1

Chapter 3: INDIA – DRAINAGE SYSTEM

What is drainage? the Archean basement rocks of
By the term ‘drainage’, we mean the river Gondwana land.
system of an area. Small streams from
Drainage Pattern:
different directions join to form a river. The
Pattern means Orientation or alignment of
river ultimately merges into a larger water
rivers at a particular place e.g. Radial
body – a lake, a sea or an ocean. The area
drainage pattern, Herring bone pattern etc.
that a single river drains is the drainage
India as a whole exhibit several kind of
basin of that river.
drainage pattern in different regions.
Sometimes two drainage basins are separated
(1) Radial Drainage Pattern
by upland or a mountain/hill. Such upland or
It is a kind of drainage pattern in which
mountain is called water divide.
rivers originate from a point & radiates
into different directions like spikes of a
wheel, e.g. Amarkantak plateau region,
Mansarovar lake region, Chhotanagpur
plateau region, Barak river of north-east.
(2) Dendritic Drainage Pattern
When several rivers or streams of a
region look like a tree or its branches, it
is known as Dendritic Drainage Pattern,
e.g. Ganga River System, Godavari River
System.
(3) Inland Drainage Pattern
When rivers of a region are not able to
reach to the ocean, i.e. they deposit their
sediments on the land itself. They form
Important: their delta on a land in the form of Playa
 World’s largest drainage basin is of the or Rann, e.g. Luni River System,
River Nile in Egypt in Africa. Ghagghar River in western Part of India.
 River Ganga has its largest drainage (4) Trellis Drainage Pattern
basin in India. Tributary streams meet with the main
stream at 90 degree after cutting or
Drainage system of a place is largely eroding the mountains or ridges e.g.
determined by its relief features. rivers in the upper part of Himalaya
There are two types of Drainage System in regions.
India; (5) Rectangular Drainage pattern
(1) Antecedent Drainage System Tributary streams meet with the main
(2) Super imposed Drainage System
stream at 90 degree like rivers in the
(1) Antecedent drainage system: upper part of Himalaya regions.
Those rivers which have originated prior
to the development of land mass, e.g. India’s drainage system can better be
Northern Himalayan rivers were present described two major groups of river system1
before the upliftment of Himalaya like of India;
Indo-Brahma river, Indus, Sutlej, etc. (1) Himalayan River System: In India there
(2) Super imposed Drainage systems: are three major Himalayan River systems
These rivers develop after the
development of land masses e.g. Rivers
of peninsular India were developed on 1
River system is a river along with its tributaries.
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– the Indus, the Ganga and the (2) Peninsular River System
Brahmaputra river systems.

HIMALAYAN RIVERS vs. PENINSULAR RIVERS

# Himalayan Rivers Peninsular Rivers
1. The Himalayan rivers are perennial, i.e. thay flow The peninsular rivers are seasonal. They do not
throughout the year. Their sources are linked with flow throughout the year. These rivers flow once
glaciers. So, the water supply from melting glaciers in a year at the time of south-west monsoon. On
keeps these rivers flowing the whole year. The the onset of monsoon their water level increases
quantity of water in these rivers increases twice a because of their dependence on rainwater.
year – once at the time of melting of ice in the Examples are Narmada, Tapi, Godavari, Krishna
summer and the other on the onset of south-west etc. Because the eastern coastal region of Kosi
monsoon. Examples are the Ganga, the Yamuna, the gets rain in winter from the north-east monsoon.
Brahmaputra and the rivers of Punjab. So, in that season the water level in the lower
regions of Kaveri increases.
2. The basins of the Himalayan rivers are often large, The basins of the Peninsular rivers are oftern
e.g. the Ganga basin, the Indus basin. small, e.g. the Narmada basin, the Tapi basin etc.
3. The Himalayan rivers are often long because their The Peninsular rivers are comparatively smaller.
sources are far away from the ocean.
4. Less number of rivers flow into the ocean. Most of Most of the rivers flow into the ocean because of
the rivers are tributaries of one or the other large high peninsular slope.
river.
5. The Himalayan rivers form deep valleys and gorges The river valleys are often shallow.
in their source areas.
6. The Himalayan rivers cover long distances in the Peninsular rivers are not navigable because of
plains. These are navigable. the waterfalls on their way and the fluctuation of
the quantity of water. They are navigable in the
delta regions.
7. The Himalayan rivers form meanders because they The Peninsular rivers flow through hard rocky
flow through plains where the land is friable, i.e. areas. Several rivers flow through rift valleys
soft. and have straight and linear courses. For
example Narmada and Tapi develop linear
drainage system because they flow through rift
valleys.
8. The Himalayan rivers often form deltas at their The Peninsular rivers often form estuaries or
mouths. small deltas at their mounths.

INDUS RIVER SYSTEM Pakistan). It is the westernmost of

 The river Indus (Sanskrit name ‘Sindhu’) Himalayan rivers.
has its origin in Tibet (China) near  On entering Pakistan, it takes southward
Mansarovar Lake. At its origin it is turn and runs hundreds of kilometers to
known as ‘Singi Khamban (the lion’s meet Arabian Sea east of Karachi.
mouth).  The river Indus has a total length of
 Flowing westwards from its origin, it about 2900 km and it is one of the
longest rivers of the world.
enters India in Jammu & Kashmir
 About a third of Indus basin is located in
(Ladakh district) and form a very India in the states of Jammu & Kashmir,
picturesque gorge in this area. Famous Himachal Pradesh and Punjab.
city Leh also lies on banks of the Indus.  Tributaries of Indus: Zaskar, Nubra,
 It flows through Baltistan and Gilgit Shyok and Gilgit (all enters into the
(both in Pakistan) and emerges from the
mountains at Attock (Punjab province of
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Indus in Kashmir region). Sutlej2, Beas3, (4) Generation of hydro-electric power as

Ravi4, Chenab5 and Jhelum6 jointly form specified
Panchnad to join the Indus near  India has been permitted to construct storage
Mithankot in Pakistan. of water on western rivers upto 3.6 MAF for
Indus Water Treaty: various purposes. No storage has been
 The treaty came into effect on 01/04/1960. developed so far.
 Under the Treaty, the waters of Eastern
Rivers are allocated to India. India is under
obligation to let flow the waters of the
Western Rivers except for the following
uses:
(1) Domestic Use,
(2) Non-consumptive use,
(3) Agricultural use as specified,

