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Indian Physiography
Indian – Basic Facts:

Area – 32,87,263 sq. km

7th largest country in the world
2nd largest in population
Entirely lying in the northern hemisphere
Latitude: 8°4’ and 37°6’ north
Longitudes: 68°7’ and 97°25’ east
North – South extension: 3,214 Km
East – West extension: 2,933 Km
Total land frontier – 15,200Km
Coastline of mainland, Lakshadweep,
Andaman and Nicobar Islands : 7,516.6Km
 Indira
Indira Col
Col (Siachen
(Siachen Glacier)
Glacier)

Kibithu,
Kibithu,
Arunachal
Arunachal Pradesh
Pradesh
Guhar
Guhar Moti,
Moti,
Kutch
Kutch Dst
Dst

Indira
Indira point,
point,
Cape
Cape Cameron,
Cameron, A&N
A&N Islands
Islands
Kanya
Kanya Kumari,
Kumari, TN
TN
GEOGRAPHICAL BACKGROUND

1. Border with : Afghanistan, Pakistan,

China, Bhutan, Nepal, Myanmar,
Bangladesh
2. Srilanka is separated from India by a
narrow channel of sea formed by
Palk Strait and Gulf of Mannar
India- States and Union Territories-
India is divided into 6 zones : North, South,
East, West, Central, North East
India has 28 states and 8 union territories.
1. Ladakh
2. Jammu and Kashmir
3. Chandigarh
4. Delhi NCR
5. Dadar& Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu
6. Puducherry
7. Lakshadweep
8. Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Indian Physiography Peninsular
Plateau
North and
North
Islands
Eastern
Mountains
Indian
Physiography

Northern
Coastal
Indian
Plains
Plains

Indian
Desert
Peninsular Plateau
Hills of Peninsular
Plateau
The Peninsular Plateau
1. It is a part of ancient Gondwana land and is in triangular in shape.
2. Triangle with its base lying between Delhi ridge in the west and
Raajmahal hills in the East, with a part of its Northern portion buried
under the alluvium of Ganga and Yamuna.
3. It is bounded by the Aravalli in the North-West, Hazaribagh and
Raajmahal in the North-East, the Western Ghats in the West and Eastern
Ghats in the East.
4. The peninsular plateau of India is divided into several parts Central
highlands, Deccan plateau, Eastern plateau, Western Ghats and Eastern
Ghats.
 Aravalli Mountains
Old Archean Mountains

Highest Peak- Guru Shikar

Spread : Gujarat to Delhi

Dryness to Rajasthan
 Vindhya Range

1. Escarpment

2. Spread: Guj to

Bihar (Sasaram)
 Satpura Uplands
1. Between Narmada

and Tapi

2. Escarpments

3. Formation: Rifting
 Malwa Plateau
1. Dry Region

2. Highly eroded by

Chambal

3. Irregular Land
 Bundelkhand Plateau
1. North of Vindhyas

and South of UP

2. Dry, drought Region

3. Hard Granitic Rocks

Chota Nagpur Plateau
1. Jharkhand, Bengal, Odisha,

Chhattisgarh

2. Hard, Dharwar Rocks

3. Mineral Heart of India

4. Damodar River – Hazirabagh

Plateau and Ranchi Plateau

 Eastern Ghats
1. Discontinuous, Archean fold mountains

2. Older than Aravalis

3. Highly eroded by Mahanadi, Krishna, Cauvery

Western Ghats
1. Continuous mountains from the
South of Tapi
2. Escarpments
3. Horst or Block Mountains
Names:
1. Sahyadri- Maharashtra
2. Nilgiris- Tamil Nadu and
Karnataka
3. Annamalai Hills and Cardamom
hills in Kerala
 Western Ghats Eastern Ghats

It runs parallel to the Western coast in N-S It runs in N-E to S-W, parallel to the Eastern
direction from Tapi river to Kanya Kumari. coast from Odisha to the Nilgiri hills.

Average elevation – 900-1100m Average elevation – 600 m

Average width – 50-80 km
Stands like a continuous wall and can be
crossed through passes only.
It has structural unity.
Source of many large rivers from it.
Almost perpendicular to the monsoon and
therefore, causes heavy rainfall in the west
coastal plain.
Width varying from 100-200 m
Divided into several parts by large rivers.
Structural unity is lacking
No big river originates
It is almost parallel to S-W monsoon coming
from the Bay of Bengal and does not cause
much rainfall.
Meghalaya Plateau

1. Garo- Khasi- Jaintia Hills

2. Malda Gap

3. Rich in Minerals
 Deccan Plateau
Bordered by W. Ghats (West) , Eastern Ghats

(East) and Satpura, Mikala Range and

Mahadeo hills(North)

It includes:
1. Satpuras
2. Maharashtra Plateau
3. Karnataka Plateau
4. Telangana Plateau
The Great Himalayas of North
Most acceptable theories – The Geosynclinal Theory of Kober and The Plate Tectonics
theory of Harry Hess.

Plate Tectonic theory –

There was a marginal sea called Tethys sea in place of Himalayas and it separated by
the Angara land in the North and Gondwana land in the South.
About 70 million years ago, the Indian plate in the South moved in the N-E direction
towards the Eurasian plate.
About 20-30 million ago, these two got very close, due to which the sediments in the
Tethys sea got folded and Himalayas were evolved.
By about 10 million years before present, all the ranges of Himalayas got fully
developed.
➢ The Himalayas extends from Nanga Parbat in the West to Namcha Barwa in the East.
➢ There are 2 syntaxial bends. These are formed due to the pressure exerted by the
Peninsular plateau in the N-E direction.
➢ The width of the mountain chain decreases from the West to East, but its height goes
on increasing in the same direction.
A) The Trans Himalayas
• Especially found in
Western part of
Himalayas.
• It includes Karakoram,
Ladakh and Zanskar
ranges.
• Mount K2 is the highest
peak of India situated in
Karakoram range.
B) The Greater Himalayas
• This is the highest range of Himalayas. Average height – 6000m, average width – 120-
190 km.
• Most of the World’s important peaks are located in this range.
Ex: Mount Everest, Kanchenjunga, Nanga Parbat, Nanda Devi, Kamet and Namcha
Barwa.
C) The Lesser Himalayas/ Himachal
• The average height – 3700-4500 m, width – 80-100 km.
Peaks – Pir Panjal, Dhauladhar, Mussourie, Nag Tibba and Mahabharat.
• The lesser Himalayas are famous for its scenic and hilly stations.
Ex: Shimla, Kullu-Manali, Mssourie and Darjeeling etc.
D) Shivalik’s
• Height 900- 1200 m, width - 10-50 km.
This range is not continuous.
• Between Shiwalik and Himachal, there
are several valleys
Ex: Kathmandu valley.
• In the western side, these valleys are
called as Duns and Eastern side they are
called Duars
. Ex: Dehradun and Haridwar.
• The lower parts of Shiwaliks are called
Terai.
• It is a marshy area covered with thick
forest covers.
E) The Eastern Hills or Purvanchal
• These highlands consist of hill ranges which passes
through Eastern Arunachal Pradesh and states having
common border with Myanmar.
• In the North, lies a high mountainous land called
Dapha Bum.
• The Patkai Bum starts from the Southern end of the
Dapha Bum, after running for some distance along the
India-Burma boundary. It merges into Naga range.
• Saramati is the highest peak of the Naga range.
• The Patkai Bum and Naga range forms the water shed
between India and Burma.
• This mountainous belt is called Manipur Hills in
Manipur, Mizo Hills in Mizoram and Tripura Hills in
Tripura.
The Great Plains of North India
Also called the Indus- Ganga Brahmaputra plain.
It extends for a distance of about 3200km and its width varies from 150
km to 300 km.
On the basis of characteristics of the alluvium, surface gradient, drainage
channels and regional traits, this plain id divided into 4 parts.
1) Bhabar region
2) Terai region
3) Khadar region
4) Bhangar region
 Bhabar
Lies along the foot of Shiwaliks and runs
parallel to it
8-16 km wide
Comprise of pebble and finer alluvium.
Stream of water disappear and flow
underground.
Not much suitable for agriculture
It extended from Sindhu to Tista
continuously.
The river in it disappear due to permeability
of soil and another particle found in Bhabar.
Only big river flows on surface.
Terai
Lies South of Bhabar and runs parallel to it
20-30 km wide
Composed of comparatively finer alluvium
Underground stream of bhabar re-emerge on
the surface and give birth to marshy areas
Most part of Terai area is reclaimed for
agriculture.
The water flowing below the surface of
Bhabar comes out.
It is low level plain where the water of river
spread over and makes it swampy land. It is a
malaria affected area.
 Bhangar Khadar
1. Old alluvium, 1. New
always above alluvium,
the level of flooded
flood plain. almost
2. Impregnated every year
with 2. Characteri
calcareous zed by clay
concretions soil which
known as is fertile.
Kankar 3. Intensive
3. Not suited agriculture
for cultivation is
known as practiced.
Dhayas in It is called
Punjab. Bet in
Punjab.
The Coastal Plains
The Indian peninsular plateau is
fringed with narrow coastal
plains.
Eastern Coastal Plains – runs
from Tamil Nadu to West Bengal
in the East.
West Coastal Plains – extends
from Gujarat in the West to
Maharashtra, Goa and Kerala.
 Western Coastal Plains
Located between the Western Ghats and the
Arabian sea coast
Narrow plain (average width -64 km )
Drained by several short and swift streams
which are unable to form Deltas
There are several lagoons especially in the
southern part of this plain
The Western plain has inundated coast which The Eastern plain has more or less a straight
supports many ports.
Eastern Coastal plains
Located between the Eastern Ghats and the
Bay of Bengal.
Comparatively Broader ( average width- 80-
100km )
Big rivers like the Mahanadi, the Godavari, the
Krishna and the Cauvery have formed large
Deltas.
Lagoons are comparatively less in this plain
coast where good parts are lacking

