Geography-ncert-notes / Geography NCERT Notes / Drainage System of India

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.

Following are the major drainage patterns

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

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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)

Self-Check

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 characteristic 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 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)