Class: XI GEOGRAPHY

Date: 14/8/21 CHAPTER 3

DRINAGE SYSTEM OF INDIA
WE WILL LEARN

• THE MEANING OF DIFFERENT TERMS USED INTHIS CHAPTER

• TO CLASSIFY RIVERS OF INDIA
• TO KNOW THE MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTEERISTICS OF RIVERS

DRAINAGE: The flow of water through well-defined channels

DRAINAGE SYSTEM: The network of such channels is called a ‘drainage system’.
DRAINAGE BASIN: An area drained by a river and its tributaries is called a drainage
basin.
CATCHMENT AREA: A river drains the water collected from a specific area, which
is called its ‘catchment area’.
WATER SHED: The boundary separating one drainage basin from the other is
known as the watershed. It is generally a high land.
PERENNIAL: Rivers that carry water throughout the year.
EPHEMERAL: Rivers that carry water only in rainy season.

DRAINAGE PATTERN

Radial pattern
 DRAINAGE SYSTEM OF INDIA

On the basis of On the basis of the

discharge of water size of the watershed On the basis of the
mode of origin

(i) The Arabian Sea (i) Major river basins with (I)Himalayan
drainage; more than 20,000 sq. km of drainage
Indus, the Narmada, the catchment area
Tapi, It includes 14 drainage basins such
the Mahi and the Periyar as the Ganga, the Brahmaputra, the
systems Krishna, the
west flowing rivers Tapi, the Narmada, the Mahi, the (ii)
Pennar, the Sabarmati, the Barak Peninsular
drainage.
(ii) The Bay of Bengal (ii)Medium river basins with
drainage catchment area between 2,000-
Ganga, the 20,000 sq. km
Brahmaputra,
the Mahanadi, the (iii) Minor river basins with
Krishna, the Godavari, catchment area of less than 2,000
the Kaveri sq. km
east flowing rivers
CHARACTERISTICS OF HIMALAYAN RIVERS
1. It mainly includes the Ganga, the Indus and the Brahmaputra river basins.
2.Since these are fed both by melting of snow and precipitation, rivers of this
system are perennial.
3.These rivers pass through the giant gorges carved out by the erosional activity
carried on simultaneously
with the uplift of the Himalayas.
3. Besides deep gorges, these rivers also form V-shaped valleys, rapids and
waterfalls.
4. While entering the plains, they form depositional features like flat valleys, ox-
bow lakes, flood plains, braided channels, and deltas near the river mouth.
5. In the Himalayan reaches, the course of these rivers is highly tortous, but over
the plains they display a strong meandering tendency and shift their courses
frequently.

GEORGE RAPIDS WATERFALL

OXBOW LAKE BRAIDED STREAMS V SHAPED VALLEY

EVOLUTION OF THE HIMALAYAN DRAINAGE

A river called Shivalik or Indo-Brahma traversed the entire longitudinal extent of
the Himalaya from Assam to Punjab and onwards to Sind, and finally discharged
into the Gulf of Sind near lower Punjab during the Miocene period some 5-24
million years.
The remarkable continuity of the Shivalik and its lacustrine origin and alluvial
deposits consisting of sands, silt, clay, boulders and conglomerates support this
viewpoint.
In due course of time Indo– Brahma river was dismembered into three main
drainage systems:
(i) the Indus and its five tributaries in the western part;
(ii) the Ganga and its Himalayan tributaries in the central part;
(iii) the stretch of the Brahmaputra in Assam and its Himalayan tributaries in the
eastern part.

The Indus System

It is one of the largest river basins of the world
covering an area of 11,65,000 sq. km (in India it is 321, 289 sq. km)
The Indus also known as the Sindhu, is the westernmost of the Himalayan rivers
in India.
It originates from a glacier near Bokhar Chu (31°15' N latitude and 81°40' E
longitude) in the
Tibetan region at an altitude of 4,164 m in the Kailash Mountain range.
In Tibet, it is known as ‘Singi Khamban; or Lion’s mouth.
After flowing in the northwest direction between the Ladakh and Zaskar ranges,
it passes through Ladakh and Baltistan.
It cuts across the Ladakh range, forming a spectacular gorge near Gilgit in
Jammu and Kashmir.
It has a number of Himalayan tributaries such as the Shyok, the Gilgit, the
Zaskar, the Hunza, the Nubra, the Shigar, the Gasting and the Dras..
The river flows southward and receives ‘Panjnad’, the name given to the five
rivers of Punjab, namely the Satluj, the Beas, the Ravi, the Chenab and the
Jhelum.