It is a submerged coast and hence, tilting has Mostly of emergent type characterized by
left no scope for depositional action of the offshore, fine sea beaches, sand ridges and
rivers. lagoons.
The Islands
The Islands of India constitute Andaman and Nicobar group of Islands in Bay of Bengal,
Lakshadweep Islands in Arabian Sea, riverine and off-shore islands.
Majuli – World’s largest river island (Brahmaputra river, Assam)
 Andaman and Nicobar Islands
1. Andaman and Nicobar Islands are thought to be part of Himalayan system and
extension of the Arakan Yoma range.
2. The Andaman and the Nicobar Islands are separated by the 10-degree channel.
3. The tribes of the Andaman group of islands – Great Andamanese, Onges, Jarawas
and Sentinalese, all are Negrito origin.
4. The tribes of Nicobars – Nicobarese and Somphens, both are Mongoloid stock.
Andaman and Nicobar Islands
• Highest peak- Saddle Peak ( North
Andaman Islands)
• Southern most point of Indian territory –
Indira point.
• Active volcano – Barren Island (Only active
volcano in South Asia, is a part of
Andaman group of Islands.
• Dormant volcano – Narcondam island (
Andaman Islands)
• Duncan passage – separates Great
Andaman and Little Andaman
Lakshadweep Islands
The Arabian Sea islands constitute
Amindivi group of islands and the
Laccadive group of islands.
Minicoy island – Largest of the
Arabian Sea group of islands and
southern most of the union
territory of Lakshadweep, is
separated from the rest by 9
degree channel.
Lakshadweep islands are of coral
origin, which have been developed
around volcanic peaks.
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Important Mountains
of India
Indian Physiography Peninsular
Plateau
North and
North
Islands
Eastern
Mountains
Indian
Physiography

Northern
Coastal
Indian
Plains
Plains

Indian
Desert
 Mountains of India

North and North Peninsular

A&N Mountains
East Mountains Mountains
 Himalayan System
The Himalayas are a series of parallel mountain
ranges extending along the North-West to the
South-East direction (known as the Strike of the
Himalayas).
These ranges are separated by longitudinal valleys.
They include

1. Trans-Himalayas
2. The Greater Himalayas or Himadri
3. The Lesser Himalayas or Himachal
4. Shiwaliks or the Outer Himalayas
5. The Eastern Hills or Purvanchal
Name: Trans Himalayas Image
Spread: The Trans-Himalayas Mountain Region is located to the
north of the Great Himalayas which is consists of Karakoram,
Ladakh, Zaskar and Kailash mountain ranges.
It is also called Tibet Himalayan Region because most of the part
lies in the Tibet.
Characteristics:
1. They are made of the ocean sediments of the Tethys
Sea which was consumed during the collision of Indian
and Eurasian plate boundaries.
2. Karakoram ranges have gaps in them, which are known
as passes. Important among them are - Khunjerab Pass,
Karakoram Pass, Sia La Pass, Bilafond La Pass
(immediately west of the Siachen glacier) etc.
3. Pangong Tso(largest saline lake between India and
China) and Spanggur Tso are the two saltwater lakes
situated in these ranges.
Flora and Fauna:The faunal group best represent The only vegetation is sparse alpine steppe. Extensive
Here are wild sheep, goats,Ibex,snow leopard, marbled cat, marco area consist of bare rocks and glaciers. This area is very
polo sheep, black necked crane. cold and arid.
Name: Western Himalayas Image
Spread:
Spread across three states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal
Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
Between the Indus in the west and the Kali river in the east
Characteristics:
1. It encompasses three physiographic provinces
namely Kashmir Himalaya, Himachal Himalaya and Kumaon
Himalaya (Uttarakhand Himalayas).
2. The Ladakh plateau and the Kashmir valley are two
important areas of Kashmir Himalayan region. The Lesser
Himalayas in Kumaon Himalaya represented by Mussoorie
&Nag Tiba ranges.
3. The flat valleys between the Lesser Himalaya and the
Shiwalik range are called ‘doons’ or ‘Duns’ of which Dehra
Dun is the most famous.
Flora: The Western Himalayan broadleaf forests may be Fauna: Although there is less wildlife here than in the
divided into forests of two types: evergreen and deciduous wetter Eastern Himalayas, home to seventy-six species of
broadleaved forests. dominated by oaks. Biome: Temperate mammals as Asiatic black bear, leopard, the Himalayan tahr,
broadleaf and mixed forests. and threatened Himalayan serow . One endemic mammal,
the Kashmir cave bat
Name: Central Himalayas Image
Spread:Central Himalaya or Himadri comprising of the
regions of Garhwal and Kumaun . This division stretches
from the Kali River to the Tista River. The major part of it lies
in Nepal except for the extreme eastern part- Sikkim
Himalayas.
Characteristics:
1. The important peaks are the Mt. Everest, Kanchenjunga,
Makalu, Dhaula Giri, Annapurna, Manaslu, and
Gosainath. Nathu La and Jelep La are the important
passes in this region.
2. The range is crossed by rivers like Ghaghara, Gandak,
Kosi, etc.
3. In between the Great and the Lesser Himalayas, there
are Kathmandu and Pokhra lacustrine valleys .
4. The Lesser Himalaya is known as Mahabharat Lekh in this
region.
Flora: Snowline Vegetation in Central Himalays, Tafri Fauna: Wildlife in Nepal includes snow leopard , and Indian
(Brassicaceae) was recorded at the highest elevation, i.e., rhinoceros, Asian elephant and water buffalo in the foothills of
5600 m. the Himalayas, making the country one of the world's greatest
biodiversity hotspots.
Name: Eastern Himalayas Image
Spread:
1. This division lies between Tista and the Brahmaputra River
(Dihang).
2. It occupies the state of Arunachal Pradesh in India and
Bhutan. Also known as the Assam Himalayas.
Characteristics:
1. The climate of the Eastern Himalayas is of a tropical montane
ecosystem.
2. In the valleys of Rangeet, Teesta, and Chumbi most
precipitation during winter takes the form of snowfall.
3. Snow accumulation in the valleys greatly reduces the area's
wintertime temperature.
4. The northeast monsoon is the predominant feature of the
Eastern Himalayan region's weather, while on the southern
slopes cold season precipitation is more important.
Flora : Fauna:
The Eastern Himalayan broadleaf forests are diverse and Asian black bear, Himalayan vulture, and pikas, Indian
species-rich, with a great diversity (of oaks and rhododendrons rhinoceros, Asian elephant and water buffalo.
in particular) and many endemic species including plants of
Indomalayan, Indochinese, Himalayan, Eastern Asiatic and even
Gondwanan origin.
Name: Purvanchal Image
Spread:
The Purvanchal Range or Eastern Mountains are a sub-mountain
range of Himalaya, incorporates Nagaland, Manipur, Tripura and
Mizoram Hills and Chachar Districts along with a fifth of Haflong
tahsil of Assam State and District of Tripa and part of Lohit
in Arunachal Pradesh.
Characteristics:
1. The Purvanchal is joined by Meghalaya Plateau in the west
and its extension of the Myanmar mountain chain continues
to Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the Archipelago of
Indonesia.
2. It comprises of many hills called Aka hills, Dafla hills, Miri
hills, Abor hills, Mishmi hills, and Namcha Barwa.
3. The important passes in this region are Bomdi La, Yonggyap,
Diphu, Pangsau, Tse La, Dihang, Debang, Tunga, and Bom La.
4. The Assam Himalayas show a marked dominance of fluvial
erosion due to heavy rainfall.
Flora : Fauna: It is home of a large variety of animals and birds
Broadleaf forests are diverse and species-rich, with a great slow loris, rhinoceros, the golden languar, tiger, the Indian
diversity of oaks ,rhododendrons including plants of civet, clouded leopard, the golden cat. The birds include
Indomalayan, Indochinese, Himalayan, Eastern Asiatic heron, the white-winged wood duck.
Hill Ranges of the Peninsular Plateau:

Aravalis

Vindhyas

Satpuras

Western or The Sahyadris

The northern section
Middle Sahyadri
The Southern section

Eastern Ghats.
Name: Aaravalis Image
Spread:The Aravallis of Northwestern India, one of the oldest
fold mountains of the world. They stretch from Himmatnagar in
Gujarat to Delhi, spanning Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Delhi

Characteristics:
1. The mountains are divided into two, main ranges –
the Sambhar Sirohi Range and the Sambhar Khetri Range in RJ.
2. These are fold mountains of which rocks are formed primarily
of folded crust, when two convergent plates move towards
each other by the process called orogenic movement.
3. Carbon dating has shown that copper and other metals mined
in the ranges date back to at least 5th century BC.
4. Guru Shikhar Peak on Mount Abu is the highest peak in the
Aravalli Range (1,722 m)
5. This range is considered the “lungs” for the world’s most
polluted air of Delhi–National Capital Region (NCR).

