Introduction DRAINAGE

The flow of water through well-defined channels is known as 'drainage' and the network
of such channelsis called a 'drainage system'.
It is perennial (always with water) or non-perennial (water during rainy season, and dry)
A river drains the water collected from a specific area, which is called its 'catchment area'.
An area drained by a river and its tributaries is called a drainage basin.
The boundary line separating one drainage basin from the other is known as the watershed..
The drainage pattern resembling the branches of a tree is known as 'dendritic'. The examples of
which are the rivers of northern plain.
When the rivers originate from a hill and flow in all directions, the drainage pattern is known as
'radial'. The rivers originating from the Amarkantak range present a good example of it.
When the primary tributaries of rivers flow parallel to each other and secondary tributaries join
them at right angles, the pattern is known as 'trellis.
When the rivers discharge their waters from all directions in a lake or depression, the pattern is
know as 'centripetal.
On the basis of discharge of water (orientations to the sea), it may be grouped into:
(i) the Arabian Sea drainage; (ii) the Bay of Bengal drainage.

They are separated from each other through the Delhi ridge, the Aravalis and the Sahyadris.
Nearly 77 per cent of the drainage area consisting of the Ganga, the Brahmaputra, the Mahanadi, the
Krishna, etc. is oriented towards the Bay of Bengal while 23 per cent comprising the Indus, the Narmada,
the Tapi, the Mahi and the Periyar systems discharge their waters in the Arabian Sea.
## On the basis of the size of the watershed, the drainage basins of India are grouped into three categories:
(i) Major river basins with more than 20,000 sq. km of catchment area. It includes 14 drainage basins such as
the Ganga, the Brahmaputra, the Krishna, the Tapi, the Narmada, the Mahi, the Pennar, the Sabarmati, the
Barak, etc.
(ii) Medium river basins with catchment area between 2,000-20,000 sq. km incorporating 44 river basins such
as the Kalindi, the Periyar, the Meghna, etc.
(iii) Minor river basins with catchment area of less than 2,000 sq. km include fairly good number of rivers
flowing in the area of low rainfall
• On the basis of the mode of origin, nature and characteristics, the Indian drainage may also be classified into:
(1) the Himalayan drainage (ii) the Peninsular drainage

The Indus System

It is one of the largest river basins of the world,
covering an area of 11,65,000 sq. km (in India it is
321, 289 sq. km and a total length of 2,880 km (in
India 1,114 km).
It enters into Pakistan near Chillar in the
Dardistan region. Find out the area known as
Dardistan.
The Indus also known as the Sindhu, is the
westernmost of the Himalayan rivers in India.
Tributaries such as the Shyok, the Gilgit, the
Zanskar, the Hunza, the Nubra, the Shigar, the
Gasting and the Dras.
It originates from a glacier near Bokhar Chu (31
°15' N latitude and 81 °40' E longitude) in the
Tibetan region at an altitude of 4,164 m in the
Kailash Mountain range.
In Tibet, it is known as 'Singi Khamban; or
Lion's mouth. After flowing in the northwest
direction between the Ladakh and Zaskar ranges,
it passes through Ladakh and Baltistan.
It cuts across the Ladakh range, forming a
spectacular gorge near Gilgit in Jammu and
Kashmir.
The Ganga System
The Ganga river system is the largest in India having a number of perennial and nonperennial
rivers originating in the Himalayas in the north and the Peninsula in the south, respectively.
The Ganga is the most important river of India both from the point of view of its basin and
cultural significance. It rises in the Gangotri glacier near Gaumukh (3,900 m) in the Uttarkashi
district of Uttarakhand. Here, it is known as the Bhagirathi.
It cuts through the Central and the Lesser Himalayas in narrow gorges.
At Devprayag, the Bhagirathi meets the Alaknanda, hereafter, it is known as the Ganga.
The other tributaries of Alaknanda such as the Pindar joins it at Karna Prayag while Mandakini or
Kali Ganga meets it at Rudra Prayag.
The Ganga enters the plains at Haridwar. From here, it flows first to the south, then to the south-
east and east before splitting into two distributaries, namely the Bhagirathi and the Hugli.
The river has a length of 2,525 km. It is shared by Uttarakhand (110 km) and Uttar Pradesh
(1,450 km), Bihar (445 km) and West Bengal (520 km).
The Ganga basin covers about 8.6 lakh sq. km area in India alone.

