112 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

— The Patkai Bum and Naga Range forms the water shed state, the Mizo Hills (previously known as Lushai hills) in
between India and Burma. Mizoram and Tripura hills in Tripura. Height of the range
— Further South, this mountainous belt is called Manipur falls gradually Southwards. The range and the valleys
Hills (generally less than 2500 m in elevation) in Manipur runs generally in North-South direction.

Mountain Passes of India

Name State Features
Banihal Jammu and Kashmir This is a pass across the Pir Panjal range at 2832 m. This mountain range separates the
Kashmir valley in the Indian State of Jammu and Kashmir from the outer Himalaya and plains
to the South.
Chang La Jammu and Kashmir Highest mountain pass in Ladakh. The Chang La is on the route to Pangong lake from Leh.
Fotu La Jammu and Kashmir It La is a mountain pass on the Srinagar-Leh highway in the Himalayas Zaskar range in India.
Khardung La Jammu and Kashmir It is historically important as it lies on the major caravan route from Leh to Kashgar in Central
Asia. World’s highest motorable road passes through it.
Namika La Jammu and Kashmir It is one of two high passes between Kargil and Leh, the other is Fotu La pass, which is highest
point on the highway.
Zojil La Jammu and Kashmir This is a high mountain pass in India, located on the Indian National Highway-1 between
Srinagar and Leh in the Western sections of mountain range.
Bara-Lacha Himachal Pradesh Also known as Bara-Lacha pass, it is a high mountain pass in Zaskar range connecting Lahaul
La district in Himachal Pradesh to Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir.
Rohtang Himachal Pradesh It is a high mountain pass on Eastern Pir Panjal range of the Himalayas, around 51 km from
Manali. It connects the Kullu of Himachal Pradesh, India.
Shipki La Himachal Pradesh The river Sutlej enters India through this pass.
Jelep La Sikkim It is a high mountain pass between India and Tibet in East Sikkim district of Sikkim. The
famous Menmecho lake lies below the Jelep La pass.
Lipulekh Uttarakhand It is a Himalayan pass connecting the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand in the Pithoragarh
district in India with the old trading town of Talakot in Tibet. This pass is used by pilgrimage to
Kailash-Mansarovar.
Nathu La Sikkim It connects Sikkim with Tibet. It is an important trade route between India and China.
Bom DiLa Arunachal Pradesh Situated at an altitude of 4331 m near the Western boundary of Arunachal Pradesh. This pass
connects Arunachal Pradesh with Lhasa.
Diphu Arunachal Pradesh It is situated in the trijunction of India, China and Myanmar. It provides easy access between
Arunachal Pradesh and Mandalay in Myanmar.

The Great Plains of North India (i) Bhabar region This region is found along the foothills of
— It is also called the Indus-Ganga Brahmaputra plain. It Shiwaliks from Indus to Tista without any break. Its width
extends for a distance of about 3200 km and its width is 8-16 km. Since, it is made up of stones and pebbles, it
is highly porous which make rivers disappear beneath
varies from 150 km to 300 km. The Great Plains of North
the ground in this region.
India were formed in the Pleistocene and Holocene periods
of the Neozoic or Quaternary era. This is the most recent (ii) Terai region This region is found to the South of the
Bhabhar region. The underground streams of the
geographical unit of India. These plains have been formed
Bhabar re-emerge on the surface and give birth to
by the process of Tethys sea becoming narrower and
marshy area. The speed of river flow in this region is
shallower and by the deposition of sediments brought by slow. This is the region of dense forests and high
the peninsular rivers. biological diversity.
— These plains are almost featureless and attains a maximum (iii) Khadar region It is made up of new alluvium. In this
height of 204 m. The land around Ambala acts as the water region, floods bring new alluvium every year. Khadar
divide in this plain, because the rivers on its Eastern side region is generally found in the delta regions. e.g. the
drain into the Bay of Bengal and those on its Western side Ganga-Brahmaputra delta spread in India and
drain into the Arabian sea. Bangladesh is a Khadar region.
— On the basis of characteristics of the alluvium, surface (iv) Bhangar region It is that higher part of the plains,
gradient, drainage channels and regional traits, this plain is where the flood water cannot reach. It is made up of old
divided into the following four parts: alluvium. It is often seen in the structure of a terrace.
Magbook ~ India : Physical Aspects 113