Flora: Main canopy Aravalli tree species can be of Dhau, Salai, Fauna: The Aravalli is rich in biodiversity and provides
Amaltash, Dhak, Kullu, Ronjh, Kumath. Aravallis have an impact on habitat to 300 native plant species, 120 bird species and
of northwest India and beyond. In winter months, it protects fertile many exclusive animals like the jackal and mongoose.
alluvial river valleys from cold westerly winds from Central Asia.
Name: Vindhyas Image
Spread:Vindhya Range, broken range of hills forming the
southern escarpment of the central upland of India.
From Gujarat state on the west, it extends across Madhya Pradesh
state to abut on the Ganges (Ganga) River valley near Varanasi,
Uttar Pradesh.
Characteristics:
1. These are non-tectonic mountains, they were formed not
because of plate collision but because of the downward
faulting of the Narmada Rift Valley (NRV) to their south.
2. The "Vindhyan Supergroup" is one of the largest and
thickest sedimentary successions in the world
3. Geologically, they are younger than Aravallis and Satpura
hills.
4. They are made up of older Proterozoic rocks.
5. The rivers Chambal, Betwa and Ken rise within 30 km of the
Narmada.
Flora : Parijat trees grow here. It has basically the growth of dry- Fauna: The animal kingdom ranges from bison, wild
deciduous forests. Rainfall here is seasonal followed up with a long buffalo, spotted deer, leopard, black buck and large
dry season, which hampers the growth of natural vegetation, brown deer ("sambar"). The Vindhya Range is the home
which loose out their leaves. It has mainly teak, sal, and bamboo of vast wildlifeand forestry
Name: Satpura Image
Spread:
It rises in eastern Gujarat state running east through border
of Maharashtra ,Madhya Pradesh to east till Chattisgarh.
The range parallels the Vindhya Range to the north.
Characteristics:
1. Satpura range is a series of seven mountains (‘Sat’ = seven and
‘pura’ = mountains).It is a combination of Satpura, Mahadeo,
and Maikala hills.
2. Mahadeo hills lie to the east of Satpura hills. Pachmarhi is the
highest point of the Satpura range. Dhupgarh (1350m) is the
highest peak of Pachmarhi.
3. The plateau has the drainage systems of Narmada and Son,
hence it has drainage into the Bay of Bengal as well as Arabian
sea.These hills are rich in bauxite, due to the presence of
Gondwana rocks. Amarkantak is another important peak.

Flora : Fauna: Satpura is now famous for numerous tiger

The flora consists of mainly sal, teak, tendu, Phyllanthus reserves. Provide habitat to several at risk and
emblica,, mahua, bel, bamboo, and grasses and medicinal plants. It endangered species like Bengal Tiger,Barasingha,
has over 1300 species of plants which comprises teak, Sal, tendu, Sloth Bear,Chosingha and Blackbuck.
mahua .
Name: Mountains of Meghalaya
Spread:
1. The Khasi Hills are part of the Garo-Khasi-Jaintia range and
connects with the Purvanchal Range and larger Patkai Range
further east.
2. Khasi Hills, and the whole Garo-Khasi-Jaintia range, are in the
Meghalaya subtropical forests ecoregion.
Characteristics:
1. The central part of the plateau comprising the Khasi Hills has
the highest elevations, followed by the eastern section
comprising the Jaintia Hills region.
2. The Daflas constitute more than 44 % of the total tribal
population.
3. The Miri Hills is also part of lesser Himalaya.
4. The highest point is Shillong Peak.
5. Nokrek is the highest peak in Garo Hills and has been declared a
National Biosphere under the control and management of the
state forest department.
Flora: Fauna:
It has about 3,128 species of flowering plants contribute Diversity of mammals in Meghalaya is well represented
about 18% of the total flora of the country, including 1,237 with about 139 species and sub-species belonging to 83
endemic species. tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests genera and 27 families.
Name: Western Ghats Image
Spread:
It is 1600m long mountain range that runs from Gujarat to Kanyakumari
in south India.
This mountain range is also called "Sahyadri Mountains". They extend
between Diu island.
Characteristics:
1. They form the western edge of the Deccan tableland.
2. The northern section of the Ghats from Tapi valley to a little north of
Goa is made of horizontal sheets of Deccan lavas (Deccan Traps).
3. Doda Betta and Makurti are important peaks of this area.
4. The southern part of the Western Ghats is separated from the main
Sahyadri range by Pal ghat Gap [Palakkad Gap].
5. Western Ghats is one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites and has
great bio-diversity. Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri are the important
rivers in this range.
Flora: Fauna:
The area is one of the world's ten "hottest biodiversity hotspots." It has It is home for some 139 mammal species,
over 7,402 species of flowering plants, 1,814 species of non-flowering 508 bird species, 179 amphibian species
plants. and 250 reptile species.
Name: Eastern Ghats Image
Spread:
Eastern Ghats is mountain range running in eastern part of
Indian Peninsula parallel to Bay of Bengal.
This range is not continuous and is lower in elevation compared
to Western Ghats.
Characteristics:
1. They extend between the rivers Mahanadi and Vaigai.
2. They are mainly composed of Dharwar igneous and
metamorphic rocks.
3. Between the Godavari and the Krishna rivers, the Eastern
Ghats lose their hilly character and are occupied
by Gondwana formations (KG Basin is here).
4. To their south are the Velikonda hills, Palakonda hills, and
the Seshachalam range in Andhra Pradesh.
5. Mahendra Giri (1,501 m) is the tallest peak here.
6. The southern part of this range is called the Palkodna range
Flora : They create a large fertile region which is suitable for Fauna: It is habitat for wild animals as elephants,
crops like rice. panthers, the Indian bison, bears, deer, wild boar,
The Eastern Ghats still contain large contiguous stretches of mongoose, jungle cat, wild dogs, porcupine, hare, toddy
tropical deciduous, mixed and semi evergreen forests. cat, python, monitor lizard, etc.
 Western Ghats
It runs parallel to the Western coast in N-S
direction from Tapi river to Kanya Kumari.
Average elevation – 900-1100m
Average width – 50-80 km
Stands like a continuous wall and can be
crossed through passes only.
It has structural unity.
Source of many large rivers from it.
Almost perpendicular to the monsoon and
therefore, causes heavy rainfall in the west
coastal plain.
Eastern Ghats
It runs in N-E to S-W, parallel to the Eastern
coast from Odisha to the Nilgiri hills.
Average elevation – 600 m
Width varying from 100-200 m
Divided into several parts by large rivers.
Structural unity is lacking
No big river originates
It is almost parallel to S-W monsoon coming
from the Bay of Bengal and does not cause
much rainfall.
Name: Mountains of A&N
Spread:
1. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are part of the submarine
tertiary fold mountains which are protruding out of the sea.
2. These mountains form a link with Arakan Yoma and Sumatra.

Characteristics:
1. The highest peak of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands is Saddle
Peak, located in the North Andaman.
2. Barren Island, located in the east of Middle Andaman is India s
only active volcano.
3. The Narcondam Island, located in the north-east of North
Andaman is also a volcanic island.
4. Duncan passage separates Little Andaman from South
Andaman.

Flora:
1. The Andaman and Nicobar Island has a tropical marine
climate influenced by the seasonal flow of monsoon winds.
2. Coconut fruit is the staple food of the people. Fisheries, piggery is
also followed.
Fauna:
The Islands are also famous for the largest and rarest
species of crab, the Giant Robber Crab.
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Project Setu