The Jhelum, an important tributary of the Indus, rises from a spring at Verinag situated at the
foot of the Pir Panjal in the south-eastern part of the valley of Kashmir. It flows through
Srinagar and the Wular lake before entering Pakistan through a deep narrow gorge. It joins
the Chenab near Jhang in Pakistan.
The Chenab is the largest tributary of the Indus. It is formed by two streams, the Chandra and
the Bhaga, which join at Keylong in Himachal Pradesh. Hence, it is also known as
Chandrabhaga.
The Ravi is another important tributary of the Indus. It rises west of the Rohtang pass in
the Kullu hills of Himachal Pradesh and flows through the Chamba valley of the state.
The Beas is another important tributary of the Indus, originating from the Beas Kund near the
Rohtang Pass. It enters the Punjab plains where it meets the Satluj.
The Satluj originates in the ‘Raksas tal’ near Mansarovar, where it is known as Langchen
Khambab. It passes through the Shipki La on the Himalayan ranges and enters the Punjab
plains. It is an antecedent river. It is a very important tributary as it feeds the canal at Bhakra
Nangal.
RIVER GANGA

The river has a length of 2,525 km. It is shared by Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh (1,450 km),
Bihar (445 km) and West Bengal (520 km).
The Ganga basin covers about 8.6lakh sq. km area in India alone.
It rises in the Gangotri glacier near Gaumukh (3,900 m) in the Uttarkashi district of
Uttarakhand.
Here, it is known as the Bhagirathi.
At Devprayag, the Bhagirathi meets the Alaknanda; hereafter, it is known as the Ganga.
The Alaknanda has its source in the Satopanth glacier above Badrinath.
The Alaknanda consists of the Dhauli and the Vishnu Ganga which meet at Joshimath or Vishnu
Prayag.
The other tributaries of Alaknanda such as the Pindar joins it at Karna Prayag while Mandakini
or Kali Ganga meets it at Rudra Prayag.
The Ganga enters the plains at Haridwar. From here, it flows first to the south, then to the
south-east and east.
The Ganga river system is the largest in India having a number of perennial and non-perennial
rivers.
The Son is its major right bank tributary.
tributaries are the Ramganga, the Gomati, the Ghaghara, the Gandak, the Kosi and the
Mahananda.
The river finally discharges itself into the Bay of Bengal near the Sagar Island. Here it divides in
two channels, Hoogly and Bhagirathi. It enters to Bangladesh where it is called Padma.
Tributaries of Ganga
1. The YamunaThe Yamuna, the western most and the longest tributary of the Ganga, has its source in the
Yamunotri in Uttarakhand.It joins the Ganga at Prayag (Allahabad).
It is joined by the Chambal, the Sind, the Betwa and the Ken on its right bank which originates from the
Peninsular plateau while the Hindan, the Rind, the Sengar, the Varuna, etc. join it on its left bank.
2. The Gandak
It rises in the Nepal Himalayas between the Dhaulagiri and Mount Everest and drains the central part of
Nepal. It enters the Ganga plain in Champaran district of Bihar.
3. The Ghaghara
It originates in the glaciers of Mapchachungo in Tibet and join Ganga in UP.
4. The Kosi
The Kosi is an antecedent river with its source to the north of Mount Everest in Tibet. It flows in Bihar. Kosi
river Valley Project is constructed to control flood.
5. The Damodar
The Damodar occupies the eastern margins of the Chotanagpur Plateau where it flows through a rift valley
and finally joins the Hugli. Once known as the ‘sorrow of Bengal’, the Damodar has been now tamed by the
Damodar Valley corporation, a multipurpose project.
6.The Son
The Son is a large south bank tributary of the Ganga, originating in the Amarkantak plateau.

