MAP STUDY: INTERPRETATION OF TOPOGRAPHICAL MAPS

The distance
Metre
gauge:
is 1 m.
the r a i l s
Boundaries between

1The distance is
(depicted in black) Narrow
gauge:

0.77 m.
Intermational boundary demarcating The distance stone
e
railway:
the border between countries. HHH+
Light
is 6 km.

is w h e r e a road
State boundary demarcated to
Level crossing track on the
depict the border between states crosses
the railway
within the same country. same level.

State boundary undemarcated.

the same with station. It

District boundary within Railway
line
human
an area of 5r
state. indicates

settlement.

Means of Communication/Transport
Under construction.
(depicted in red)
in
unmetalled and vary
may be metalled
Roads or

Bridges a n d T u n n e l s
importance.
medium overhead structure
Metalled roads, broad, Bridge, i.e.
an
the roads,
and narrow
indicated by across a river with

the parallel red lnlmT m

between
space railways.
tarred (pucca) LI
lines. They are

have a milestone,
roads and often
distance
which indica tes the overhead
i.e. an
from the town towards
which Bridge with piers,
Milestones are
structure with a road or railway,
one is travelling.
or fast- supported by masonry pillars or
1.6 km apart developed
have
developing regions, usually columns.
metalled roads.

Unmetalled road or kaccha road, Railway line with bridge.

common in underdeveloped Falls 30m

areas.
Cutting with tunnel (through a
Cart track- most c o m m o n form
hill, therefore it has a roof)
of communication in villages.

Pack track through a pass, used by Telegraph line.

- - -X--
man and animal, mule or donkey
Water Bodies or Water Features
in hilly terrain.
in blue if when they contain
******
Footpath in steep areas. (depicted perennial or
force of
water throughout the year) river beg
Stream (Nala).
Railways (usually depicted in black)
Stream with track in bed.
Broad gauge: The distance or
gauge between the rails is 1.6 m. Seasonal or non-perennial stream
(depicted in black).

River (Nadi).
Confluence: Meeting of tributary
and main river.
Tidal river
Relative
height of a river bank;
indicates the relative difference
in height between the
bottom of the embankment.
top and
10 The tank with embankment has
a relative depth of 10 m.
In this case, the embankment is
on the outside of the tank and
has a relative height of 5 m.
*****
A dry river bed with a narrow
perennial water channel (depicted
in blue).
River bed with islands and
rocks
Intermittent stream or undefined
stream.
Disappearing stream.
Stream with canal.
The word 'falls indicates
waterfalls over a steep slope, in
Falls 30m this case 30 m. The river plunges
over a precipice of steep slope
or steep resistant plateau thus
forming a waterfall.
When a river flows across a
plain or level ground its speed
is impeded and due to the
force of gravity or an obstruction like a mound, the
river begins to meander.
Sometimes the loop
'meander is abandoned as the
river flows straight again, thus
forming an oxbow lake.
MAP STUDY INTERPRETATION OF TOPOGRAPHICAL MAPS
le Swamp
(depicted in blue)
JllL Juld Shoal
uld bllule Reeds
Piao Drinking water is available.
Perennial lined well (depicted in
blue).
O Unlined well (depicted in blue).
Wells are drilled down to the watertable. If they
have water throughout the year, wells are perennial.
Usually, they have a brick and mortarlining
Perennial lined well with a
20 m
relative depth of 20 m (depicted
in blue).
+(blue) Spring ().
Brackish Brackish: This water is unfit for
human or animal consumption,
neither can it be used for
irrigation. Utilised for washing
clothes and utensils. These wells
occur in desert regions due to
intense heat and evaporation of
water.
Tube well: It is a deep bore and
water has to be pumped (depicted
in blue).
Perennial tank: Presence of tanks
10r
indicates hilly or rocky terrain.
The depth of the perennial tank
is relatively 10 m (depicted in
blue).
Seasonal tank/Dry tank.
Tanks may or may not have an
embankment. If it is in black it
indicates a rock-filled earthwork
embankment. If it is in red the
or embankment is made of cement
and mortar and is an important
tank. Embankments are also built
across rivers and streams to form
MAP STUDY: INTERPRETATION OF TOPOGRAPHICAL MAPSs

embankment is barren or else it is

storage tanks. The shaded it
has a relative height of 15 m. cultivated.