Important Mountain Passes in India

భారతదేశంలోని ముఖ్యమైన పరవత మార్గాలు
S. N Name Connects Imp Points
1 Banihal It connects the Kashmir Valley in 1. In the Kashmiri language, "Banihal" means blizzard.
Pass the union territory of Jammu and 2. The road from Jammu to Srinagar transversed Banihal
Kashmir to the outer Himalaya and Pass until 1956 when the Jawahar Tunnel was
the plains to the south. constructed under the pass.
3. Zaban Glacier is a famous hill station located in the
Sanglaab Valley, close to the Banihal Pass.
2 Zoji La 1. Located in the Dras, the pass 1. The National Highway 1 between Srinagar and Leh in
connects the Kashmir Valley to the western section of the Himalayan mountain range
its west with the Dras traverses the pass.
and Suru valleys to its northeast 2. The Zoji La tunnel project was approved by the GoI in
and the Indus valley further east. January 2018. The 14 km long tunnel will reduce the
2. Zoji La is a high mountain pass in time to cross the Zoji La from more than 3 hours to just
the Himalayas in 15 minutes.
the Indian union territory 3. When completed, it will be the longest bidirectional
of Ladakh. tunnel in Asia.
3 Burzil The pass lies in the administrative 1. It is the oldest-known route
Pass line between Pakistani- connecting Gilgit with Srinagar and Skardu through
occupied Gilgit-Baltistan and Jammu the Deosai Plateau.
and Kashmir. 2. The Astor River originates from the western slopes of
the pass.
S.No Name Connects Imp Points
4 Pensi La Pensi-la (Pensi Pass) is a 1. Pensi La is 4,400 m (14,436 ft) above sea level and connects
mountain pass in the Suru Valley region to the Zanskar Valley region.
the Ladakh union 2. To the west of Pensi La watershed flows the Suru River, an
territory of India, which is important tributary of the Indus which meets at Kargil.
known as the Gateway 3. Pensi-La is also the gateway to the Padum, the headquarters
to Zanskar. of Zanskar sub-division of Kargil district.
5 Pir Panjal The Pir Panjal Pass, also 1. It connects the Kashmir Valley to
Pass called Peer Ki the Rajouri and Poonch districts via the 'Mughal Road’.
Gali (or Peer Gali), is 2. The Pir Panjal Pass gave its name to the entire mountain
located in the Pir Panjal range (Pir Panjal Range).
Range in Jammu and 3. Pir Panjal Pass was one of the main passes into the Kashmir
Kashmir. Valley and exercised a great influence on its history.
6 Khardung Khardung La (Khardung 1. The pass on the Ladakh Range is north of Leh and is the
La Pass, la means pass in Tib gateway to the Shyok and Nubra valleys.
etan) is a mountain 2. The Siachen Glacier lies part way up the latter valley.
pass in the Leh district of 3. In 2013-2014, Chisumle-Demchok Road via Umling La (19,300
the Indian union ft), which is one of the India-China Border Roads built as a
territory of Ladakh. part of Project Himank by BRO, surpassed Khardung La in
elevation to become the world's highest motorable pass.
S.No Name Connects Imp Points
7 Chang La The Chang La is a 1. It is one of the highest motor-able road in the world.
high mountain 2. The Chang La is on the route to Pangong Lake from Leh.
pass in Ladakh Ranges 3. The Changla Pass is the main gateway for
between Leh and the Shyok the Nubra region.
River valley. 4. The world's highest research station, established by
the DRDO is functional in Chang La at a height of
17,664 ft.
8 Bara-lacha It is a high mountain 1. The Leh–Manali Highway traverses the pass.
la pass in Zanskar 2. The two headwaters of the Chenab River, Chandra and
range, connecting Lahaul Bhaga, originate near the Baralacha Pass.
district in Himachal 3. The Chandra originates from glacier in this region.
Pradesh to Leh 4. The pass also acts as a water-divide between the Bhaga
district in Ladakh. river and the Yunam river.
9 Fotu La Fotu La or Fatu La is 1. It is the highest point on the highway, surpassing the
a mountain pass on famed Zoji La.
the Srinagar-Leh highway in 2. Fotu La is one of two high mountain passes
the Zanskar Range of between Leh and Kargil, the other being Namika La.
the Himalayas.
S.N Name Connects Imp Points
10 Shipki La Shipki La is a mountain 1. The river Sutlej, which is called Langqên Zangbo in Tibet, enters
pass and border post India (from Tibet) near this pass.
with a dozen buildings 2. The pass is one of India's border posts for trade with Tibet
of significant size on along with Nathu La in Sikkim, and Lipulekh in Uttarakhand.
the India-China border. The pass is close to town of Khab.
11 Kunzum Kunzum 1. It connects Lahaul valley and Spiti valley.
Pass Pass (Tibetan: Kunzum 2. The Kunzum Pass is normally open from June/July to
La, is a high mountain October/November.
pass in the eastern 3. There is also a 15 km trek to Chandratal, the Moon Lake, from
Kunzum Range of the the Kunzum Pass.
Himalayas.
12 Rohtang It is a high mountain 1. It connects the Kullu Valley with the Lahaul and Spiti Valleys
Pass pass (elevation 3,980 m of Himachal Pradesh, India.
(13,058 ft)) on the 2. The pass lies on the watershed between
eastern end of the Pir the Chenab and Beas basins.
Panjal Range of the 3. The former National Highway 21 (NH 21, now numbered NH 3),
Himalayas around 51 km the road through the Kullu Valley, terminates at Manali.
(32 mi) from Manali. 4. The world’s longest tunnel (8.8km) above 10,000 feet -Rohtang
Tunnel is also known as Atal Tunnel is built over this pass.
S.N Name Connects Imp Points
13 Niti Pass It is located in the 1. It is close to the Chinese border and Niti is the last
northernmost region village in the valley before the border with south Tibet.
of Uttarakhand. 2. The Niti Pass was an ancient trade route between India
and Tibet, and it was sealed after the 1962 Sino-Indian
War. Since then, the border has remained sealed.
14 Mana Pass Mana Pass is located within 1. It is the source of the Saraswati River, the longest stem
the Nanda Devi Biosphere of one of the longest Ganges tributaries, the Alaknanda
Reserve, 47 km north of the River.
town of Mana, India and 52 km 2. Mana pass is also the key col for
north of the climbing Chaukhamba peak.
Hindu pilgrimage town 3. Mana as a name derives from "Manibhadra Ashram",
of Badrinath in Uttarakhand. the ancient name of the town of Mana.
15 Traill’s Pass It is a mountain pass through 1. It is situated at the end of Pindari glacier and links
the Himalayas located Pindari valley to Milam valley (Lawan Gad) and is said to
between Nanda be very difficult to cross.
Devi and Nanda Kot peaks in 2. People from Johar Valley and Pindar Valley attempted to
the Uttarakhand state in the cross it for trade.
districts
of Pithoragarh and Bageshwar.
S.N Name Connects Imp Points
16 Lipulekh Pass Lipulekh is a Himalayan pass on 1. The pass is near the Chinese trading town of Taklakot
the border between (Purang) in Tibet and used since ancient times by
India's Uttarakhand state and traders, mendicants and pilgrims transiting between
the Tibet region of China, near India and Tibet.
their trijunction with Nepal. 2. It is also used by pilgrims to Kailas and Manasarovar.
17 Bhor Ghat Bhor Ghat, is a mountain passage 1. The Bhor Ghat Railway is a part of the Mumbai–
located Chennai line and cuts a distance of 21 km
between Palasdari and Khandala f between Khandala and Palasdari.
or railway and 2. This ghat comes under the proposed Golden
between Khopoli and Khandala on Quadrilateral Freight Corridors.
the road route
in Maharashtra, India, situated on
the crest of the Western Ghats.

18 Thal Ghat Thal Ghat (also called as Thul 1. The Thal Ghat is located on the busy Mumbai–
Ghat or Kasara Ghat) is Nashik route, and is one of the four major routes, rail
a ghat section (mountain incline and road routes, leading into Mumbai.
or slope) in the Western 2. Thul Ghat (incline) is a series of mountain slopes in
Ghats near the town the Western Ghats traversed by the Bhusawal-Kalyan
of Kasara in Maharashtra. line.
S.N Name Connects Imp Points
19 Pal ghat Palakkad Gap or Palghat Gap is 1. The pass is located between the Nilgiri Hills to the north
a low mountain pass in and Anaimalai Hills to the south.
the Western 2. The Bharathappuzha river (River Ponnani) originates in the
Ghats between Coimbatore in Palakkad Gap from rivulets and tributaries feeding from
Tamil steep escarpment slopes along the flanks of the Ghats.
Nadu and Palakkad in Kerala.
20 Haldi Haldighati is a mountain 1. The pass is located at a distance of 40 kilometres
Ghat pass between Khamnore and from Udaipur.
Bagicha village situated 2. The name 'Haldighati' is believed to have originated from
at Aravalli the turmeric-coloured yellow soil of the area.
Range of Rajasthan in 3. The mountain pass is a significant historical location. It is the
western India which site of the Battle of Haldighati, which took place in 1576
connects Rajsamand and Pali between the Kingdom of Mewar and the Mughal Army led by
districts. king Mansingh.
21 Asirghar Asirgarh Fort is an Indian 1. Because the fortress commands a pass through the Satpuras
fortress situated in the Satpura connecting the valleys of the Narmada and Tapti rivers, one of
Range about 20 kilometres the most important routes from northern India to the Deccan,
(12 mi) north of the city it was known as the "key to the Deccan".
of Burhanpur, in the Indian 2. During the Mughal Era, it was considered that the Deccan
state of Madhya Pradesh. started here while the empire from Asirgarh to Delhi was
considered Hindustan.
S.N Name Connects Imp Points
22 Nathu La It is a mountain pass in 1. It connects the Indian state of Sikkim with China's Tibet
the Himalayas in East Sikkim Autonomous Region. Nathu means "listening ears"
district. and La means "pass" in Tibetan.
2. Nathu La is one of the three open trading border posts
between China and India.
3. Sealed by India after the 1962 Sino-Indian War, later re-
opened in 2006.

23 Jelep La Jelep La or Jelep Pass is a 1. It is on a route that connects Lhasa to India.

high mountain 2. The Menmecho Lake lies below the Jelep La.
pass between East Sikkim 3. On the Indian side there are two routes to Jelep La, one
District, Sikkim, India and through Gangtok and the other through Kalimpong.
Tibet Autonomous 4. Jelep La was in use from early times as trade flourished
Region, China. between India and Tibet.

24 Bomdila Bomdila is in 1. Bomdila is a border pass between Tibet's Cona County

the state of Arunachal and India's Tawang district in Arunachal Pradesh.
Pradesh in India. 2. The pass currently serves as a trading point between
Tawang and Tibet.
S.N Name Connects Imp Points
25 Diphu Pass Diphu Pass is a mountain 1. Diphu Pass is also a strategic approach to
pass around the area of the
disputed tri-point borders eastern Arunachal Pradesh.
of India, China, 2. It lies on the McMahon Line.
and Myanmar.
3. The dispute has become part of the ongoing border
disagreement between China and
India regarding Arunachal Pradesh.
26 Sela Pass The Sela Pass (more 1. It connects the Indian Buddhist town
appropriately called Se La, as
La means Pass) is a high- of Tawang to Dirang and Guwahati.
altitude mountain 2. The pass carries the National Highway 13 (previously
pass located on the border
between NH 229), connecting Tawang with the rest of India.
the Tawang and West 3. Sela Lake, near the summit of the pass, is one of
Kameng Districts
of Arunachal Pradesh. approximately 101 lakes in the area that are sacred in
Tibetan Buddhism.
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Important Plateaus of India

Plateaus of India
1. Plateau is an area of raised land that is flat
on top.
2. Plateaus is a flat and elevated landform that
rises sharply above surrounding area on at
least one side.
3. There are two kinds of plateaus: dissected
plateaus and volcanic plateaus.
4. A dissected plateau forms as a result of
upward movement in the Earths crust. The
uplift is caused by the slow collision
of tectonic plates.
5. A volcanic plateau is formed by numerous
small volcanic eruptions that slowly build
up over time, forming a plateau from the
resulting lava flows.
 Plateaus

