Indian River

System
GEOGRAPHY

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Indian River System

In this topic, we are going to know about the drainage system of India in
detail and also know about the flow of rivers, their directions, river projects
and dams, etc.

Drainage System of India

 Water drains in two directions of the main water divide line of India.
 90% of land water drains into the Bay of Bengal and the rest drains into
the Arabian Sea.
 Those Himalayan Rivers, which originated before the formation of
Himalaya, are known as Antecedent Rivers, such as-Indus,
Brahmaputra, and Sutlej.
 India is blessed with hundreds of large and small rivers, which drains the
length and breadth of the country.
In India, the rivers can be divided into two major groups for better understanding
are:
 Himalayan rivers
 Peninsular rivers
Before studying them in detail, we should first know about the River basins
in India and its types in brief.

River Basins
A river basin is a region of land drained by a river and its tributaries. River
basins have typical features, these include:

 Tributaries - smaller rivers flowing

into a larger river.
 A Watershed - an area of
highland surrounding the river
basin.
 A confluence - where a river
joins another river.
  Source - the starting point of a river.
 Mouth - Where a river meets a lake, the sea or an ocean.

GEOGRAPHY | Indian River System PAGE 2

The river basins have been divided into three parts such as:

Majo Mediu Mino

r m r

 River basin with a  River basin with the  River basin with a
catchment area of Catchment area catchment area
20,000 sq. km and between 2000 and below 2000 sq.
above. 20,000 sq. km. km.
 It accounts for 85% of  It accounts for 7% of  It accounts for 8% of
the total run off the the total runoff. the total runoff.
rivers.

Himalayan Rivers
The Himalayan river system is divided into mainly three major river systems:

The Indus River System

 The Indus, also known as Sindhu, is the Westernmost of Himalayan Rivers in
India.
 It is one of the largest river basins of the world covering an area of 11,
65,000 sq. km (in India it is 3, 21,289 sq. km) and a total length of 2880
km (in India 1,114 km.
 It originates from a glacier near Bokar Chu in the Tibetan region near
Mansarover Lake.
 In Tibet, it is known as the Singi Kham ban or Lion’s mouth.
 In Jammu and Kashmir, its Himalayan tributaries are Zaskar, Dras,
Gartang, Shyok, Shigar, Nubra, Gilgit etc.
 It’s most important tributaries, which join Indus at various places, are Jhelum,
Chenab, Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej.
 According to the Indus Water Treaty signed between India and
Pakistan in 1960, India can utilize only 20% of the total discharge of
Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab.
GEOGRAPHY | Indian River System PAGE 3
The following table gives clear information about the source, length, and falls
into the source in detail:

River Sourc Length (KM) Falls into

e
Near
Indus Mansarover 2880 Arabian Sea
lake

Jhelum Verinag 724 Chenab

Chena Bara Lacha pass 1180 Indus

b

Ravi Near Rohtang Pass 725 Chenab

Beas Near Rohtang Pass 460 Sutlej

Mansarover-
Sutlej Rakas Lake 1450 Chenab
GEOGRAPHY | Indian River System PAGE 4
ck

Gives a better understanding of rivers merger point

The Ganga River System

 The Ganga system is the second major drainage system in India.
 It rises in the Gangotri glacier near Gaumukh (3900 m) in the Uttarakhand.
 Here, it is known as the Bhagirathi, meets the Alaknanda, hereafter, it
is known as the Ganga.
 The Alaknanda consists of the Dhauli and the Vishnu Ganga
which meet at Joshimath or Vishnu Prayag.
 The other tributaries of Alaknanda such as the Pindar joins it at Karna
Prayag, while Mandakini or Kali Ganga meets it at Rudra Prayag.
 It is 2525 km long of which 1450 km is in Uttarakhand and U.P., 445
km in Bihar, and 520 km in West Bengal.
 The left bank tributaries of Ganga are kali or Sharda, Gandhak, Kosi, Mahanadi.
 The right bank tributaries of Ganga are Yamuna and Son.
 Yamuna joins the Ganga at Allahabad (Prayagraj).
 Kosi is called Sorrow of Bihar while Damodar is called Sorrow of Bengal
as these cause floods in these regions.
 Hooghly is a distributary of Ganga flowing through Kolkata.
GEOGRAPHY | Indian River System PAGE 5
The following table gives clear information about the source and length in detail:

River Sourc Length (KM)

e
Ganga Gangotri Glacier 2525

Yamuna Yamunotri Glacier 1376

Chambal Near Mhow 960

Rāmgang Garhwal district 596

ā
Ghaghara Near Gurla, Mandhata peak, South of 1080
Mansarover
Son Amarkantak Plateau 780

