INDIAN RIVER

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River Systems in India Free e-book

Indian River System

Given below are the major river systems in India

Indian River Systems Major tributaries

River System Total Catchment Left Right bank

length area (km )
2
bank

Indus River 1114 3,21,289 Zaskar, Suru, Soan, Jhelum, Shyok, Gilgit, Nubra,
System km in Chenab, Ravi, Beas, Satluj Khurram, Tochi,
India Gomal, Sangar, Kabul
3180
(Total)

Brahmaputra 916 1,94,413 Siang/Dibang, Lohit, Dhansiri, Subansiri, Kameng,Manas,

River System km in Burhi Dihing, Kopili Sankosh, Raidak, Jaldhaka,
India Teesta
2900
km
(Total)

Ganga River 2510 8,61,452 Ramganga, Gomti, Ghagra, Yamuna, Son, Tamsa,
System km Gandak, Kosi, Mahananda Punpun

Yamuna river 1376 3,66,200 Hindon, Rind, Sengar Chambal, Sindh, Betwa,
System km Varuna Ken, Tons

Narmada 1312 98,796 Burhner, Banjar, Sher, Tendoni, Hiran, Barna,

River System km Shakkar, Dudhi, Tawa, Ganjal Kolar

Tapi River 724 65,145 Nesu, Arunavati, Buray, Vaki, Gomai, Arunavati,
System km Panjhra , Bori, Girna, Waghur, Aner
Purna, Mona, Sipna

Godavari 1465 3,12,812 Indravati, Purna, Pranhita, Pravara, Manjira Maner

River System km Sabari

Krishna River 1400 2,58,948 Bhima, Musi, Munneru Ghatprabha, Malaprabha,

System km Tungbhadra

Cauvery 805 81,155 Harangi, Hemavati, Shimsha, Lakshmantirtha, Kabbani,

River System km Arkavati Suvarnavati, Bhavani,
Noyil, Amaravati
River Systems in India Free e-book

Mahanadi 851 1,41,589 Seonath, Hasdeo, Mand, Ib Ong, Tel, Jonk

River System km

Now let us look at the drainage system of rivers in India in detail.

Most of the rivers discharge their waters into the Bay of Bengal. Some of the rivers flow through the
western part of the country and merge into the Arabian Sea. The northern parts of the Aravalli range,
some parts of Ladakh, and arid regions of the Thar Desert have inland drainage. All major rivers of
India originate from one of the three main watersheds-

• The Himalaya and the Karakoram range

• The Chota Nagpur plateau and Vindhya and Satpura range
• The Western Ghats
Classification of Drainage Systems of India

Drainage Systems Based on the Size of the Catchment Area

Division Size of catchment area in sq km

Major river 20,000

Medium river 20,000 – 2,000

Minor river 2,000 and below

Drainage Systems Based on Origin

Perennial rivers Non-Perennial rivers

The Himalayan Rivers The Peninsular Rivers

Indus, the Ganga, the Brahmaputra, Mahanadi, the Godavari, the Krishna, the Cauvery, the
and their tributaries. Narmada, and the Tapi and their tributaries

Drainage Systems Based on the Type of Drainage

The river systems of India can be classified into four groups viz.

Rivers that drain into the sea Endorheic basin

River Systems in India Free e-book

Himalayan rivers, Deccan When a river does not reach the sea but disappears into the
rivers, and Coastal rivers that sand, such a region is called an area of inland drainage. Inland
drain into the sea. drainage streams are ephemeral streams (short-lived)

Indus, the Ganga, the E.g., Luni river that originates near Ajmer drains into the Rann of
Brahmaputra, and their Kutch and does not reach the sea.
tributaries.

Drainage Systems Based on Orientation to the sea

The Bay of Bengal drainage Arabian sea drainage

East flowing rivers that drain into the Bay of West flowing rivers that drain into the Arabian
Bengal sea

Ganga, Godavari, Cauvery, Krishna Narmada, Tapi

Over 90 per cent of the water drains into the Bay of Bengal; the rest is drained into the Arabian Sea
or forms inland drainage.

The Bay of Bengal drainage Arabian Sea drainage

Rivers that drain into Bay of Bengal Rivers that drain into Arabian sea

East flowing rivers West flowing rivers

~ 77 percent of the drainage area of the

~ 23 percent of the drainage area of the country
country is oriented towards the Bay of
is oriented towards the Arabian sea
Bengal

The Indus, the Narmada, the Tapi, the Sabarmati,

The Ganga, the Brahmaputra, the Mahanadi,
the Mahi and the large number of swift flowing
the Godavari, the Krishna, the Cauvery, the
western coast rivers descending from the
Penneru, the Penneiyar, the Vaigai, etc.
Sahyadris.

