PENINSU LAR RIVER SYSTEM

They are called : Monsoonal Rivers

● They are mostly deep
● Suitable for navigation
● No snow melt water.
● Are 2 types :
(a) West Flowing (b) East Flowing
● Maximum rivers are: East flowing
● Western side of India is higher than Eastern side.
● So, maximum rivers flow towards Bay of Bengal.
● Mostly west flowing rivers form :Estuaries
● Mostly east flowing rivers form : Deltas
WEST FLOWING PENINSULAR RIVERS
● West flowing major rivers meet Arabian sea through 5 groups.
(a)To Rann of Kutch : Luni River
(b) To Gulf of Khambat (Gujarat): Sabaramati, Mahi, Narmada, Tapti
(c)To Goa Coast : Mandovi & Zuari
(d) To Karnatak : Sharavati, Ganga valli.
(e) To Kerala : Periyar, Bharattappuzah
Luni river:
● Origin :Pushkar Valley ‘Rajasthan’ ‘Aravali’ (near Azmer)
● Ends: Marshy lands of Rann of Kutch(Gujarat)
● States :Rajasthan & Gujarat
● Total length: About 495 km
● In starting, its name : Sagarmati
● From Govindagada its name became :Luni
● It is also known as : Lunavati/Lavanvati/salt river
● Passes through south eastern portion of Thar Desert.
● It is an Endorheic River (Internally drainage)
Sabaramati river
● Origin :Aravali Range (Udaypur Dist)
● Total length : 371 km
● States:Rajasthan(48km) & Gujurat (323km)
● Cities :Ahmadabad & Gandhinagar
● Ancient name : Bhogwa
Mahi
● Origin : M.P Vindhya Range
● States :M.P, Gujarat & Rajasthan
● Also called :Mahi sagar
● Total length :580 km
● Mouth :Anand Dist, Gujarat
● The River crosses tropic of cancer twice: Mahi

1
 PENINSU LAR RIVER SYSTEM
Narmada
rd
● 3 longest peninsular river.
‘Godavari>Krishna>Narmada’
● Longest west flowing river
● Length :1312 km
● Origin: Amarkantak Hills.
● States: M.P, Maharashtra, Gujarat
● Life line of M.P.
● Through rift valley.
● Flows between vindhyas & Satpura ranges.
● Two cities :Dindori (MP), Jabalpur (MP)
● It has formed a famous water fall: Dhuandhar waterfall (Near Jabalpur ‘30 m height’)
● Left tributary :
(a) Burhner (b) Banjar
(c) Sher (d) Sakkar (MP)
(e) Dudhi (f) Tawa(MP)- 172 km
(g) Ganjal (h) Chhota Tawa
(i) Kaveri (M.P)- 40 km (j) Kundi
(k) Goi
● Right tributaries:
(a)Hiran (Gujarat) – 40 km (b) Tendoni
(c)Choral (d) Kolar (MP) – 101 km
(e)Man (f) Uri (g) Hatni
Tapti
● Also called : Tapi
● Length :724 km
● States : M.P, Maharashtra, Gujarat
● Origin : Betul Dist, Satpura range, MP
● Important cities :Surat, Vadodara
Mandovi river
● Origin: Karnatak (cluster of 30 springs)
● Length in Karnatak :Approx 25 km
● Length in Goa : Approx 52 km
● States: Karnatak & Goa
● Total length: 77 km
● It is called: Life line of Goa
● It is two famous waterfalls:
(a)Varapoha/Vhajrapoha(KRT)
(b) Dudhasagar falls (Goa)
It is also known as: Gomati in a few places
● The Mandovi & Zuari are 2 primary rivers in Goa.
● Mandovi joins with Zuari at a common point at : Caboaguada (Mormugao harber, Panji)
● The river Mapusa is a tributary of Mandovi.
Zuari river
● Longest & Largest River of Goa : Zuari
● Origin :Goa
● 92km long
● Zuari & Mandovi form estuary system in Goa.