Difference Between Ganga Plain

Bhabar and Terai Regions — It is very vast and the largest unit of the Great Plain of
Bhabar Terai India. According to conveniece it is divided into three
sub-divisions, namely, Upper Ganga Plain, Middle Ganga
Lies along the foot of Shiwvaliks Lies South of Bhabar and runs Plain and Lower Ganga Plain. Upper Ganga Plain
and runs parallel to it. parallel to it.
comprises course of Yamuna river, Middle Ganga Plain
8-16 km wide. 20-30 km wide. comprises Eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar and Lower
Comprise of pebble and finer Composed of comparatively Ganga Plain covers some districts of Bihar and whole of
alluvium. finer alluvium. West Bengal.
Stream of water disappear and Underground stream of bhabar Rajasthan Plain
flow underground. re-emerge on the surface and
give birth to marshy areas.
— Thar or Great Indian Desert covered by sand dunes is the
Westernmost region of Great Indian Plains in the Western
Not much suitable for Most part of Terai area is Rajasthan. A semi-arid plain, lying to the East of Thar
agriculture. reclaimed for agriculture.
desert is known as Rajasthan Bagar. The Luni is the only
It extended from Sindhu to Tista The water flowing below the South-West flowing river of this region. The Sambhar
continuously. surface of Bhabar comes out. (largest), the Kuchaman and the Didwana are important
The river in it disappear due to It is low level plain where the lakes situated to the North of Luni Basin.
permeability of soil and other water of river spread over and
particle found in Bhabar. Only makes it swampy land. It is a Brahmaputra Plain
big river flows on surface. malaria affected area. — The low plains formed by the Brahmaputra river system is
situated between Eastern Himalaya (Arunachal Pradesh) in
Difference Between the North, Patkai and Naga hills in the East,
Bhangar and Khadar Regions Garo-Khasi-Jaintia and Mikir hills and lower Ganga plain
and Indo-Bangladesh border in the West.
Bhangar Khadar

Old alluvium, always above the New alluvium, flooded almost

The Peninsular Plateau
level of flood plain. every year characterised by clay — Covering an area of about 16 lakh sq km, the peninsular
Impregnated with calcareous soil which is fertile intensive uplands form the largest physiographic divisions of India.
concretions known as Kankar, agriculture is practised. It is It is a part of the ancient Gondwana land and is in
Not suited for cultivation called Bet in Punjab. triangular in shape. With a general elevation between
known as Dhayas in Punjab.
600-900 m, the region constitute an irregular. traingle with
its base lying between Delhi ridge in the West and
Rajmahal hills in the East, with a part of its Northern
Doab portion buried under the alluvilium of Ganga and Yamuna.
It refers to a tract of land lying between two converging or — It is bounded by the Aravallis in the North-West,
confluent rivers. In the Western region of seven rivers, where Hazaribagh and Rajmahal in the North-East, the Western
Aryan settled first, the sequence of doabs from West to East are ghats (Sahayadri) in the West and Eastern ghats in the
is Sindhu Sagar doab of Indus and Jhelum, Chhaj doab of Jhelum East.
and Chenab, Rechna doab of Chenab and Ravi, Bari doab of Ravi — The Peninsular plateau of India is divided into several
and Beas, Bist doab of Beas and Sutlej.
parts Central highlands, Deccan plateau, Eastern plateau,
Western ghats and Eastern ghats.
The Northern Plain — Central Highlands The Central highlands are a wide tract
of hilly country that includes the Rajasthan uplands, the
— This lies to the West of the Indus river. It is mainly made up
Madhya Bharat plateau, the Bundelkhand uplands, the
of the old alluvium i.e. Bhangar. Dhoros and Dhands are
Malwa plateau bounded by Aravalli range in the West and
important feature here. Dhoros are depressions formed by
the Satpura range in the South. The highest peak of
the former rivers and Dhands are alkaline lakes.
Aravallis is Gurushikhar (1722 m) near Mount Abu
Punjab-Haryana Plain (1158), being the only hill station of Rajasthan.
— This plain is located to the East and North-East of the — Vindhyan range flanking the Narmada-Son Rift is an
Great Indian Desert (Thar) and West of the Yamuna river. escarpment trending East-West, acts as a watershed
A part of this plain is made-up of doabs from East to between the Ganga system and the river system of
West. Intensive agriculture is practiced in this region. South-India and forms the Northern boundary of Deccan.
114 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

