DRAINAGE SYSTEMS OF INDIA 🌊🏞️

Drainage

The river system of an area

Drainage basin

The area drained by a single river system.

Water divide

An elevated area such as a mountain or upland that separates two drainage basins.

Gorge

A deep

Two main drainage systems in India

Himalayan rivers and Peninsular rivers.

Himalayan rivers

Perennial rivers that have water throughout the year

Peninsular rivers

Mainly seasonal rivers

Perennial river

A river that flows all year round

Seasonal river

A river that flows mainly during the rainy season

Features of Himalayan rivers

Long courses

Features of Peninsular rivers

Shorter

River system

A river along with its tributaries.

Indus River System

Originates near Lake Mansarowar in Tibet

Indus Water Treaty (1960)

India can use only 20% of Indus water for irrigation in Punjab

Main tributaries of Indus

Sutlej

Ganga River System

Headwaters called Bhagirathi

Major Himalayan tributaries of Ganga

Yamuna

Yamuna

Right bank tributary of Ganga

Peninsular tributaries of Ganga

Chambal

Ganga delta

Formed at the mouth of Ganga and Brahmaputra

Sundarban Delta

Named after the Sundari tree

Length of Ganga

Over 2500 km.

Ambala

Located on the water divide between Indus and Ganga river systems.

Brahmaputra River System

Originates in Tibet (Tsang Po)

Brahmaputra in Bangladesh

Known as Jamuna.

Brahmaputra features

Braided channel

Majuli

World’s largest inhabited riverine island

Western Ghats

Main water divide in Peninsular India; most rivers flow eastwards to Bay of Bengal.

Narmada and Tapi

Two major Peninsular rivers flowing westwards into the Arabian Sea

Narmada Basin

Originates in Amarkantak hills (Madhya Pradesh)

Tapi Basin

Originates in Satpura ranges (Betul

Short west-flowing rivers

Sabarmati

Godavari Basin

Largest Peninsular river (1500 km)

Godavari tributaries

Purna

Mahanadi Basin

Rises in Chhattisgarh

Krishna Basin

Rises near Mahabaleshwar

Kaveri Basin

Rises in Brahmagiri range (Western Ghats)

Major east-flowing rivers in Peninsular India

Mahanadi

Other east-flowing rivers

Damoder

Lakes

Water bodies formed by natural or artificial processes; can be permanent or seasonal.

Types of lakes

Glacial (Himalayan)

Largest freshwater lake in India

Wular Lake (Jammu & Kashmir

Dal Lake

Bhimtal

Sambhar Lake

Largest saltwater lake in India

Role of lakes

Regulate river flow

Guru Gobind Sagar

Artificial lake formed by Bhakra Nangal dam.

Role of rivers in economy

Provide water for agriculture

River pollution

Caused by domestic

Namami Gange

Flagship programme for conservation and rejuvenation of the Ganga river.

Namami Devi Narmade

Conservation mission for the Narmada river in Madhya Pradesh.