Volcanic Plateau Dissected Plateau

 Plateaus of
India

Chota
Malwa Bundelkha Bhagelkha Deccan Shillong Karnataka
Nagpur
Plateau nd Plateau nd Plateau Plateau Plateau Plateau
Plateau
Name: : Malwa Plateau Image
Spread:
1. Malwa Plateau, is located in north-central India.
2. It is bounded by the Madhya Bharat Plateau and
Bundelkhand.
3. Upland to the north, the Vindhya Range to the east and
south, and the Gujarat Plains to the west.
Characteristics:
1. The general slope is towards the north decreases from
600 m in the south to less than 500 m in the north
2. It is composed of extensive lava flow and is covered
with black soils.
3. This plateau has two systems of drainage; one towards
the Arabian sea (The Narmada, the Tapi and the Mahi),
and the other towards the Bay of Bengal (Chambal and
Betwa, joining the Yamuna
Mineral Wealth :
The Malwa region also has a variety of mineral deposits, including coal, manganese, mica, iron ore, copper,
bauxite, limestone, clays, calcite, zinc, and graphite, most of which are commercially exploited.
Name: Bundelkhand plateau Image
Spread:
1. It lies along the borders of UP and MP.
2. Spreads over five districts of Uttar Pradesh and four
districts of Madhya Pradesh
Characteristics:
1. Average elevation of 300-600 m above sea level, this
area slopes down from the Vindhyan Scarp toward the
Yamuna River.
2. Because of intensive erosion, semi-arid climate and
undulating area, it is unfit for cultivation.
3. The region is characterized by senile (characteristic of
or caused by old age) topography.
4. Yamuna river to the north, Madhya Bharat Pathar to
the west, Vindhyan Scarplands to the east and south-
east and Malwa Plateau to the south.
Mineral Wealth:
The plateau contains minor minerals such as diaspore, dolomite, limestone, magnesite and phosphorite.
Name: Chotanagpur Plateau Image
Spread:
1. It is located mostly in Jharkhand, northern part of
Chhatisgarh and Purulia district of West Bengal.
2. It represents the north-eastern projection of the Indian
Peninsula.
Characteristics:
1. The average elevation of the plateau is 700 m above sea level.
2. This plateau is composed mainly of Gondwana rocks.Rivers
like the Damodar, the Subarnrekaha, the North Koel, the
South Koel and the Barkar have developed extensive drainage
basins.
3. The flora of the plateau includes a number of endemic plants
such as Aglaia haslettiana and endangered plant species
including Madhuca longifolia and Butea monosperma.
4. Tigers, Asian elephants, four-horned antelope blackbuck ,
chinkara, dhole wild dog and sloth bear are some of the
animals found here.
Mineral Wealth :
Chota Nagpur plateau is a store house of mineral resources such as mica, bauxite, copper, limestone, iron ore and coal.
Name: Marwar Plateau Image
Spread:
1. It is located in the western part of the Aravali
Range of the Rajasthan state in northwest
India, and forms part of the Central Highlands
of India
Characteristics:
1. It is the plateau of eastern Rajasthan.
2. Marwar plain is to the west of Aravalis
whereas Marwar plateau is to the east.
3. The average elevation is 250-500 m above sea
level and it slopes down eastwards.
4. The Banas river, along with its
tributaries [Berach river, Khari rivers] originate
in the Aravali Range and flow towards
northwest into Chambal river
Mineral Wealth :
It is made up of sandstone, shales and limestones of the Vindhayan period
Name: Meghalaya Plateau Image
Spread:
1. The Meghalaya Plateau (also Shillong Plateau) is located
on the northeastern flank of the Peninsular India.
2. The peninsular plateau extends further east beyond the
Rajmahal hills to from Meghalaya or the Shillong plateau.
Characteristics:
1. The plateau is formed by Archaean quartzites, shales
and schists.
2. This area receives maximum rainfall from the south-
west monsoon. As a result, the Meghalaya plateau has
a highly eroded surface .
3. Shillong (1,961 m) is the highest point of the plateau.

Mineral Wealth :
The Meghalaya plateau is also rich in mineral resources like coal, iron ore, sillimanite, limestone and
uranium.
Name: Deccan Plateau Image
Spread:
1. The Deccan Plateau lies to the south of the Narmada River and
is shaped as an inverted triangle.
2. It is bordered by ,The Western Ghats in the west, The Eastern
Ghats in the east The Satpura, Maikal range and Mahadeo hills
in the north.
Characteristics:
1. Its average elevation is 600 m.
2. It rises to 1000 m in the south but dips to 500 m in the
north.
3. Fauna in the Deccan plateau include four-horned
antelope chinkara and blackbuck to the gaur and wild
water buffalo.
4. Its general slope is from west to east which is indicated by
the flow of its major rivers. Rivers have further subdivided
this plateau into a number of smaller plateaus.
Mineral Wealth :
The Deccan plateau is very rich in minerals and precious stones. Major minerals found here include coal, iron ore,
asbestos, chromite, mica, and kyanite.
Name: Maharashtra Plateau Image
Spread:
1. It forms the northern part of the Deccan Plateau.
2. Much of the region is underlain by basaltic rocks of lava
origin
Characteristics:
1. The area looks like a rolling plain due to
weathering.
2. The horizontal lava sheets have led to the
formation of typical Deccan Trap topography.
3. The entire area is covered by black cotton soil
known as regur.
4. Fauna in this include four-horned antelope
chinkara and blackbuck to the gaur and wild
water buffalo.
Mineral Wealth
Major minerals found here include coal, iron ore, asbestos, chromite, mica, and kyanite.
Name: : Karnataka Plateau Image
Spread:
The Karnataka Plateau is also known as the Mysore plateau.
It lies to the south of the Maharashtra plateau. It is also a
subdivision of Deccan Plateau .
Characteristics:
1. The plateau has an area of about 73,000 square
miles and an average elevation of about 2,600 feet
2. The highest peak (1913 m) is at Mulangiri in Baba
Budan Hills in Chikmaglur district.
3. The plateau is divided into two parts called Malnad
and Maidan.
4. The major streams draining it include the Godavari,
Krishna, Kaveri , Tungabhadra, Sharavati, and
Bhima.
Mineral Wealth:
Sandalwood is exported, and teak and eucalyptus are used chiefly to make furniture and
paper. Manganese, chromium, copper, and bauxite are the minerals found in this plateau .
Name: Telangana Plateau Image
Spread:
It compromises the northeastern part of the
Deccan plateau, and southeastern India.
Characteristics:
1. It’s average elevation is 500-600 m.
2. The region is drained by three river systems,
the Godavari, the Krishna and the Penneru.
3. The entire plateau is divided into Ghats and
the Peneplains.
4. Most of the population of the region is
engaged in agriculture; cereal grains, oilseeds,
cotton, and pulses (legumes) are the major
crops.

Mineral Wealth :
Major minerals found here include coal, iron ore, asbestos, chromite, mica, and kyanite
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Geography Series

Important
Valleys of
India
 Valleys of India
1. Valleys start as small and narrow rills. These River Valley
rills will progressively develop into long and - V Shaped
wide gullies.
2. The gullies will again deepen, widen and
Glacial Valley
lengthen to give rise to valleys.
- U Shaped
3. A gorge is a deep valley with very steep to
straight sides.
Flat Roof Valley
4. Valleys are one of the most common - Older ones – V and U valley
landforms on the Earth and they flattens
are formed through erosion or the gradual
wearing down of the land by wind and water.
Valley - Important Points-

1. Some valleys may form without the action of rivers and glacier. When this occurs, it’s
normally due to two tectonic plates, which do not completely come into contact with
each other.
2. Some valleys sink below sea level. When they do, they are called sunken valleys. The
Sydney Harbour in Australia is a classic example of a sunken valley.
3. Rift valleys are formed when tectonic plates underneath the earth’s surface expand
the crust. An example of a Rift Valley is the Albertine Rift in Africa.
Name: Galwan Valley
Spread: The valley refers to the land that sits between steep
mountains that buffet the Galwan River.
The river has its source in Aksai Chin, on China’s side of the LAC,
and it flows from the east to Ladakh, where it meets the Shyok
river on India’s side of the LAC.

Characteristics:
The narrow valley of the Galwan River as it flows through the
Karakoram mountains has been a flashpoint between China and
India in their border dispute.
Daulat Beg Oldie(DBO)---The world’s highest landing ground that
lies close to the Line of Actual Control and serves as an important
aerial supply line

Flora and Fauna:

In the Galwan Valley, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) has
started a massive plantation drive.In the area, which has been
named as 'Galwan ke Balwan', more than 1,000 saplings have
been planted which includes part of Northern Ladakh as well.
Name: Spiti Valley Image
Spread: Spiti Valley is a cold desert mountain valley
located high in the Himalayas in the north-eastern part of
the northern Indian stateof Himachal Pradesh.
The name "Spiti" means "The middle land", i.e. the land
between Tibet and India.
Characteristics:
1. The Pin Valley of Spiti is home to the few surviving
Buchen Lamas of the Nyingmapa sect of Buddhism.
2. The Spiti River originates from the Kunzum range.
Tegpo and Kabzian streams are two of its tributaries.
Water draining the famous Pin Valley National Park
3. The main settlements along the Spiti River and its
tributaries are Kaza and Tabo.
4. Rohtang pass connects the Kullu Valley with Lahaul
and Spiti Valleys of Himachal Pradesh.
Flora and Fauna: The mountains are barren and
largely devoid of vegetative cover.
The valley is inhabited by snow leopards, foxes ibex,
Himalayan brown bear, musk deer, and Himalayan blue
sheep.
Name: Parvati Valley
Spread:
It is situated in the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh.
From the confluence of the Parvati River with the River Beas,
the Parvati Valley runs eastwards, through a steep-sided valley
from town of Bhuntar, in the Kullu district of HP in North India.

