2023

1. Ram Ganga river joins the Ganga at Kannauj.

2. River Betwa joins the Yamuna near Prayagraj

Codes

(a) Only 2

(b) Neither 1 nor 2

(c) Only 1

(d) Both 1 and 2

17. Chilika Lake is a WBCS (Pre) 2018

(a) saltwater lake

(b) freshwater lake

(c) freshwater lake in the monsoon season

(d) saltwater lake in summer season

18. Hundru fall is formed on BPSC (Pre) 1994

(a) Indravati

(b) Kaveri

(c) Subarnarekha

(d) None of these

19. Consider the following statements TAS (Pre) 2023

1. Jhelum river passes through Wular Lake.

2. Krishna river directly feeds Kolleru Lake.

3. Meandering of the Gandak River formed Kanwar Lake.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None of these

Know Right Answer

1 (d)

2 (c)

3 (b)

4 (d)

5 (d)

6 (c)

7 (a)

8 (d)

9 (a)

10 (d)

11 (b)

12 (b)

13 (c)

14 (b)

15 (b)

16 (c)

17 (d)

18 (c)

19 (a)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: What is the significance of studying the drainage system of India for UPSC exams?

A: Understanding the drainage system of India is crucial for UPSC exams as it forms a significant part of the geography syllabus. It helps candidates comprehend the geographical features, regional variations, and the impact of rivers on the socio-economic and environmental aspects of the country. Additionally, questions related to river systems often appear in UPSC exams, making it essential for aspirants to have a comprehensive knowledge of India’s drainage system.

Q: Which are the major river systems discussed in UPSC NCERT Geography notes?

A: The major river systems covered in UPSC NCERT Geography notes on the drainage system of India include the Ganges, Brahmaputra, Yamuna, Godavari, Krishna, and the Indus. These rivers play a crucial role in shaping the landscape, supporting agriculture, and influencing settlement patterns across different regions of the country.

Q: How does the drainage system of India impact its agriculture and economy?

A: The drainage system significantly influences agriculture and the economy of India. The fertile alluvial plains formed by rivers like the Ganges and Brahmaputra are major contributors to agricultural productivity. Additionally, the river systems provide water for irrigation, transportation, and various industries, making them integral to India’s economic development. Knowledge of these aspects is important for aspirants preparing for the UPSC exams.

Q: What are the key challenges and issues related to India’s drainage system?

A: UPSC aspirants should be aware of challenges such as water pollution, over-extraction of groundwater, and the impact of dams and irrigation projects on the natural flow of rivers. Understanding these issues is crucial as questions related to environmental concerns and sustainable development are often asked in UPSC exams.

Q: How can the study of the drainage system contribute to disaster management in India?

A: The drainage system is closely linked to natural disasters like floods and droughts. UPSC candidates should be aware of how the geography of river basins and the monsoon patterns contribute to such disasters. Moreover, the knowledge of the drainage system is essential for devising effective disaster management strategies, including early warning systems, flood control measures, and sustainable water resource management, which are important topics for UPSC preparation.

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