PENINSULAR RIVERS OF INDIA

PROF. GOURI CHAKRABORTY

➢ PENINSULAR RIVERS ARE MUCH OLDER THAN THE HIMALAYAN RIVERS

➢ THEY ARE NON-PERENNIAL RIVERS WITH A MAXIMUM DISCHARGE IN THE RAINY SEASON
➢ THE MAIN WATER DIVIDE IN PENINSULAR RIVERS IS FORMED BY THE WESTERN GHATS, WHICH
RUNS FROM NORTH TO SOUTH CLOSE TO THE WESTERN COAST
➢ MOST OF THE MAJOR RIVERS OF
THE PENINSULA SUCH AS
MAHANADI, GODAVARI,
KRISHNA AND CAUVERY FLOW
EASTWARDS AND DRAIN INTO
THE BAY OF BENGAL
➢ THESE RIVERS MAKE DELTA AT
THEIR MOUTH
➢ BUT THE WEST FLOWING RIVERS
LIKE NARMADA AND TAPI AS
WELL AS THOSE ORIGINATING
FROM THE WESTERN GHATS,
FALLS INTO THE ARABIAN SEA
AND FORM ESTUARIES INSTEAD
OF DELTAS
➢ RIVERS THAT DRAIN INTO THE
BAY OF BENGAL: MAHANADI,
GODAVARI, KRISHNA, CAUVERY
AND SEVERAL OTHER SMALL
STREAMS THAT FLOWS
SOUTHEAST FROM THE WESTERN
GHATS
➢ RIVERS THAT DRAINS INTO THE ARABIAN SEA : NARMADA, TAPI, MAHI AS WELL AS SEVERAL
OTHER STREAMS FLOWING WESTWARD FROM THE WESTERN GHATS
➢ RIVERS THAT DRAIN INTO THE GANGES: TRIBUTARIES OF GANGA AND YAMUNA ORIGINATING
FROM THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS. SUCH AS, CHAMBAL, BETWA, KEN, SON AND DAMODAR FLOWS
IN THE NORTH-EAST DIRECTION
 MAJOR RIVERS OF THE PENINSULAR REGION

EAST FLOWING WEST FLOWING

RIVERS RIVERS

MAHANADI NARMADA

GODAVARI TAPI

KRISHNA MAHI

KAVERI (CAUVERY) SABARMATI

PENNAR LUNI

SUBARNAREKHA

BRAHMANI

SARADA

PONNAIYAR

VAIGAI

EAST FLOWING RIVERS OF PENINSULAR INDIA

RIVER MAHANADI
▪ THE MAHANADI BASIN
EXTENDS OVER STATES OF
CHHATTISGARH AND ODISHA
AND COMPARATIVELY
SMALLER PORTIONS OF
JHARKHAND, MAHARASHTRA
AND MADHYA PRADESH
▪ DRAINAGE AREA: 1.4/1.42
LAKH SQ. KM
▪ BOUNDED BY THE HILLS OF
CENTRAL INDIA IN THE
NORTH, EASTERN GHATS IN
THE SOUTH AND EAST, AND
BY MAIKAL RANGE IN THE
WEST
▪ TOTAL LENGTH: 851KM/900 KM
 ▪ SOURCE: NORTHERN FOOTHILLS OF DANDAKARANYA (SIHAWA) IN RAIPUR DIST. OF
CHHATTISGARH AT AN ELEVATION OF 442 M
▪ AFTER RECEIVING THE SEONATH RIVER IT TURNS EAST AND ENTERS ODISHA
▪ AT SAMBALPUR THE HIRAKUD DAM (LONGEST DAM IN INDIA) ON THE RIVER HAS FORMED A MAN-
MADE LAKE 35 MILES (55 KM) LONG
▪ PURI, AT ONE OF ITS MOUTHS IS A FAMOUS PILGRIMAGE
▪ ITS UPPER COURSE LIES IN THE BASIN CALLED THE “CHHATTISGARH PLAIN”
TRIBUTARIES
▪ LEFT BANK TRIBUTARIES: SEONATH, HASDEO, MAND AND IB
▪ RIGHT BANK TRIBUTARIES: ONG, TEL, JONK