Characteristics:
1. Parvati Hydel Project, a hydroelectric dam, dominates the
landscape.
2. Parvati Valley cuts a steep-sided gorge through the
mountains and as the altitude increases.
3. From Pandupul, the wide valley of the upper Parvati valley
climbs gradually through the wide, high-altitude
meadowland of Odi Thatch to the sacred site of Mantalai
Lake (4100m), the source of the Parvati River

Flora and Fauna:T

he thick, coniferous forest gradually makes way for patches of
meadowland scattered with boulders.
Pin Parvati valley is home to some beautiful creatures like blue
sheep, marmots, pikas, Tibetan gazelle, Himalayan crows,
brown bears and the shy snow leopards.
Name: Nubra Valley Image
Spread:
1. The Nubra River is a river in the Nubra Valley of
Ladakh in India.
2. It is a tributary of the Shyok River (a part of the
Indus River system) and originates from the
Siachen Glacier, the second-longest non-
polar glacier in the world.
Characteristics:
1. The land of Ladakh enjoys the significance of being
located at the ancient Silk Route which passes
through these regions .
2. Gyen, the upper Shyok valley from its southern
bend till the confluence with the Nubra River, and
Shama, the lower Shyok valley from the
confluence till the Chorbat area.
Flora and Fauna
1. The valley is famous for its forest of Hippophae shrub, popularly known as Leh Berry.
2. It is within this shrub forest that one can spot the white-browed tit-warbler.
3. The various water birds like ruddy shelduck, garganey, northern pintail, and mallard can be observed on
several small water bodies scattered along the route.
Name: Araku Valley Image
Spread:
Araku is located in the Eastern Ghats about 114 kilometres
(71 mi) from Visakhapatnam, close to the Odisha state
border.

Characteristics:
1. The Anantagiri and Sunkarimetta Reserved Forest,
which are part of Araku Valley, are rich in biodiversity
and are mined for bauxite.
2. Galikonda hill rising to a height of 5,000 feets amongst
the highest peaks in Andhra Pradesh
3. The Araku valley is famous for the finest Arabica coffee
in the country and internationally.

Flora and Fauna:

It has teak and about 16-18 varieties of fruit trees,
including popular Banganapalli variety of mango.
Three mammalian species: Leopard Panthera pardus, Sloth
Bear Melursus ursinus ,Indian Giant Squirrel Ratufa indica -
Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife Protection Act (1972)
inhabit the area.
Name: Yumthnag Valley Image
Spread:
The Yumthang Valley or Sikkim Valley of Flowers sanctuary,
is a nature sanctuary with river, hot springs, yaks and
grazing pasture on rolling meadows surrounded by
the Himalayan mountains in the North Sikkim.
Characteristics:
1. Home to the Shingba Rhododendron Sanctuary, which
has over twenty-four species of the rhododendron, the
state flower.
2. A tributary of the river Teesta flows past the valley and
the town of Lachung, the nearest inhabited centre.
Flora and Fauna:
Yumthang Valley is a paradise on earth, which is full of
natural wonders and picturesque beauty.
It is home to a zillion flowers, spectacular mountains & a
serene river, and is often also called as the 'Valley of
Flowers' like the one located in Uttarakhand.
Besides, iris, primulas, cobra lilies, louseworts, poppies and
other flowers are found here.
Name: Silent Valley Image
Spread:
1. It is located in the Nilgiri hills
2. It gradually slopes southward down to the Palakkad plains and to the
west it is bounded by irregular ridges.
3. The Silent Valley region is locally known as Sairandhrivanam, which
means Sairandhri’s Forest. Sairandhri is Draupadi, the wife of the
Pandavas in the epic Mahabharatha, who disguised herself as Sairandhri,
the maid of a queen named Sudeshna while her family was in exile.
Characteristics:
1. One of the India’s smallest and richest National Park.
2. Kuntipuzha River divides the park into a narrow eastern sector of width 2
kilometers and a wide western sector of 5 kilometers.
3. The main tributaries of the river, Kunthancholapuzha, Karingathodu,
Madrimaranthodu, Valiaparathodu and Kummaathanthodu originate on
the upper slopes of the eastern side of the valley
4. Rainfall is higher at higher altitudes and decreases from the west to the
east due to the rain shadow effect.
Flora and Fauna:
1. The valley areas of the park are in a Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests Ecoregion.
2. Mammals include threatened lion-tailed macaque, Niligiri langur, Malabar giant squirrel, Nilgiri tahr The flora of the valley
include about a 1000 species of flowering plants.
Name: Kangra Valley Image
Spread:
It predominantly lies in the state of Himachal
Pradesh in India.

Characteristics:
Dharamshala, the headquarters of Kangra district, lies on
the southern spur of Dhauladhar in the valley.
Kangra Valley is a strike valley and extends from the foot of
the Dhauladhar range to the south of river Beas. The highest
peak on the Dhauladhar, White Mountain, marks the
boundary between the valley and Chamba, and reaches
15,956 feet (4,863 m).

Flora and Fauna:

The animals that can be sighted in the wild include Snow
Leopard, the ibex, wild yak, ghoral deer, musk deer,
Himalayan black bear, brown bear, leopards and the
Himalayan Thar.
Name: Lidder Valley Image
Spread:
The Lidder Valley or Liddar Valley in the union
territory of Jammu and Kashmir, India, is
a Himalayan sub-valley that forms the
southeastern corner of the Kashmir Valley.

Characteristics:
The Lidder basin is surrounded on the south and
southeast by the Pir Panjal Range, on the north
by the Sind Valley and on the northeast by
the Zaskar Range.
The Lidder Valley formed over millions of years
as the Lidder River cut into the Himalayan
Mountains.

Flora and Fauna:

The valley is the natural habitat of the Himalayan black bear. The Himalayan brown bear, musk deer, snow
leopard and hangul have also been spotted in the Aru and Lidderwat areas, which are close to Dachigam National
Park.
Name: Sharavati Valley Image
Spread:
Sharavathi Valley forms a beautiful part of the Western
Ghats. To be precise, it lies in the Shimoga district of
Karnataka.
Characteristics:
Sharavati is also known as the Silent Valley of Karnataka. The
Silent Valley in Kerala was declared as a National Park in
1986.
The Sharavathi Valley Wildlife Sanctuary has Southern
tropical evergreen type and Southern Tropical Semi-
evergreen Forest type, and the climatic conditions are cool.
Flora and Fauna: Famous Places-
1. Butterflies of different kinds 1. Jog Falls
2. Wild Animals such as tigers, lion-tailed macaque, wild 2. Linganamakki Reservoir
dogs, sloth bears, wild boars, jackals, deers, Malabar 3. Honnemaradu Backwaters
giant squirrels, leopards. Birds such as minivets, 4. Sigandur backwaters and Chowdeshwari Temple
herons, woodpeckers, hornbills, and many more
3. Reptiles such as Python, Rat Snake, Monitor lizard,
crocodiles, and King Cobra
Name: Ziro Valley

Spread:
Ziro is part of the Lower Subansiri district in
the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh.
Characteristics:
It is famous for its surrounding pine-clad gentle hills and its rice
fields. Ziro is home to the Apatani tribe.
Ziro is also an Advance Landing Ground (ALG) of Indian Air
Force.

Flora and Fauna:

It harbors subtropical and temperate broadleaved and conifer
forests.
Common leopard, clouded leopard, marbled cat, leopard cat,
spotted linsang, otter, yellow-throated marten, orange-bellied
squirrel, Malayan giant squirrel, sambar, barking deer, wild pig
and birds
Name: Kashmir Valley Image
Spread:
It is an intermontane valley in Kashmir.

Characteristics:
1. The valley is bounded on the southwest by
the Pir Panjal Range and on the northeast by the
main Himalayas range.
2. It is approximately 135 km (84 mi) long and
32 km (20 mi) wide, and drained by the Jhelum
River.
Flora and Fauna:
1. The hangul or Kashmiri stag is the only species of European red deer found in India.
2. Mountain ranges in the valley have dense deodar, pine and fir. Walnut, willow, almond and cider
also add to the rich flora of Kashmir.
3. In the hilly regions of Doda, Udhampur, Poonch and Rajouri, there is a large and
varied fauna including leopard, cheetah and deer, wild sheep, bear, brown musk shrew, and
muskrat.
All The Best
 La Excellence

Indian River System

Drainage System in India
Drainage basins are those areas, in which
water is concentrated and flows into the
drainage network.
Drainage system in India can be divided
into
1. The Peninsular Drainage And
2. The Himalayan Drainage System
3. Inland Drainage System
1. The Himalayan drainage system:
i. The Himalayan drainage system comprises all the International rivers of India, i.e. the Indus, the Ganga
and the Brahmaputra.
ii. Most of these rivers and their major tributaries re perennial in character.
iii. These rivers are in their youthful stages carvig out a number of erosional landforms like waterfalls,
rapids, gorges, alluvial fans and river terraces.
iv. Most of the rivers, which rise in the Himalayas are antecedent in nature.
2. The Peninsular
Drainage System:
The Peninsular drainage
system comprises the
Mahanadi, the Godavari, the
Krishna, the Cauvery and
other numerous west flowing
rivers.
The drainage of the
peninsular India is much
older than that of the
Himalayan drainage system.
They are mostly seasonal.
The erosional and carrying
capacity is low.
3. Inland Drainage Characteristics-
Some rivers of India do not reach up to the 1.In inland drainage streams join lakes or inland seas.

sea and constitute inland drainage. 2.They are fed by rainy water.

