DELHI PUBLIC SCHOOL

Secunderabad

NACHARAM | MAHENDRA HILLS | NADERGUL

SUBJECT: Social Science (Geography) CLASS : IX

Topic: Ch.3 Drainage

DEFINE THE TERMS.

1) Drainage – It describes the river system of an area.

2) River System- A river along with its tributaries is called a river
system
3) Drainage basin –The area drained by single river system is called a
drainage basin.
4) Water divide – An elevated area such as a mountain or an upland
separating two drainage basin.
5) Perennial River – River that receives water from rain and melted
snow from lofty mountains.
6) Seasonal river – River whose Flow depends upon rainfall.
7) Gorge- It is a narrow deep valley with steep walls formed by a river
in hilly areas. For eg- Indus and Sutlej gorges.
8) Rift valley- A rift valley is a trough formed by sinking of land
between two faults. For eg- Narmada and Tapi valleys.
9) Meander- It’s a curve or bends in a river. They are typical of middle
and lower courses of a river. This is because vertical erosion is
replaced by a sideways form of erosion called lateral erosion and
deposition within flood plain.
10)Ox-bow lake- A meandering river across a flood plain sometimes
get cut off from the main river and develops into an ox-bow lake.
11)Delta- It’s a flat, low-lying built up from soil carried downstream by
a river and deposited at its mouth. For eg- Ganga-Brahmaputra delta.
12)Estuary- It’s a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with
streams flowing into it and with a free connection to the open sea.

Question and Answer

1. Differentiate between Himalayan and Peninsular River.

S.NO HIMALAYAN RIVER
1 Himalayan rivers are perennial and flow throughout
the year
2 They receive water from rainfall and melting snow of
the mountains and glaciers.
3 The Himalayan rivers have long courses
4 They carry a lot of silt and sand
5 These rivers originate from Himalayan range
6 The drainage basins are large
PENINSULAR RIVER.
A large number of peninsular rivers are
seasonal and flow during a certain
period in a year.
They receive water from rainfall only.
The perennial rivers have short course
They carry less or no silt and sand
They mainly originate in the peninsular
part of India.
The drainage basins are small

2. Differentiate between east flowing rivers and west flowing rivers.

sl, East flowing rivers West flowing rivers

.no
1 The Narmada and the Tapi are the west flowing The Mahanadi, the Godavari, the
peninsular river Krishna, the Cauvery are the main east
flowing peninsular rivers.
2 These rivers drain into Arabian sea. These rivers drain into Bay of Bengal.
3 These rivers make estuaries. These rivers make deltas.
4 The River course is long The river course is small.

3. Describe the main features of Himalayan and peninsular rivers.

S. River Origin Tributaries Main features
no. system
1 Indus Rises in Tibet, Jhelum, 1.Total length is 2900 km.
river near Chenab, 2. Indus water treaty was signed in 1960
Mansarover Satluj, between India and Pakistan.
3. 1/3 rd of the river flows in Pakistan.
lake. Beas, Ravi,
Zaskar,
Nubra,Shy
ok, Hunza
2 Ganga Headstreams Yamuna, 1. Ganga flows eastwards till Farakka in
river of Ganga called Ghagra, West Bengal after which it bifurcates and
Bhagirathi is Gandak, forms Bhagirathi and Hooghly rivers.
fed by Gangotri Kosi, 2. Its called Padma in Bangladesh, joined
glacier and Chambal, by Brahmaputra and flows as Meghna
joined by Betwa, river.
Alaknanda at Son. 3. The delta formed by these rivers is
Devprayag in called Sunderban delta.
 Uttarakhand 4. Total length is 2500 km.

3 Brahm Rises in Tibet, Dibang, 1. Most of its course lies outside India.
ap- east of Lohit, 2. On reaching Namcha Barwa it takes U-
utra Mansarover Kenula. turn and enters India at Arunachal
river lake. Pradesh,Its called Dihang.
4. It has a braided channel.
5. Forms the world’s largest Riverine-
Majuli.
6. Causes devastation in Assam and
Bangladesh.

4 Narma Rises in 1.It flows towards west in a rift valley into

da Amarkantak Arabian sea.
river hills in Madhya 2. It creates picturesque locations such as
Pradesh. Marble rocks near Jabalpur and Dhuadhar
falls.
3. It forms trellis pattern as its short
tributaries join it at right angles.
4. It covers large parts of Madhya Pradesh
and Gujarat.
5 Tapi Originates in 1. It flows in a rift valley parallel to
river the Betul Narmada.
district of 2. Its basin covers parts of Madhya
Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra.
Pradesh. 3. West flowing river, drains into Arabian
sea.
6 Godav It rises from Purna, 1. It’s the largest peninsular river with
ari slopes of Wardha, length of about 1500kms.
river Western Ghats Pranhita, 2. Its basin covers parts of Maharashtra,
in Nasik district Manjra, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa and Andhra
of Wainganga Pradesh.
Maharashtra. Penganga 3. Because of its large length and area it’s
 also called Dakshin ganga.
4. It drains into Bay of Bengal.