Major River System or Drainage Systems in India

Himalayan River systems

River Systems in India Free e-book

• Indus River System

• Brahmaputra River System
• Ganga River System
• Yamuna River System
Peninsular River Systems
• Godavari River System
• Krishna River System
• Cauvery River System
• Mahanadi River System

West Flowing Peninsular River Systems

• Narmada River System

• Tapti River System
• Sabarmati River
• Mahi River
• Luni River

The Indus River System

The Indus arises from the northern slopes of the Kailash range in Tibet near Lake Manasarovar.

It has a large number of tributaries in both India and Pakistan and has a total length of about 3180
km from the source to the point near Karachi where it falls into the Arabian Sea out of which approx
1114km lies in India.
The river-course:

• It crosses the Himalayas through a 5181 m deep gorge near Attock, which lies north of Nanga
Parbat. It is joined by the Dhar River near the Indo-China border.
• Flows in India through the Ladakh Range and the Zaskar Range in the Leh district of Jammu
and Kashmir. In the Kashmir region, it joins with many tributaries – the Zaskar, the Shyok, the
Nubra and the Hunza.
• It enters into Pakistan near Chillar in the Dardistan region through a deep gorge near the
hair-pin bend of Nanga Parbat.
• It finally discharges into the Arabian Sea, east of Karachi.
River Systems in India Free e-book

 The Indus river serves as the major source of water supply for Pakistan and Punjab
 The Indus Waters Treaty, a water-sharing agreement between India and Pakistan was
signed in 1960. It was brokered by the World Bank.
 The treaty gives India 20% of the water. India got control over the three eastern rivers,
which are: Ravi, Beas, Sutlej
 The Bhakra Nangal Project (Sutlej) the Indira Gandhi Project (Sutlej & Beas), Pong Dam
(Beas), Baglihar Project (Chenab), Thien Dam (Ravi) are some important hydroelectric
projects on the Indus drainage system
 A Permanent Indus Commission was set up by the United Nations for resolving any
disputes that may arise in water sharing, with a mechanism for arbitration to resolve
conflicts amicably.

The Brahmaputra River System

The Brahmaputra originates from Mansarovar Lake, which is also a source of the Indus and Sutlej.

It is 3848kms long, a little longer than the Indus River. Most of its course lies outside India. It is
considered one of the largest rivers in India in terms of volume. It is known for creating calamity in
Assam and Bangladesh.
The river course:
• From its source, the river runs for nearly 1,100km in an easterly direction in Tibet between
the main range of the Himalayas to the south and the Kailash Range to the north. The river is
known as the Tsangpo in Tibet. It receives less volume of water and has less silt in the Tibet
region.
• When it reaches Namcha Barwa, it takes a U-turn around it and enters India in the state of
Arunachal Pradesh.
• Here it is known as the Dihang River. It flows for about 35 km and is joined by two other
major rivers like Dibang and Lohit.
• From this point of convergence, the river becomes very wide and is called Brahmaputra. In
India, it flows through the states of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam and is connected by
several tributaries.
• The Brahmaputra has a braided channel throughout most of its length in Assam.
• It drains into the Bay of Bengal after passing through Bangladesh.
• Chars are riverine islands in the Brahmaputra formed through silt deposits. During monsoons,
many chars get partially or fully submerged affecting delivery of basic services.

 The Brahmaputra River is the lifeline of Assam and its economy.

 River Brahmaputra and its tributaries carry more than 30 per cent of the total water
resources potential of the country.
 National Waterway 2 stretches on Brahmaputra river from Sadiya to Dhubri in Assam
state.
 Total land loss per year due to erosion of Brahmaputra ranges from 72.5 to 80 sq.
km/year during 1997 to 2007–08.
 Erosion hazard posed by the Brahmaputra is also extremely severe in several vulnerable
sections like Majuli, Palasbari, Rohmoria, Bhuragaon and Bokuwal.
River Systems in India Free e-book

Ganga River System

The Ganga originates as the Bhagirathi from the Gangotri glacier.
• Before it reaches Devprayag in the Garhwal Division, the Mandakini, Pindar, the Dhauliganga
and the Bishenganga rivers merge into the Alaknanda, and the Bheling drain into the
Bhagirathi.
• The water from both Bhagirathi and the Alaknanda flows in the name of the Ganga at
Devprayag.