✓ The Ghaggar river in Haryana, which is 3.During rains they experience flash floods.

supposed to be remnant of the 4.During dry season they get dried up.

proverbial ancient Saraswati river, gets

lost in dry sands near Hanumangarh in
Rajasthan.
✓ The Luni river in Rajasthan originates
near Ajmer and after flowing through
Thar desert gets lost in the Rann of
Kutch.
✓ The Aksai Chin region in Ladakh too has
some inland drainage.
The Differences between West Flowing and East Flowing Rivers

West flowing rivers East flowing rivers

Rivers mainly flow between mountain Catchments are wide and fan shaped
ranges; hence the catchments are
elongated and narrow.

Rivers don’t form deltas on their mouths They form deltas and have deltaic deposits.
because of velocity

Waterfalls are found on these rivers No waterfall

Carry less sediments Carry more sediments
The Indus System:
1. The Indus also known as Sindhu has one of the
largest river basins of the world, covering an area
of 1165000 sq km.
2. It cuts across the Ladakh range and formed a gorge
near Gilgit in Jammu and Kashmir.
3. The Shyok, Gilgit, Zaskar, Nubra, Shigar and Dras
are the major tributaries in the upward region.
Afterward, Indus flows Southward and receives
Panjnad a little above Mithankot.
4. The Panjnad is the name given to the five rivers of
Punjab, namely Sutlej, Beas, Ravi, Chenab and
Jhelum.
5. It finally discharges into the Arabian sea, East of
Karachi.
6. The Indus flows in India only through the Leh
district.
The government has
cleared eight hydropower
projects of 144 MW on
the Indus river and its
tributaries in Ladakh
 The Indus System- Tributaries

Jhelum – It rises from verinag at Pir Panjal range. It flows through Sringar and Wular lake. It joins
Chenab near Jhang in Pakistan. Tulbul Project near Wular Lake.
Chenab – It is the largest tributary of Indus. It is formed by two streams. Chandra and Bhaga,
which joins at Tandi near Keylong in HP. Selal, Dulhasti and Bagilhar are the hydro projects built
on the river.
Ravi – Originates from Rohtang pass in Kullu hills of HP and flows through the Chamba valley
before joining Chenab river Srai Sidhu in Pakistan. Forms the boundary between Indianand
Pakistan.
Beas – Originates from the Beas Kund near Rohtang pass. The river flows through the Kullu
valley in the Dhauladhar range. It meets Sutlej near Harike in the Punjab plain. Only river that
lies entirely in India.
Sutlej – Originates in the Rakas lake near Mansarovar in Tibet. It passes through the Shipki La in
the Himalayan range. Feeds Bakra Nangal Canal.
The Shyok River - ( 'the river of death’) a tributary of the Indus River that flows through
northern Ladakh and enters Gilgit–Baltistan. Nubra and Galwan are the important tributaries of
this river.
The Shyok River originates at
the Rimo Glacier, one of the
tongues of Siachen Glacier.
The alignment of the Shyok
river is very unusual, originating
from the Rimo glacier, it flows in
a southeasterly direction and, Galwan River
joining the Pangong range, it
takes a northwestern turn,
flowing parallel to its previous LOC LAC
path.
The Shyok valley widens at the
confluence with the Nubra
River but suddenly turns into a
narrow gorge near Yagulung.
Nubra river also has NW-SE
alignment.
It probably indicates a series of
paleo fault lines trending NW-SE
in delimiting the upper courses
of the rivers.
 The Ganga River System
Rivers Source Total River Information
Length Basin
Place Confluence
The Ganga - Rises in Total 861404 sq 1. Left bank tributaries:
formed by Gangotri length of km largest Ramganga, Gomati, Devprayag Bhagirathi +
two head glacier of the 2525 km, river basin Ghaghra, Gandak, Burhi Alaknanda
streams Great 140 km in in India. Gandak and Kosi
Alaknanda Himalaya. UP, 445 km Covers 2. Right bank tributaries: Rudraprayag Mandakini +
Alaknanda
and Above in Bihar more than Yamuna, Son. The
Bhagirathi Devprayag it is and 520 ¼th of the Bhagirathi- Hooghly is the Karnaprayag Pindar +
which join at called as km in WB. country’s western most distributary Alaknanda
Devprayag Bhagirathi and total of the river. Vishnuprayag Dhauliganga +
below it is surface. 3. Beyond Farakka it Alaknanda
referred to as bifurcates itself into
the Ganga. Bhagirathi-Hooghly in WB
and Padma-Meghna in
Bangladesh.
Rivers Source Total Length River Basin Information
(Sq km)
The Rises in 1300 km from its 359000 Important tributaries:
Yamuna Yamunotri glacier, source to Allahabad Chambl, Son, Betwa and Ken.
which is West of where it joins Ganga It joins Ganga at Allahabad
Ganga source.

The Highlands 1,050 km 143,219 Keoladeo National Park is

Chambal of Janapao supplied with water from
Hills (700 m) in Chambal river irrigation project
Badland Topography
the Vindhyan
Water released after power
Range. generation at Gandhi Sagar dam,
Rana Pratap Sagar dam and
Jawahar Sagar Dams, is diverted
by Kota Barrage for irrigation in
Rajasthan and in Madhya
Pradesh through canals.
Rivers Source Total River Basin Information
Length (Sq km)
The Son Rises from the 780 71900 It joins Ganga near Patna.
Amarkantak The important tributaries of the Son
plateau. are the Johilla, the Gopat, the Rihand,
the Kanhar and the North Koel.
Gandak Rises near the 425(In 9540 It flows through central part of Nepal,
Nepal – China India) enters Bihar in Champaran district and
border at an turns South-East to join the left bank of
altitude of 7600 m Ganga near Sonepar.
in the Himalaya Susta dispute between India & Nepal.
Ramganga Rises in the 696 32412 It joins the left bank of Ganga below
Kumaun Himalaya Farukkhabad. It flow through Jim
near Nainital. Corbett NP.
Ghaghara Rises from East of 1080 127500 sq It joins the left bank of Ganga near
Gangotri km Chapra (Bihar).
Kalapani Dispute- Susta Water Dispute
India and Nepal have traditionally disagreed over
the interpretation of the Sugauli Treaty signed in
1816 between the British East India Company and
Nepal, which delimited the boundary along
the Maha Kali River in Nepal.
Rivers Source Total Length River Basin Information
(Sq km)
Kosi Rises from the 730(In 11600 It flows through Eastern Nepal, enters
peak of Nepal- India) Bihar in Sahasra district and joins the left
Tibet bank of Ganga below Bhagalpur(Bihar)
Sorrow of Bihar
Damodar Rises in Chota 541 22000 It joins the Bhagirathi-Hooghly in WB. It is
Nagpur plateau also known as “Sorrow of Bengal”.
in the Palamau Several dams have been constructed in
district of the valley, for the generation of
Jharkhand hydroelectric power. The valley is
and flows called “the Ruhr of India”.
through a rift It joins the Hugli River 48 km below
valley. Kolkata.
 The Brahmaputra River System
Rivers Sources Total River Information
Length Basins
Brahmaputra Rises in the 2960 240000 1. Important tributaries: Subansiri,
(Tsangpo in chemayungdung (In India) Kameng, Dhansiri, Dihag, Lohit, Tista,
Tibet) glacier in the 580000 Torsa, Manas, Burhi Dihang etc.
Kailash range (Total 2. It flows through Tibet, India and
and Mariam La area) Bangladesh and forms the largest delta
pass seperates it of the world along with the Ganga-
from Sundarbans.
Mansarovar 3. The Majuli Island, world’s largest
lake. riverine island is a fluvial landform (a
riverine delta), a unique geographical
occurrence and a result of the dynamics
of this vast river system.
 Teesta River
Teesta river is a tributary of the
Brahmaputra (known as Jamuna in
Bangladesh), flowing through India
and Bangladesh.
It originates in the Himalayas near
Chunthang, Sikkim and flows to the
south through West Bengal before
entering Bangladesh.

✓ A part of the River Basin is in the Kanchanzunga Biosphere Reserve.