7 Mahan It rises in 1. It flows through Odisha to reach Bay of

adi Highlands of Bengal .
river Chhattisgarh. 2. Its length is 860kms.
3. Its drainage basin is shared by
Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and
Orissa.
8 Krishn It rises near Tungabhad 1. It flows for about 1400kms and reaches
a river Mahabaleswar ra, Bay of Bengal.
in Koyana, 2. Its basin covers parts of Maharashtra,
Maharashtra. Ghatprabh Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
a,
Musi and
Bhima
9 Kaveri It rises in Amravati, 1. It drains into Bay of Bengal.
river Bramagiri Bhavani, 2. Total length is 760 km.
range of Hemavati, 3. Its basin drains parts of Karnataka,
WesternGhats. Kabini Kerala. and Tamil Nadu.
(Karnataka).

4. Why is Godavari River often referred to as “Dakshin Ganga”?

Ans:
1. Godavari is the largest peninsular river and has an extensive
drainage basin.
2. Its Length is 1500 km
3. Its drainage basin extends through Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh,
Karnataka, Orissa and Andhra Pradesh.
4. It has got the same cultural significance in Peninsular India as the
Ganga has in the Northern Plains.
5. Describe key features of Indus Water Treaty.
Ans :
It was signed between India and Pakistan in 1960 to divide the water of river Indus
and its tributaries.
 According to this treaty India can use 20% of the total river water.
 This water is used for irrigation in Punjab, Haryana and southern western parts of
 Rajasthan.
6. Why do the rivers have no Deltas on the Western coast, even though they transport lot of
sediments with them?

Ans.

Rivers do not form deltas even though they transport lot of sediments with them. These rivers
form estuaries The Narmada and Tapi are the main rivers flowing westward on the western coast.
These rivers carry a large amount.

 The west coast does not have favourable conditions required for the formation
of a delta.
 The lower courses of these rivers have steep slopes.
 These rivers do not have large tributaries that will add sediments.
 Due to subsidence, deep estuaries are formed near their mouths. Thus, these
rivers have no delta.
7. Give arguments against large dams. Discuss how it can be ensured that the large
dams do not become a threat to the environment.
Ans : Large dams are built across rivers to harness their water for irrigation and
generate hydroelectricity.
Dams with a height of more than 15m are called large dams. But these large dams are
a threat to the environment.
 Large areas get submerged as in the case of Sardar Sarovar dam on Narmada.
People too were displaced.
 Forest cover is lost and ecology gets disturbed.
 Dam safety is a great problem. Sedimentation leads to floods. So large dams
should be avoided.
Measures are being taken to make large dams useful and safe. These dams are
necessary for development.
8. Describe the different types of lakes found in India.
Ans :
 A depression on the surface of the earth, where water gets collected, is
known as a lake. Lakes of greater size are called seas.
 There are two types of lakes- permanent and seasonal. Most of the lakes
are permanent but in some cases water flows only during the rainy season,
like the lakes in the semi-arid regions.
 Glacial lakes-A majority of lakes are the result of the action of glaciers and
ice sheets, while the others have been formed by wind, river action and
human activities. lakes,e.g., Wular lake and the Dal lake in J&K.
 Ox-bow lake- A meandering river across a flood plain sometimes gets cut off
 from the main stream and develops into an ox-bow lake. Kanwar Taal/Kabar
Taal in Bihar is the largest ox- bow lake in Asia.
 Lagoons- Spit and bars form lagoons in the coastal areas, like the Chilika
lake in Odisha and Kolleru lake in Andhra Pradesh.
 Saline lakes- The water in lakes is saline. Hence lakes having saline water
are called saline lakes or salt water lakes, for eg, Sāmbhar Lake in Rajasthan.
 Man-made lakes- Building of dams on rivers for the generation of hydel
power has also led to the formation of lakes like Guru Govind Sagar Lake in
HP.
9. What are the causes of water pollution? How can it be controlled?
Ans:
 The factories discharge their effluents in the nearby rivers, which cause
water pollution.
 The disposal of sewage of urban centers into the rivers is also responsible for
water pollution.
 The overuse of fertilizers 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 be treated and harmful
chemicals should be removed.
 The sewage water should be treated before it is allowed to flow into the
water of rivers.

10. Explain the ‘National River Conservation Plan’ (NRCP) in brief.

Ans
 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 the GAP and necessary correction on the basis of lessons learnt and
experiences gained from GAP Phase-I.
 These have been applied to the major polluted rivers of the country under the
NRCP.
 The Ganga Action Plan (GAP) Phase-II, 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.