The principal tributaries of the Ganga are Yamuna, Damodar, Sapta Kosi, Ram Ganga, Gomati,
Ghaghara, and Son. The river, after traveling a distance of 2525 km from its source, meets the Bay of
Bengal.
Course of river Ganga:

• It rises in the western Himalayas in the Indian state of Uttarakhand

• It emerges from the mountains at Rishikesh and flows south and east and enters the Gangetic
plain of North India at the pilgrimage town of Haridwar.
• The Ganges river passes the towns of Chunar, Mirzapur, Varanasi, Ghazipur, Ara, Patna,
Chapra, Hajipur, Mokama, Munger, Sahibganj, Rajmahal, Bhagalpur, Ballia, Buxar, Simaria,
Sultanganj, and Farakka.
• The Ganges branches into two distributaries, the Hooghly and the Padma at Giria in
Murshidabad district of India. into Bangladesh, where it empties into the Bay of Bengal

 The river is home to approximately 140 species of fish, 90 species of amphibians, and
also reptiles and mammals, including critically endangered species such as the gharial
and South Asian river dolphin.
 The water used for agriculture in the Gangetic plains comes from the Ganges. Chief
crops cultivated in the region include wheat, lentils, rice, potatoes, sugarcane and oil
seeds. Jute, legumes, mustard, sesame, and chillies are also grown along the banks of
the river.
 764 industries in the mainstream of the Ganga, including Kali and Ramganga, consume
1123 MLD water and discharge 500 MLD wastewater.
 Many stretches of the river are used as navigation system for transporting goods and
people. The National Waterway 1 (NW-1) or Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly river system
runs from Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh to Haldia in West Bengal via Patna and Bhagalpur
in Bihar across the Ganges river.
 ‘Namami Gange Programme’, is an Integrated Conservation Mission, approved as
‘Flagship Programme’ by the Union Government in June 2014 with budget outlay of
Rs.20,000 Crore to accomplish the twin objectives of effective abatement of pollution,
conservation and rejuvenation of National River Ganga.

Yamuna River System

Yamuna river originates from Yamunotri glacier, at the Bandarpoonch peak in Uttarakhand
• The Yamuna River is the largest tributary of the Ganga River.
• The main tributaries joining the river include the Sin, Hindon, Betwa Ken, and Chambal.
• The Tons is the largest tributary of the Yamuna.
River Systems in India Free e-book

• The catchment of the river extends to the states of Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh,
Haryana, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh.
• The river Yamuna defines the border between Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh and in
between Haryana, UP and Delhi.

The course of the river:

• From its source in the Yamunotri glacier, the river flows 200 km southwards making its way
through the lower Himalayan region as well as the Shivalik ranges.
• It runs almost parallel to Ganga once it enters the Indo Gangetic plains. This land in between
is the Ganges – Yamuna doab region and spreads on an area of 69,000 sq. km.
• The Yamuna then passes Delhi, Mathura, Agra, Firozabad, and Etawah.
• Near Allahabad, after a course of about 855 miles (1,376 km), the Yamuna joins the Ganges
(Ganga) River.

 Almost 57 million inhabitants rely on the waters of the Yamuna

 The confluence of Yamuna and Ganga, The Triveni Sangam is home to the Kumbh
Mela, which takes place every 12 years.
 The National Green Tribunal has opined that Yamuna's water was "highly" polluted as it
contained "acidic, heavy metals and other high pollutants" which were very injurious to
human health and it cannot be treated as a source of irrigation for agricultural
purposes. After a ban of 4 years, agriculture was permitted again in 2019 with constant
watch on heavy metal content of the harvested produce.
 Yamuna is one of the National Waterways of India, designated as NW110 in Haryana,
Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.

The Narmada River System

It rises from the Narmada Kund of the Amarkantak Hill in Madhya Pradesh state.
• The Narmada is a river located in central India.
• It outlines the traditional frontier between North India and South India.
• It is one of the major rivers of peninsular India. Only the Narmada, the Tapti, and the Mahi
rivers run from east to west.
• The river flows through the states of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Maharashtra.
• It drains into the Arabian Sea in the Bharuch district of Gujarat.

