Indian Drainage System Notes with PDF
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I. Major River Systems of India
A. Indus River System
- Major Rivers: Indus, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, Sutlej.
- Sutlej River:
- Type: Trans-Himalayan.
- Origin: Rakas Lake, Tibet.
- Course: Cuts across Himalayan ranges, forming deep gorges.
- Confluence: Rivers Ravi and Jhelum flow into the Chenab, which then meets the Sutlej. The Sutlej finally joins the Indus directly.
- Rivers in Himachal Pradesh: Beas, Chenab, Ravi, Sutlej, and Yamuna.
- Sequence (North to South): Shyok → Zaskar → Spiti → Sutlej.
- Doabs (Land between two rivers):
- Bist Doab: Between Beas and Sutlej.
- Bari Doab: Between Ravi and Beas.
- Rachna Doab: Between Ravi and Chenab.
- Chaj Doab: Between Chenab and Jhelum.
- Specific River Facts:
- Shyok: Tributary of the Indus; known as the ‘River of Death’.
- Zaskar: Joins the Indus at Nimu.
- Spiti: Originates from Kunzum Pass; merges with the Sutlej.
- Chenab: Site for the world’s highest arch bridge.
- Jhelum: Tributary is the Kishanganga River.
B. Ganga River System
- Major Tributaries: Son, Ramganga, Gandak, Yamuna.
- Yamuna River:
- Origin: Yamunotri Glacier.
- Tributaries: Chambal, Ken.
- Son River:
- Dispute: Origin is disputed between Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh (Sonmuda near Amarkantak vs. Son Bachharwar in Bilaspur).
- Characteristic: An example of a superimposed river.
- Catchment Area: Largest among its peers (70,055 sq km).
- Damodar River:
- Nickname: “Sorrow of Bengal”.
- Origin: Chotanagpur Plateau (Palamau Hills).
- Confluence: Tributary of the Hooghly River (part of the Ganga system).
- Drainage Type: Famous for its rift valley (fault valley) drainage due to down-warping.
- Tributaries: Barakar, Konar, Jamunia, Barki.
- Infrastructure: The Edon Canal is taken out from it.
- Status: Considered one of the most polluted rivers in India.
- Raja Rappa: A temple site at the confluence of the Damodar and Bhera (Bhairavi) rivers.
- Other Rivers:
- Doodh Ganga River: Located in Jammu and Kashmir and Uttarakhand.
- Gandak River: Feeds the Triveni Canal in West Champaran, Bihar.
- Kosi River:
- Origin: Gosainthan region, Eastern Nepal (not glacier-fed).
- Length: 720 km.
- Nickname: “Sorrow of Bihar”.
- Behavior: Notorious for frequent, massive course shifts (e.g., a major shift in 2008).
- Confluence: Joins the Ganga near Bhagalpur, Bihar.
- Tributaries: Has seven branches; the Arun River is the main one.
- Ramganga: Catchment area: 30,641 sq km.
- Mahananda: Catchment area: 20,600 sq km.
- Gandak: Catchment area: 12,180 sq km.
C. Brahmaputra River System
- Teesta River:
- Origin: Glacial lake in Sikkim (e.g., Khanchung Chho).
- Tributary: Rangeet River (originates in Sikkim).
- Course: Flows through Sikkim and West Bengal into Bangladesh, where it is a tributary of the Brahmaputra.
- Other Tributaries: Kopili (Kapili), Tista, Sankosh.
- Sankosh River: Forms the boundary between Assam and West Bengal.
D. South Indian Rivers (Flowing into Bay of Bengal)
- Major Systems: Godavari, Mahanadi, Krishna, Cauvery.
- Deccan Plateau Slope: Higher in the west (Western Ghats), sloping gently eastwards, explaining the eastward flow of major rivers.
- Krishna River System:
- Tributaries: Bhima, Tungabhadra, Koyna, Panch Ganga, Ghataprabha.
- Hagari River (Vedavathi): Tributary of the Tungabhadra.
- Tel River: Not a tributary of the Krishna; it is part of the Mahanadi system.
- Bhima River: Flows through Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Telangana.
- Ghataprabha River: Flows through Maharashtra and Karnataka.
- Godavari River System:
- Tributaries: Wainganga, Penganga, Manjra, Indravati.
- North-to-South Sequence: Wainganga followed by Penganga.
- Indravati River: Flows mainly through the Bastar region of Chhattisgarh.
II. General Drainage Patterns & Characteristics
A. Drainage Basins (Flowing to Sea)
- Arabian Sea Drainage: Tapti, Narmada, Sabarmati, Mahi, Kali (Kalinadi).
- Bay of Bengal Drainage: Ganga → Yamuna → Chambal → Khari; Krishna, Son, Gandak, Kosi.
B. Inland Drainage Rivers
- Definition: Do not reach the sea; drain into inland lakes or get lost in deserts.
- Examples: Luni, Ghaggar, Rupen, Saraswati.
C. River Origins & Sources
- Glacier-fed: Yamuna (Yamunotri), Alaknanda (Satopanth), Mandakini (Chorabari Tal).
- Non-Glacier-fed: Kosi (Gosainthan, Nepal).
- Other Specific Origins:
- Sutlej: Rakas Lake, Tibet; enters India via Shipki La pass.
- Mahi: Madhya Pradesh.
- Luni: Pushkar valley of the Aravalli Range, near Ajmer, Rajasthan.
- Mithi River (Mumbai): Vihar Lake, Mumbai.
- Kali River (Sharda): Kalapani near Lipulekh pass; tributaries include Eastern Dhauliganga, Gori, Sarju.
D. Unique River Characteristics
- Superimposed Rivers: Rivers that cut across geological structures (e.g., Chambal, Son).
- Mahi River: Crosses the Tropic of Cancer twice.
- Luni River:
- Length: 320 km.
- Course: Flows through Thar Desert; freshwater in upper course, becomes saline in lower course before ending in the Rann of Kutch.
- States: Flows through Rajasthan and ends in Gujarat.
III. Dams, Projects & Infrastructure
- Rajghat Dam: Built across the Betwa River.
- Betwa River: Hosts the joint Rajghat River Valley Project (Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh).
- Ken-Betwa Link Project: First major river-linking project in India (MoU signed 2005).
- Mahatma Gandhi Setu:
- Location: Patna to Hajipur, over the Ganga River in Bihar.
- Length: 5,575 metres.
IV. Other Important Rivers
- Kali River (Kalinadi): West-flowing river in Karnataka (Uttara Kannada); empties into the Arabian Sea.
- Mayurakshi River: Jharkhand; the Hizla fair in Dumka is celebrated on its bank.
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