INDUS RIVER SYSTEM - Largest basin of the world.

Area- 11,65,000 sq. km.

Area in India – 321,289 sq. km.
Total length - 2880 km.
Total length in India – 1,114 km.
The Indus is also known as Sindhu.
Originates from near Bokhar chu In the Tibetan region At the
altitude of 4,164 m in the Kailash Mountain Range.
In Tibet “SINGI KHAMBAN” or “LION’S MOUTH.
After the following in the northwest direction between the Ladakh
and Jaskar ranges, For me spectacular gorgeous near Gilgit in Jammu
and Kashmir.
It enters in Pakistan near Chilas in the Dardistan region .
Tributaries of Indus River. They all originate in the Sulaiman ranges.
The river flows southward and receives 'Panchnad' a little above
Mithankot. The Panchnad is the name given to the five rivers of
Punjab, namely the Satuluj, the Beas, the Ravi, the Chenab and the
Jhelum. It is finally discharged into the Arabian Sea.
1 Jhelum River -- Important tributary of Indus, Rises from the spring
of Verinag situated at the foot of the Pir Panjal in the south eastern
part of the valley Kashmir . Srinagar and the Wular lake before
entering Pakistan through a deep narrow gorge. It joins the Chenab
near Jhang in Pakistan.
2. The Chenab – The largest tributary of Indus. It is formed by two
streams the Chandra and Bhaga. It is also known as
Chandrabhaga. The river flow for 1,180 km before entering into
Pakistan.
3. The Ravi – Another important tributary of Indus. It rises west of
the Rohtang Pass In the Kullu hills of Himachal Pradesh and flow
through Chamba valley of the state.
4.The Beas -- Originating from Beas Kund near Rohtang Pass. It
enters Punjab plains where it meets the Satuluj near Harike.
5.The Satluj – Originating from “Raksas Tal “near Mansarover at the
altitude of 4,555m in Tibet. Where it is also known as Langchen
Khambab. It is passes through Shipki La In Himalaya and enters in
Punjab plains.
THE GANGA SYSTEM ---

Ganga river originates from Gangotri glacier near Gurmukh in

Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand. Here it is known as Bhagirathi.
It cuts through the central and the lesser Himalaya in narrow
gorges.
At Devprayag Bhagirathi meets Alaknanda Hereafter it is known as
Ganga River.
Alaknanda has it sources in the Satopanth Glacier above Badrinath.

The Ganga enters in plain at Haridwar. From here , it flow first to the
south , than to the south – east and east before splitting into two
distributaries namely Bhagirathi and the Padma.
The river has length of 2,525km.
It is shared by Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal .
The Ganga basin covers about 8.6 lakhs square km. area in India alone.
Ganga River system is the largest river system in India having a number
of Perennial and Non – perennial rivers Originating In the
Himalayas In the N and the peninsula in the South.
The soul is its major right bank tributary the important left bank
tributaries are Ram Ganga, the Gomti, The Ghagra, the
Gandak,the Kosi, the Mahanadi,
The river finally discharge itself into the way of Bengal near the Sagar
Island.
The Yamuna western most Tributary of Ganga. Originate from
Yamunotri Glacier on the western slope of Banderpunch range.
Yamuna river join Ganga in Prayag (Allahabad). It is joined by
Chambal, Sindh ,Betwa , Ken On its right bank which originate from
peninsular plateau.
Hindan, the rind ,the Sengar, the varuna etc. Join it from left bank.
Much of its water feeds the western and eastern Yamuna and the
Agra Canal For irrigation purpose.
 The catchment area of Yamna River Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana,
Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi.

1. Chambal – Rises Near Mhow in the Malawa Plateau of Madhya

Pradesh End flow northwards through a gorge upward of Kota
Rajasthan.
Where Gandhi Sagar dam has been constructed.

Chambal is famous for its badland topography called the

Chambal ravines(nale).
2.THE GANDAK – The Gandak comprises Two streams namely
Kaligandak and Trishul Ganga. it raises in the Nepal Himalaya
between the Dholagiri and Mount Everest and drains in the
central part of Nepal it entered the Ganga plain in the
Champaran District of Bihar and joined the Ganga in Sonpur
Patna.