Damodar Chhotanagar Plateau 541

Gandak Tibet-Nepal border 425 (length in

India)
Kosi Sikkim-Nepal-Tibet 730 (length in
India)
GEOGRAPHY | Indian River System PAGE 6
The Brahmaputra River System
 It is one of the largest Rivers of the world.
 It is known as Tsangpo in Tibet, Dihang or Siang in Arunachal Pradesh,
Brahmputra in Assam, and Jamuna in Bangladesh.
 Brahmputra forms the largest number of riverine islands Majuli is the
largest river time Islands in the world.
 The combined stream of Ganga and Brahmputra forms the biggest
delta in the world, the Sundarbans, covering an area of 58752 sq.
km.
 Its major part is in Bangladesh.
 Brahmputra is the volume-wise largest river of India, whereas
lengthwise Ganga is the longest in India.
GEOGRAPHY | Indian River System PAGE 7
The following table gives clear information about the source and length in detail:

Name Source Total Informatio

Length n

Mariam La pass separates it

Rises in
from Mansarover Lake.
Brahmput Chemayungdu
2900 km Important Tributaries are:
ra or ng glacier in
Subansiri, Karmeng, Dhansiri,
Tsangpo the
Dihang, Lohit, Tista, Manas,
Kailash range.
Dihing etc.
GEOGRAPHY | Indian River System PAGE 8
Himalayan Rivers
Peninsular river system can be divided into two groups:
 East Flowing rivers:
 These rivers form delta therefore they are also known as Delta forming
rivers.
 These rivers fall in the Bay of Bengal.
 West Flowing rivers:
 These rivers form estuaries, therefore, known as Estuaries forming rivers.
 These rivers fall in the Arabian Sea.

East Flowing Rivers

 These are those rivers that flow towards the east and fall into the Bay of Bengal.
 They make Delta in between their passage.
 The following table shows the different aspects of rivers of east flowing in
a tabular manner:
GEOGRAPHY | Indian River System PAGE 9
 Rivers Sourc Lengt Tributaries
e h

 Seonath
 Hasdeo
 Ib
North foothills  Mand
Mahanadi 857 km
of  Tel
Dandakamaya  Ong
 Jonk

 Penganga
 Wardha
Triambak plateau  Wainganga
1465 (longest
Godavari of North Sahyadri  Indrāvati
river of Peninsular
near Nashik  Sabari
India)
 Manjira

 Bhīma
 Tungabhadra
North of  Ghat Prabha
Krishn Mahabaleshwar 1400 km  Malaprabha
a in the Western  Musi
Ghat
 Koyna

 Herongi
 Hemavati
 Shimsa
Rise in
 Arkavati
Cauvery Brahmgiri 800 km
 Kabani
range in
western Ghat  Bhavani
 Amravati
GEOGRAPHY | Indian River System PAGE 10
West Flowing Rivers
 These are those rivers that flow towards the west and fall into the Arabian Sea.
 They make estuaries in between their passage.
 The following table shows the different aspects of rivers of west-
flowing in tabular manner:

Rive Sourc Length Tributarie

r e s
It falls into the Gulf of
Mewar in
Sabarmati 371 km Khambat and its tributaries
Aravali range
are Hathmati, Sedhi, and
Wakul.
Flows in Madhya
Rises from
Mahi 583 km Pradesh, Rajasthan,
Vindhayan
and Gujarat.
range
It cuts the Tropic of cancer
twice.

Tributaries:
 Hiran
 Tawa
 Banjar
 Shar
 Shakkar
 Burhner
Narmada Amarkantak 1312 km  It flows into the
plateau Gulf of Khambat.
 It flows through
Madhya Pradesh,
Maharashtra, and
Gujarat.
 Famous waterfalls
Dhaundhar and
Kapildhara are located on
this river.

Also known as Twin or

Rises near Multai
Tapi 724 km handmaid of Narmada
on the Satpura
Tributaries are Purna, Betul,
range
Arunavati, Ganjal, etc.
 Also called Salt River.
It is finally lost in the marshy
Luni Rises from Aravalis 495 km
grounds at the head of the
Rann of Kachch.

GEOGRAPHY | Indian River System PAGE 11

Difference between Himalayan river system and peninsular
river system
The following table shows the main difference of the Himalayan rivers and
the Peninsular rivers which an aspirant should know while attempting
short as well as long questions:

Himalayan Rivers Peninsular Rivers

 They have large basins and  They have small basins and
catchment areas. catchment areas.
 They are the example of antecedent  They are the example of consequent
drainage. drainage.
 They are perennial, i.e. the water  They are seasonal and receive
flows throughout the year. water only from rainfall.
 These rivers are still in their  These rivers have already reached
youthful stage. their maturity stage.

Delta and Estuaries

 Delta:
 It is the triangular deposition of alluvium at the mouth of the river
at its fall into the sea.
 Excess deposition of silt and soil forms a delta.
 It is more fertile land.
GEOGRAPHY | Indian River System PAGE 12
 Estuary:
 It is the funnel-shaped mouth of the river.
 High tidal actions form an estuary.
 Tidal waves drudge the silt out and an estuary is formed.
 It is useful for navigation.