RIVER GODAVARI
▪ THE GODAVARI IS THE
LARGEST RIVER SYSTEM OF
THE PENINSULAR INDIA
AND IS REFERRED AS
DAKSHIN GANGA
▪ THE GODAVARI BASIN
EXTENDS OVER STATES OF
MAHARASHTRA, ANDHRA
PRADESH, CHHATTISGARH
AND ODISHA IN ADDITION
TO SMALLER PARTS IN
MADHYA PRADESH,
KARNATAKA AND UT OF
PUDUCHERRY (YANAM)
▪ TOTAL AREA: 3 LAKH SQ. KM.
▪ THE BASIN IS BOUNDED BY SATMALA HILLS, THE AJANTA RANGE AND THE MAHADEO HILLS IN THE
NORTH, BY THE EASTERN GHATS IN THE SOUTH AND THE EAST AND BY THE WESTERN GHATS IN
THE NORTH
▪ SOURCE: TRIMBAKESHWAR IN THE NASIK DISTRICT OF MAHARASHTRA AT AN ELEVATION OF
1067M
▪ TOTAL LENGTH FROM ORIGIN TO MOUTH: 1465 KM/1500KM
▪ THE LEFT BANK TRIBUTARIES ARE MORE IN NUMBER AND LARGER IN SIZE THAN THE RIGHT BANK
TRIBUTARIES
▪ LEFT BANK TRIBUTARIES: DHARNA, PENGANGA, WAINGANGA, WARDHA, PRANAHITA
(LARGEST TRIBUTARY OF THE GODAVARI, CONVEYING THE COMBINED WATERS OF PENGANGA,
THE WARDHA AND WAINGANGA) PENCH, KANHAN, SABARI, INDRAVATI ETC.
▪ RIGHT BANK TRIBUTARIES: PRAVARA, MULA, MANJIRA,
PEDDAVAGU, MANER ETC
▪ THE MANIJRA/MANJRA/MANJARA (724 KM) IS THE
ONLY IMPORTANT RIGHT BANK TRIBUTARY (LONGEST
TRIBUTARY OF GODAVARI)
▪ IT JOINS GODAVARI AFTER PASSING THROUGH THE
NIZAM SAGAR
▪ BELOW RAJAHMUNDRY, THE RIVER DIVIDES ITSELF
INTO TWO MAIN STREAMS, THE GAUTAMI GODAVARI
ON THE EAST AND THE VASHISHTA GODAVARI ON THE
WEST AN FORMS A LARGE DELTA BEFORE IT POURS
INTO THE BAY OF BENGAL
▪ THE DELTA OF THE GODAVARI IS OF LOBATE TYPE
WITH A ROUND BULGE AND MANY DISTRIBUTARIES
▪ IT FORMS A BEAUTIFUL GORGE IN ITS LOWER COURSE SOUTH OF POLAVARAM (ANDHRA
PRADESH)
▪ PROJECTS: SRIRAM SAGAR PROJECT, POLAVARAM IRRIGATION PROJECT, KALESHWARAM.
INCHAMPALLI PROJECT