Course of the river:

• The river descends from the Amarkantak hill range at the Kapildhara falls and flows through
Ramnagar, Mandla and Jabalpur.
• Close to Jabalpur, after the Dhuandhara falls, Narmada enters three narrow valleys between
the Vindhya scarps in the north and the Satpura range in the South.
• It forms the traditional boundary between North India and South India.
• It flows westwards over a length of 1,312 km before draining through the Gulf of
Cambey into the Arabian Sea, 30 km (18.6 mi) west of Bharuch of Gujarat.
River Systems in India Free e-book

 Narmada Water Disputes Tribunal (NWDT) provides percentage of share of power

between Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Rajasthan
 60 of the Narmada’s 101 tributaries have gone dry or become seasonal. Since the
Narmada does not reach the ocean many months of the year, the sea is moving in,
leading to salinity, soil degradation and losses to industries.
 Some important dams on the Narmada river includes:Sardar Sarovar dam, Indira Sagar
dam, Bargi dam, Maan dam, Jobat dam
 The Canal Solar Power Project is a first of a kind project launched in Gujarat, India, to
use the 532 km long network of Narmada canals across the state for setting up solar
panels to generate electricity.

The Tapi River System

It originates in the Eastern Satpura Range of southern Madhya Pradesh state.
• It is a central Indian river. It is one of the most important rivers of peninsular India with the
run from east to west.
• The River Basin of Tapi River lies mostly in eastern and northern districts of Maharashtra
state.
• The river also covers some districts of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat as well.
• The principal tributaries of Tapi River are Waghur River, Aner River, Girna River, Purna River,
Panzara River and Bori River.
Course of the river:
From its source, it flows in a westward direction, draining some important historic places like
Madhya Pradesh’s Nimar region, East Vidarbha region and Maharashtra’s Khandesh in the
northwest corner of the Deccan Plateau and South Gujarat before draining into the Gulf of
Cambay of the Arabian Sea.

• On 9th October 2020, the Tapi River Basin Committee adopted the Tapi River Basin
Management Plan (Tapi RBM Plan) that has been developed under the India-EU Water
Partnership
• Par-Tapi -Narmada Link proposes to transfer water from the water surplus regions of
Western Ghats to the water deficit regions of Saurashtra and Kutch. The link project
includes seven reservoirs proposed in north Maharashtra and south Gujarat.
• Hathnur Dam (Maharashtra),Kakrapar Weir (Gujarat), Ukai Dam (Gujarat), Girna Dam
(Maharashtra), Dahigam Weir (Maharashtra) are some important hydroelectric projects
on the Tapi river.

The Godavari River System

This river originates from Trimbakeshwar, near Nasik in Maharashtra.

• The Godavari River is the second-longest course in India with brownish water.
• The river is often referred to as the Dakshin (South) Ganga or Vriddh (Old) Ganga.
• It is a seasonal river, dried during the summers, and widens during the monsoons.
• It flows southeast across south-central India through the states of Madhya Pradesh,
Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Orissa, and drains into the Bay of Bengal.
• The river forms a fertile delta at Rajahmundry.
River Systems in India Free e-book

• The banks of this river have many pilgrimage sites, Nasik (MH), Bhadrachalam(TS), and
Trimbak. Some of its tributaries include Pranahita (Combination of Penuganga and Warda),
Indravati River, Bindusara, Sabari, and Manjira.
• Asia’s largest rail-cum-road bridge which links Kovvur and Rajahmundry is located on the
river Godavari.

Course of the river:

• The river originates from Trimbak and then flows in the east across the Deccan Plateau
traversing through the Trimbakeshwar, Nashik, Kopargaon, Paithan, Nanded, Rajahmundry,
Adilabad and Bhadrachalam.
• Godavari empties into the Bay of Bengal near Narasapuram in West Godavari district of
Andhra Pradesh.

 Godavari is India's second longest river after the Ganga and third largest in India, drains
about 10% of India's total geographical area.
 The drainage basin of the river is present in seven states of India.
 Godavari is also a home to the endangered fringed-lipped carp (Labeo fimbriatus).
 The Coringa mangrove forests in the Godavari delta are the second largest mangrove
formation in the country.
 National Waterway 4 connects Kakinada to Pondicherry through Canals,Tank and river
Godavari along with Krishna river.
 Gangapur Dam, Jayakwadi Dam, Ghatghar Dam,Shriram Sagar Dam are some important
dams on the river.

The Krishna River System

• Krishna is one of the longest rivers of India, which originates from Mahabaleshwar in
Maharashtra.
• It flows through Sangli and drains the sea in the Bay of Bengal.
• The river flows through the states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra
Pradesh.
• Tungabhadra River is the main tributary which itself is formed by the Tunga and Bhadra
rivers that originate in the Western Ghats.
• Dudhganga Rivers, Koyna, Bhima, Mallaprabha, Dindi, Ghataprabha, Warna, Yerla, and
Musi are some of the other tributaries.