2
‘Satadru’ is the other name of the river Sutlej. It
rises from Mansarovar-Rakas Lake in Tibet. In
Tibet, it is known as Langchen Khambab. Spiti is
the main tributary of the river Sutlej. It crosses
Dhauladhar Range. Sutlej enters India from Tibet
through Shipki La. It is the longest among all
tributaries of the Indus. It enters Pakistani Punjab
from the Indian Punjab near Ferozpur. It is
famous for Bhakhra Nangal project on it.
3
River Beas is also known as ‘Vipasa’. It rises
Important River Projects on the five
south of Rohtang Pass in Kullu Hills of Himachal
Pradesh. The river cuts through Dhauladhar rivers:
range. It flows through Kullu, Mandi and Kangra. 1. Naptha - Jhakri (Himachal Pradesh):
Finally, it joins Sutlej at Harike in Tarn-Taran World's largest underground water
district of Punjab. It is the only river of Indus project. It is on river Sutlej.
system which flows only in India. Pong Dam is 2. Bhakra-Nangal: It is India’s largest
built on this river. multipurpose river valley project. Two
4
The other names of Ravi are ‘Prushni’ or dams on the Satluj have been built at
‘Iravati’. It is the smallest river of Punjab. Bhakra and Nangal. The Bhakra dam is
Pakistan’s famous city Lahore is on the river Ravi. the second highest dam in the world. Its
It rises near Rohtang Pass in Kullu Hills of height is 226 m above the river level and
Himachal Pradesh. It runs between the Pir Panjal 518 m above the sea level. It is India’s
Hills and the Dhauladhar Range. Chamba, in highest gravitational dam. Hydro-
Himachal Pradesh, is on Ravi. Thein Dam (also electricity is produced from the Bhakra
known as Ranjit Sagar Dam) is on this river near dam and water for irrigation is supplied
border of Punjab in India. It forms Indo-Pak from the Nangal dam. Punjab, Haryana,
border. Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan are its
5
The river Chenab has its other names ‘Asikni’ beneficiaries. The reservoir behind the
and ‘Chandrabhaga’. It is the largest Indus Bhakra dam is named the Gobind Sagar.
tributary in terms of flow of water. It rises in It is situated in Himachal Pradesh.
Himachal Pradesh. It runs between Great 3. The Indira Gnadhi Project or the
Himalayas and the Pir Panjal. Known for Rajasthan Canal: The Indira Gandhi
controversial Baghlihar Dam. Canal has been drawn out from the
6
Vitasta is the Sanskrit name of the river Jhelum. Harike Barrage situated on he
It rises at Verinag, at the foot of Pir Panjal, in contfluence of the Beas and the Satluj. It
Kashmir and flows through Wular Lake. Its basin
is the longest canal (468 km) in the
lies between the Great Himalayas and the Pir
world. Agriculture has been made
Panjal. Forms Indo-Pak border in Jammu &
possible even in the desert areas of
Kashmir.
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Rajasthan with the help of it. The district A tributary is the river that meets the main river.
of Ganganagar in Rajasthan has become Its base level is higher than the main river;
the area of Green Revolution. The main whereas a distributary is a small river that
stream of this canal has gone up to the branches out from the main river and then never
district of Jaisalmer. The secondary meets it again.
streams of this canal irrigate the district Two streams Bhagirathi and Alknanda
of Barmer (Rajsthan). There have been (originating from Gangotri glacier and
dams on the Ravi and the Beas for water Badrinath respectively) merge at Devaprayag
supply in this canal. The surplus water is in Uttarakhand to form the river Ganga. One
let to flow in the Satluj. The dam on the more stream Mandakini (from Kedarnath)
Beas has been built at Pong. joins Alkananda at Rudraprayag.
4. The Pong Project: It has been executed
on the Beas. The Pong reservoir is in
Himachal Pradesh.
5. The Chamera Project: It is a hydel power
project begun in Himachal Pradesh on
the Ravi.
6. The Thein Project: A dam has been made
on the Ravi north to Madhopur near  The mainstream Ganga flows through
Pathankot in Punjab under this project. It
mountains till it reaches Haridwar where
is a combined project of Punjab and it enters into plains. It runs through
Himachal Pradesh. It is Ranjit Sagar Dam
Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and
also.
West Bengal states of India.
7. The Salal Project: This project has been  Ganga river basin covers Himachal
executed on the Chenab in Jammu and
Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya
Kashmir. Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh,
8. The Baglihar Project: This project has Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and West
been executed on the Chenab in Jammu
Bengal states of India. The catchment
and Jammu and Kashmir.
basin of the river Ganga covers about a
9. The Dulhasti Project: This project has
fourth of India’s total surface.
been executed on the Chenab in Jammu  River Ganga branches off at Farakka in
and Kashmir.
West Bengal from where Bhagirathi-
10. The Tulbul Project: This project has been
Hooghly (its distributary) flows
executed on the Jhelum in Jammu and southwards through the deltaic plains to
Kashmir. It is also known as the Wular
the Bay of Bengal and the mainstream
Barrage because of the dam built on the flows southwards into Bangladesh where
Wular Lake. The Jhelum flows through it gets the name Padma. Further
the Wular Lake.
downstream, before entering into the Bay
11. The Uri Project: This project has been of Bengal, it is called Meghna7.
executed on the Jhelum in the district of
 Both the rivers Bhagirathi-Hooghly and
Baramula in Jammu and Kashmir.
Ganga-Brahmaputra (Meghna) forms
GANGA AND ITS TRIBUTARIES world’s largest delta named Sunderbans.
The Ganga flows initially in the southern
Tributaries of Ganga:
direction, then in the southeast, and again in Yamuna, Ghaghra, Gandak and Kosi are the
the east. When it reaches West Bengal it gets
major tributaries of the river Ganga. River
divided into two main distributaries called the
Bhagirathi and the Hugli. The main river
goes to Bangladesh where it is firstly called
the Padma and then the Meghna which flows 7
River Barak which originates from Manipur Hills
into the Bay of Bengal. River Damodar
is the headstream of Meghna. Barak in
(Sorrow of Bengal) is a tributary of Hooghly.
Bangladesh is joined by a number of small
streams and it gets the name Meghna.
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Yamuna8 and river Sone9 are the right bank Sunderbans Delta:
tributaries of Ganga. River Damodar10 is a  Sunderbans delta is the largest river delta
right bank tributary of the river Bhagirathi- of the world which consists of mangrove
Hooghly (a distributary of Ganga). Gomti11, forests15.
Ghaghra12, Gandak13 and Kosi are the left  Sunderbans delta derived its name from
bank tributaries of Ganga. Gandak, Ghagra Sundari tree which grows well in the
and Kosi14 rivers rise in Nepal Himalayas and marshlands.
have much amount of water in them. These  It is the world’s largest and fastest
river flooded parts of northern plains every growing delta – also the home of Royal