Devprayag

The Brahmaputra System

The Brahmaputra, one of the largest rivers of the world.
It is originated in the Chemayungdung glacier of the Kailash range near the Mansarovar lake.
From here, it traverses eastward longitudinally for a distance of nearly 1,200 km in a dry and
flat region of southern Tibet, where it is known as the Tsangpo, which means ‘the purifier’.
After carving out a deep gorge in the Central Himalayas near Namcha Barwa (7,755 m) it enters
India west of Sadiya town in Arunachal Pradesh.
Flowing southwest, it receives its main left bank tributaries, viz., Dibang or Sikang and Lohit;
thereafter, it is known as the Brahmaputra.
Other important tributaries are Dhansari, the Subansiri, Kameng, Manas and Sankosh.
The Subansiri which has its origin in Tibet, is an antecedent river.
The Brahmaputra enters into Bangladesh near Dhubri and flows southward.
In Bangladesh, the Tista joins it on its right bank from where the river is known as the Jamuna.
It finally merges with the river Padma, which falls in the Bay of Bengal.
The Brahmaputra is well-known for floods, channel shifting and bank erosion.
This is due to the fact that most of its tributaries are large, and bring large quantity of
sediments owing to heavy rainfall in its catchment area.
THE PENINSULAR DRAINAGE SYSTEM
The Peninsular drainage system is older than the Himalayan one.
This is evident from the broad, largely-graded shallow valleys, and the maturity of
the rivers.
The Western Ghats running close to the western coast act as the water divide
between the major Peninsular
rivers, discharging their water in the Bay of Bengal and as small rivulets joining the
Arabian Sea.
Most of the major Peninsular rivers except Narmada and Tapi flow from west to
east.
The Chambal, the Sind, the Betwa, the Ken, the Son, originating in the northern
part of the Peninsula belong to the Ganga river system.
Peninsular rivers are characterised by fixed course, non -Perennial, doesn’t
meander, shallow valley.
MAHANADI RIVER SYSTEM
The Mahanadi rises near Sihawa in Raipur district of Chhattisgarh and runs through Odisha to
discharge its water into the Bay of Bengal.
It is 851 km long and its catchment area spreads over 1.42 lakh sq. km.
Fifty-three per cent of the drainage basin of this river lies in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh,
while 47 per cent lies in Odisha.
GODAVARI RIVER SYSTEM
The Godavari is the largest Peninsular river system.
It is also called the Dakshin Ganga.
It rises in the Nasik district of Maharashtra and discharges its water into the Bay of Bengal.
Its tributaries run through the states of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha
and Andhra Pradesh.
The Penganga, the Indravati, the Pranhita, and the Manjra are its principal tributaries.
The Godavari is subjected to heavy floods in its lower reaches.

KRISHNA RIVER SYSTEM

The Krishna is the second largest east-flowing Peninsular river which rises near Mahabaleshwar
in Sahyadri. Its total length is 1,401 km.
The Koyna, the Tungbhadra and the Bhima are its major tributaries.
Of the total catchment area of the Krishna, 27 per cent lies in Maharashtra, 44 per cent in
Karnataka and 29 per cent in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
THE KAVERI RIVER SYSTEM

The Kaveri rises in Brahmagiri hills (1,341m) of Kogadu district in Karnataka.

Its length is 800 km and it drains an area of 81,155 sq. km.
Since the upper catchment area receives rainfall during the southwest monsoon season
(summer) and the lower part during the northeast monsoon season (winter), the river carries
water throughout the year with
comparatively less fluctuation than the other Peninsular rivers.
About 3 per cent of the Kaveri basin falls in Kerala, 41 per cent in Karnataka and 56 per cent in
Tamil Nadu. Its important tributaries are the Kabini, the Bhavani and the Amravati.
The Narmada River system

The Narmada originates on the western flank of the Amarkantak plateau at a height of about1,057 m.
Flowing in a rift valley between the Satpura in the south and the Vindhyan range in the north.
It forms a picturesque gorge in marble rocks and Dhuandhar waterfall near Jabalpur.
After flowing a distance of about 1,312 km, it meets the Arabian sea south of Bharuch, forming a broad 27
km long estuary.
Its catchment area is about 98,796 sq. km.
The Sardar Sarovar Project has been constructed on this river.