The Brahmaputra System

The Brahmaputra, one of the largest rivers of the world, has its origin in the Chemayungdung
glacier of the Kailash range near the Mansarovar lake.
The Rango Tsangpo is the major right bank tributary of this river in Tibet. It emerges as a
turbulent and dynamic river after carving out a deep gorge in the Central Himalayas near
Namcha Barwa (7,755 m). The river emerges from the foothills under the name of Siang or
Dihang.
In Bangladesh, the Tista joins it on its right bank from where the river is known as the Jamuna.
It finally merges with the river Padma, which falls in the Bay of Bengal.
The Brahmaputra is well-known for floods, channel shifting and bank erosion. This is due to the
fact that most of its tributaries are large, and bring a large quantity of sediments owing to heavy
rainfall in its catchment area. It enters India west of Sadiya town in Arunachal Pradesh.
The Brahmaputra receives numerous tributaries in its 750 km long journey through the Assam
valley. Its major left bank tributaries are the Burhi Dihing and Dhansari (South) whereas the
important right bank tributaries are the Subansiri, Kameng, Manas and Sankosh. The
Brahmaputra enters into Bangladesh near Dhubri and flows southward.
The Peninsular Drainage System
The Peninsular drainage system is older than the Himalayan one. This is evident from the broad, largely-
graded shallow valleys, and the maturity of the rivers.
The Western Ghats running close to the western coast act as the water divide between the major Peninsular
rivers, discharging their water in the Bay of Bengal and as small rivulets joining the Arabian Sea.
Most of the major Peninsular rivers except Narmada and Tapi flow from west to east. The Chambal, the
Sind, the Betwa, the Ken, the Son, originating in the northern part of the Peninsula belong to the Ganga
river system.
River Systems of the Peninsular Drainage
The Mahanadi
The Mahanadi rises near Sihawa in Raipur district of Chhattisgarh and runs through Odisha to
discharge its water into the Bay of Bengal.
It is 851 km long and its catchment area spreads over 1.42 lakh sq. km.
Some navigation is carried on in the lower course of this river. Fifty three per cent of the
drainage basin of this river lies in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, while 47 per cent lies in
Odisha.
The Godavari
The Godavari is the largest Peninsular river system. It is also called the Dakshin Ganga.
It rises in the Nasik district of Maharashtra and discharges its water into the Bay of Bengal. Its
tributaries run through the states of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and
Andhra Pradesh.
It is 1,465 km long with a catchment area spreading over 3.13 lakh sq. km 49 per cent of this,
lies in Maharashtra, 20 per cent in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, and the rest in Andhra
Pradesh.
The Penganga, the Indravati, the Pranhita, and the Manjra are its principal tributaries.
The Godavari is subjected to heavy floods in its lower reaches to the south of Polavaram,
where it forms a picturesque gorge. It is navigable only in the deltaic stretch. The river after
Rajamundri splits into several branches forming a large delta.
The Krishna
The Krishna is the second largest east-flowing Peninsular river which rises near
Mahabaleshwar in Sahyadri. Its total length is 1,401 km.
The Koyna, the Tungbhadra and the Bhima are its major tributaries.
Of the total catchment area of the Krishna, 27 per cent lies in Maharashtra, 44 per cent in
Karnataka and 29 per cent in Andhra Pradesh.
The Kaveri
The Kaveri rises in Brahmagiri hills (1,341m) of Kogadu district in Karnataka.
Its length is 800 km and it drains an area of 81,155 sq. km.
Since the upper catchment area receives rainfall during the southwest monsoon season
(summer) and the lower part during the northeast monsoon season (winter), the river carries
water throughout the year with comparatively less fluctuation than the other Peninsular rivers.
About 3 per cent of the Kaveri basin falls in Kerala, 41 per cent in Karnataka and 56 per cent in
Tamil Nadu.
Its important tributaries are the Kabini, the Bhavani and the Amravati.
The Narmada
The Narmada originates on the western flank of the Amarkantak plateau at a height of about
1,057 m.
Flowing in a rift valley between the Satpura in the south and the Vindhyan range in the north, it
forms a picturesque gorge in marble rocks and Dhuandhar waterfall near Jabalpur.
After flowing a distance of about 1,312 km, it meets the Arabian sea south of Bharuch, forming
a broad 27 km long estuary.
Its catchment area is about 98,796 sq. km.
The Sardar Sarovar Project has been constructed on this river.
The Tapi
The Tapi is the other important westward flowing river.
It originates from Multai in the Betul district of Madhya Pradesh.
It is 724 km long and drains an area of 65,145 sq. km.
Nearly 79 per cent of its basin lies in Maharashtra, 15 per cent in Madhya Pradesh and the
remaining 6 per cent in Gujarat.
Luni
Luni is the largest river system of Rajasthan, west of Aravali.
It originates near Pushkar in two branches, i.e. the Saraswati and the Sabarmati, which join with
each other at Govindgarh.
From here, the river comes out of Aravali and is known as Luni.
It flows towards the west till Telwara and then takes a southwest direction to join the Rann of
Kuchchh.
The entire river system is ephemeral.
Question 1. Write the salient features of the Ganga-Brahmaputra delta.
Answer:The salient features of the Ganga-Brahmaputra delta are :
It is the largest delta of the world on the mouth of the Bay of Bengal.
This has formed owing to split of the Ganges and the Brahmaputra in several rivulets i.e.,
distributaries.
Its lower portion is marshy owing to mess up of the sea and the freshwater together.
It is the most fertile and densely populated delta.