RIVER KRISHNA
▪ THE KRISHNA BASIN EXTENDS OVER ANDHRA PRADESH, MAHARASHTRA AND KARNATAKA
▪ TOTAL AREA: 2.6 LAKH SQ. KM (2ND LARGEST EAST FLOWING RIVER)
▪ IT IS BOUNDED BY BALAGHAT
RANGE IN THE NORTH, EASTERN
GHATS ON THE SOUTH AND THE
WESTERN GHATS IN THE WEST
▪ ORIGIN: WESTERN GHATS NEAR JOR
VILLAGE OF SATARA DISTRICT OF
MAHARASHTRA AT AN ALTITUDE OF
1337M JUST NORTH OF
MAHABALESHWAR
▪ TOTAL LENGTH FROM ORIGIN TO ITS
OUTFALL AT BAY OF BENGAL IS
1400KM
▪ THE KRISHNA DELTA APPEARS TO
MERGE WITH THAT FORMED BY THE GODAVARI AND EXTENDS ABOUT 35 KM BEFORE ENTERING
INTO THE SEA
▪ RIGHT BANK TRIBUTARIES: GHATPRABHA, MALPRABHU, TUNGABHADRA
 ▪ LEFT BANK TRIBUTARIES: BHIMA, MUSI, MUNNERU
▪ THE KOYNA IS A SMALL TRIBUTARY BUT IS KNOWN FOR KOYNA DAM
▪ THE BHIMA ORIGINATES FROM THE MATHERON HILLS AND JOINS KRISHNA NEAR RAICHUR AFTER
FLOWING FOR A DISTANCE OF 861KM
▪ THE TUNGABHADRA IS FORMED BY THE UNIFICATION OF THE TUNGA AND THE BHADRA
ORIGINATING FROM GANGAMULA IN THE CENTRAL SAHYADRI. IT’S TOTAL LENGTH IS 531KM
▪ AT WAZIRABAD , IT RECEIVES THE LAST IMPORTANT TRIBUTARY, THE MUSI ON WHOSE BANK THE
CITY OF HYDERABAD IS LOCATED
▪ GETS FLOODED DURING RAINY SEASON
▪ PROJECTS: DUDHGANGA, SRISAILAM, GHATPRABHA HYDROLOELECTRIC PROJECT AND
NAGARJUNA DAM

RIVER CAUVERY
▪ THE KAVERI IS DESIGNATED AS “THE GANGA OF THE SOUTH”
▪ IT RISES AT AN ELEVATION OF 1341M AT
TALAKAVERI ON THE BRAHMAGIRI RANGE NEAR
CHERANGALA VILLAGE OF KODAGU(COORG)
DISTRICT OF KARNATAKA
▪ TOTAL LENGTH: 800KM FROM ORIGIN TO OUTFALL
▪ THE CAUVERY BASIN EXTENDS OVER STATES OF
TAMIL NADU, KARNATAKA, KERALA AND UT OF
PUDUCHERRY DRAINING AN AREA OF 81000 SQ.
KM.
▪ IT IS BOUNDED BY THE WESTERN GHATS IN THE
WEST, THE EASTERN GHATS IN THE EAST AND THE
SOUTH, AND BY THE RIDGES SEPARATING IT FROM
KRISHNA BASIN AND PENNAR BASIN ON THE
NORTH.
▪ IT’S UPPER CATCHMENT AREA RECEIVES RAINFALL
DURING SUMMER BY THE SOUTH-WEST
MONSOON AND THE LOWER CATCHMENT AREA
DURING WINTER SEASON BY THE RETREATING NORTH-EAST MONSOON
▪ IT IS THEREFORE ALMOST A PERENNIAL RIVER AND IS VERY USEFUL FOR IRRIGATION AND
HYDROELECTRIC POWER GENERATION
▪ LEFT BANK TRIBUTARIES: HARANGI, HEMAVATI, SHIMSHA AND ARKAVATI
▪ RIGHT BANK TRIBUTARIES: LAKSHMANTIRTHA, KABINI, SUVARNAVATI, BHAVANI, NOYIL AND THE
AMARAVATI
 ▪ THE RIVER DESCENDS FROM SOUTH KARNARTAKA PLATEAU TO THE TAMIL NADU PLAINS
THROUGH THE SHIVASAMUDRA WATERFALL (101 M HIGH)
▪ ON THE CAUVERY BRANCH , LIES THE “GRAND ANICUT” (KALLANAI DAM) SAID TO HAVE BEEN
CONSTRUCTED BY THE CHOLA KING BETWEEN 100 BC TO 100 AD
▪ PROJECTS: KRISHNA RAJA SAGARA DAM, METTUR DAM, AMARAVATI DAM, BANASURA SAGAR
DAM