Canals divert water for irrigation Drainage Patterns

and are often used for navigation
as well.
Salt pan: A depression where salt
water/sea water is allowed to
evaporate and leave behind salt
The main river together with its tributaries forme
its own drainage pattern, which reflects the relief
and geological structure of the area, nature o
rocks, slope of the land and the amount of rainfall
experienced.

deposits. The most important and common drainage patterns

blue are:
A dam is a man-nmade structure
(a) Radial Pattern: In upland areas from peaks,
built across a river in order to
particularly conical peaks, dissected uplands
store or control the flow of water.
where streams flow down or radiate in different
Depending on its size, the dam can
directions from a central focal point, the drainage
be utilised to control floods, store
water for irrigation and generate pattern is said to be radial.
hydroelectricity. It is natural if it
has no embankment.
Causeway is a raised metalled
road across a lake, stream, minor
river or shallow marshy area.
Links important or developing 1200
areas. 1000
800
Broken ground is due to
weathering, extremes of heat,
cold, wetness and dryness.
Usually found along the banks Fig. 1.31: Radial drainage
of seasonal rivers and streams.
Visible during the dry season. (b) Dendritic Pattern: From the Greek word
Aqueduct is indicated on the map dendron' meaning tree-like, this is the most
by its name 'aqueduct. It is an common drainage pattern. The relief being more
or less uniform, the tributaries join the main
artificial channel or pipeline built
of masonry, elevated and used for river at acute angles.
carrying water. It is more like a
tiny, subsidiary canal.
Reservoirs are perennial water
bodies artificially constructed
blu to store water for various
purposes.
Sometimes an elevated piece
of land in the bed of a river is
exposed throughout the year or
during the dry season. It is an
island. If it is shown in white it
Fig. 1.32: Dendritic (Tree-like) drainage
 TOPOGRAPHICAL MAP'S
MAP STUDY: INTERPRETATION OF

(c) Trellised Pattern (Rectangular drainage pattern): Rivers

Due to alternating layers of hard and soft rock, The drainage, direction and patterns are closely
the streanms and tributaries join the main river features
interrelated and dependent on physical
at right angles forming a trellis.
or relief.

1. Direction in which rivers flow

) Observe contourheights and the location of

hills-rivers flow from high to lowland.
contour
(i) In the absence of, or in addition to,
heights, observe the spot heights particularly
alongside the rivers/streams.

(ii) Notice the angle at which streams/

tributaries join the main river-it will be
an acute angle-in the direction in which
Fig. 1.33: Trellised drainage the main river flows.
river itself-
(d) Disappearing or Ephemeral Streams or Dis- (iv) Finally, observe the bed of the
appearing Drainage: Disappearing streams do the finest silt and the broadest part of the
not join the main river but simply disappear due water channel will be found in the lowest
to porosity of soil such as sand, chalk, limestone, part of the river.
etc., and insufficient water in it. Found in arid Then make use of your 'Eight Compass
regions. to state the direction in which
Directions',
(towards which) it flows. You may or may
not mention the direction from which it
flows.

2. Right-Bank and Left-Bank Tributaries

Fig. 1.34: Disappearing streams
Difference Between Natural and Man-made
Features
(a) Natural Features and Landforms are physical
features for which man is not responsible.
(b) Man-made Features are those which man has
built, e.g. villages, tanks, post and telegraph
offices, hospitals, places of worship, metalled
or unmetalled roads, cart tracks, etc.,
a few.
DO NOT LIST Trees in either group it is a
controversial point. Forests too may have been
deforested and then reaforested.
Once you know the direction in which the river
flows, then imagine yourself going in the same
direction, your right would then be the 'right
bank and your left, the 'left bank'. (Do not refer
to them as east and west banks.)
Types of Settlements
(depicted in red)
Settlements are usually classified according to
their size, shape, pattern and permanency as also
whether they are rural or urban, their position and
function.
to name
Factors that determine location and type of
settlements are:
as
1. Confluence of rivers.
2. A large plain/agricultural land.

19
MAP STUDY INTIRPRETATION OF TOPOGRAP ICAL MAPS

Settlements: Buildings/permane
3. Sheltered valleys and the entrance to them. (c) Nucleated or compact settlements
huts form clustered

4. Near the mouth of the river. gradually merging into each other formi
These concentrated settlem
bigger
townships. nents
5. Where the river can be easily crossed by bridge, suggest productivity and perity and are
causeway, ford or ferry.
usually
located on fertile plains, or shelte
populations can progress
6. Near a pass or on a plateau. valleys where large

7. Central location.

8. Availability of raw materials.

located at the
9. Route focus point: A town
at
is usually situated
junction of many routes town
those routes and sucha
theintersection of is very
centre. Usually, it
is known as a nodal
its importance
important and keeps increasing
industry and trade.
due to minerals,
Permanent hut

settlement
Temporary hut Fig. 1.36: Nucleated

Deserted town or valley the compact form of the

X In older towns

settlements tends to be irregular whilst in the

Permanent
Scattered Settlements: in regular geometrical
(a) Dispersed or farms newer towns they are

huts are scattered or located on large

If the region patterns.
where there is sparse population. Settlements: These are clustured
livestock rearing will be
the Radial Pattern
is a highland, then (d) around a tank, lake, factory,
over a large area. star-like
in a pattern
main occupation spread
etc.
Permanent huts and houses
(b) Linear Settlements: follow geometrical
railway (e) Urban Settlements: These
built alongside the local main road, and
usually in squares and rectangles
are

line or river banks. In coastal

areas they are patterns
of time, are well laid out.
similarly built. However, in c o u r s e
these develop as route focus, trading centres,
Mt Abu is a hill station with nucleated
settlements.
or collecting and distributing settlements.

Note: Comparison of Settlements/Townships/

must be done onthe basis of their
Villages
importance, i.e. location, size and amenities.
The major functions of towns are trade, transport
resource extraction, industrial production,
administration, defence, recreation and culture
a
The size and number of routes which meet at
a
settlement reflect its importance. For example,
network of roads and railways indicate economic

activity.
A nodal town is the junction of many routes and
Fig. 1.35: Linear settlement
 MAP STUDY: INTERPRITATION Or TOPOGRAPHICAL MAPS

ss1ually has a dense settlement with a radial

of communication.
pattern the accurate height determined by
surveys.
The presence of minerals increases its
importance Approximate or Relative height: This
and growth.
5 or height is calculated from ground level
Large towns have a dense or and not mean sea level. It may be the
compact pattern
of roads whereas modern planned cities have a relative height of a peak, dam, sand
rectangular grid pattern of communication. dune, etc., or the relative depth of a
water body- lake, tank, etc.
Pattern of Communication
Contours: Contour lines are imaginary
(a) Diffused or Irregular: This pattern is an
lines (depicted in brown) joining all
irregular, widely spread pattern that links points or places having the same
scattered towns and villages without any real height above mean sea level (MSL).
planning. It is an old system. The closer they are, the steeper the
(b) Radial or Converging:
From a focal point gradient.
or route, focal centre or nodal centre roads Contour Interval (C.I.): It is the difference in
and
height
railways have spread outwards, e.g. between two successive contour lines. Usually it is
Dantiwada. 20 m for Indian
topo-maps.
(c) Dense or Compact: A well-developed and well- Form Line: When the relief of an area
planned network of metalled roads link large is so inaccessible and
towns to each other.
complicated
that assessment of its accurate
height
(d) Grid is not possible, contours are drawn
or Rectangular:
Modern well-planned
towns and cities have a systematic pattern of as broken lines to indicate only the
well-constructed roads linking them to each general pattern of the ground and
other. Communication becomes easier as a result give no definite idea of the actual
and more disciplined. heights. Since they only show the
form of the land they are called form
Representing Heights on Ordnance (Survey) lines.
Maps
Miscellaneous
Spot Height: It is the estimated height
in metres of a particular point on the P.S. Police Station
ground indicated on the map by a
black dot in front of its height. It is P.O. Post Office
called a spot height. T.O. Telegraph Office
Triangulated heights (or stations):
Also referred P.T.O. Post and Telegraph Office
to as
triangulation
points or triangulation stations.
D.B. Dak Bungalow
The height is calculated by
and hence accurate. It I.B. Inspection Bungalow
trigonometry
is depicted by a triangle with a dot R.H. Rest House
within and the height beside it.

Benchmarks: These are cut into C.H. Circuit House

BM 560 stone, shown on a building or carved R.F. Reserved Forest

on a prominent tree to indicate
+

il i

uy enly
 MAP STUDY: INTERPRETATION OF TOPOGRAPHICAL MAPs

Monuments
5. Piao Place where drinking water is
(usually depicted in red)
available-generally alongside
Fort roads or at railway stations.
This is found mainly in north
and northwest of India where it
is very hot in summer and water
Temple is scarce.
6. Talab Tank, reservoir or pond.
7. Police Police outpost.
Aerodrome Chowki
8. Khera Kiln for baking bricks.
9. Tehsil Part of a district under a Tehsildar
Church who or Taluk collects revenue
from the area.
10. Dak A government-owned bungalow
Chhatri for travellers to stay for a
Bungalow night
or two.

Colours
Mosque
In conclusion, we may say that the colours on a
topographical map are of great significance, as they
indicate certain features.
Tomb
1. Black: Lines of latitude and
longitude, all names,
river banks, dry streams, broken
ground, heights
and their numbering, railway lines and stations,
Lighthouse telephone and telegraph lines, surveyed trees.
Prominent surveyed trees have numbers on
their trunks which serve as landmarks.
of
Cutting
Anchorage surveyed trees is not permitted.
2 Red: Grid lines (Eastings and Northings) and
their numbering, roads, cart tracks,
footpaths,
pack tracks, huts, settlements, buildings.
Dispensary
3. Blue: Water features, water bodies that are
perennial (contain water).
Graves 4. Brown: Contour lines, their
numbering, form
lines, sand features such as sand dunes and
Hindi Terms used in Surveys sand hills.
5. Green: All wooded and forested areas, scrub,
1. Pahar Hill
orchards, scattered trees.
2. Parbat Hill or mountain
6. Yellow: All cultivated
3. Nala Small stream
or
agricultural land is
shaded in yellow.
4. Nadi River 7. White patches: Uncultivated land/wasteland.