year causing damage to property and lives Bengal Tiger.
but enriching the soil for extensive
 The Chambal originates from a place
agriculture.
near ‘Mhow’ situated on the Malwa
The river Ganga is over 2500 km long.
plateau in Madhya Pradesh. Initially it
Ambala (Haryana) is located on water divide
flows through a gorge in the northern
between the Indus and the Ganga river
direction up to Kota in Rajasthan. Then,
systems.
after passing through Bundi, Sawai
Madhopur and Dholpur, it joins the
Yamuna at last. It is famous for its
8 badland topography. Here, the badland
River Yamuna originates from Yamnotri glacier
topography is called ravines. The rivers
in Uttarakhand. It runs through Uttarakhand,
Banas, Kalisind and Parvati are the
Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi and Uttar
Pradesh before joining Ganga at Allahabad. It is
tributaries of the Chambal.
called Thames of India. Yamuna forms the border  The river Ken originates from the
between Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Important Kaimur Hills situated in the district of
Sikh pilgrimage site Paonta Sahib (in Himachal Satna in Madhya Pradesh. It joins the
Pradesh) is on the bank of Yamuna. Other Yamuna near Banda.
important cities on Yamuna are Delhi, Mathura  The Son is a main righ-bank tributary of
and Agra. Tributaries of Yamuna are Chambal, the Ganga. There are particles of gold in
Sind, Betwa and Ken. Tons is its largest tributary. its sand, so it is called the gold river
9 (swarna nadi). It originates from the hills
River Sone rises from Amarkantak Plateau. It
flows northwards to join Ganga at a point west of of Amarkantak in Madhya Pradesh and
Patna. joins the Ganga west to Patna. The rivers
10
River Damodar is called the “sorrow of Rihand and Koel are its main tributaries.
Bengal”.  River Damodar flows in the eastern part
11
Lucknow is on river Gomti. Kanpur, Allahabad, of the Chotanagpur plateau in Jharkhand.
Varanasi and Patna are important cities on the This river passes through a rift valley.
river Ganga. Kolkata is on river Bhagirathi- The river Barakar is its main tributary. It
Hooghly. joins the Hugli near Fulta. Dhanbad and
12
It has its origin in Nepal. So, it has its Durgapur are main towns on its banks.
catchment area in both Nepal and India. It is  The river Ramganga originates from near
known as Karnaili in Nepal. The river abounds in Nainital. It joins the Ganga near Kannauj.
silt and so is forced to often shift its course. River  The river Gomati originates from the
Sarda, which is known as Kali in its origin in district of Pilbhit in U.P. It joins the
Nepal, joins Ghagra before it enters into Ganga at Ganga near Ghazipur. Lucknow and
Chhapra in Bihar. Jaunpur are the two important towns on
13
River Gandak rises near Tibet-Nepal border. It
its banks.
enters India at Champaran district in Bihar and
meets Ganga at Sonepur in Bihar.
14 15
River Kosi is called the “sorrow of Bihar”. Kosi Mangrove forests consist of various types of
rises in Tibet. ‘Arun’ is the main stream of Kosi. trees up to medium height and shrubs that grow
Further, it is joined by Son Kosi from the West in saline coastal sediment habitats in the tropics
and Tamur Kosi from the East to form Sapta Kosi. and sub-tropics mainly between 25ºN-25ºS
Kosi joins Ganga near Bhagalpur. latitudes.
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Place Confluence of Rivers the river Betwa. The dam has been built
Devaprayag Bhagirathi + Alkananda in Uttar Pradesh.
Rudraprayag Mandakini + Alkananda  The Chambal Project: It is a joint project
Karnaprayag Pindar + Alkananda of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. Three
Vishnuprayag Dhauliganga + Alkananda dams have been buit on Chambal. One of
them has been built at on Madhya
 The Tehri Project: The Tehri dam has Pradesh & Rajasthan border. The
been constructed at Tehri at the reservoir behind it has been named
confluence of the rivers Bhilangana and Gandhi Sagar. The other two dams have
Bhagirathi. This project is being been built in Rawatbhata and Kota in
seriously opposed because of the Rajasthan. The reservoir in Rawatbhata is
construction of high dam in an named Maharana Pratap Sagar and that in
earthquake prone area (Zone V) and Kota is named Jawahar Sagar.
deforestation on a large landmass.  The Damodar Valley Project: It is a
 The Ramganga Project: It is on the river project of undivided Bihar (now
Ramganga, a tributary of the Ganga. Jharkhand) and West Bengal. It is India's
 The Tanakpur Project: It has been first (1948) multipurpose river valley
executed at Tanakpur (Uttarakhand) on project. The model of this project is
the river Kali that flows on the Indo- based on Tennessee River Valley
Nepal border. Corporation (TVC) of the USA. It is such
 The Gandak Project: It is a joint project a multipurpose river valley project in
of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Nepal. which thermal electricity is produced
Hydro-electricity is produced at more than hydro electricity. There are
Suratpura (Nepal) on the river Gandak. thermal power stations in Bokaro,
The dam has been built at Bhaisalotan Dugapur and Chandrapura.
(Valmikinagar) in Bihar. The main dam on the Damodar has been
 The Kosi Project: It is a joint project of built on Panchet hill. Dams have also
Bihar and Nepal. The main objectives of been built at Ayer, Bermo and Tenughat.
this project are flood control, hydro- There has been the planning of
electricity production and irrigation. production of hydro-electricity on the
Hydro-electricity is being produced at river Konar which is a tributary of the
Kataiya in Nepal. The main canal in Damodar.
Bihar has been drawn out from the The river Barkar is the most prominent
Hanuman Nagar Barrage. tributary of the Damodar. Dams at
 The Rihand Project: It is mainly of Uttar Tilaiya, Balpahari and Maithon have
Pradesh but Bihar and Madhya Pradesh been built on it and hydro electricity is
also get benefit of it. Bihar gets water being produced.
which reaches the Son Canal through the A canal has been constructed by
Son river. This project has been executed constructing a barrage on the Damodar in
at Pipri (Sonebhadra district, UP) on the Durgapur. It is used for irrigation. The
river Rihand, a tributary of the Son. The Damodar river was called the ‘Sorrow of
reservoir named Govind Ballabh Pant Bengal’ because of the havoc caused by
Sagar has been constructed on the border the flood. The main objective of this
of Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. project was flood control.
 The Bansagar Project: It is a joint project  The Mayurakshi Project: It is a joint
of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and project of undivided Bihar (now
Bihar on the Son. The Bansagar dam has Hharkhand) and West Benalg. A Dam
been built on the Son in the district of
has been built on the river Mayurakshi at
Shahdol in Madhya Pradesh.
Masanjor in Dumka district of Jharkhand.
 The Matatila Project: It is joint project of
It is also known as the ‘Canada Dam’.
Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh on

