NCERT Solutions for Class 9 Social Science Geography

Chapter 3 Drainage
Question 2.
Answer the following questions briefly.

(i) What is meant by a water divide? Give an example.

Ans. Water divide is an elevated area, such as a mountain or an upland, that separates two drainage
basins. For example, the water divide between the Indus and the Ganga river system is Ambala.

(ii) Which is the largest river basin in India?

Ans. Ganga river basin is the largest one in India. The length of this basin is over 2,500 km.

(iii) Where do the rivers Indus and Ganga have their origin?
Ans. The river Indus has its origin in Tibet, near Mansarowar lake. The Ganga river originates at the
Gangotri Glacier on the sourthern slopes of the Himalayas.

(iv) Name the two headstreams of the Ganga. Where do they meet to form the Ganga?
Ans. The two headstreams of the Ganga are—the Bhagirathi and the Alaknanda. They meet to form the
Ganga at Devaprayag in Uttarakhand.

(v) Why does the Brahmaputra in its Tibetan part have less silt, despite a longer course?
Ans. The Brahmaputra in its Tibetan part carries a smaller volume of water and less silt as it is a
cold and dry area.

(vi) Which two peninsular rivers flow through trough?

Ans. The Narmada and the Tapi are the two peninsular rivers that flow through trough.

(vii) State some economic benefits of rivers and lakes.

Ans.
Economic benefits of rivers:

 Rivers provide water which is a basic natural resource for various human activities.
 They are used for irrigation, navigation and generation of hydroelectric power.
 They have a moderating influence on the climate of the surroundings and maintain the aquatic
ecosystem.

Economic benefits of lakes:

 They help to regulate the flow of a river.

 They prevent flooding at times of heavy rainfall and during the dry season, they help to maintain an
even flow of water.
 They also have a moderating influence on the surrounding climatic conditions and maintain the
aquatic ecosystem.
 They enhance the natural beauty and recreational activities by encouraging tourism.
 Lakes are also used for the generation of hydroelectricity.

Question 3.
 Below are given names of a few lakes of India. Group them under two categories- natural and
created by human beings:
(a) Wular
(b) Dal
(c) Nainital
(d) Bhimtal
(e) Gobind Sagar
(f) Loktak
(g) Barapani
(h) Chilika
(i) Sambhar
(j) Rana Pratap Sagar
(k) Nizam Sagar
(l) Pulicat
(m) Nagarjuna Sagar
(n) Hirakund

Answer:
Natural Lakes:
(a) Wular
(b) Dal
(c) Nainital
(d) Bhimtal
(f) Loktak
(g) Barapani
(h) Chilika
(i) Sambhar
(l) Pulicat

Lakes Created human beings:

(e) Gobind Sagar
(j) Rana Pratap Sagar
(k) Nizam Sagar
(m) Nagarjuna Sagar
(n) Hirakund

Question 4.
Discuss the significant difference between the Himalayan and the Peninsular rivers.
Answer:

The Himalayan Rivers The Peninsular Rivers

(i)They are perennial rivers. They get water from (a)They are seasonal in nature. They depend on

both the melted snow and of heavy rainfall. rainfall only.

(ii)They perform an immense erosional activity in (b)They do not perform any erosional activity in the
the upper course. upper course.

(c)They have long courses from their source to the

(c)They have shorter and shallower course.
mouth.

(d)They carry large amount of silt and sand, which (d)These river do not carry much silt, there are no

is renewed every year by annual floods. Therefore major plains. Fertile lands are only found in the

they are good for agriculture. small delta areas.

(e)The Mahanadi, the Godavari, the Krishna, the

(e)The Ganga, the Indus, the Brahmaputra are
Kaveri, the Narmada and the Tapi are major
major Himalayan rivers.
Peninsular rivers.

Question 5.
Compare the east-flowing and the west-flowing rivers of the Peninsular plateau.
Answer:

The East Flowing Rivers The West Flowing Rivers

(i)The Mahanadi, the Godavari, the Krishna, and the

(i)The Narmada and the Tapi are the major west-
Kaveri are the east-flowing rivers of Peninsular
flowing rivers of Peninsular India.
India.

(ii)These rivers drain into the Bay of Bengal. (ii)These rivers drain into the Arabian Sea.

(iii)These rivers form deltas on the east coast. (iii)These rivers form estuaries on the west coast.
(iv)These rivers have a developed and large (iv)These rivers are devoid of any developed

tributary system. tributary system.

Question 6.
Why are rivers important for the country’s economy?
Answer:
Rivers are important for a country’s economy in the following ways:

 The rivers provide water as the basic resource that is used for various activities.
 The river banks have attracted settlers from ancient times. These settlements have now become
major cities.
 Rivers provide water for irrigation, navigation, and for the generation of hydroelectric power.
 The rivers have also promoted agriculture, the most important economic activity of a country.
 The rivers tend to have a moderating influence on the climate of the surroundings. They also help to
maintain the aquatic ecosystem.

Map Skills

(i) On the outline map of India mark and label the following rivers: Ganga, Satluj, Damodar,
Krishna, Narmada, Tapi, Mahanadi, and the Brahmaputra.
(ii) On an outline map of India mark and label the following lakes: Chilika, Sambhar, Wular, Pulicat,
Kolleru.