DRAINAGE

Drainage Systems in India

The Indian rivers are divided into two major groups:

 The Himalayan rivers

 The Peninsular rivers

The Himalayan rivers The Peninsular rivers

Most of the Himalayan rivers are perennial, Peninsular rivers are seasonal.
which means they have water throughout the
year.

These rivers receive water from rain as well as The flow of these rivers is dependent on
from melted snow from high mountains. rainfall.

Two major Himalayan rivers, the Indus and the Most of the rivers of peninsular India
Brahmaputra originate from the north of the originate in the Western Ghats and flow
mountain ranges. towards the Bay of Bengal.

The Himalayan rivers have long courses from These rivers have shorter and shallower
their source to the sea. courses as compared to the Himalayan
rivers.

The Himalayan Rivers

The major Himalayan rivers are the Indus, the Ganga and the
Brahmaputra. A river, along with its tributaries, may be called
a river system.

1) The Indus River System

 Indus is one of the longest rivers in the world, with a total length of
2900 km.
 The river Indus rises in Tibet near Lake Mansarovar.
 It enters India in the Ladakh district of Jammu and Kashmir, where it
forms a picturesque gorge.
 The Satluj, the Beas, the Ravi, the Chenab and the Jhelum join together
to enter the Indus near Mithankot in Pakistan.

2) The Ganga River System

  The source of the Ganga called the ‘Bhagirathi’, is fed by the Gangotri
Glacier and joined by the Alaknanda at Devaprayag in Uttarakhand.
 The Ganga emerges from the mountains to the plains at Haridwar.
 The Ganga is joined by many tributaries from the Himalayas, a few of
them being major rivers, such as the Yamuna, the Ghaghara, the
Gandak and the Kosi.
 The length of the Ganga is over 2500 km.

Farakka in West Bengal is the northernmost point of the Ganga

Delta where the Ganga River divides into 2 parts.

1. The Bhagirathi-Hooghly flows southwards through the deltaic plains

to the Bay of Bengal.
2. The mainstream flows southwards into Bangladesh and is joined by the
Brahmaputra. Further downstream, it is known as the Meghna. The
Meghna River flows into the Bay of Bengal and forms Sundarban Delta.

3) The Brahmaputra River System

 The Brahmaputra rises in Tibet east of Mansarowar Lake.
 It is slightly longer than the Indus.
 On reaching the Namcha Barwa (7757 m), it takes a ‘U-turn’ and enters
India in Arunachal Pradesh, where it is called the Dihang.
 Dihang is joined by the Dibang, the Lohit, and many other tributaries to
form the Brahmaputra in Assam.

The Peninsular Rivers

The main water divide in Peninsular India is formed by the Western
Ghats. Most of the major rivers of the Peninsula, such as the
Mahanadi, the Godavari, the Krishna, and the Kaveri, flow eastwards
and drain into the Bay of Bengal. These rivers make deltas at their
mouths. The Narmada and the Tapi are the only long rivers which
flow west and make estuaries.

1) The Narmada Basin

 The Narmada rises in the Amarkantak hills in Madhya Pradesh.
 The Narmada flows through a deep gorge at the ‘Marble Rocks’ near
Jabalpur.
 At Dhuadhar Falls, the river jumps over steep rocks.
 The Narmada basin covers parts of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat.

2) The Tapi Basin

 The Tapi rises in the Satpura ranges in the Betul district of Madhya
Pradesh.
 Its basin covers parts of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra.

3) The Godavari Basin

  The Godavari is the largest Peninsular river. Its length is about 1500
km.
 It rises from the slopes of the Western Ghats in the Nasik district of
Maharashtra.
 The basin covers parts of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and
Andhra Pradesh.
 The Godavari is joined by a number of tributaries, such as the Purna,
the Wardha, the Pranhita, the Manjra, the Wainganga and the
Penganga.
 Owing to its length and the area it covers, it is also known as
the Dakshin Ganga.

4) The Mahanadi Basin

 The Mahanadi rises in the highlands of Chhattisgarh.
 The length of the river is about 860 km.
 Its drainage basin is shared by Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand,
and Odisha.

5) The Krishna Basin

 It rises from a spring near Mahabaleshwar.
 The length of the river is about 1400 km.
 Its drainage basin is shared by Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra
Pradesh.

6) The Kaveri Basin

 The Kaveri rises in the Brahmagri range of the Western Ghats.
 The total length of the river is about 760 km.
 Its basin drains parts of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

Besides these major rivers, there are some smaller rivers flowing
towards the east. Some of them are:

 The Damodar
 The Brahmani
 The Baitarni
 The Subarnrekha

Lakes
India has many lakes. These lakes differ from each other in size and
other characteristics.

1. Most lakes are permanent

2. Some contain water only during the rainy season
3. Some lakes are the result of the action of glaciers and ice sheets
4. Some have been formed by wind, river action and human activities

These lakes are attractive to tourists in places like Srinagar, Nainital.

Different lakes are:
  A meandering river across a floodplain forms cut-offs that later develop
into ox-bow lakes.
 Spits and bars form lagoons in the coastal areas. Eg, the Chilika Lake,
the Pulicat Lake and the Kolleru Lake.
 Lakes in the region of inland drainage are sometimes seasonal. For
example, the Sambhar Lake in Rajasthan is a saltwater lake which is
used for producing salt.
 Most of the freshwater lakes are in the Himalayan region. They are of
glacial origin. The Wular Lake in Jammu and Kashmir is the result of
tectonic activity, which is the largest freshwater lake in India. Some
other important freshwater lakes are Dal Lake, Bhimtal, Nainital, Loktak
and Barapani.

Importance of Lakes
Lakes are useful to human beings in many ways:

1. Lakes help to regulate the flow of a river.

2. During heavy rains, these lakes prevent flooding.
3. During the dry season, these lakes help to maintain an even flow of
water.
4. Lakes can also be used for developing hydel power.
5. Lakes moderate the surrounding climate, maintain the aquatic
ecosystem, enhance natural beauty, and provide recreation.

Role of Rivers in the Economy

 Rivers have been of fundamental importance throughout human
history.
 Water from rivers is a basic natural resource, essential for various
human activities.
 Rivers are used for irrigation, navigation, hydropower generation etc.

River Pollution
The growing domestic, municipal, industrial and agricultural demand
for water from rivers is affecting the quality of water. Rivers are
getting polluted as a heavy load of untreated sewage and industrial
effluents are getting emptied into the rivers. Concern over rising
river pollution led to the launching of various action plans to clean
the rivers.

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Frequently Asked Questions on CBSE
Class 9 Geography Notes Chapter 3
Drainage

Q1

What is a drainage basin?

Drainage basins refer to the area of land drained by a major river

and its tributaries.

Q2

Where is the ‘Bhagirathi’ river located?

The Bhagirathi River is situated in the Indian state, Utharakhand.

Q3

What is a lagoon?

A shallow sound, channel, or pond near or communicating with a

larger body of water is called a lagoon.