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 Sharavati river
● Entirely in Karnatak.
● Total length :128 km
● Cities :Sagar, Honnavar
● Joins Arabian sea at Honnavari, Uttar Kanada dist.
● Its famous water fall :Jog waterfall
● Jog waterfall:
(i) 253m Height
(ii) Plunge / Straight/Horse tail type
(iii) Jog fall is also called : Gerosoppa / Joga / Jogadagundi / Mahatma Gandhi
Gangavalli river
● Entirely in Karnatak
● Also called: Bedthi River
● Origin :Hubli (Near Bangaluru)
● Total length: 152 km
● Its famous waterfall : Magod falls ‘200m’
Periyar river
● Origin : Tamil Nadu & Kerala Border (Shiva giri Hills)
● Mouth :Vembanad Lake (Kerala)
● Life line of Kerala
● Longest & largest river of Kerala.
● Total length : 244 km
● It has formed a famous Dam : Iduki Dam, 167.68 m tall.
Bharathappuzah river
● Also called : Nila River
● Origin: Borders of Tamil Nadu & Kerala (Anaimallai Hills)
● Total length : 209 km
nd
● 2 longest river in Kerala
● Mouth : Lakhadeep sea(Ponnani - Kerala)
EASTERN FLOWING PENINSULAR RIVER
● Major rivers (East flowing) from North to South
(a)Subarnarekha (b) Mahanadi
(c) Godavari (d) Krishna
(e) Penar (f) Cauvery
(g) Bhaigai (h) Tamrapani
Subranrekha
● Origin: Chota Nagpur Plateau(Jhakhand)
● The Subrnarekha River flows through the Indian states of Jharkhand, west Bengal and
Odisha.
● Length :474 km
Mahanadi
● Origin : Dandkaranya (Amarkantak Hills, Chhattisgarh )
● Total Length : 858 km
● States: Chhattisgarh, Odisha
● Left Tributaris: Seonath, Mand, Ib, Hasdeo
● Right Tributaries: Ong, Jonk, Telen
● Hirakud Dam :Sambalpur, Odisha
● Longest river in Odisha
● In Odisha its length 494 km
Godavari
● Longest Peninsular river.
● East flowing
nd
● It is the 2 largest river system in India after Ganga system
● It is also called : Bridha ganga/ old Ganga / Dakshin Ganga.
● Origin : Western Ghat (Trayambak) ‘Near Nasik’
● States:Maharashtra,Telengana, Chhatishgarh, Andhra Pradesh
● Cities : Nasik (MH), Rajahmudri(AP)
● Makes delta from :Rajahmundri
● In Rajamundri, it is called: Dakshin Kashi
● Its tributaries:
(a)Manjra (b) Wain Ganga
(c)Sabari (d)Indravati
(e) Pranachita (f) Pen Ganga
(g) Puran
● Its Tributary from its right bank : Manjra
● Length of Godavari :1465 km
● Mostly it has left bank tributaries.
Krishna
nd
● 2 longest Peninsular river after Godavari.
● Length : 1327 km
● Origin: Western Ghat (Mahabaleswar) ‘Maharashtra’
● States : 4
(a) Maharashtra (b) North- karnatak
(c) Telengana (d) Andhra Pradesh
● Mouth : Krishna Dist. Andhra Pradesh (Bay of Bengal)
● Town : Vijaywada
● Forms delta from : Vijayawada
● Tributaries :
(a) Tungabhadra (b) Ghat Prava
(c)Mal Prava(d) Dudh Ganga
(e) Panch Ganga(f) Koyena
(g) bhima (h) Mushi
● Mostly it has right bank tributaries.
● 2 famous left bank tributaries :
1. Bhima 2. Mushi
● Its longest tributary :Tungabhadra ‘531 km’
Penar
● East flowing
● Between Krishna (North) & Cauvery (South)
● Origin : Nandi Hills (Kollar) ‘Karnatak’
● States :Karnatak & Andhra Pradesh
● Total length :597 km
● Mouth : Bay of Bengal (Andhra Pradesh)
● Its one famous right tributary :Pambar
Cauvery
● Origin: Western Ghat (Brahmagiri) ‘Pushpagiri’