Question 2.How is Sundarban delta formed?

Answer: When the Ganga flows eastwards till Farakka in West Bengal, here the river splits into the Bhagirathi-
Hooghly (a distributary) flows southwards through the deltaic plains to the Bay of Bengal. The main stream
flows southwards into Bangladesh and is joined by the Brahmaputra. Further downstream, it is known as the
Meghna. This mighty river, with waters from the Ganga and the Brahmaputra, flows into the Bay of Bengal. The
delta formed by these rivers is known as the Sundarban Delta.
The Sundarban Delta derived its name from the Sundari tree, which grows well in marshland. It is the world's
largest and fastest growing delta.

Question 3. Which river is known as 'Dakshin Ganga'? Describe its main features.
Answer: The Godavari river is known as the 'Dakshin Ganga'.
The main features of the river Godavari are :
It is the largest Peninsular river, which rises from the slopes of the Western Ghats in the Nasik district
of Maharashtra.
Its length is about 1500 km that drains into the Bay of Bengal.
A number of tributaries joins the Godavari river such as the Purna, the Wardha, the Penganga, the
Manjra, the Wainganga, and the Pranhita.

Question 4. Define the term drainage? What are the different types of drainage patterns?
Answer: The term drainage describes the river system of an area. The streams within a drainage basin form
certain patterns, depending on the slope of land, underlying rock structure as well as the climatic conditions of
the
area.
The different drainage patterns are :
Dendritic Pattern : The dendritic pattern develops where the river channel follows the slope of the
terrain. The stream with its tributaries resembles the branches of a tree, thus the name dendritic.
Trellis Pattern: A river joined by its tributaries, at approximately right angles, develops a trellis pattern.
A trellis drainage pattern develops where hard and soft rocks exist parallel to each other.
Rectangular Pattern: A rectangular drainage pattern develops on a strongly jointed rocky terrain.
Radial Pattern : The radial pattern develops when streams flow in different directions from a central
peak or dome like structure.