RIVER PENNAR
▪ THE PENNAR (ALSO KNOWN AS UTTARA PINAKINI) IS ONE OF THE MAJOR RIVERS OF THE
PENINSULA
▪ THE PENNAR RISES IN THE CHENNA KASAVA HILL OF THE NANDIDURG RANGE IN
CHIKKABALLAPURA DISTRICT OF KARNATAKA AND FLOWS TOWARDS EAST EVENTUALLY DRAINING
INTO THE BAY OF BENGAL
▪ TOTAL LENGTH: 597 KM FROM ORIGIN TO OUTFALL
▪ LEFT BANK TRIBUTARIES: JAYAMANGALI, KUNDERU, SAGILERU
▪ RIGHT BANK TRIBUTARIES: CHIRAVATI, PAPAGNI, CHEYYERU

RIVER SUBARNAREKHA
▪ THE SUBARNAREKHA ORIGINATES FROM THE RANCHI PLATEAU IN JHARKHAND FORMING THE
BOUNDARY BETWEEN WEST BENGAL AND ODISHA IN ITS LOWER COURSE
▪ IT JOINS BAY OF BENGAL FORMING AN ESTUARY BETWEEN THE GANGA AND MAHANADI DELTAS.
▪ TOTAL LENGTH: 395 KM

RIVER BRAHMANI
▪ THE BRAHMANI RIVER COMES INTO EXISTENCE BY THE CONFLUENCE OF THE KOEL AND THE
SANKH RIVERS NEAR ROURKELA
▪ TOTAL LENGTH: 800 KM
▪ THE BASIN IS BOUNDED IN THE NORTH BY CHOTANAGPUR PLATEAU IN THE WEST AND SOUTH BY
THE MAHANADI BASIN AND IN THE EAST BY THE BAY OF BENGAL
▪ THE BASIN FLOWS THROUGH JHARKHAND, CHHATTISGARH AND ODISHA STATES AND DRAINS
INTO THE BAY OF BENGAL
RIVER SARADA
▪ THE RIVER SARADA, AN EAST FLOWING MEDIUM SIZED RIVER LIES IN THE DISTRICT OF
VISAKHAPATNAM OF ANDHRA PRADESH
RIVER PONNAIYAR
▪ IT IS A SMALL STREAM WHICH IS CONFINED TO THE COASTAL AREA ONLY
▪ IT COVERS A SMALL AREA IN THE STATE OF TAMIL NADU, KARNATAKA AND ANDHRA PRADESH

RIVER VAIGAI
▪ SOUTH OF THE CAUVERY DELTA, THERE ARE SEVERAL STREAMS OF WHICH THE VAIGAI IS THE
LONGEST
▪ IT DRAINS AN AREA OF 7741 SQ. KM. WHICH ENTIRELY LIES IN THE STATE OF TAMIL NADU
▪ IT IS THE SOUTHERNMOST RIVER OF INDIA

WEST FLOWING RIVERS OF PENINSULAR INDIA

▪ THE WEST FLOWING RIVERS OF THE

PENINSULAR INDIA ARE FEWER AND
SMALLER AS COMPARED TO THEIR
EAST FLOWING COUNTERPARTS
▪ THE TWO MAJOR WEST FLOWING
RIVERS ARE THE NARMADA AND TAPI
▪ THE SABARMATI, MAHI AND LUNI ARE
OTHER RIVERS OF THE PENINSULAR
INDIA WHICH FLOW WESTWARDS
▪ HUNDREDS OF SMALL STREAMS
ORIGINATING IN THE WESTERN GHATS FLOW SWIFTLY WESTWARDS AND JOIN THE ARABIAN SEA
▪ IT IS INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT THE PENINSULAR RIVERS WHICH FALL INTO THE ARABIAN SEA DO
NOT FORM DELTAS, BUT ONLY ESTUARIES (FLUVIAL DEPOSITIONAL LANDFORMS)
ESTUARY
▪ AN ESTUARY IS A PARTIALLY ENCLOSED BODY
OF WATER ALONG THE COAST WHERE
FRESHWATER FROM THE RIVERS AND
STREAMS MEETS AND MIXES WITH SALT
WATER FROM THE OCEAN
 ▪ ESTUARIES AND THE LANDS SURROUNDING THEM ARE PLACES OF TRANSITION FROM LAND TO
SEA AND FRESHWATER TO SALT WATER

