There are two types of rivers in the Peninsula:
1. Eastward Flowing Rivers: like Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, Cauvery etc.
2. Westward Flowing Rivers: like Narmada, Tapi, Periyar, etc.
There are many reasons why the rivers in the Peninsula flow in opposite directions:
(i) The Formation of the Arabian Sea
In olden periods there was no sea to the West of the Western Ghats. Land existed where the Arab Sea lies at present.
The Western Ghats were a water divide area from where rivers originated and flowed to the east and the west. Due to the endogenic forces the land west of this water divide subsided and sea replaced it.
(ii) The Subsidence to the North of the Peninsula
When the Himalayas in the Tethys Sea arose, the Peninsula as a whole was little affected but faults were created.
The Narmada and the Tapti began to flow in these trough faults. As the slope of these faults was westward, the rivers flowed towards the west. In fact many faults were created and rivers filled them with their sediments.
The rivers descending the Western Ghats in the west have a steep slope. These rivers have created a large number of physical features.
When these rivers meet the sea, waves and currents take away the sediment brought by the rivers. This is why these rivers do not make deltas.
Some Characteristics of Peninsular Rivers. As compared to the Himalayas the Peninsular part is very old. The rivers of this plateau have reached their mature stage. This is why the rivers have a mild slope, shallow valleys and lateral erosion.
Peninsular Drainage System
The main rivers are the Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and Cauvery.
(1) The Mahanadi River
This river originates from the Bastar Hills in Chhattisgarh. It makes a delta in Orissa and meets the Bay of Bengal.
It flows in M.P and Orissa. Its length is 857 km and its drainage area is 132 thousand sq km and covers the States of Maharashtra, M.P, Chattisgarh and Orissa. The left tributaries of the Mahanadi are Seonath, Hasdeo, Mand and lie.
Out of these tributaries the Sconath has the largest catchment area. The right hand tributaries are the Jonk, Ung and Tel. The catchment area of the Tel is about 22.8 thousand sq km.
Important Features
Hirakud dam has been constructed over the Mahanadi. Thus rivers have created floods in the Chhatisgarh basin. Some canals have also been constructed which provide irrigation facilities.
The main canals arc the Mahanadi Canal, the Tendula Canal and the Kurang Canal. The Brahmani River descends down the Chotanagpur plateau and meets the Mahanadi in its delta.
The main tributaries of this river are the Sankh and Koel. Another river Baitarni rises in the Malaygiri Hills and meets the Brahmani and these together join the Mahanadi delta.
(2) The Godavari River
It originates in the Nasik district of Maharashtra State. It passes through Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh and forms a delta in the Bay of Bengal. This river is 1,500 km long. Its drainage area is 312 thousand sq km.
The catchment area lies in Maharashtra, A.P, Karnataka, Orissa and M.P about half of the drainage area lies in the Maharashtra. On account of its mild slope and mature stage it is called the Old Ganga.
Its main tributaries are the Prawara, Puma, Manprabha, Pen Ganga, Wain Ganga, Wardha, Prauhita, Indravati, Manar and Sabri.
Important Features
Before reaching the Eastern Ghats, the river is narrowed in Andhra Pradesh within a distance of 32 km and makes a gorge near Pelawaram.
After emerging from it, it spreads. Near Rajamundari it becomes 2,750 m wide. Here Anient dam has been constructed.
(3) The Krishna River
This river originates from near Mahabaleshwar in Maharashtra State. This place is only 64 km away from the Arabian Sea. This river makes a delta close to that of the Godavari and meets the Bay of Bengal. Its length is 1,400 km and the catchment area is 259 thousand sq km. It passes through Maharashtra, Karnataka and A.P
Its tributaries are Koyna, Varna, Panch Ganga, Dudh Ganga, Ghat Prabha, Mai Prabha, Bhima, Tung Bhadra, Musi, etc.
Important Features
Near Nagarjuna Sagar, two canals have been constructed which have proved very useful for irrigation purpose. Near Vijaywada, the river passes through a 1,170 m high gap of gneisses rocks.
(4) The Cauvery River
This river rises and descends from the Brahamanpjin Hills in Coorg district of Karnataka State.This river makes a delta at the Bay of Bengal. The total length of this river is 800 km. It passes through Karnataka and Tamil Nadu states.
Its catchment area is about 88,000 sq km and exists in Kerala as well. Its right hand tributaries are Lakshmantirtha, Kabini, Suvaramati and Bhawani, whereas left Side Rivers arc Heranjji, Hemavati, Shimsha, Ankavati, etc.
Important Features
Many dams have been constructed in order to control floods. The Cauvery has surrounded the two islands of Karnataka namely Sivasamudram and Shirirangpattanam (both in Karnataka).
There are many waterfalls down Sivasamudram. These waterfalls are useful for generating power and have helped in boosting economic growth of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
(5) The Narmada
The river rises from the Amarkantaka peak (1,057 m) of the Maikal Range in M.P. It makes an estuary with Gulf of Khambat near Bharauch. Its length is 1,312 km and its catchment area is 93,000 sq km.
Its basin nearly 90% lies in M.P and about 10% in Gujarat. It flows from the east to the west. Its direction of flow is against most of the other rivers of the Peninsula.
Its tributaries are small. Only Orsak is 300 km long. Other tributaries are all smaller than 200 km in length.
Important Features
The river flows in a rift valley which is situated between the Vindhyan and Satpura ranges. Its narrow course in Bheda Ghat down Jabalpore in the marble rocks and in the smoky waterfalls of Kapildhara(Dhuandhar) is fabulous. Here the river makes a fall of 23m.
(6) The Tapi River
It originates from the Betul District in Madhya Pradesh of the Satpura range and debouches in the Gulf of Khambat. It is 721 km in length.
It flows parallel to the Narmada River. Its catchment area is about 65,000 sq km. It passes through M.P, Maharashtra and Gujarat. It flows from the east to the west direction.
The Puma is its main tributary. Its left side tributaries are the Girna, Bori and Panjhara and right sided tributary is Aner.
Important Features
It forms a narrow stony valley between Khandwa and Kharjjoon in M.P It passes through a fertile area 32 km long near Burhanpur.
(7) The Mahi
It originates in the Mehd Lake (545 m) situated in the western part of the Vindhyan range. It also debouches into the Gulf of Khambat. Its length is 560 km. This river passes through M.P, Rajasthan and Gujarat.
The catchment area of the river is 34,842 sq km. Before debouching into the Gulf of Khambat, the river flows for about 532 km to the South.
The river does not have any tributary worth the name.
(8) The Sabarmati River
It raises in the Aravali mountains and falls into the Gulf of Khambat. It is a small river- about 300 km long. It passes through Rajasthan and Gujarat. It flows south and south-west ward. Its catchment area is 21,674 sq km.