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THE RIVER VALLEY PROJECTS ON  Brahmaputra flows through only two

RIVER BRAHMAPUTRA states of India, i.e. Arunachal Pradesh
 The source of the river Brahmaputra16 is and Assam.
very close to the source of the rivers The following are the important river valley
Indus and Sutlej. Brahmaputra originates, projects on the River Brahmaputra and other
in Tibet (China) east of Mansarovar projects of North-East;
Lake, from Chemayungdung glacier. Project Where located
 From its origin to its end it is recognized Ranga River Hydel Arunachal Pradesh
under different names called Tsang Po Power Project
Papum Pap Hydel Arunachal Pradesh
(in Tibet), Dihang (in Arunachal
Power Project
Pradesh), Brahmaputra (in Assam), Dhinkrong Hydel Arunachal Pradesh
Jamuna (on entering Bangladesh), Power Project
Meghna (before it merges into the Bay of Paki Hydel Power Arunachal Pradesh
Bengal). Project
 It is slightly longer than Indus and the Upper Lohit Hydel Arunachal Pradesh
most of its course lies outside India. Power Project
 From its origin it flow eastwards parallel AKmeng Hydel Power Arunachal Pradesh
to the Himalayas; at Namcha Barwa Project
(7757 mts high peak in Tibet) it takes a Damway Hydel Power Arunachal Pradesh
‘U-turn’ to enter into India through Project
Arunachal Pradesh. Kopli Hydel Power Assam
 In Tibet (China), Brahmaputra carries a Project
small volume of water and less silt as Doyang Hydel Power Nagaland
Tibet is a cold and dry area. In India, Project
Brahmaputra passes though a region of Loktak Hydel Power Manipur
Project
high rainfall, so here it carries a large
Tipaimukh Hydel Manipur – built on the
volume of water and considerable
Power Project confluence of Brakak
amount of silt.
and Tuibai in the
 In Assam, Brahmaputra forms many district of
riverine islands. World’s largest riverine Churachandpur in
island formed by Brahmaputra (Majuli Manipur. It is a
Island) is also in the State of Assam. disputed project
 Brahmaputra shifts its course frequently. because of its
Tributaries of Brahmaputra: opposition by
Dibang, Lohit and Dhansiri rivers are its left Bangladesh
bank tributaries. Subansiri, Manas and Teesta Dhaleshwari Hydel Mizoram
are the right bank tributaries of Brahmaputra. Power Project
(See the map given below) Tuirial Hydel Power Mizoram
 Brahmaputra enters Bangaldesh near Project
Dhubri. Tuibai Hydel Power Mizoram
 Part of the river in Assam is navigable. Project
National Waterway #2, from Sadiya to Rangit Hydel Power Sikkim
Dhubri, is on river Brahmaputra. Project
 Brahmaputra is also known as ‘Red DELTA
River’ because of the red colour given to When a river flows into an ocean or lake, the
its water by the silt. silt begins to deposit on its mouth because of
very low gradient. A special kind of land
form begins taking shape there which is
known as a delta.
16
Brahmaputra is known as Yarlung Zangbo in Conditions for Delta formation:
Chinese.
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The following are the ideal conditions for the waves do not interfere with the natural
formation of delta; process of gradual sedimention and delta
1. Suitable place in the form of shallow sea formation),
and lake shores; 5. Large amount of sediment supply;
2. Long courses of the river (i.e. long rivers 6. Accelerated rate of erosion in the
so that they bring enough amount of catchment area of the concerned river;
sediments); 7. Almost stable condition of sea coast
3. Medium size of sediments (because if the subjected to frequent emergence of
sediments are very small, they would be submergence caused by tectonic
carried into the sea in suspension and if movements does not allow regular
they are very coarse, they would soon sedimentation and thus disfavours delta
settle down at the river bottom, and formation) etc.
hence no delta would be formed);
4. Relatively calm or sheltered sea at the
mouths of the rivers (so that ocean
currents, strong waves or high tidal

THE PENINSULAR RIVER SYSTEM Sea through the Gulf of Khambat. The
The Peninsular River system consists of drainage basins of Peninsular rivers are
Narmada, Tapti, Mahanadi, Godavari, comparatively smaller in size.
Krishna and Cauvery rivers. Western Ghats forms the main ‘water divide’
Of these Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and in peninsular India as there are numerous
Cauvery are east flowing rivers and form
deltas before entering into the Bay of Bengal.
Narmada and Tapti (Tapi) are the only long surrounding them are places of transition from
rivers which are west flowing and they form land to sea and fresh water to salt water.
estuaries17 before entering into the Arabian