RIVER NARMADA
▪ NARMADA IS THE LARGEST WEST
FLOWING RIVER OF THE PENINSULAR
INDIA
▪ IT FLOWS WESTWARDS THROUGH A
RIFT VALLEY BETWEEN THE VINDHYAN
RANGE IN THE NORTH AND THE
SATPURA RANGE IN THE SOUTH
▪ IT RISES FROM MAIKAL RANGE NEAR
AMARKANTAK IN MADHYA PRADESH
▪ NARMADA BASIN EXTENDS OVER
STATES OF MADHYA PRADESH, GUJARAT, MAHARASHTRA AND CHHATTISGARH HAVING AN AREA
OF 1 LAKH SQ. KM
▪ IT IS BOUNDED BY THE VINDHYAS IN THE NORTH, MAIKAL RANGE IN THE EAST , SATPURAS IN THE
SOUTH AND BY THE ARABIAN SEA IN THE WEST
▪ TOTAL LENGTH: 1310 KM FROM ITS SOURCE IN AMARKANTAK TO ITS ESTUARY IN THE GULF OF
KHAMBHAT
▪ JABALPUR IS THE ONLY IMPORTANT URBAN CENTER ON THE BASIN
▪ THERE ARE SEVERAL ISLANDS IN THE ESTUARY OF THE NARMADA OF WHICH AALIYA BET IS THE
LARGEST
▪ RIGHT BANK TRIBUTARIES ARE THE ORSANG, URI, BARNA AND KOLAR, HIRAN
▪ LEFT BANK TRIBUTARIES: DUDHI, TAWA, BURHNER ETC
▪ FORMS A BEAUTIFUL GORGE AND DHUANDHAR FALLS NEAR JABALPUR
▪ PROJECTS: SARDAR SAROVAR DAM
▪

RIVER TAPI
▪ THE TAPTI/TAPI IS THE SECOND LARGEST WEST FLOWING RIVER OF THE PENINSULAR INDIA AND IS
KNOWN AS ‘THE TWIN’ OR ‘THE HANDMAID’ OF NARMADA
▪ ORIGIN: MULTAI RESERVE FOREST IN BETUL DISTRICT (MADHYA PRADESH)
▪ FLOWS FOR ABOUT 724 KM BEFORE OUT FALLING IN ARABIAN SEA THROUGH GULF OF
KHAMBHAT
 ▪ THE TAPI RIVER ALONG WITH ITS TRIBUTARIES FLOW OVER THE PLAINS OF VIDHARBHA,
KHANDESH AND GUJARAT AND OVER LARGE AREAS IN THE STATE OF MAHARASHTRA AND SMALL
AREA IN MADHYA PRADESH AND GUJARAT
▪ SITUATED IN THE DECCAN PLATEAU, THE BASIN IS BOUNDED BY THE SATPURA RANGE IN THE
NORTH, MAHADEV HILLS IN THE EAST, AJANTA RANGE AND SATMALA HILLS IN THE SOUTH AND
BY THE ARABIAN SEA IN THE WEST
▪ RIGHT BANK TRIBUTARIES: SUKI, GOMAI, ARUNAVATI, ANER
▪ LEFT BANK TRIBUTARIES: VAGHUR, AMRAVATI, BURAY,
PANJHRA, BORI, GIRNA, PURNA, MONA AND SIPNA
▪ PROJECTS: UKAI PROJECT, TAWA RIVER VALLEY PROJECT AND
KAKRAPAR DAM
THE PAR TAPI NARMADA RIVER-LINKING PROJECT
▪ THE PROJECT PROPOSES TO TRANSFER RIVER WATER FROM THE
SURPLUS REGIONS OF THE WESTERN GHATS TO THE DEFICIT
REGIONS OF SAURASHTRA AND KUTCH.
▪ IT PROPOSES TO LINK THREE RIVERS — PAR, ORIGINATING
FROM NASHIK IN MAHARASHTRA AND FLOWING THROUGH
VALSAD, TAPI AND NARMADA RIVERS