● States : Karnataka & Tamil Nadu
● Length :805 km
● Known as :Ganga of South
● Largest Peninsular river (maximum amount of water)
● Water flows almost through out the year.
● Cauvery is less seasonal than others Peninsular river.
● Its upper catchment area gets water from south- west monsoon.
● Its lower catchment area gets water from winter rain by :Retreating north- east monsoon
● Cauvery basin : Famous for rice production
● Cauvery basin: Rice Bowl of South India
● Mahanadi basin in Chhatishgarh is called : Rice Bowl of India.
● Cities :Srirangapatnam, Tiruchirapalli
● Most tributaries named after Goddess.
● Its tributaries –
(a)Simsha (b) Ankavati
(c) Hemavati (d)Amravati
(e) Bhabani (f) Lokpawani
(g) Lakshmantirth
Bhaigai
● Entirely in Tamil Nadu
● Origin: Barushnath
● Mouth : Rameswaram
● Total length: 258 km
● City : Madurai
CLASS TEST
Tamrapani
Full Mark: 25 Time: 30 Mins.
● Origin : Agastya malai peak (Cardamom Hills, Kerala)
● Mouth :Gulf of Mannar
● States: Kerala & Tamil Nadu
● Total Length :128 km
3. The river is related to Goa coast is
a) Gangavalli b) Zuari
c)Bharattappuzah d)Luni
2. Origin of Luni river is
a)Aravali b)Vindhya
c)Satpura d)Western Ghat
3. Ahmadabad city is present on the bank of
a)Luni b)Sabarmati
c)Tapti d)Mahi
4. The river crosses tropic of cancer twice is
a) Sabarmati b)Mahi
c)Narmada d)Tapti
5. Longest west flowing peninsular river is
a)Narmada b)Tapti
c)Mahi d)Sabarmati
6. Which river among the following does flow through rift valley?
a)Mandovi b)Periyar
c)Narmada d)Mahi
7. Famous Dhuandhar waterfall has been formed by
a)Mahi b)Tapti
c)Mandovi d)Narmada
8. Twin of Narmada is
a)Mahi b)Tapti
c)Mahanadi d)Son
9. Surat city is present on the bank of
a)Narmada b)Damodar
c)Tapti d)Chambal
10. Dudhasagar falls is a part of river
a)Mandovi b)Zuari
c)Sharavati d)Gangavalli
11. Longest and largest river of Goa is
a)Zuari b)Mandovi
c)Gangavalli d)Sharavati
12. Famous Jog waterfall present in the river
a)Zuari b)Mandovi
c)Gangavalli d)Sharavati
13. Longest peninsular river is
a)Krishna b)Godavari
c)Narmada d)Mahanadi
14. ‘Manjra’ river is tributary of
a)Krishna b)Cauvery
c)Narmada d)Godavari
15. Musi is the tributary of
a)Mahanadi b)Godavari
c)Krishna d)Cauvery
16. Which river is popular called ‘Dakshin Ganga’?
a)Godavari b)Cauvery
c)Krishna d)Pennar
17. Which river is called ‘Ganga of South’?
a)Cauvery b)Godavari
c)Narmada d)Krishna
18. Vijayawada town is present on the bank of
a)Bharatpujah b)Bhaigai
c)Krishna d)Godavari
19. Madurai town is present on the bank of
a)Tamrapani b)Bhaigai
c)Cauvery d)Krishna
20. Largest Peninsular river is
a)Godavari b)Krishna
c)Mahanadi d)Cauvery
21. Which river is less seasonal than other peninsular rivers?
a)Tapti b)Narmada
c)Cauvery d)Periyar
22. The river present between Krishna (north) and Cauvery (south) is
a)Bhaigai b)Penar
c)Periyar d)Tamrapani
23. Which city is present on the bank of Godavari?
a)Vijawada b)Rajahmundri
c)Srirangapatnam d)Tiruchirapalli
24. Which river among the following is east flowing peninsular river?
a)Tapti b)Zuari
c)Pennar d)Sharavati
25. Length of Mahanandi river is about
a)815 km b)858 km
c)912 km d)936 km
 EVALUATE YOURSELF