17
An estuary is a partially enclosed body of
water along the coast where fresh water from
rivers and streams meets and mixes with salt
water from the ocean. Estuaries and the lands
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rivers that flow west of Western Ghats and  Narmada is one of the five holy rivers of
some rivers flow east of Western Ghats. India. The other four are – Ganga,
Yamuna, Godavari and Cauvery.
 The controversial dam of India ‘Sardar
Sarovar Dam is built on the river
Narmada in Gujarat.
 Narmada empties into the Arabian Sea
through the Gulf of Khambat near
Bharuch in Gujarat. Aliabet Island is in
the mouth of Narmada in the Gulf of
Khambat.
THE TAPI BASIN
 Tapi originates in the Satpura range of
THE NARMADA BASIN
hills in Betul district of Madhya Pradesh.
 River Narmada rises in Amarkantak hills
 Shorter than Narmada in length, the river
in Madhya Pradesh. Narmada has another
runs parallel to the river Narmada.
name ‘Rewa’.
 Basin of river Tapi covers three State of
 Narmada is a west flowing river which
Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and
flows through the rift valley in faulting
Maharashtra.
zone of Vidhyan and Satpura hills. It is
the largest among all west flowing rivers
of the peninsula.
 Notable locations on river Narmada are
‘Marble Rocks’ near Jabalpur where it
runs through a deep gorge and
‘Dhuandhar Falls’. There are Kapildhara
Falls also on river Narmada.
 Narmada, after Godavari and Krishna, is
third longest river that flows entirely in
India.
 Narmada, roughly, divides India into
 River Tapi empties into the Gulf of
northern India and southern India.
Khambat, just south of river Narmada,
Tributaries of Narmada: near Surat in Gujarat.
Burhner, Dudhi and Tawa are left bank  Ukai dam in Gujarat is on river Tapi.
tributaries whereas Hiran, Barna and Uri are  River Purna is its major tributary.
right bank tributaries of river Narmada.  Tapi is the second largest west flowing
river of Indian peninsula. It is known as
the ‘twin’ or the ‘handmaid’ of the
Narmada.
THE MAHANADI BASIN
 The river rises in the highlands of
Chhattisgarh (in Raipur district) and
flows through Orissa to join the Bay of
 It flows south of the Tropic of Cancer Bengal.
through Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra  The drainage basin of the river Mahanadi
and Gujarat. covers the States of Maharashtra,
 Narmada basin consists of three States Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Orissa.
namely Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and
Maharashtra. Dhupgarh, near Tributaries of Mahanadi:
Panchmarhi, is the highest point of the River Seonath which rises in
Narmada basin. Chhattisgarh is a major left bank
tributary of the river Mahanadi. Other left
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10

bank tributaries of the river are Ib, Mand

and Hasdo.Ong and Tel are its right bank
tributaries.

 Below Rajahmundry, the Godavari

divides itself into two main streams – the
 Hirakud reservoir is built on the river Gautami Godavari on the east and the
Mahanadi. Vashishta Godavari on the west.
 Mahanadi is a large river near Sambalpur  Near it end point, the river Godavari
below which it enters in to Eastern forms a large delta.
Ghatsand forms many distributaries near  Famous Sikh pilgrimage Nanded Sahib is
Cuttack before entering into the Bay of
located on the banks of Godavari.
Bengal.
THE KRISHNA BASIN
THE GODAVARI BASIN
 Godavari is the largest peninsular river.  After originating from a spring near
 The river Godavari rises in the slopes of Mahabaleshwar in eastern side of
the Western Ghats in Nasik district of Western Ghats in Maharashtra, it flows
Maharashtra. 1400 km through Karnataka and Andhra
 This 1500 km long river is an east Pradesh to join the Bay of Bengal.
flowing river which joins the Bay of  Krishna is the second largest east flowing
Bengal after flowing through the States river of peninsular India.
of Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.  Its drainage basin is shared by the States
 Its drainage basin covers the States of of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra
Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa,
Pradesh.
Chhattisgarh, Karnataka and Andhra
Ttributaries of Krishna:
Pradesh. The drainage basin of Godavari
is the largest among the peninsular rivers. Tungabhadra, Koyna, Ghatprabha, Musi,
About 50% of its basin lies in Panchganga, Dudhganga and Bhima are its
Maharashtra. Its catchment area covers major tributaries. The capital city of Andhra
about 10% of the total area of India. Pradesh is on river Musi.
 Because of its large drainage basin, this Tungabhadra, form of two streams ‘Tunga’
river is also known as ‘Dakshin Ganga’. and ‘Bhadra’ is the largest tributary of the
‘Vridha Ganga’ is another name of this river Krishna. Tungabhadra has its origin in
river. Karnataka. Tungabhadra joins Krishna near
Tributaries of Godavari:
Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh.
Purna, Wardha, Pranhita, Manjra, Wainganga
and Penganga are the major tributaries of
Godavari. Of these, the rivers Manjra,
Wainganga and Penganga are very large.