RIVER SABARMATI
▪ THE SABARMATI IS THE NAME GIVEN TO THE COMBINED STREAMS THE SABAR AND HATHMATI
▪ THE BASIN EXTENDS OVER STATES OF RAJASTHAN AND GUJARAT
▪ TOTAL AREA: 21,674 [Link]
▪ THE BASIN IS BOUNDED BY THE ARAVALLI HILLS IN THE NORTH AND NORTH-EAST, BY RANN OF
KUTCH IN THE WEST AND BY THE GULF OF KHAMBHAT IN THE SOUTH
▪ ORIGIN: ARAVALLI HILLS AT AN ELEVATION 762M IN UDAIPUR DISTRICT OF RAJASTHAN
▪ TOTAL LENGTH: 371 KM
▪ GANDHINAGAR AND AHMEDABAD ARE THE IMPORTANT URBAN CENTRES IN THE BASIN
▪ LEFT BANK TRIBUTARIES: WAKAL, HATHMATI, VATRAK
▪ RIGHT BANK TRIBUTARIES: SEI

RIVER MAHI
▪ THE MAHI BASIN EXTENDS OVER STATES OF MADHYA PRADESH, RAJASTHAN AND GUJARAT
▪ TOTAL AREA: 34,842 [Link]
 ▪ IT IS BOUNDED BY THE ARAVALLI HILLS IN THE NORTH AND NORTH-WEST, BY THE MALWA
PLATEAU IN THE EAST, BY THE VINDHYAS IN THE SOUTH AND BY THE GULF OF KHAMBHAT IN THE
WEST
▪ MAHI IS ONE OF THE MAJOR INTERSTATE WEST FLOWING RIVERS OF INDIA
▪ ORIGIN: NORTHERN SLOPES OF THE VINDHYAS AT AN ALTITUDE OF 500M IN DHAR DISTRICT OF
MADHYA PRADESH
▪ TOTAL LENGTH: 583KM
▪ IT DRAINS INTO THE ARABIAN SEA THROUGH THE GULF OF KHAMBHAT
▪ VADODARA IS THE ONLY IMPORTANT URBAN CENTRE, IN THE BASIN

RIVER LUNI
▪ THE LUNI OR THE SALT RIVER (LONARI OR LAVANAVARI IN SANSKRIT) IS NAMES SO BECAUSE ITS
WATER IS BRACKISH BELOW BALTORA (RAJASTHAN)
▪ LUNI IS THE ONLY RIVER BASIN OF ANY
SIGNIFICANCE IN WESTERN RAJASTHAN WHICH
FORM THE BULK OF ARID ZONE
▪ ORIGIN: WESTERN SLOPES OF THE ARAVALLI
RANGES NEAR AJMER FLOWING IN SOUTH-WEST
DIRECTION AND TRAVERSING A COURSE OF
511KM IN RAJASTHAN.
▪ IT FINALLY FLOWS INTO RANN OF KACHCHH AND
GETS LOST IN THE MARSH

RIVER GHAGGAR
▪ IT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT RIVER OF THE
INLAND DRAINAGE
▪ IT IS A SEASONAL STREAM WHICH RISE IN THE LOWER SLOPES OF THE HIMALAYAS AND FORMS
BOUNDARY BETWEEN HARYANA AND PUNJAB
▪ IT GETS LOST IN THE DRY SANDS OF RAJASTHAN NEAR HANUMANGARH AFTER TRAVERSING A
DISTANCE OF 465KM
▪ ITS MAIN TRIBUTARIES ARE THE TANGRI, MARKANDA, SARASWATI AND CHAITANYA