Important Waterfalls in India

 The following are the important waterfalls of India which are mainly asked
by the as- sessors in the different examinations:

Waterfall Height (m) River State

Kunchikal 455 Varani Karnataka

Jog/Gersoppa 260 Sharavati Karnataka

Rakim kund 168 Gaighat Bihar

Chachai 127 Bihad Madhya

Pradesh
Keoti 98 Mahanadi Madhya
(Mahona) Pradesh
Shivasamudra 90 Cauvery Karnataka
m
GEOGRAPHY | Indian River System PAGE 13
Important Indian Towns on Rivers
The following are the important Indian towns which resides by the rivers which
are mainly asked by the assessors in the different examinations:

Town River Town River

Jamshedpu Subarnarekha Ahmedabad Sabarmati
r
Delhi Yamuna Patna Ganga
Kanpur Ganga Kota Chambal
Surat Tapti Jabalpur Narmada
Ferozpur Sutlej Panji Mandavi
Allahaba At the Confluence
of the Ganga and Ujjain Kshipra
d Yamuna
(Prayagra
j)
Varanasi Ganga Guwahati Brahmaput
ra
Haridwar Ganga Kolkata Hooghly
Badrinath Alaknanda Cuttack Mahanadi
Ludhiana Sutlej Hyderabad Musi
Srinagar Jhelum Nashik Godavari
Ayodhya Saryu Lucknow Gomti

Important River Projects and their

Beneficiary States
The following are the important river projects of India which are mainly asked by the
as- sessors in the different examinations:

Project River Purpose Beneficiary States

Bhakra Punjab,
Sutlej Power and Himachal
Nangal Pradesh,
Project Irrigation
Haryana
and Rajasthan
Damodar Valley Damodar Power, irrigation Jharkhand and
and Flood West
control Bengal
Hirakud Mahanadi Power and Odisha
 Irrigation
Tungabhadra Tungabhadra Power and Andhra Pradesh
and
Irrigation Karnataka

GEOGRAPHY | Indian River System PAGE 14

 Project River Purpose Beneficiary States
Nagararjunasagar Andhra Pradesh,
Krishna Power and
project Telangana
Irrigation
Bihar, Uttar
Gandak River Gandak Power and Pradesh,
project Irrigation Nepal (Joint
venture of India
and Nepal)
Flood control,
Kosi project Kosi Power Bihar and Nepal
and Irrigation
Power,
irrigation, avoid
Farakka project Ganga, Bhagirathi West Bengal
accumulation
of slit to improve
navigation
Rajasthan,
Beas project Beas Power and Haryana,
Irrigation Punjab and
Himachal
Pradesh
Indira Gandhi
canal Rajasthan,
Sutlej, Beas and Irrigation
project Ravi Punjab and
(Rajasthan Haryana
canal project)
Madhya Pradesh
Chambal project Chambal Power and and
Irrigation Rajasthan
Kakrapara project Tapti Irrigation Gujarat

Ukai project Tapti Power and Gujarat

Irrigation
Tawa project Tawa (Narmada) Irrigation Madhya Pradesh

Poochampad Godavari Irrigation Telangana

project
Malaprabha Malaprabha Irrigation Karnataka
project
Karnataka, West
Irrigation
Durgapur project Damodar Bengal and
and
Jharkhand
navigatio
n
 Mahanadi Delta
Mahanadi Irrigation Odisha
project
Idukki project Periyar Hydroelectricity Kerala
Rāmgangā Chui sot Stream
near Power and Uttarakhand
Multipurpose Irrigation
project Kalagarh
Multipurpose Uttar Pradesh
Matatilla project Betwa
power and and Madhya
Irrigation Pradesh
Bhilangana,
Tehri Dam project Hydroelectricity Uttarakhand
Bhagirathi

GEOGRAPHY | Indian River System PAGE 15

 Project River Purpose Beneficiary States

Rihand project Rihand Hydroelectricity Uttar Pradesh

Hydroelectricity
Kundah project Kundah and Tamil Nadu
Irrigation
Mandi project Beas Irrigation Himachal Pradesh
Shivasamudram
Cauvery Irrigation Karnataka
project
Tata Hydel project Bhīma Hydroelectricity Maharashtra

Mahi project Mahi Irrigation Gujarat

Thein project Ravi Irrigation Punjab

Main Canal Network on Indus River System

The following diagram shows the detailed view of different canal networks in
Northern India:
GEOGRAPHY | Indian River System PAGE 16
Canal and Irrigation System of India
These map show about the different irrigation and canal streams:
GEOGRAPHY | Indian River System PAGE 17
GEOGRAPHY | Indian River System PAGE 18
Source of Irrigation
 The 'sources of water for irrigation' can include grey-water sources,
groundwater sources, surface water sources, industrial process waste-
waters, groundwater sources, municipal water supplies, and other
water sources used in agriculture.
 Surface water sources contain flowing water supplies and standing
or stored supplies water supplies.
 Example of flowing water: streams, canals, and creeks
 Example of stored supplies: reservoirs, ponds, and lakes
 Groundwater sources: wells and springs.
 Grey-water sources: drainage, washing machine or bathwater
 These are the sources of irrigation in India are shown below in map:
GEOGRAPHY | Indian River System PAGE 19