3.THE GHAGHARA -Originate in the glaciers of Mapchachungo.

It finally meets Ganga at Chhapra.
4.THE KOSI – Originate from north of Mount Everest in Tibet.

5.RAMGANGA – Is a small river rising in the Garhwal hills near

Garrison. it changes its course to the southwest direction after
crossing the Shivalik and enters into the plains of Uttar Pradesh near
Najibabad finally joins Ganga near Kannuj.
6. DAMODAR – Damodar River occupies the eastern margin of
Chhota Nagpur Plateau where it flows through the rift valley and
finally join the Hoogly River. The Barakar is its main tributary. This
river known as the sorrow of Bengal.
There are three rivers that flow through rift valleys in India,
these are Tapi, Narmada, and Damodar. Rift Valleys can be
defined as low-land areas that are formed by the movement of
Earth's tectonic plates. It can be found on land and at sea level.
7.THE SARDA OR SARYU RIVER – rises in the Milan Glacier in
the Nepal Himalayas where it is known as Gori Ganga. Along the
Indo Nepal border, it is called Kali or Chauk, where it joins
Ghaghara.

7. THE MAHANANDA- Originate from Darjeeling hills(W.BENGAL). It

joins Ganga Leftbank Tributary in West Bengal.
8.THE SON – Originate from Amar Kantak Plateau(Madhya Pradesh).it
reaches Arrah west of Patna, to joins Ganga.
THE BRAHMAPUTRA SYSTEM
One of the largest rivers of the world,has its origin in the
Chemayungdung Glacier of Kailash Range near Mansarovar
lake.In Tibet it is known as TSANGPO, Which means purifier.
Te Rango Tsangpo is the major right bank tributary of this river
in Tibet.
It’s take U tern from Namcha Barwa Hills. It enters in India west
of Sadiya town in Arunachal Pradesh.
Left bank tributaries are – Dibang, Sikang , Lohit thereafter it is
known as Brahmaputra River.
Helping rivers are – Subhansiri, Manas, Buhari, Dhansari,
Brahmaputra enters into Bangladesh near dhubri and flow
southward. in Bangladesh and the Tista join it on its right bank
from where the river is known as Jamuna.it finally merge with
Padma, which falls in the bay of bangal.
The Brahmaputra is well known for floods.

THE PENINSULAR RIVER SYSTEM – The peninsula river

system is older than Himalayan one. The Western ghat running
close to the western coast act as a water divider between the
major peninsular rivers .and small river joining the Arabian sea.

Rivers that drain into Bay of Bengal: The Mahanadi, the

Godavari, the Krishna, the Cauvery and several smaller
rivers drains south-east into the Bay of Bengal.

Rivers that drain into Arabian Sea: The Narmada, the Tapi,
(flow by Rift valley) the Mahi flowing west as well as several
small streams originating from the Western Ghats flow
westwards into the Arabian Sea.

what is the Rift Valley?

A rift valley is a lowland region that forms where Earth's

tectonic plates move apart, or rift. Rift valleys are found on land
and at the bottom of the ocean, where they are created by the
process of seafloor spreading.