TOTAL MARKS
YOUR MARK
TOPPER’S MARK

IN% SCOR GRADE IN% SCORE GRADE

E
60- 70 : OUT A 30- 40 : AVERGE D
STANDING
50- 60 : VERY GOOD B 20- 30 : BELOW E
AVERAGE
40- 50 : GOOD C 10- 20 : POOR F
Introduction to India concept

1
● Area wise India’s position in the world is :7th.
● India occupies 2.4% of the total land area of the world.
● Number of states :28.
● Number of Territories : 8.
● Largest state (area wise) : Rajastan > MP > MH
● Smallest state (area wise): Goa
● Largest district : Kachchh (Gujarat)
● Smallest district :Mahe (Puduchery)
● Number of north eastern states: 8
● Area wise the largest north eastern state : Arunachal Pradesh.
● The state borders the maximum number of states: UP
● Two Indian states which share border with 7 states : Assam and Chhattisgarh.
● Number of coastal states : 9
● Number of coastal territories: 4
● Four districts of Puducherry are
(a) Yanam (in AP)
(b) Puducherry (in TN)
(c) Karaikal (in TN)
(d) Mahe (in Kerala)
● Length of coast line of India: 7516.6 km
● Length of coast line of mainland : 5422.6 km
● Length of coast line Island Territories: 2094 km
● Andaman & Nicobar Islands (coast line):1962 km
● Coast line of Gujarat :1214.7 km
● Coast line of Andhra Pradesh :973.7 km
● Land boundary of India: 15,200 km
● The neighboring country of India has longest border: Bangladesh (4096 km)
● Tropic of cancer passes through 8 states :Gujarat, Rajasthan, MP, Chhattisgarh,
Jharkhand, WB, Tripura and Mizoram.
● Indian standard Meridian passes through 5 states :UP, MP, Chhatisgarh, Odisha, AP
● South India is a peninsula in the shape of a vast inverted triangle, bounded on the
west by the Arabian sea, on the east by the Bay of Bengal and on the north by the
Vindhya and Satpura ranges.
● Two major gulfs connected t Gujarat: Gulfs of Cambay and Kutch.
● Another major gulf is connected to Tamil Nadu: Gulf of Mannar
● The Palk Strait is a strait between the Tamil Nadu state and Sri Lanka
● Capital of Nagaland Kohima is the eastern most state capital of India
● Zero mile stone is a monument locating the geographical center of colonial India, is
present in :Nagpur
● Highest altitude in India : Kangchenjunga (8586m)
● Lowest altitude in India : Kuttanad (1.2 to 3.0 metres below sea level)
● Sir creek, originally Ban Ganga is a 96 km tidal estuary in the uninhabited marshlands
of the Indus river delta on the border between India and Pakistan. The creek flows into
the Arabian sea and separates Gujarat state in India from Sind province in Pakistan.
● Northern most state: Himachal Pradesh
● Southern most state:Tamil Nadu
● Eastern most state: Arunachal Pradesh
● Western most state: Gujarat
 ● North- South extension: 3214km
● East- West extension: 2933km
● The country has standard time equal with India :Sri Lanka.
Note:-
● Peninsula
a) Indian Southern part is the best example of Peninsula.
b) Its shape is :Triangle
c) It is surrounded by three water bodies: Arabian sea, Indian Ocean and Bay of
Bengal.
● Number of states touch Pakistan:- 3 states and 2 territories.
● Number of states touch China: 4 states and 1 territory.
● Number of states touch Nepal: 5 states.
● Number of states touch Bhutan:4 states.
● Number of states touch Bangladesh:5 states.
● Number of states touch Myanmar:4 states.
Territories:
1. New Delhi
2. Chandigarh
3. Dadra & Nagar Haveli & Daman & Diu
4. Jammu & Kashmir
5. Ladakh
6. Puduherry
7. Andaman & Nicobar Island
8. Lakshadweep
 Large Lakes of the World
International Association for
Great Lakes Research URL: [Link]