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11

distributary of Cauvery as the river divides

itself into two channels at Srirangam.
 Cauvery makes the second biggest
waterfall in India. It is known as
Sivasamudram. Sivasamudram Falls
supply hydroelectric power to Mysore,
Bangalore and Kolar Gold Mines in
Karnataka.
India’s highest waterfalls are Gersoppa
Falls, also known as Jog Falls in Shimoga
district of Karnataka on the river Shravathi.
 Before entering into the Bay of Bengal,  Unlike the other peninsular river of India,
river Krishna forms delta a little below the water in river Cauvery flows almost
Vijaywada in Andhra Pradesh. throughout the year. Its upper catchment
THE CAUVERY BASIN area receives rainfall during summer
 The river Cauvery has its origin in from the south-west monsoon and its
Karnataka in the Brahmagiri range of lower catchment area receives rainfall
Western Ghats. during winter season from the retreating
 After flowing through the State of Tamil north-east monsoon.
Nadu, the Cauvery joins the Bay of  At its merger into the Bay of Bengal, the
Bengal in south of Cuddalore. river Cauvery forms a big delta in
quadrilateral shape.
Other east flowing rivers in India are
 Damodar (tributary of Bhagirathi-
Hooghly): The river rises in
Chhotanagpur Plateau in Jharkhand. It
joins Hooghly at Falta, a few kilometers
below Kolkata. This river is known as
‘Sorrow of Bengal’.
 Brahmani: River Brahmani is formed by
the confluence of two streams Koel and
Sankh near Rourkela in Orissa. River
Baitarni meets Brahmani just before it
 The river drains the Mysore plateau falls into the Bay of Bengal.
before it flows into the plains. Subarnrekha: It originates from Ranchi
 Cauvery basin drains parts of Karnataka, Plateau. The river forms boundary between
Kerala and Tamil Nadu. 55% of Cauvery the West Bengal and Orissa. It flows through
basin lies in Tamil Nadu, 41% in Singhbhum, Mayurbhanj and Midnapore.
Karnataka and 3% in Kerala. The
Cauvery basin is one of the most Other river of India
developed regions of India from the point  The Luni: Luni originates from
of view of power and irrigation. It is the Annasagar, west of Ajmer, in the
most harnessed rive of India even. About Aravallis. Sasruti, which originates from
90-95% of the total potential of the river the Pushkar Lake at Ajmer, is its
Cauvery in power and irrigation has tributary. River Jowai ia another tributary
already been exploited. So, it is of the Luni. It is known as Sagarmati in
designated as ‘Ganga of the South’ also. is upper course. It got the name Luni
Tributaries of Cauvery: after Sasruti joins it. Finally, it ends in
Amravati, Bhavani, Hemavati and Kabini are the Rann of Kachchh.
the tributaries of Cauvery. Kollidam is a  The Sabarmati: Sabarmati has its origin
in Udaipur district of Rajasthan. Sabar
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12

and Hathmati are its tributaries. It ends in 3. Lakes moderate the climate of the
the Gulf of Khambat. surrounding.
 The Mahi: It rises in the western 4. Lakes maintain aquatic ecosystem and
Vindhyan Range. Before it enters enhance natural beauty. Thus helping develop
Rajasthan, it flows northwards through tourism and providing of recreation.
Madhya Pradesh. Then it turns south-
Important Lakes of India:
west to flow through Gujarat. It ends in
the Gulf of Khambat. Lake State Ablout Lake

LAKES OF INDIA Ashtamudi Kerala Also called ‘gateway to

A lake can be defined as a water-filled the backwaters of
depression of considerable size. Lakes of Kerala’. Munroe Island
larger extent are called sea also, e.g. Caspian is in Ashtamudi Lake.
Sea, Dead Sea, Aral Sea. Bhim Tal Uttarakhand A perennial lake
There are many lakes in India. Lakes in India Chilka Orissa A brackish water
are different from each other in size and other lagoon. It is the largest
characteristics. Most lakes are permanent coastal lagoon in India.
while some lakes contain water only during Famous for migratory
the rainy season like the lakes in the basins of birds. In 1981, Chilka
inland drainage of semi-arid regions. Some was designated the first
lakes are the results of glaciers and ice- Indian wetland of
sheets, while others have been formed by international
wind, river action and human activities. importance under
A meandering river across a flood plain Ramsar Convention.
forms cut-offs that later develop into ox-bow Dal Lake Jammu & Located in Srinagar. It
lakes. Spits and bars form lagoons in the Kashmir is the second largest
coastal areas, e.g. Chilka Lake, Pulicat Lake, lake in the State. Sona
Lank and Rupa Lank
Kolleru Lake. Lakes in the regions of inland
are two islands in this
drainage are sometimes seasonal. Example:
lake.
Sambhar Lake in Rajasthan which is a salt
Kolleru Andhra Located between
water lake and is used for producing salt.
Pradesh Krishan and Godavari.
In Himalayan region there are many fresh Many birds migrate
water lakes. These fresh water lakes are of here in winter. The lake
glacial origin. Wular Lake in Jammu & was declared a wildlife
Kashmir, the largest fresh water lake in India, sanctuary in 1999 and
is of tectonic origin. The Dal Lake in Jammu was designated a
& Kashmir, Bhimtal and Nainital in wetland of international
Uttarakhand, Loktak Lake of Manipur and importance in 2002
Barapani Lake (Umiam Lake) in Meghalaya under the international
are all fresh water lakes. Ramsar Convention.
Apart from natural lakes, the damming of the Loktak Manipur It is the largest
rivers for the generation of hydel power has freshwater lake in
also led to the formation of lakes such as north-east India. The
Gobind Sagar Lake (a part of Bhakra-Nangal lake is also known as
Project). ‘Floating Lake’. Keibul
Importance of Lakes Lamjao National Park
1. Lakes help to regulate the flow of a river. is also located here. It is
fed by the Manipur
During heavy rainfall, lakes prevent flooding.
river. The lake has been
During the dry season, lakes help to maintain
declared a site of
even flow of water in the rivers.
international
2. Lakes can be used for developing hydro- importance under the
power. Ramsar Convention.

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13

Lonar Maharashtra It is a saline lake Ramsar Convention.