11. Explain the importance of lakes.

Ans :
Lakes are of great value to man because-
 Lakes are a valuable source of water. A lake helps to regulate the flow of a river.
 During heavy rainfall, it prevents flooding and during the dry season it helps to
maintain an even flow of water.
 Lakes can also be used for developing hydel power projects.
 They moderate the climate of the region, maintain the aquatic ecosystem,
enhance the natural beauty, help develop tourism and provide recreation.

12. State some economic benefits of rivers.

Ans :
 Cultural importance- The areas along the banks of rivers have witnessed great
cultural and economic progress since ancient times. Rivers are an integral part of
our folklore and folk songs.
 Natural resource- Water is basic natural resource which is utilized for drinking,
agricultural and industrial activities.
 Agricultural areas- The plains formed by alluvial deposits are the most
productive agricultural lands in our country. The Ganga, the Kaveri and other
deltas have traditionally been the rice growing areas; normally agriculture is
dependent on the vagaries of monsoon. Irrigation from rivers has been the
backbone of Indian agriculture.
 Settlements- The river valleys have dense and concentrated settlements. Most
of the large cities are located on the river banks. Not only do rivers provide us
with essential water supply, but they also receive, dilute and transport wastes
from the settlements.

13. Give an account of the Ganga river system.

Ans.

a. The Ganges originates from Gangotri situated in the glacier of Bhagirathi.

b. At the spot of origin till its meeting with Alaknanda in Devprayag. She is called ‘ Bhagirathi”.
c. At Haridwar the Ganga emerges from the mountains on to the plains. . The length of the
Ganga is over 2500 km.

d. 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

e. The river Yamuna rises from the Yamunotri Glacier in the Himalayas. It flows parallel to the
Ganga and as a right bank tributary, meets the Ganga at Allahabad.

f. The tributaries like the Chambal, the Betwa and the Son rise from semi arid areas, have
shorter courses and do not carry much water in them.

h. The Ganga then flows to West Bengal the northernmost point of the Ganga delta. The river
splits here, the Bhagirathi Hooghly flows southwards into Bengal and Padma which flows into
Bangladesh and is joined by the Brahmaputra. Further downstream, it is also the home of Royal
Bengal tiger.

14. What are the features of the Brahmaputra river system?

Ans.

The features of the Brahmaputra river system are:

a. The river Brahmaputra rise in Tibet east of Mansarowar lake very close to the sources of the
Indus and the Sutlej.

b. Most of its courses lie outside India.

c. It flows eastwards parallel to the Himalayas. On reaching like Namcha Barwa. It takes a U-
turn and enters India in Arunachal Pradesh through a gorge.

d. Here, it called the Dihang and it is joined by the Dibang, the Lohit and many other tributaries
to form the Brahmaputra in Assam.

e. Every year during the rainy season, the river overflows the banks, causing floods in Assam
and Bangladesh.

15. Describe the features of any two peninsular rivers of India.

Ans.

The two major peninsular rivers of India are:

NARMADA
a. The Narmada rises in the Amarkantak hills in Madhya Pradesh.

b. It flows towards the west in a rift valley formed due to faulting.

c. The “Marble rocks” near Jabalpur where the Narmada flows through a deep gorge and the
Dhuadhar falls where the river plunges over steep rocks are some of the notable picturesque
locations created by the Narmada.

d. The Narmada basin covers parts of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat.

TAPI

a. The Tapi rises in the Satpura ranges, in the Betul district of Madhya Pradesh.

b. It also flows through a rift valley parallel to the Narmada but it is much shorter in length.

c. Its basin covers parts of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra..

17) Name some east flowing rivers of India and write a short note on any two? What are the
characteristics of the east flowing rivers?

Ans.

THE GODAVARI BASIN

a. The Godavari is the largest Peninsular River. It is also known as the ‘Dakshin Ganga”.

b. It rises from the slopes of the Western Ghats in the Nasik district of Maharashtra. Its length is
about 1500 km.

c. It drains into the Bay of Bengal. Its drainage basin is also the largest among the peninsular
rivers which covers Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa and Andhra Pradesh.

d. It is joined by a number of tributaries such as the Purna, the Wardha, the Pranhita, the
Manjra, the Wainganga and the Penganga.

THE MAHANADI BASIN.

a. The Mahanadi rises in the highlands of Chhattisgarh. It flows through Orissa to reach the Bay
of Bengal.

b. The length of the river is about 860km. Its drainage basin is shared by Maharashtra,
Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Orissa.

NOTE: WRITE THE FOLLOWING IN GEO NOTE BOOK – Define the terms, Q,NO’S – 1,3,9,11,12.