The following presentation is on India's drainage or river system. It includes information about some of the major river systems in India. All comments are welcomed. Please LIKE this presentation.

2. WHAT IS DRAINAGE BASIN ?
Drainage describes the river system in an area.
WHAT IS DRAINAGE ?
The area drained by a single river system

3. The Himalayan rivers perform erosional activity in the upper courses. In the middle and lower
courses these rivers form meanders, oxbow lakes and many other depositional features. A large
number of peninsular rivers seasonal, as they are dependent on rainfall.
THE FEATURES MADE BY RIVERS
FEATURES MADE BY RIVERS

4. The streams within a drainage basin form certain patterns, depending on the slope of land as well as
underlying rock structure and climatic conditions. These are dendritic, trellis, rectangular, and radial.
THE DRAINAGE PATTERNS MADE BY RIVERS
DRAINSAGE PATTERNS MADE BY RIVERS

5. The drainage systems of India are mainly controlled by the broad relief features of the
subcontinent. The Indian rivers are divided into 2 major groups:
 The Himalayan Rivers
 The Peninsular Rivers
DRAINAGE IN INDIA

7. The major Himalayan rivers are the Indus, The Ganga, and The Brahmaputra. These rivers are
long, and are joined by many large and important tributaries. A river along with its tributaries
may be called a river system.
Some rivers are:
THE HIMALAYAN RIVERS

8.  The Indus River System:
It rises in Tibet, and enters India in ladakh district of Jammu & Kashmir. Its tributaries are Satluj, Beas, Ravi,
Chenab, and Jhelum. And it joins Indus near Mithankot in Pakistan. Its approx. length is 2900 km. It’s having
a gentle slope and flows into the Arabian sea.
THE HIMALAYAN RIVERS
THE RIVER INDUS THE RIVER INDUS IN MAP

9.  The ganga River system:
It emerges from the Gangotri Glacier and is fed by Bhagirathi and Alaknanda. Some of major rivers which
join Ganga are Yamuna, Ghagra, Gandhak and Kosi. Some of its tributaries are Chambal, Betwa and Son.
The length of ganga is over 2500 Kms.
THE HIMALAYAN RIVERS
THE RIVER GANGA THE RIVER GANGA IN MAP

10.  The Brahmaputra River system:
This river rises in Tibet near lake Mansarovar. In India it passes through a region of high rainfall and carries a
large volume of water. Brahmaputra also shifts its channel frequently.
THE HIMALAYAN RIVERS
THE RIVER BRAHMAPUTRA IN MAP
THE RIVER GANGA

12. The main water divide in peninsular India is formed by Western Ghats. Most of the major rivers
of peninsula are Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri which flow east and flow into Bay of
Bengal. Narmada and Tapi are only rivers which flow west.
Some rivers are:
THE PENINSULAR RIVERS

13.  The Narmada Basin:
This Narmada Rises in Amarkanthak hills in MP and flows west in a rift valley. The Narmada Basin covers
parts of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat.
THE PENINSULAR RIVERS
THE RIVER NARMADA THE RIVER NARMADA IN MAP

14.  The Tapi Basin:
The Tapi rises in the Satpura ranges. It flows in a rift valley parallel to Narmada but is shorter in length. Its
basin covers the areas of Maharashtra, MP and Gujrat
THE PENINSULAR RIVERS
THE RIVER TAPI THE RIVER TAPI IN MAP

15.  The Godavari Basin:
The Godavari River is the largest Peninsular River. It rises from the slopes of Western Ghats. It is about 1500
km long and drains into the Bay of Bengal. It covers parts of Maharashta, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh and
Madhya Pradesh.
THE PENINSULAR RIVERS
THE RIVER GODAVARI THE RIVER GODAVARI IN MAP

16.  The Mahanadi Basin:
The Mahanadi rises in the highlands of Chhattisgarh. It is about 860 km long and drains into the Bay of
Bengal. It cover the area of Orissa, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand.
THE PENINSULAR RIVERS
THE RIVER MAHANADI THE RIVER GODAVARI IN MAP

17.  The Krishna Basin:
The Krishna river rises from a spring near Mahabaleshwar and is about 1400 km long and finally drains into
the Bay of Bengal. Its drainage basin is shared by Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
THE PENINSULAR RIVERS
THE RIVER KRISHNA THE RIVER KRISHNA IN MAP

18.  The Kaveri Basin:
The Kaveri river rises in the Brahmagiri Range of Western Ghats and drains into the Bay of Bengal. It is
about 760 km long. It drains the area covered by Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka.
THE PENINSULAR RIVERS
HOGENAKKAL FALLS ON RIVER KAVERI THE RIVER KAVERI IN MAP

20.  Rivers have been of fundamental importance to humans.
 Using rivers for irrigation, navigation, hydro-power generation, fishing is of special significance.
THE ROLE OF RIVERS IN THE ECONOMY
HYDRO-POWER ON RIVER KAVERI
FISHING DONE IN RIVERS

22.  India has many lakes. They differ in size, and other factors.
 Most lakes are permanent; some contain water only during rainy season.
 A meandering river across a flood plain forms cut-offs that later develop into ox-bow lakes. Ex.: Chilika
Lake, Pulicat Lake
 Lakes in a region are sometimes seasonal. Ex.: Sambhar Lake
THE INDIAN LAKES
A VIEW FROM THE SHORES OF CHILIKA
LAKE

23.  Most freshwater lakes are in the Himalayan region. They mostly form by glacier snowmelt. Ex.: Dal Lake,
Wular Lake
 Apart from natural lakes, the damming of rivers for hydro power generation has also led to the formation
of Lakes. Ex.: Guru Gobind Sagar (Bhakra Nangal Dam)
THE INDIAN LAKES
A VIEW FROM THE SHORES OF
DAL LAKE

24.  A lake helps to regulate the flow of a river.
 During heavy rainfall, it prevents flooding.
 During dry season, it helps to maintain even flow of water.
 They can be used for hydro power generation.
 They moderate the climate of a surroundings.
 They also maintain aquatic ecosystem, enhance natural beauty, help develop tourism and provide
recreation.
THE ROLE OF LAKES

26.  The growing domestic, industrial and agricultural demand for water from rivers affect the quality if water.
 More and more water is being drained out of them reducing their volume.
RIVER POLLUTION
RIVER YAMUNA
BEING POLLUTED FROM INDUSTRIAL WASTE

27.  On the other hand, a heavy load of untreated sewage water is being drained into the rivers.
 This affects both quality and reduces the self-cleansing capacity of rivers.
 Programmes initiated to control river pollution include Ganga Action Plan or GAP, Narmada Bachao
Abhiyaan etc.
RIVER POLLUTION
RIVER CHAMBAL
BEING POLLUTED FROM SEWAGE