INDIAN RIVERS
Drainage & Drainage System
● Drainage → Flow of water through well-defined channels.
● Drainage System → Network of such channels
● India has 4,000+ rivers, grouped into 23 major and 200 minor
river basins.
● Based on origin, rivers are of two types
1. Himalayan Rivers
2. Peninsular Rivers
Himalayan vs Peninsular Rivers
Feature Himalayan Rivers Peninsular Rivers
Origin Snow-fed Himalayas Peninsular plateau (mainly
rainfall)
Flow Perennial (snow + Seasonal (rain-fed)
rain)
Valley Deep, V-shaped Broad, shallow valleys
valleys & gorges
Age Young & active Old & stable
Erosion Intense Low to moderate
Course Long & meandering Straight courses
Deposits Form huge alluvial Very little alluvium
plains
Patterns Antecedent rivers Mostly superimposed
HIMALAYAN RIVER SYSTEMS
There are three major systems:
1. Indus System
2. Ganga System
3. Brahmaputra System
Geologists believe these evolved from a mega-river called Shiwalik /
Indo-Brahma River during Pleistocene time, though not universally
accepted.
1. Indus River System
Indus River
● Origin: Bokhar Chu Glacier near Mansarovar Lake (Tibet).
● Length: 2,880 km (1,114 km in India).
● Names: Called Singi Khamban in Tibet.
● Drains into: Arabian Sea east of Karachi.
● Major Left-bank tributaries: Zaskar, Shigar, Gilgit, Shyok.
● Major Right-bank tributaries: Suru, Kabul, Kurram, Gomal.
Indus Water Treaty (1960)
● Brokered by World Bank.
● Pakistan: Gets Western rivers – Indus, Jhelum, Chenab (80%).
● India: Gets Eastern rivers – Ravi, Beas, Sutlej (20% usage of
western rivers allowed).
Important Tributaries
✔ Jhelum
● Source: Verinag Spring (Pir Panjal).
● Flows through Wular Lake → enters Pakistan via gorge.
● Joins Chenab near Jhang (Pakistan).
● Major tributaries: Neelum, Kunhar, Poonch.
✔ Chenab (Chandrabhaga)
● Formed by Chandra + Bhaga rivers at Tandi (Himachal).
● Length: 1,180 km.
● Joins Indus in Pakistan.
✔ Ravi
● Source: West of Rohtang Pass (Himachal).
● Forms Indo-Pak border (80 km).
● Allocated fully to India
✔ Beas
● Source: Beas Kund, Rohtang Pass.
● Length: 470 km.
● Meets Sutlej at Harike.
● Pollution incident (2018): Molasses release killed fish.
✔ Sutlej
● Source: Lake Rakshastal near Mansarovar (Tibet).
● Ancient name: Satadru.
● Antecedent river.
● Joins Beas at Harike, then flows to Pakistan.
2. Ganga River System
Ganga River
● Origin: Gangotri Glacier – here called Bhagirathi.
● Becomes Ganga after meeting Alaknanda at Devprayag.
● Length: 2,525 km.
● Flow: Uttarakhand → UP → Bihar → West Bengal → Bangladesh
(Padma).
● Forms world’s largest delta with Brahmaputra –
Ganga-Brahmaputra Delta (Sundarbans).
Major Left-bank Tributaries
● Ramganga
● Gomati
● Ghaghara
● Gandak
● Kosi
● Mahananda
Major Right-bank Tributaries
● Yamuna
● Son
● Damodar
Important Tributaries
✔ Yamuna
● Origin: Yamunotri Glacier.
● Joins Ganga at Prayagraj.
● Tributaries: Chambal, Betwa, Ken.
● Declared “Legal Person” by Uttarakhand HC (2017).
✔ Ghaghara
● Important flood-prone river from Nepal.
✔ Gandak
● Deep gorge in Himalayas.
● Joins Ganga at Sonpur (Patna).
✔ Kosi (Saptakoshi)
● Formed by 7 rivers → “Sorrow of Bihar.”
✔ Son
● Origin: Amarkantak.
● Important tributaries: Rihand, North Koel.
✔ Damodar
● Flows through rift valley (Jharkhand–Bengal).
● Earlier “Sorrow of Bengal.”
● Controlled by Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC).
3. Brahmaputra River System
Brahmaputra
● Origin: Angsi Glacier, Tibet.
● Known as Tsangpo in Tibet.
● Enters India (Arunachal) as Dihang / Siang.
● Important tributaries: Dibang, Lohit, Subansiri, Manas, Pagladia.
● Enters Bangladesh as Jamuna.
● Meets Ganga (Padma) → Meghna → Bay of Bengal.
● Creates Majuli – world’s largest river island (Assam).
PENINSULAR RIVERS
Characteristics:
● Older, stable.
● Mostly rain-fed → seasonal.
● Flow in straight courses.
● Mostly east-flowing forming deltas.
● West-flowing rivers form estuaries.
EAST FLOWING RIVERS
✔ Subarnarekha
● Origin: Near Ranchi.
● Flows through Jharkhand → West Bengal → Odisha.
✔ Brahmani
● Formed by: Sankh + South Koel.
● Flows into Bay of Bengal.
✔ Mahanadi
● Origin: Sihawa hills (Chhattisgarh).
● Famous Hirakud Dam built on it.
✔ Godavari (Dakshin Ganga)
● Origin: Trimbakeshwar (Maharashtra).
● Length: 1,465 km.
● Second longest river in India.
✔ Krishna
● Origin: Mahabaleshwar (Maharashtra).
● Length: 1,401 km.
● Major irrigation source.
✔ Kaveri
● Origin: Talakaveri (Coorg).
● Length: 800 km.
● Forms two mouths at Poompuhar.
✔ Penna, Palar, Vaigai, Thamirabarani
● Important rivers draining eastern peninsular India into Bay of
Bengal.
WEST FLOWING RIVERS
✔ Narmada
● Origin: Amarkantak.
● Flows through rift valley → Arabian Sea.
● Length: 1,312 km.
● Famous waterfall: Dhuandhar.
✔ Tapi
● Origin: Betul (MP).
● Length: 724 km.
● Flows through Surat.
✔ Sabarmati
● Origin: Dhebar Lake (Aravalli).
● Drains into Gulf of Cambay.
✔ Mahi
● Origin: Vindhyas.
● Forms a rare east–west–east path due to rift.
✔ Luni
● Origin: Pushkar Valley (Aravalli).
● Ends in Rann of Kutch.
● Seasonal, saline river.
✔ Ghaggar
● Origin: Shivalik Hills.
● Seasonal (monsoon fed).
● Associated with Saraswati basin traces.
Major Lakes in India
Freshwater Lakes
● Wular (J&K): Largest freshwater lake; ox-bow lake on Jhelum;
Tulbul project.
● Dal (J&K): “Jewel of Kashmir”; freshwater.
● Loktak (Manipur): Largest freshwater lake in NE India; floating
Keibul Lamjao National Park.
● Sasthamkotta (Kerala): Largest freshwater lake in Kerala;
Ramsar site.
● Bhimtal (Uttarakhand): Largest lake of Kumaon region.
Salt / Brackish / Lagoon Lakes
● Sambhar (Rajasthan): Largest inland salt lake; salt production.
● Chilika (Odisha): Largest saltwater lagoon of India.
● Pulicat (AP–TN): Lagoon lake; Sriharikota (ISRO) located here.
● Kolleru (AP): Large lagoon lake in Godavari–Krishna delta.
● Pangong Tso (Ladakh): Brackish, high-altitude lake; LAC passes
through.
Artificial / Man-Made Lakes
● Dhebar/Jaisamand (Rajasthan): One of Asia’s largest artificial
lakes.
● Govind Sagar (HP): Formed by Bhakra Nangal Dam.
● Rana Pratap Sagar, Jawahar Sagar, Gandhi Sagar: On
Chambal River.
● Ukai (Gujarat): On Tapi River.
● Nagarjuna Sagar (AP), Nizam Sagar, Tungabhadra: Major
reservoirs.
● Govind Ballabh Pant Sagar: On Rihand River (UP–Chhattisgarh).
● Tawa Reservoir (MP): Formed by Tawa Dam.
Special Origin Lakes
● Lonar (Maharashtra): Meteor-impact crater lake.
● Roopkund (Uttarakhand): “Skeleton Lake”; glacial.
● Tsomgo/Tsngmo (Sikkim): Glacial lake; freezes in winter.
● Cholamu (Sikkim): Highest lake in India; source of Teesta River.
● Ashtamudi (Kerala): Major backwater lake.
Others
● Hussain Sagar (Telangana): Between
Hyderabad–Secunderabad; transport link.
River Interlinking Projects
Major Projects
● Ken–Betwa Link (MP–UP): India’s first river-interlinking
project.
● Kosi–Mechi Link (Bihar): Flood control + irrigation.
● Godavari–Cauvery Link: Transfers water via 3 links →
Godavari–Krishna → Krishna–Pennar → Pennar–Cauvery.
National River Linking Project (NRLP)
● Aim: Transfer water from surplus to deficit basins.
● Includes 14 Peninsular links (identified by NWDA).