— Satpura range lies between the valley of Narmada in the over rest of the Deccan. The entire region of Karnataka
North and the Tapti in the South. Dhupgarh (1350 m, plateau except for a small portion is included in the
near Pachmarhi) is the highest peak of Satpura. Deccan Lava region.
Amarkantak (1064 m) is another important peak of — The Eastern part of the Karnataka plateau region is
Satpura. moderately large in size and low in elevation. It is known
— Eastern plateau consists of Chota Nagpur plateau, as Maidan whereas the Western part, which is lying close
Meghalya plateau, Mahanadi basin and Dandakarnya. to the Western ghats is known as Malnad.
The rivers, which drain the Chotanagpur plateau — Western ghats run in North-South direction, parallel and
are Damodar, Subarnarekha, Barkar and Koel (North Koel close to Arabian sea coast from the Tapi valley to a little
and South Koel). North of Kanniya kumari.
— The Damodar river divide the plateau into two parts: — The highest peak of Western Ghats is Anamudi (2695m),
Northern part is called Hazaribagh plateau and the other important peaks are Mannamala (2659m),
Southern part is called Ranchi plateau. Highest point of Doddabetta (Nilgiri hills), Baba Budangiri, Kudermukh etc.
the Hazaribagh plateau is Parasnath (1366 m). — Eastern ghats bordering the Eastern edge of the Deccan
— Meghalaya plateau the Western part of is called the Garo plateau, runs. almost parallel to the East coast of India
hills and the Central part—the Khasi-Jantia hills. In the leaving broad plains between their base and the coast. It
North, it is bounded by Mikir and the Rengma hills. is a chain of highly broken and detached hills starting
Shillong (1961 m) is the highest elevation of this plateau from the Mahanadi in Odisha to the Vaigai in Tamil Nadu.
Norkek peak (1515 m) is the highest of Garo Hills. It is only in the Northern part, between the Mahanadi and
— Sahyadris or the Western Ghats occupy most of the the Godavari, that the Eastern ghats exhibit true mountain
Maharashtra plateau while Archean crystalline are spread character. Jindhagada Peak (1690m) is the highest peak.

Difference Between Western and Eastern Ghats

Western Ghats Eastern Ghats

It runs parallel to the Western coast in a North-South It runs in North-East to SW, parallel to the Eastern coast from
direction from Tapi river to Kanya Kumari. Odisha to the Nilgiri hills.

Average elevation—900- 1100m. Average elevation—600m.

Average width—50 to 80 km. Width varying from 100 to 200m.

Stands like a continuous wall and can be crossed through Divided into several parts by large rivers.
passes only.

It has structural unity. Structural unity is lacking.

Source of many large rivers from it. No big river originates.

Almost perpendicular to the monsoon and therefore, It is almost parallel to South-West monsoon coming from the Bay
causes heavy rainfall in the West coastal plain. of Bengal and does not cause much rainfall.

The Coastal Plains runs between the Cauvery and Krishna river. Utkal plains
— The Indian Peninsular plateau is fringed with narrow include Mahanadi delta and Chilika lake. Andhra plain
coastal plains. Eastern coastal plains runs from Tamil extends from South of Utkal plain and continue upto
Nadu to West Bengal in the East. Western coastal plains Pulicat lake. Tamil Nadu plain extends from Pulicat lake to
extends from Gujarat in the West to Maharashtra, Goa Kanniyakumari.
and Kerala. Eastern coastal plains lies between the — The Western coastal plain lies between Kerala and
Eastern ghats and the Bay of Bengal, and is more Gujarat and stretches from the Arabian sea to the
extensive and wider than its Western counterpart. They Western ghats. These plains feature plentiful rivers and
represent an emergent coast, while its Western backwaters which result in forming estuaries. The Gulf of
counterpart is an example of submergent coast. Kachchh and the Gulf of Khambat lie on the Northern
— The Northern Circars, amidst the Krishna river and the part. The Western coastal plain is separated into three
Mahanadi river is the Northern part of Eastern coastal major parts: the Malabar coast, the Konkan coast and
plains. While the Southern part, the Coromandel coast, the Gujarat coast.
Magbook ~ India : Physical Aspects 115

Difference Between Point is the Southernmost point of Indian territory,

Western and Eastern Coastal Plains located in Great Nicobar Island 6.7° N 93.8°E. Barren
island, the only active volcano in South Asia, is a part of
Western Coastal Plains Eastern Coastal Plains
Andaman group of island.
Located between the Western ghats Located between the Eastern — Narcondam island, a dormant volcano, is a part of
and the Arabian sea coast. ghats and the Bay of Bengal
coast.
Andman group of island. Great Andaman is separated
from little Andaman by Duncan passage.
Narrow plain (average Comparatively broader
width—64 km) (average width 80—100km)
— The Arabian sea islands constitutes Amindivi group
islands (consisting of Amini, Keltan, Chetlat, Kadmat, Bitra
Drained by several short and swift Big rivers like the Mahanadi, and Perumal Par) and the Laccadive group islands
streams which are unable to form the Godavari, the Krishna and
deltas. the Cauvery have formed large
(comprising mainly Abdroth, Kalpeni, Kavaretti, Pitti and
deltas. Suheli Par).

There are several lagoons Lagoons are comparatively less

— Minicoy island, the largest of the Arabian sea group of
especially in the Southern part of in this plain. islands and Southernmost of the union territory of
this plain. Lakshadweep, is separated from the rest by 9° Channel.
Lakshadweep islands are of coral origin, which have
The Western plain has indentured The Eastern plain has more or
coast which supports many ports. less a straight coast where been developed around volcanic peaks.
good ports are lacking.
It is a submerged coast and hence, Mostly of emergent type Drainage
tilting has left no scope for characterised by offshore, fine — Drainage basins are those areas, in which water is
depositional action of the rivers. sea beaches, sand ridges and
lagoons. concentrated and flows into the drainage network. The
drainage system of India may be divided into the
— Great Rann (broad level salt soaked plain in the North of Peninsular drainage and the Extra-Peninsular drainage or
Kachchh) and Little Rann (Southern continuation of Great the Himalayan drainage system.
Rann) border the Kachchh on all sides except in the West
and the South. The Luni and Banas rivers discharge into The Himalayan Drainage System
Rann forming inland drainage during rainy season. — The Himalayan drainage system comprises all the
— Kathiawar peninsula lies South of Kachchh with the central international rivers of India, i.e. the Indus, the Ganga and
part consisting of highland (Mandav hills). Mount Girnar the Brahmaputra.
(1117 m) is the highest point. Gujarat alluvial plain is — Most of these rivers and their major tributaries are
formed by the rivers Narmada, Tapi, Mahi and Sabarmati. perennial in character, obtaining their water from the
— From South of Gujarat plain, Konkan coastal plain extends glaciers, springs and rains.
from Daman to Goa. It is widest near Mumbai. Karnataka — These rivers are in their youthful stage carving out a
coastal plain extends from Goa to Mangalore. Kerala plain number of erosional landforms like waterfalls, cataracts,
(Malabar plain) extends from Mangalore to Kanniya kumari. rapids, gorges, steep-sided valleys, alluvial fans and river
terraces.
The Islands — The regimes of these rivers exhibit wide seasonal
— The islands of India constitute Andaman and Nicobar fluctuations, causing devastating floods, especially during
group of islands (Bay of Bengal), Lakshadweep islands the season of general rains.
(Arabian sea), riverine and off-shore islands. — Most of the rivers, which rise in the Himalayas are
— Majuli, the world’s largest river island, is present in Jorhat antecedent in nature. These antecedent rivers existed
district in the Brahmaputra river, Assam. and flowed before the Himalayas were formed.
— Andaman and Nicobar group of islands are thought to be
part of Himalayan system and extension of the Arakan The Peninsular Drainage System
Yoma range. The Andaman Islands and the Nicobar Islands — The Peninsular drainage system comprises the
are separated by the 10°N latitude (10° channel). The Mahanadi, the Godavari, the Krishna, the Cauvery and
tribes of the Andaman group of islands includes the Great other numerous West flowing rivers.
Andamanese, Onges, Jarawas and Sentinelese, all of — The drainage of the Peninsular India is much older than
Negrito origin, while the tribes of Nicobars are that of the Himalayan drainage system. They are mostly
the Nicobarese and Shompens, both of Mongoloid stock. seasonal. Their erosional and carrying capacity is low.
— Saddle Peak is the maximum elevated point of the island Their channels are more defined and are close to the base
group, 750 m; located in North Andaman island. Indira level.
116 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

The Indus System

— The Indus also known as Sindhu has one of the largest river basins of the world, covering an area of 1165000 sq km. In
India, it is 321289 sq km and a total length of 2880 km (in India 1114 km). It originates from a glacier near Bokhar Chu
in the Tibetan region, in the Kailash mountain range.
— It cuts across the Ladakh range and formed a gorge near Gilgit in Jammu and Kashmir.
— The Shyok, Gilgit, Zaskar, Nubra, Shigar and Dras are the major tributaries in the upward region. Afterward, Indus flows
Southward and receives Panjnad a little above Mithankot. The Panjnad is the name given to the five rivers of Punjab,
namely Stlej, Beas, Ravi, Chenab and Jhelum.
— It finally discharges into the Arabian sea, East of Karachi. The Indus flows in India only through the Leh district in Jammu
and Kashmir.
— Jhelum rises from verinag at Pir Panjal range. It flows through Srinagar and Wular lake. It joins Chenab near Jhang in
Pakistan.
— Chenab (1180 km) is the largest tributary of Indus. It is formed by two streams: Chandra and Bhaga, which joins at Tandi
near Keylong in Himachal Pradesh. It also receives water from Bara Shigri glacier.
— Ravi originates from Rohtang pass in Kullu hills of Himachal Pradesh and flows through the Chamba valley before joining
Chenab near Sarai Sidhu in Pakistan.
— Beas originates from the Beas Kund near Rohtang pass. The river flows through the Kulllu valley in the Dhauladhar range.
It meets Sutlej near Harike in the Punjab plain.
— Sutlej originates in the Rakas lake near Mansarovar in Tibet. It passes through the Shipki La in the Himalayan range. It is
an antecedent river, it feeds the canal system of the Bhakra Nagal project. Sutlej river is the easternmost tributary of the
Indus river.
The Ganga System (Ganga and its Tributaries)
Rivers Source Total Length (km) River Basin (Sq km) Information

The Ganga formed by Rises in Gangotri Total length of 861404 sq km largest ˜ Left bank tributaries : Ramganga,
two head streams glacier of the Great 2525 km, 1450 km river basin in India. Gomati, Ghaghara, Gandak, Burhi
Alaknanda and Himalaya. Above in Uttar Pradesh, Covers more than Gandak and Kosi.
Bhagirathi which join at Devaprayag it is 445 km in Bihar 1/4th of the country’s ˜ Right bank tributaries : Yamuna,
Devprayag. called as Bhagirathi and 520 km in total surface. Son. The Bhagirathi-Hooghly is the
and below it is West Bengal. Western most distributary of the
referred to as the river.
Ganga. ˜ Beyond Farakka it bifurcates itself
into Bhagirathi-Hooghly in West
Bengal and Padma-Meghana in
Bangladesh.

The Yamuna (Largest Rises in Yamunotri 1300 km from its 359000 ˜ Feeded by Bandarpunch glacier.
and the most important glacier, which is source to ˜ Important tributaries : Chambal
tributary of Ganga). West of Ganga Allahabad where it (rises in Mhow in the Vindhya), Son,
source. joins Ganga Betwa and Ken.
˜ It joins Ganga at Allahabad.

The Son (Right bank Rises from the 780 71900 ˜ It joins Ganga near Patna.
tributary of Ganga) Amarkantak
plateau.

Ramganga Rises in the 696 32412 ˜ It joins the left bank of Ganga below
Kumaun Himalaya Farukkhabad.
near Nainital.

Ghaghara Rises from East of 1080 127500 sq km more ˜ It joins the left bank of Ganga near
Gangotri. than half of its basin Chapra (Bihar).
is in Nepal.
Magbook ~ India : Physical Aspects 117

Rivers Source Total Length (km) River Basin (Sq km) Information

Gandak Rises near the 425 (in India) 9540 (In India) ˜ It flows through Central part of Nepal,
Nepal-China border enters Bihar in Champaran district and
at an altitude of turns South-East to join the left bank
7600 m in the of Ganga near Sonepur.
Central Himalaya.

Kosi (formed by the Rises from the peak 730 (In India) 11600 (In India) ˜ It flows through Eastern Nepal, enters
confluence of the Son of Nepal-Tibet. Bihar in Saharsa district and joins the
Kosi, the Arun Kosi and left bank of Ganga below Bhagalpur
the Tamur Kosi). (Bihar).

Damodar Rises in Chota 541 22000 ˜ It joins the Bhagirathi-Hooghly in West

Nagpur plateau in Bengal. It is also known as ‘Sorrow of
the Palamau Bengal’.
district (Jharkhand).