created by the meteor
Sukhna Chandigarh It is an artificial lake at
impact.
the foothills of
Nakki Rajasthan Located in Mount Abu
Himalayas.
in the Aravallis range.
Tsomoriri Jammu & Largest of the high
Mahatma Gandhi’s
Kashmir altitude lakes in trans-
ashes were immersed in
Himalayan bio-
this holy lake in 1948
geographic region.
and Gandhi Ghat was
Udaipur Rajasthan Udaipur in Rajasthan is
constructed.
called city of lakes.
Naini Tal Uttarakhand It is a natural
Vembanad Kerala Longest lake in India
freshwater body of
Kayal and the largest one in
tectonic origin.
Kerala. The celebrated
Nizam Andhra It is a reservoir
Nehru Trophy Boat
Sagar Pradesh constructed across
Race is conducted here.
Manjira River – a
Wular Jammu & India’s largest
tributary of Godavari.
Kashmir freshwater lake of
Water from this
tectonic activity. The
reservoir is sent to meet
lake is fed by the river
the drinking needs of
Jhelum. It has been
Hyderabad and
designated as a Ramsar
Secunderabad.
site. Tulbul project –
Parshuram Arunachal It is near Tezu, the
the navigation lock-
Kund Pradesh district headquarters of
cum-control structure
Lohit district. It is
has been constructed on
famous for Parsuram
Wular lake.
Mela held in January
here.
Pongong Jammu & It is salt water lake MULTIPURPOSE
Tso Kashmir which is completely RIVER VALLEY PROJECTS
frozen in winter. Lies in 1. ALAMATTI DAM
both Tibet and India. It is on the river Krishna.
Pulicat Andhra It is the second largest 2. BASPA HYDRO-ELECTRIC PROJECT
Pradesh brackish water lake in The 300 MW project is located in Kinnaur
India on border of district of Himachal Pradesh. It is the largest
Andhra Pradesh and private hydro-electric project and has been
Tamil Nadu on built by Jaypee group. It is located on Baspa
Coromandal Coast. river, a tributary of Satluj.
Pushkar Rajasthan It is a sacred lake of 3. BEAS PROJECT
Hindus. The lake is It is a joint venture of the governments of
located in Pushkar town Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan. It consists of
in Ajmer district of two units: (i) Beas-Sutlej Link and (ii) Beas
Rajasthan. Pushkar fair Dam at Pong. The project links the Beas and
is held on Kartik-
the Sutlej rivers in Punjab through 38.4 km of
Poornima in the months
of October-November.
hills and valleys. The waters of the Beas were
It is an artificial lake poured into the mighty Sutlej river on July
fed by Luni River. 10, 1977 at the first-ever man-made
Salt Lake West Bengal - confluence of the two major rivers at Slapper
(Kolkata) in Himachal in a mighty bid to augment the
Sambhar Rajasthan Sambhar Lake is water resources of the Gobind Sagar Lake of
India’s largest inland
the Bhakra-complex. This completed the Rs
salt lake. It is place of
international 380- crore dream which was realised in a
importance under period of only 12 years.
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14

4. BHADRA RESERVOIR PROJECT the Ganga at Farakka and tailing into the
Bhadra Reservoir Project across the river Bhagirathi below the Jangipur barrage, and a
Bhadra is in Karnataka. road-cum-rail bridge have already been
5. BHAKRA-NANGAL completed. Specially, the object of Farakka is
PROJECT (HIMACHAL PRADESH) to use about 40,000 cusecs of water out of the
Largest multipurpose project in India and the water stored in the dam to flush the Calcutta
highest straight gravity dam in the world port which is getting silted up.
(225.5 m high) on the river Sutlej. 13. GANDAK PROJECT (BIHAR AND U.P)
6. CHAMBAL PROJECT This is a joint venture of India and Nepal as
It is a joint undertaking by the Rajasthan and per agreement signed between the two
Madhya Pradesh governments. The Rana governments on Dec 4, 1959. Bihar and Uttar
Pratap Dam at Bhata, 48 km from Kotah, was Pradesh are the participating Indian States.
inaugurated on Feb 9, 1970. The project Nepal would also derive irrigation and power
comprises construction of two other dams: benefits from this project.
Gandhi Sagar Dam in Madhya Pradesh and 14. HIRAKUD PROJECT (ORISSA)
Jawahar Sagar (Kotah) Dam in Rajasthan. It is the first of a chain of three Dams planned
7. CHAMERA HYDRO-ELECTRIC for harnessing the Mahanadi.
PROJECT 15. IDUKKI HYDRO-ELECTRIC PROJECT
The 540 MW Chamera hydro-electric project It is a giant hydro-electric project of Kerala
on the Ravi river in Himachal Pradesh was and one of the biggest in the country,
implemented with Canadian credit offer of constructed with Canadian assistance with an
about Rs 335 crore. installed capacity of 390 MW in the first
8. CHUKHA PROJECT stage and 780 MW in the second stage. The
The 336 MW project is the most prestigious project envisages to harness Periyar waters,
and largest in Bhutan. It has been completely has three major dams, the 169 m high Idukki
built by India. The dam has been constructed arch dam across Periyar river, 138 m high
on Wang Chu river. The project costed Rs Cheruthoni Dam across the tributary of
244 crore. Cheruthoni river and 99.9 m high Kulamavu
9. DAMODAR VALLEY PROJECT (WEST Dam.
BENGAL AND BIHAR) 16. JAYAKWADI DAM (MAHARASHTRA)
Principal object of this multipurpose scheme The 10-km-long Jayakwadi dam on the
is to control the flowing of the Damodar Godavari is Maharashtra’s largest irrigation
which is notorious for its vagaries and project located near Paithan.
destructiveness. It is designed on the lines of 17. KALPONG HYDRO-ELECTRIC
the Tennessee Valley Authority (T.V.A.) in PROJECT
U.S.A. This is the first hydel power plant of
10. DUL-HASTI HYDRO-ELECTRIC Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The 5.25 MW
PROJECT project was commissioned on July 1, 2001. It
The Rs. 1263 crore project is being built on is located near Kalara village of Diglipur
river Chenab in Jammu and Kashmir. The Tehsil in North Andaman and has been built
foundation of the project was laid in by National Hydel Power Corporation.
September 1984. The project will consist of a 18. KAKRAPARA PROJECT
power plant of 390 MW capacity. The power It is situated on the Tapti near Kakrapara, 80
house will be located underground. km upstream of Surat. The project is financed
11. DHAULIGANGA PROJECT by the Gujarat Government.
The Rs. 600 crore, 280 MW project is to be 19. KOEL KARO PROJECT
located on Dhauliganga river in Uttaranchal. The project envisages construction of earthen
12. FARAKKA BARRAGE dam across river south Koel at Basia in Bihar
The basic aim of the Farakka Barrage is to and another dam over north Karo at Lohajimi.
preserve and maintain Calcutta port and to The capacity will be 710 MW.
improve the navigability of the Hooghly 20. KOL PROJECT
river. It consists of a barrage across the The 600 MW project is to be located on the
Ganga at Farakka, another barrage at Satluj, 6 km upstream of the Dehar Power
Jangipur across the Bhagirthi, a 39-km long House on the Beas-Satluj link project in
feeder canal taking off from the right bank of Mandi district, Himachal Pradesh. Besides