THE EVOLUTION OF PENINSULAR DRAINAGE SYSTEM

The evolution of peninsular drainage can be attributed to the
interplay of various geological processes, including tectonic
activities, erosion, and weathering. Initially, during the ancient
period, the peninsular region was highly mountainous, with
rivers flowing in different directions across the landscape.
River Systems of Peninsular Drainage
In Peninsular India, the main water divide is formed by the
Western Ghats. Most major rivers of the Peninsula, such as
the Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, and Kaveri, flow eastwards
and drain into the Bay of Bengal, forming deltas at their
mouths. The Narmada and the Tapi are the only long rivers
that flow west and create estuaries.
The Narmada Basin
 Originating in the Amarkantak hills in Madhya Pradesh,
the Narmada flows through a deep gorge near
Jabalpur known as the ‘Marble Rocks’.
 At Dhuadhar Falls, the river cascades over steep
rocks.
  The Narmada basin covers parts of Madhya Pradesh
and Gujarat.
The Tapi Basin
 Rising in the Satpura ranges in the Betul district of
Madhya Pradesh, the Tapi basin spans parts of
Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Maharashtra.
The Godavari Basin
 The Godavari, the largest Peninsular river with a length
of about 1500 km, originates from the Western Ghats
in Maharashtra.
 Its basin covers parts of Maharashtra, Madhya
Pradesh, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh, and it is joined
by numerous tributaries like the Purna, Wardha,
Pranhita, Manjra, Wainganga, and Penganga. Due to
its length and coverage area, it’s also called the
Dakshin Ganga.
The Mahanadi Basin
 Rising in the highlands of Chhattisgarh, the Mahanadi
spans about 860 km and its basin is shared by
Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Odisha.
The Krishna Basin
 Originating near Mahabaleshwar, the Krishna river
extends about 1400 km and drains parts of
Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh.
The Kaveri Basin
 The Kaveri originates from the Brahmagri range of the
Western Ghats and stretches approximately 760 km in
length.
 Its basin covers areas of Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil
Nadu. Apart from these significant rivers, there are
smaller ones that flow towards the east, including the
Damodar, Brahmani, Baitarni, and Subarnrekha.

Lakes
India has many lakes, each varying in size and characteristics.
 Many lakes in India are permanent, while others only
hold water during the rainy season.
  Some lakes are formed by the action of glaciers and
ice sheets, while others result from wind, river activity,
and human interventions.
Tourists are drawn to lakes in picturesque destinations
like Srinagar and Nainital. Here’s is a different types of
lakes:
 Ox-bow lakes are created when a meandering river
forms cut-offs across a floodplain.
 Coastal areas often feature lagoons formed by spits
and bars, such as Chilika Lake, Pulicat Lake, and
Kolleru Lake.
 Lakes in regions of inland drainage can be seasonal,
like Sambhar Lake in Rajasthan, which is used for salt
production.
The Himalayan region harbors most freshwater lakes, primarily
of glacial origin. Wular Lake in Jammu and Kashmir, the
largest freshwater lake in India, resulted from tectonic activity.
Other notable freshwater lakes include Dal Lake, Bhimtal,
Nainital, Loktak, and Barapani.
Extent of Usability of River Water
Rivers in India carry substantial volumes of water annually, but
this distribution is uneven both in time and space. While some
rivers flow perennially, providing water throughout the year,
others are non-perennial and experience low water levels
during the dry season. During the monsoon season, a
significant amount of water is lost to floods, with excess water
flowing into the sea. Consequently, areas experiencing floods
may coexist with regions suffering from drought. This
phenomenon arises from challenges in both water resource
availability and management. Mitigating the issues of floods
and droughts simultaneously requires strategic measures.
One potential solution is the transfer of surplus water from
water-rich basins to water-deficit basins. Inter-basin water
transfer schemes have been proposed to address this
imbalance. However, the implementation of such schemes
faces various challenges. For instance, simply digging canals
may not suffice due to the uneven terrain. The north Indian
rivers, which often have surplus water, may require
mechanisms to lift water from the plains to the plateau areas.
To facilitate a comprehensive understanding of the issue,
organizing a debate can be beneficial. Participants can
discuss and analyze various aspects, including the ranking of
problems associated with river water usage. These problems
may include insufficient water availability, river water pollution,
silt accumulation, uneven seasonal flow, interstate water
disputes, and channel shrinkage due to settlement expansion
towards riverbeds.
River pollution is a significant concern caused by various
human activities such as industrial discharge, waste disposal,
religious practices, and urban runoff. Initiatives like the Ganga
Action Plan and campaigns for cleaning rivers like the Yamuna
in Delhi aim to address this issue. Collecting information on
such pollution control schemes and presenting them in a
comprehensive write-up can help raise awareness and guide
further actions towards making rivers pollution-free.
What is a tide ?
Tides are very long-period waves that move through the ocean
in response to the forces exerted by the moon and sun. Tides
originate in the ocean and progress toward the coastlines
where they appear as the regular rise and fall of the sea
surface.