The Brahmaputra System (Brahmaputra and its Tributaries)

Rivers Sources Total Length (km) River Basins (Sq km) Informations

˜ Important tributaries;
Brahmaputra (Tsangpo in Tibet) Rises in the 2960 240000
Chemayungdung glacier Subansiri, Kameng, Dhansiri,
one of the longest river of the (in India)
in the Kailash range and Dihag, Lohit, Tista, Torsa,
world. 580000
Mariam La pass Manas; Burhi Dihing etc.
separates it from (Total area) ˜ It flows through Tibet, India
Mansarovar lake. and Bangladesh and forms the
largest delta of the world
along with Ganga.

The Peninsular River System

Peninsular Rivers Sources Length (km) River’s Basin Areas (Sq km) Informations

Godavari Nasik district of 1465 3.13 lakh ˜ The Penganga Indravari, Pranhitra and
Maharashtra. the Manjra are its main tributaries.
Krishna Mahabaleshwar in 1401 258948 ˜ Koyna, Tungabhadra and Bhima are the
Sahyadri. major tributaries.
Kaveri Brahmagiri hills Kgad 800 81155 ˜ It receives rainfall from both South-West
district in Karnataka. and North-East Monsoon.
˜ Kabini, Bhavan and Amravati are the
important tributaries.
Sabarmati Mewar hills in Aravalli 320 km 21674 sq km shared by ˜ Important tributaries; Hathmati, Sedhi
range. Rajasthan and Gujarat. and Wakul etc.
Mahi Vindhya Range at an 583 km 34862 sq km ˜ Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat
altitude of 500 m. share the river basin.
Narmada (largest Rises in Amarkantak in 1312 km 98796 sq km which is shared ˜ Left bank tributaries; Tawa Burhner etc.
West flowing Madhya Pradesh. (from its by Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat ˜ Right bank tributaries; Hiran (Dhuan
Peninsular river). source to its and Maharashtra. Dhar or Cloud of Mist Falls is located on
estuary in the this river near Jabalpur.
Gulf of ˜ It flows through a Rift valley between the
Khambhat). Vidhyas and the Satpura range.
Tapi or Tapti Rises near Multai on 740 65145 sq km (In Madhya ˜ Left bank tributaries; Purna, Veghar,
(second largest of the Satpura range in Pradesh, Maharashtra and Girna, Bari and the Panjhara.
West flowing river Betul district (Madhya Gujarat). ˜ Right bank tributaries; Betul, Arunavati,
of Peninsula). Pradesh). Ganjal and Gomal.
˜ It is also known as the twin or handmaid
of the Narmada.
118 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

Differences Between West and East flowing Rivers

West Flowing Rivers East Flowing Rivers

Rivers mainly flow between mountain ranges; Catchments are wide and fan shaped.
hence the catchments are elongated and narrow.

Rivers don’t form deltas on their mouths because of They form deltas and have deltaic deposits.
velocity.

Waterfalls are found on these rivers. No waterfall.

Carry less sediment. Carry more sediment.

Rivers and Feeding Glaciers

Glaciers Rivers

Siachen Glacier Muztagh or Shaksgam River/Numbra River

Zemu Glacier Teesta River

Milam Glacier Gori Ganga

Biafo Glacier Shigar River

Inland Drainage
— Some rivers of India do not reach up to the sea and constitute inland drainage. These rivers are mostly present in the
drier regions of the country like Western Rajasthan, Ladakh and Aksai Chin etc. Ghaggar river is the most important
example of inland drainage. It is a seasonal stream rising from the lower slopes of Himalayas and is said to flow on the
dried bed of ancient river Saraswati. It forms boundary between Punjab and Haryana for much of its length and gets
subsumed in Rajasthan desert. River luni is another river that forms inland drainge in Rann of Kachchh.
Types of Lake and their Description
Types of Lake Description Examples

The Tectonic lakes Formed due to the fractures and faults in the Earth’s Nainital, Bhimtal, Wular, Dal lake etc
crust.

The Crater lakes Crater lakes are formed when the craters and calderas are Lonar lake of Buldhana
filled with water.

The Glacial lakes (Tarns) These lakes are the result of glacial erosion. Gangabal lake of Kashmir

Fluvial lakes Rivers from different types of lakes through their Upper, middle and lower courses of the
erosional and depositional work like Ox-bow lakes. Ganga and the Brahmaputra river, Kolleru
lake in Andhra Pradesh
Aeolian lakes These are small depressions lying on the wind blown sand Sambhar and Panchbhadra lakes
surface.