Question 5.Differentiate between freshwater lakes and saltwater lakes giving examples of each.
Answer: Freshwater Lakes:
Freshwater lakes are mostly found in the Himalayan region.
They are of glacial origin which means that they were formed when glaciers dug out a basin which
was later filled with snow melt.
The Dal lake, Bhimtal, Nainital, Loktak and Barapani are some other important freshwater lakes.
Saltwater Lakes:
Spits and bars form lagoons in the coastal areas, e.g., the Chilika lake, the Pulicat lake, the Kolleru
lake are the saltwater lakes.
Lakes in the regions of inland drainage are the saltwater lakes, e.g., the Sambhar lake in Rajasthan.
Its water is used for producing salt.
Question 6. What are the causes of water pollution? How can it be controlled?
Answer: Cause :
The factories discharge their effluents in the nearby rivers, which cause water pollution.
The disposal of sewage of urban centres into the rivers is also responsible for water pollution.
The overuse of fertilisers and pesticides also pollute the water.
Water in the oceans gets polluted by the leakage of oil from oil tankers.
Methods to Control Water Pollution:
The waste product from the factories should not be allowed to fall into the rivers.
The waste materials should be treated before it is allowed to fall into the water of rivers.
Sewage of urban centres should not be allowed into rivers at any cost.
The fertilisers and pesticides should not be overused.
Question 7. What is the difference between a Tributary and Distributary?
Answer:

Question 8. What is the difference between Delta and Estuary?

Answer:

Question 9. Why are Peninsular rivers seasonal in nature? Give any three reasons.
Answer:
The flow of Peninsular rivers is dependent on rainfall.
The Peninsular rivers have shorter and shallower courses as compared to their Himalayan
counterparts.
The tributaries are very short and less in number and bring quite less amount of water which
hardly increases the amount of water of the main river. Therefore, during the dry season, even
the large rivers have reduced flow ofwater in their channels.

Question 10. ention the main features of the Ganga Action Plan.
Answer:Main Features of the Ganga Action Plan:
Sewage flowing into the river is to be diverted to other locations for treatment and conversion into
energy source.
Steps have been taken to supply safe drinking water by constructing electric crematoriums and
separating bathing Ghats.
The diversion of several major drains carrying wastes into the river has been completed in cities
like Varanasi, Patna and Kanpur and pollution level has been decreased.
Infrastructure capable of diverting and treatment 835 million litres per day of domestic waste or
sewage has been created.
Ganga Action Plan has been merged with National River Conservation Plan. It now covers 152
towns located along 27 Inter-state rivers in over 16 states.
Question 11. Why do the Himalayan rivers get flooded every year? What are its advantages?
Answer:
The Himalayan rivers receive water from the melted snow from the lofty mountains as well as from
rain.
During monsoons, due to heavy rainfall, these rivers get flooded every year.
Advantages:
The Himalayan rivers flood parts of the northern plains enfiching the soil for the extensive
agricultural lands.
Various food crops and cash crops are grown in these fertile lands.

Question 12. Explain the 'National River Conservation Plan' (NRCP) in brief.
Answer: The activities of Ganga Action Plan (GAP) Phase-I, initiated in 1985, were declared closed on
31st March,2000. The Steering Committee of the National River Conservation Authority reviewed the
progress of theGAP and necessary correction on the basis of lessons learnt and experiences gained from
GAP Phase-l.

These have been applied to the major polluted rivers of the country under the NRCP.

The Ganga Action Plan (GAP) Phase-Il, has been merged with the NRCP. The expanded NRCP now
covers 152 towns located along 27 interstate rivers in 16 states. Under this action plan, pollution abatement
works are being taken up in 57 towns. A total of 215 schemes of pollution abatement have been sanctioned.
So far, 69 schemes have been completed under this action plan. A million litre of sewage is targeted to be
intercepted, diverted and treated.

Question 13. Difference between Himalayan River and Peninsular River ?

Answer: