Showing posts with label Indian Rivers System. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Indian Rivers System. Show all posts
The Peninsular Rivers of India
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.
Holy River Ganges
- The Ganga Rivers comprise important tributaries of the Ganga or Ganges, which include the Yamuna, Chambal, Kosi, and Damodar Rivers. These rivers are famous all over India for different reasons.
- The Ganges (also known as Ganga or Gonga), is the biggest river in the Indian subcontinent in terms of water flow. The length of the Ganga is 2,510 km or 1,560 miles. The river has its origin in the Western Himalayan Ranges in the state of Uttarakhand.
- The Ganges River Catchment Basin covers an area of 390,000 sq miles (1,000,000 sq km) and supplies to one of the maximum populated areas in the world.
- The river has been proclaimed as the National river of India. The first Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, cited a number of emblematic interpretations regarding the Ganges on the Indian subcontinent in his famous book, the Discovery of India (published in 1946).
- The Ganges passes through the states of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal.
Tributaries of the Ganga
Left tributaries - Karnali, Mahakhali, Gandak, Koshi (Kosi), Ghaghra, and Damodar
Right tributaries - Yamuna, Son, Mahananda, Chambal
Economy of the Ganges
- The Ganges drainage area with its productive land is helpful for the agrarian economies of Bangladesh and India. The Ganga and its tributaries function as a perpetual source of water supply to a huge agricultural region in India. Major crops grown in the region include sugarcane, rice, oilseeds, lentils, wheat, and potatoes.
- Tourism is a moneymaking activity on this river. Three sacred places to Hindus -Allahabad, Haridwar, and Varanasi draw countless devotees to its waters. They come to visit these three towns to bathe in the holy Ganga, which is assumed to wash oneself of wrongdoings and help achieve deliverance.
- There are some run-of-the-river hydroelectric power projects under construction on the Ganges tributaries. Two are being constructed by the Uttarakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam Ltd. (UJVNL) and three by NTPC (National Thermal Power Corporation).
- Tapovan Vishnugad Hydroelectric Power Project (NTPC): In Joshimath city.
- Lata Tapovan Hydroelectric Power Project (NTPC): Also in Joshimath.
- Maneri Bhali Hydro Power Project (UJVNL)
- Maneri Tiloth Hydro Power Project (UJVNL): In Uttarkashi from 1984 (of 90 MW).
- The Yamuna is the biggest tributary of the River Ganges in North India. The river originates from the Yamunotri Glacier on the southwestern sides of the Banderpooch crests of the Lower Himalayan Mountain Range. During its itinerary, the river passes through states like Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Haryana. The famous river meets the Ganges at Triveni Sangam in Allahabad, a popular pilgrimage spot for the Hindus.
- The biggest and longest tributary of the Yamuna is the Son River. Other tributaries of the Yamuna include the Betwa, Chambal, Sindh, Ken, Sarda, Hindon, Giri, Kunta, Hanuman Ganga, Rishiganga, and Kunta Rivers. The catchment area of Yamuna comprises the most of the Ganges Basin. The river traverses cities like Mathura, Delhi, Agra, Etawah, and Kalpi.
2. Chambal
- The Chambal River is one of the most important tributaries of the Ganges. It is also a tributary of the Yamuna River in Central India. The Chambal River forms a significant portion of the Greater Gangetic drainage arrangement. The river runs through the states of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh. Major tributaries of the Chambal River include Mej, Banas, Kali Sindh, Parbati, and Shipra. It is a perennial river, which originates from a place near Manspura in Janapao Hills in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India. The length of the river is 960 km or 596 miles.
- Ranapratap Sagar Dam
- Gandhi Sagar Dam
- Jawahar Sagar Dam
- Kota Barrage
- The Kosi River is another major tributary of the Ganges. The river is a trans-boundary river, which runs through both India and Nepal. The river is famous for its seven tributaries in the Himalayan mountain ranges. A number of rivers of the Kosi River System like the Arun, the Bhote Kosi and the Sun Kosi have their sources in the autonomous region of Tibet in China. The Kosi River is one of the biggest tributaries of the Ganga. The river traverses important cities like Purnia, Biratnagar, Katihar in Bihar and Nepal. The length of the Kosi River is 729 km or 453 miles.
- National parks on the banks of the Kosi River
- The Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve
- The Sagarmatha National Park
- The Damodar River is a key tributary of the Ganges River. The river has its source in the vicinity of Chandwa Village in Palamau Disrtict in Jharkhand. The river flows through the states of Jharkhand and West Bengal. The source of the Damodar River is based in the Chota Nagpur Plataeu in Jharkhand, India. The length of the river is 592 km or 368 miles. Previously, the river was named as the River of Sorrows since it inundated a number of regions in Hooghly, Bardhaman, Medinipur, and Howrah districts of West Bengal. The river is famous for the DVC (Damodar Valley Corporation).
@Rakesh
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