Lagoons Formed by depositions of sand bars along the sea coast. Vembanad, Asthamudi, Kayals of Kerala,
Chilika of Odisha

Inter-State River Water Disputes

— Though India has vast water resources, but these are unevenly distributed. Most of the Himalayan rivers are large, are fed
from glaciers and thus, perennial whereas Peninsular rivers are seasonal and unable to fulfil overwhelming demands of its
riparian states during dry seasons.
— Excessive demand lack of proper supply of waters and their utilisation in, different sectors such as irrigation and
hydropower projects is what causes disputes between riparian states of a river.
Magbook ~ India : Physical Aspects 119

National Water Grid Name Location

— It has been proposed in order to cure the woes of disputing Thalaiyar falls Tamil Nadu (Near Kodaikanal)
states. Such a grid of implemented, will connect the major
Birthi falls Uttarakhand (Panchooli peak)
Himalayan rivers with the Peninsular rivers by means of a
network of canals. It envisages connecting 26 rivers by Vasudhara falls Uttarakhand (near Badrinath)
constructing 30 different link canals.
Kapildhara falls Madhya Pradesh (Narmada river)
— The surplus water of Himalayan, rivers which causes
flooding in Northern plains would be carried over to the
water starved drier Peninsular counterparts. But such a Climate of India
project faces environmental concerns and political
difficulties.
— The climate of India is described as monsoon type.
Despite an overall unity in the general pattern, there are
List of Major Waterfalls in India perceptible regional variations in climatic conditions
Name Location
within the country. It varies from very cold conditions of
the Northern Himalayan belt to hot climate of Rajasthan
Talakona falls Andhra Pradesh (Tirupti) desert to moderate of equable climate of the coastal
Tirathgarh falls Chhattisgarh (Mugabahar river)
areas. Some regional variations in temperature, winds
and rainfall are as follows:
Chulia falls Rajasthan (Chambal river) — Temperature While in the summer the mercury occasionally
Hundru falls Jharkhand (Subarnarekha river) touches 55°C in the Western Rajasthan, it drops down to as
low as minus 45°C in winter around Leh. In general, coastal
Lodh falls Jharkhand (Budha river) areas experience less contrast in temperature conditions.
Dudhsagar falls Goa (Mandovi river) Seasonal contrasts are more in the interior of the country.
—In certain places, there is wide difference between day and
Barkana falls Karnataka (Sita river) night temperatures. In the Thar desert, the day temperature
Unchalli falls Karnataka (Aghanashini river) may rise to 50°C and drop down to near freezing point the
same night. On the other hand, there is hardly any difference
Gokak falls Karnataka (Ghataprabha river) in day and night temperatures in the Andaman and Nicobar
islands and the coastal regions.
Gersoppa (Jog) falls Karnataka (Sharavathi river)
(Highest) — Winds and Rainfall Variations are noticeable not only in
the amount of precipitation but also in the type of
Shivasamudram falls Karnataka (Kaveri river) precipitation. The annual precipitation in Meghalaya exceeds
Palaruvi falls Kerala 1080 cm whereas it is less than 10 cm in Rajasthan desert
and on the North-West Himalayas, such as in the Ladakh
Chachai falls Madhya Pradesh (Bihad river) region of Jammu and Kashmir and Western Rajasthan.
Rajat Prapat falls Madhya Pradesh (Pachmarhi) —The Ganga delta and the coastal plains of Odisha are hit by
strong rain-bearing storms almost every third or fifth day in
Dhuandhar (Marble) falls Madhya Pradesh (Narmada river) July and August, while the Coromandel coast, a thousand
km to the South, goes generally dry during these months.
Nohkalikai falls Meghalaya
—Most parts of the country receive rainfall in June-September.
Elephant falls Meghalaya But some parts like Tamil Nadu coasts get most of its rains
during autumn and early winter. While the Western
Barehipani falls Odisha (Budhabalanga river-Simlipal disturbances bring rainfall to the Northern part of the country
National Park) during winter, in Tamil Nadu, it is the North-East monsoons
that cause rains.
Khandadhar falls Odisha (Kaprani stream)
—There is decrease in rainfall generally from East to West in
Catherine falls Tamil Nadu the Northern plains. In some parts of the country, the
precipitation is in the form of snowfall whereas in greater part
Kutralam falls Tamil Nadu (River Siruvani)
of the country it takes place as rainfall.