We live on a blue planet – yet only about 2.5% of the Earth’s water The International Association of Great Lakes Research (IAGLR) has
is liquid freshwater. Liquid fresh surface water (lakes and rivers) recently developed an online database containing information on the
accounts for just 0.008% of the Earth’s water, yet it is this fraction that world’s largest lakes.
supports most of human life and activity. The freshwater lakes of the
This project fulfills the promise of a ‘single, comprehensive database…
world are estimated to hold 125,000 cubic kilometers of water. Over
on the large natural lakes of the world’ called for and initiated in 1982
half of this volume is locked in just 5 lakes.
by Charles E. Herdendorff.
North America’s Great Lakes are represented in the 15 largest lakes
The lakes included in this database - both freshwater (75%) and saline
of the world. From Lake Superior (#3) to shallow Lake Erie (#15), the
(25%) - have a surface area of at least 500 square kilometers. Taken
Laurentian Great Lakes comprise 20% of the world’s fresh water.
together, these 253 lakes represent nearly 90% of the world’s lakes by
both surface area and volume.

The map shows the locations of the 253 large lakes that are on the IAGLR database. Image courtesy of IAGLR.
 Large Lakes of the World
The Caspian Sea Lake Superior
The Caspian Sea is the Located in North America on the border between the United States and
world’s largest saltwater Canada, Lake Superior is the world’s largest freshwater lake by surface
lake by volume (78200 area (82100 km2). The volume of Lake Superior surpasses that of all
km3), surface area (374000 the other Great Lakes combined. Lake Superior was formed by glacial
km2) and by depth action, reaching its current configuration about 10,000 years ago.
(1025m). This land-locked
sea is bounded to the
north by Russia, to the
south by Iran, to the west
by Azerbaijan, and to the
east by Kazakhstan and
Turkmenistan. It has a
salinity of 1.2%, which is
about one-third the salti-
ness of seawater.

To the ancient Greeks and Persians, the lake’s immense size suggested it was an ocean,
hence its name. Image courtesy of NOAA.
Lake Superior shoreline - late summer/early fall, Lake Superior, Minnesota.
Photo courtesy of Dave Hansen , Minnesota Extension Service.
Lake Baikal
Located in Russia in the southern region of Siberia, Lake Baikal is the
world’s largest freshwater lake by both volume (22995 km3) and depth Although the large lakes of the world span different continents, many of
(1741m). Lake Baikal contains 20% of the world’s fresh surface water. them share the same problems. Pollution in the form of chemicals and
Lake Baikal hides its vast waters under a relatively small surface area pesticides, impacts of introduced species and land-use practices
(31500 km2). Formed as a rift valley about 30 million years ago, Lake provide challenges for researchers and managers around these large
Baikal is one of the world’s oldest lakes, as well as the largest and deep- ecosystems.
est. It is home to more than 1000 species which can be found nowhere
else in the world.

IAGLR welcomes the submission of data updates or corrections, pho-

tographs, interesting lake topics and even the inclusion of new lakes.
Data updates must have been published in the peer-reviewed scientific
literature. Photos should include date, location and photo credit.
The Journal of Great Lakes Research (JGLR) includes scientific publica-
tions on large lakes of the world in all of its regular quarterly issues and
frequently publishes supplemental issues dedicated to particular lakes.
Check us out at [Link]

Authors: Edited by Rochelle Sturtevant, NOAA/Great Lakes Sea Grant

Network, with assistance from IAGLR Outreach Committee Member:
Lake Baikal photo courtesy of Steve Lozano Helen Domske, New York Sea Grant. Page layout: Sharon O’Donovan,
New York Sea Grant.

International Association for Great Lakes Research (IAGLR)

A scientific organization comprised of researchers studying the Great Lakes, other large lakes of the world, and their watersheds, as well as those with an
interest in such research. IAGLR is committed to sharing its collective expertise with the media, policymakers, and the general public to inform public policy
and decision-making that will protect the environmental health of large lakes and their watersheds. [Link]
April 2012