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15

generating power, the dam will also serve as the highest (132 m high) rock-fill dam in the
a check dam for the 1,050-MW Bhakra Dam country. The project is a joint venture of
and prolong its life by at least 10 years. Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana. The dam has
21. KOSI PROJECT been designed to store 6.6 million acre feet of
This project will serve Bihar and Nepal. The water. Although the dam is meant primarily
Kosi rises in Nepal, passes through Bihar and to meet the irrigation needs, it also produces
joins the Ganges. The river is subject to power.
heavy floods. Two dams are to be built across 29. RAJASTHAN CANAL PROJECT
it. It is a bold venture of bringing irrigation to a
22. NAGARJUNASAGAR PROJECT desert area. The project, which uses water
This Project is a venture of Andhra Pradesh from the Pong dam, consists of 215-km long
for utilizing water of the Krishna river. The Rajasthan feeder canal (with the first 178 km
Nagarjunasagar Dam was inaugurated on in Punjab and Haryana and the remaining 37
Aug 4, 1967. It is situated near Nandikonda km in Rajasthan) and the 467-km long
village in Miryalguda Taluk of Nalgonda Rajasthan main canal lying entirely in
district. Rajasthan.
23. NATHPA-JHAKRI HYDRO-ELECTRIC 30. RAMGANGA RIVER PROJECT
PROJECT This Project in Uttaranchal envisages
India’s largest hydro-electric project, it is construction of a dam across the river
located at Nathpa Jhakri in Himachal Ramganga, one of the major tributaries of the
Pradesh. It is built on Satluj river. The first of Ganga at 3.2 km upstream of Kalagarh in
the six 250 MW units was commissioned on Garhwal district. RANJIT SAGAR DAM
December 30, 2002. The project is being PROJECT Formerly known as Thein dam, it
executed by Satluj Jal Nigam (formerly was dedicated to the nation on March 4,
Nathpa Jhakri Power Corporation). 2001. It is built on Ravi river near Thein
24. PARAMBIKULAM ALIYAR PROJECT village in Punjab. Total installed capacity is
It is a joint venture of Tamil Nadu and Kerala 600 MW.
States. It envisages construction of seven 31. RIHAND PROJECT (MIRZAPUR
inter-connected reservoirs by harnessing DISTRICT-U.P.)
rivers including two major rivers viz., This project has been completed by the U.P.
Parambikulam on the western slopes of Government and comprises construction of a
Annamalai Hills and Aliyar on the eastern concrete gravity dam across the Rihand river
slopes. in Mirzapur District (U.P.) and a Power
25. PARAPPALAR DAM House at Pipri and necessary transmission
The Rs 1-crore Parappalar Dam with a lines. Gobind Ballabh Pant Sagar is a part of
storage capacity of 167 million cubic feet this project.
near Oddenchatram, about 75 km from 32. RONGTONG PROJECT WORLD’S
Madurai in Palni taluk (Tamil Nadu), was HIGHEST HYDRO POWER PROJECT
inaugurated on August 30, 1976. Rongtong project is situated in Kaza in the
26. PARVATI VALLEY PROJECT Spiti Valley in Himachal Pradesh. The
It is the first inter-State hydel power project project has helped transform the entire cold
of India. Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana and mountain desert into a lush green belt.
Delhi have joined hands with Himachal 33. SALAL PROJECT
Pradesh to set up the project. The 2050 MW It has been built on River Chenab in Jammu
project will be built near Kullu, on Parvati and Kashmir. The first stage was completed
river, a tributary of Beas. on February 9, 1989 and marked the
27. PERIYAR VALLEY SCHEME beginning of the harnessing of hydro power
(KERALA) potential of river Chenab. At present the
The scheme envisages the construction of a capacity of the powerhouse is 345 MW. With
masonry barrage 210.92 metres long across completion of second stage the capacity will
the river Periyar near Alwaye, in Ernakulam double.
district. 34. SANKOSH HYDEL-POWER PROJECT
28. PONG DAM India and Bhutan have signed an agreement
It is also called the Beas Dam on the river for building of a gigantic Sankosh hydel
Beas, near Talwara in Himachal Pradesh, is power project. It will be one among the ten

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16

largest projects in Asia. The project is to be 39. SRISAILARN PROJECT

constructed near Kerabari in Gaylegphug It is a massive power project, 110 km away
district of Bhutan on Sankosh river. It will from Nagarjunasagar in the upper reaches of
include a 600 metre-long and 239 metre high the river Krishna.
dam and a reservoir with a catchment area of 40. SUBARNAREKHA PROJECT
10,525 sq km. It is estimated to cost around It is Rs 130-crore multipurpose project which
Rs 2000 crore. Once completed, the project would, when completed, provide assured
will generate 1,525 MW of power and help irrigation to 7,06,000 acres to the chronically
irrigate eight lakh hectares of land. drought-prone areas of Orissa and Bihar.
35. SANJAY VIDYUT (HYDEL) PROJECT 41. TEHRI DAM PROJECT
It is Asia’s first fully underground Hydel World’s fifth and Asia’s largest hydro-
Project. The 120 MW project is located near electric project has been constructed on river
Bhaba Nagar in Kinnaur district of Himachal Bhagirithi, a tributary of Ganga in Tehri
Pradesh. It harnesses the water of the Bhaba district of Uttaranchal. The height of the earth
Khud, a tributary of Satluj. and rockfill dam is 260.5 m, making it the
36. SARDAR SAROVAR PROJECT highest dam in the country. Once fully
This is one of the largest river valley schemes operational, the project will produce 1000
in the country. The project envisages MW electricity.
construction of 163-metre-high cement 42. TUNGABHADRA PROJECT (ANDHRA
concrete dam at Navagam in Gujarat. This AND KARNATAKA)
will create irrigation potential of 1.79 million It is a joint undertaking by the governments
hectares and generate 1450 MW of power. of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. The
37. SAWALKOTE HYDRO PROJECT project comprises a dam across the
The 600 MW project in Jammu & Kashmir is Tungabhadra river near Mallapuram.
being built by a Norwegian consortium. 43. UKAI PROJECT
38. SHARAVATI PROJECT (KARNATAKA) The Ukai power project of Gujarat equipped
Located about 400 km from Bangalore near with power generating sets manufactured by
the Gersoppa falls, the Sharavati Project is Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited was
one of the world’s major power projects, built inaugurated on October 12, 1977. It has
by Indian engineers with American added 540,000 KW of installed capacity to
collaboration. the State’s existing power network.

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