 It is one of the most suitable arable basins in the world as 75.6% area of the Krishna
basin is under cultivation because of the availability of water
 Krishna basin forms 8% of the country’s total geographical area
 The Krishna Wildlife Sanctuary, located where Krishna meets the Bay of Bengal,
contains one of the last remnants of mangrove forests in South India.
 Some important dams in the Krishna basin are: 1. Nagarjuna Sagar Dam 2. Srisailam Dam 3.
Bhima Dam 4. Sunkesula barrage 5. Almatti Dam 6. Tungabhadra Dam

The Cauvery River System

River Systems in India Free e-book

It originates from Talakaveri located in the Western Ghats.

• The Cauvery is also known as Ganges of South India ‘’Dakshin Bharat ki Ganga”.
• It is a famous pilgrimage and tourist place in the Kodagu district of Karnataka.
• The headwaters of the river are in the Western Ghats range of Karnataka state, and from
Karnataka through Tamil Nadu.
• Its upper catchment area receives rainfall during summer by the south-west monsoon and the
lower catchment area during winter season by the retreating north-east monsoon.
• It is, therefore, almost a perennial river with comparatively less fluctuations in flow and is
very useful for irrigation and hydroelectric power generation.
• The river has many tributaries called Arkavathy, Shimsha, Hemavati, Kapila, Shimsha,
Honnuhole, Amaravati, Lakshmana Kabini, Lokapavani, Bhavani, Noyyal, and Tirtha.
• According to the Supreme court verdict

State Quantity of water allocated

Karnataka 284.75 tmcft, including 4.75 tmcft for Bengaluru

Tamil Nadu 404.25 tmcft

Kerala 30 tmcft

Puducherry 7 tmcft

Course of the river:

• From its source, the river Kaveri flows down to the Deccan plateau and forms 2 islands
namely Srirangapatnam and Shivanasamudra.
• The river flows from Srirangapatnam and enters Tamil Nadu through Dharmapuri district,
Erode, Tiruchirappalli, Thanjavur before joining the Bay of Bengal.

 Cauvery basin extends over the states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, and Union
Territory of Puducherry
 The Cauvery basin contributes 40% of the food grain in Tamil Nadu and 26% in
Karnataka
 It is one of the best-regulated rivers and 90 to 95 percent of its irrigation and power
production potential already stands harnessed.
 The basin of the Kaveri River extends to around 87,900 sq km which is around 2.7% of
the total geography of the country.
 Krishna Raja Sagar Dam, Mettur Dam, Mayanur Dam and Grand Anicut are some
important dams in the Kaveri basin

The Mahanadi River System

The Mahanadi originates from the Satpura Range of central India

• It flows east to the Bay of Bengal. The river drains the state of Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh,
Jharkhand, and Orissa.
• The largest dam, the Hirakud Dam, is built on the river
River Systems in India Free e-book

Course of the river:

• It flows through Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.

• Its farthest headwaters lie 6 kilometres from Pharsiya village, south of Sihawa town in
Dhamtari district of Chhattisgarh.
• The upper course of Mahanadi runs north as an insignificant stream that goes on to draining
the eastern Chhattisgarh Plain.
• Then after meeting with Seonath River, below Baloda Bazar, it turns east and enters Odisha,
its flow augmented by the drainage of hills to the north and south.
• The various banks it touches are Raipur, Betul, Bilaspur, Janjgi, Subarnapur, Sambalpur, Angul,
Boudh, Kendrapara, Cuttack, Sonepur, Sambalpur, Subalaya, Birmaharajpur, Boudh.
• The Mahanadi proper enters the sea via several channels near Paradeep at False Point,
Jagatsinghpur. The combined Delta of the Mahanadi's numerous distributaries and the
Brahmani is one of the largest in India

• National Waterway 5 connects Orissa to West Bengal using the stretch on Brahmani
River,East Coast Canal, Matai River and Mahanadi River Delta.
• The agriculture (crop production), livestock and fishing sectors are relatively much
bigger in the Mahanadi delta than in the rest of the country (15.1% of the value added
vs 11.1% for crop production; 11.7% vs 5.5% for livestock and 2.6% vs 0.8% for
fisheries)
• The Mahanadi river flows slowly for about 900 kilometres and deposits more silt than
any other river in the Indian subcontinent.
• Culturable area in the basin is about 80,000 square kilometres, which is 4% of the total
culturable area of the country.
• The Mahanadi was notorious for its devastating floods for much of recorded history.
Thus, it was called 'the sorrow of Orissa'. However, the construction of the Hirakud
Dam has greatly altered the situation. Today a network of canals, barrages and check
dams keep the river well in control.
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