Dhuadhar fall
The Tapi River System
The Tapi is the other important westward flowing river.
It originates from Multai in the Betul district of Madhya Pradesh.
It is 724 km long and drains an area of 65,145 sq. km.
Nearly 79 per cent of its basin lies in Maharashtra, 15 per cent in Madhya Pradesh and the remaining
6 per cUent in Gujarat.
Luni
Luni is the largest river system of Rajasthan, west of Aravali.
It originates near Pushkar in two branches, i.e. the Saraswati and the Sabarmati, which join with each other
at Govindgarh.
From here, the river comes out of Aravali and is known as Luni.
It flows towards the west till Telwara and then takes a southwest direction to join the Rann of Kuchchh.
The entire river system is ephemeral.

Identify the river

It carves out a deep gorge in the Central Himalayas near Namcha Barwa.
A. The Indus B. The Brahmaputra C. the Yamuna D. The Kosi
Which of the following river is called ‘Chandrabhaga’?
A. The Chenab B. The Jhelum C. The Ravi D. The Beas
A: The Kosi river frequently changes its course.
R: It carries huge amount of sediments.
A. A is correct but R is not correct.
B. A and R both are correct, and R is the explanation of A.
C. A and R both are correct, and R is not the explanation of A.
D.A and R, both are not correct.
Alaknanda and Bhagirathi meet at………….. .
A. Vishnu Prayag B. Rudra Prayag C. Dev Prayag D. Karna Prayag
Which of the following statement is not true about the peninsular rivers?
I. They flow in trellis, radial and rectangular patterns.
II. They have large river basins, joined by a number of tributaries.
III. These are matured river without meandering course.
A. I B. II C. II & III D. All correct
Kaveri carries water throughout the year, though it’s a rainfed river.
Reason
I. It has large number of tributaries.
II. It receives rain from both the branches of Monsoon.
III. The source of Kaveri receives very heavy rainfall.
A. I & II B. II & III C. II D. All are correct
Match the column
I. Flows in a rift valley between the a. Son
Satpura in the south and the Vindhyan
range in the north.
II. It flows in the eastern margins of the b. Subansiri
Chotanagpur Plateau finally joins the
Hugli
III. Is a large south bank tributary of c. Damodar
the Ganga, originating in the Amarkantak
plateau.
IV. It’s an antecedent river which d. Narmada
joins river Brahmaputra.
A. i-b, ii-d, iii-a, iv-c
B. i- d, ii- c, iii- a, iv- b
C. i- d, ii- b, iii- c, iv- b
D. i-b, ii-c, iii-d, iv-a

Identify the drainage pattern

A. Trellis B. Dendritic C. Radial D. Centripetal

Which of the following is not a tributary of Brahmaputra?
A. Dibang B. Gilgit C. Manas D. Tista
Identify the incorrect statement
I. Largest peninsular river is Godavari.
II. The Chenab is the largest tributary of the Indus.
iii. Sardar Sarovar project is constructed in river Chambal.
iv. Kaveri is a perineal river.
A. ii & III B. III & IV C. III D. IV
CUSECS / CUMECS is the unit to measure
A. Velocity of river water
B. Sediments carried by river
C. Volume of water
D. Fluctuation of river water
Which is not a west flowing river?
A. Sabarmati B. Chambal C. Tapi D. Narmada
Which of the following feature is formed by river in its upper course?
A. Ox Bow lake B. Rift Valley C. Rapids D. Floodplain
Which of the following river originates from Aravali range?
A. Chambal B. Tapi C. Luni D. Ken
Which of the following statement/s do not describe the Godavari river system.
I. Forms delta in Andhra Pradesh
II. Causes flood in its lower course
III. Is perineal
IV. Important tributaries are The Koyna, the Tungbhadra and the Bhima
V. Originates from Mahabaleshwar in Western Ghats.
A. I, II &III B. III & IV C. III, IV & V D. I, III & IV

Tungabhadra project is in which river system?

A. The Krishna B. The Godavari C. The Narmada D. The Kaveri
Which of the following is not correct about the Kaveri river system?
i. Originated from Brahmagiri
ii. Is perineal
iii. is a west flowing river
iv. catchment areas lies in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana
A. ii & iii B. iii & iv C. ii & iv D. only iii