✓ Originally, the river continued southward to empty directly into the Padma River (main
channel of Ganga in Bangladesh) but around 1787 the river changed its course to flow
eastward to join the Jamuna river.
✓ The Teesta Barrage dam helps to provide irrigation for the plains between the upper Padma
and the Jamuna.
The Peninsular River System
Peninsular Sources Length (Km) River’s Basin Information
Rivers Areas (sq km)
Godavari Nasik district of 1465 3.13 lakh Pravara, Indravati, Wainganga, Wardha,
Maharashtra Pench, Kanhan, Penganga, Manjira,
Bindusara and sabari rivers are it’s major
tributaries.
It is also known as Dakshin Ganga
or Vridha Ganga (old Ganga)
Kaleshwaram Project, Polavaram Projects
are some of the bigger multipurpose
projects over this river.
Peninsular Sources Length (Km) River’s Basin Information
Rivers Areas (sq km)
Krishna Mahabaleshwar in 1401 2,58,948 Koyna, Tungabhadra and Bhima are the
Sahyadri, MH major tributaries
Nagarjuna Sagar, Sri Sailam are the
major projects on this river.
Peninsular Sources Length (Km) River’s Basin Information
Rivers Areas (sq km)

Kaveri Brahmagiri hills 800 81155 It receives rainfall from both S-W and N-E Monsoon.
Kgad district in Kabini, Noyyal, Arkavati, Bhavan and Amaravati are
Karnataka the important tributaries.
Peninsular Sources Length River’s Basin Information
Rivers (Km) Areas (sq km)
Narmada Rises in 1312 98796 Left bank tributaries: Tawa Brhner etc.
Amarkantak Which is shared by Right bank tributaries : Hiran (Dhuan Dhar or cloud
in MP MP, Gujarat and of Mist Falls is located on this river near Jabalpur.
Mahrashtra It flows through a Rift valley between the Vindhyas
and the Satpura range.
Peninsular Sources Length River’s Basin Information
Rivers (Km) Areas (sq km)
Tapi ot Tapti Rises near 740 65145 (In MP, Left bank tributaries: Purna, Veghar, Girna, Bari and the
Multai on Mharashtra, Panjhara.
the Satpura Gujarat) Right bank tributaries: Betul, Arunavati, Ganjal and Gomal.
rane in Betul It is also known as the Twin or Handmaid of the Narmada.
district (MP)
Peninsular Sources Length River’s Basin Information
Rivers (Km) Areas (sq km)
Sabarmati Mewar hills in 320 21674 Important tributaries –
Aravalli range. Hathmati, Sedhi and Wakul etc.
Mahi Vindhya Range at an 583 34862 MP, Rajasthan and Gujarat share
altitude of 500 m the river basin.
Brahmani Confluence of 800km 51,822 The basin is bounded in the
River the Koel and North by Chhotanagpur plateau,
the Sankh in the West and South by the
Mahanadi basin and in the East
rivers near Rourkela
by the Bay of Bengal.
Near its mouth, the river is also
crossed by the Odisha Coast
Canal that takes water from it-
National Water Way 5.
Peninsular Sources Length
Rivers (Km)
Mahanadi Near Sihawa in Bastar 900km
hills in the state of
Chhattisgarh to the
south of Amarkantak
River’s Basin Information
Areas (sq km)
1,41,589 3rd largest river in Pensinsular system
Tributories- Seonath River, Hasdeo River
,Mand River, Ib River, Jonking River, Tel
River
Hirakud Dam near Sambalpur
Puri, at one of its mouths, is a famous
pilgrimage site.
Peninsular Sources Length River’s Basin Information
Rivers (Km) Areas (sq km)
Pennar Chenna Kasava hill of 597 km. 55,000 Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh
the Nandidurg range, Left Bank: the Jayamangali,
in Chikkaballapura the Kunderu and the
Right bank: the Chiravati,
district of Karnataka
the Papagni etc.
Somasila Project on this river.
Peninsular Sources Length Information
Rivers (Km)
Periyar It 244km Lifeline of Kerala’,
River originates Longest river of Kerala
from Sivagiri It flows through
(West
the Periyar National
Flowing hills of
Park.
River) Western The main tributaries of
Ghats and Periyar are-
flows Muthirapuzha, Mullayar,
through Cheruthoni,
the Periyar Perinjankutti.
The Mullaperiyar dam is
National
located on
Park.
the confluence of
the Mullayar and Periyar
rivers in Kerala’s Idukki
district.
Mullaperiyar Dam-

1. The Mullaperiyar, a 123-year-old dam,

is located on the confluence of the
Mullayar and Periyar rivers in Kerala’s
Idukki district.
2. The dam stands at the height of 53.66
metres and 365.85 metres in length.
3. It is operated and maintained by the
Tamil Nadu for meeting the drinking
water and irrigation requirements of
five of its southern districts.
4. According to a 999-year lease
agreement made during the British ✓ Rule curve in a dam decides the fluctuating storage levels in
rule the operational rights were a reservoir. The gate opening schedule of a dam is based on
handed over to Tamil Nadu. the rule curve.
5. The dam intends to divert the waters ✓ It is part of the “core safety” mechanism in a dam.
of the west-flowing river Periyar ✓ The rule curve level is fixed to avoid emergency opening of
eastward to the arid rain shadow dam shutters in case of a flood-like situation. It helps in
regions of the Tamil Nadu. controlling the water level in the dam during peak monsoon.
Vaigai River
1. South of the Cauvery delta, there are several
streams, of which the Vaigai is the longest.
2. The Vaigai basin is an important basin among
the 12 basins lying between the Cauvery and
Kanyakumari.
3. This basin is bounded by the Varushanadu hills,
the Andipatti hills, the Cardaman hills and the
Palani hills on the West and by the Palk strait
and Palk Bay on the East.
4. The Vaigai drains an area of 7,741 Sq.Km,
which entirely lies in the state of Tamil Nadu.
 ‘Keeladi-An Urban Settlement of Sangam Age
✓ The title of the report was ‘Keeladi-An Urban Settlement of
Sangam Age on the Banks of River Vaigai.’
✓ Previously it was believed that the Keeladi artefacts belonged
to the 3rd century BC.
✓ But the carbon dating test confirmed the date of the Tamil-
Brahmi script is dated to the year 580 BC.
✓ The results suggest that the second urbanization (the first
being the Indus Valley Civilization) of Vaigai plains happened in
Tamil Nadu during the 6th century BC.
The contemporary of which in the Gangetic plains was the Iron
Age & the period of the rise of various Heterodox sects.
✓ Skeletal fragments of Cow/Ox & Buffalo, Sheep & Goat, Nilgai
& Blackbuck, Wild boar, and Peacock suggest that the society
in Keeladi had used animals predominantly for agricultural
purposes.
✓ Pottery specimens from Keeladi confirmed that the water
containers and cooking vessels were shaped out of locally
available raw materials.
All The Best
 La Excellence

55 Important
Lakes of India
Types of Description Examples
lake
The Tectonic Formed due to fractures and faults in Nainital, Bhimtal, Wular, Dal lake
lakes the Earth’s crust. etc.
The Crater Crater lakes are formed when the Lonar lake of Buldhana
lakes craters and calderas are filled with
water
The Galcial These lakes are the result of glacial Gangabal lake of Kashmir
lakes erosion
Fluvial lakes Rivers from different types of lakes Upper, middle and lower courses of
through their erosional and depositional the Ganga and Brahmaputra river,
work like Ox-bow lakes. Kolleru lake in Andhra Pradesh
Aeolian lakes These are small depressions lying on the Sambhar and Panchbhadra lakes
windblown sand surface

Lagoons Formed by depositions of sand bars Vembanad, Asthamudi, Kayals of

along the sea coast Kerala, Chilika of Odisha
Lake Facts-

1.Wular lake is one of the biggest freshwater lakes in Asia and it was formed as a result of
tectonic activity.
2.Chilika Lake in Odisha is the largest saline water lake in India.
3.Vembanad Lake in Kerala is the longest lake in India.
4.Cholamu Lake in Sikkim is the highest lake in India.
5.Lonar Lake is a notified National Geo-heritage Monument, saline, soda lake, located at
Lonar in Buldhana district, Maharashtra.
6.Govind Bhalla Pant Sagar, Rihand- Largest Man Made lake in India
Name: Pulicat Lake

Place
Andhra Pradesh
Importance
1. Pulicat Lagoon is the second largest brackish water lagoon in
India, after Chilika Lake. It is present in the Coromondal
Region i.e. Andhra Pradesh–Tamil Nadu Border.
2. The barrier island of Sriharikota separates the lake from the
Bay of Bengal and is home to the Satish Dhawan Space
Centre.
3. The lake encompasses the Pulicat Lake Bird Sanctuary.
4. Flamingo Festival is held every year to promote tourism in
Pulicatlake and Nellapattu. It has been organised for the past
12 years
5. The primary inflows to the Pulicat Lake are Arani, Kalangi and
Swarnamukhi.
6. About 96% of the Pulicat Lake is present in Andhra Pradesh
while only 3% is present in Tamil Nadu.
7. The Buckingham Canal, a navigation channel, is part of the
lagoon on its western side.
Name:
Kolleru Lake
Place
Andhra Pradesh
Importance
1. A natural eutrophic lake situated between the river basins
of the Godavari and the Krishna in Andhra Pradesh.
2. The lake serves as a natural flood-balancing reservoir for
the two rivers.
3. It was previously a lagoon, but now it is several kilometers
inland due to the coastline of emergence and delta
formation.
4. It was notified as a Wildlife Sanctuary in 1999 under
India’s Wild Life Protection Act,1972.
5. It was declared a wetland of international importance in
2002 under the Ramsar convention.
6. The Atapaka Bird Sanctuary at Kolleru Lake has become
a safe breeding ground for two migratory species
namely, Grey Pelicans and Painted Storks.
Name
Haflong Lake
Place
Assam

Importance
1. Natural lake on the only hill station of
Assam.
2. The Hill station is regarded as ‘Scotland of
Assam’.
3. Haflong is a Dimasa word meaning ant hill.
4. The surroundings of the lake offer a haven
for thousands of migratory birds in winter.
Name
Deepor Beel lake
Place
Assam
Importance
1. It is considered one of the largest and important
riverine wetlands in the Brahmaputra Valley of lower
Assam, India.
2. It is an open lake basin connected with a set of inflow
and outflow channels.
3. It is categorized as a representative of the wetland
type under the Burma Monsoon Forest biogeographic
region.
4. It has both biological and environmental
importance besides being the only major storm-water
storage basin for Guwahati.
5. It is considered one of the staging sites for migratory
birds in India and some of the large congregations of
aquatic birds in Assam during winter.
Name
Chandubi lake
Place
Assam
Importance
1. It is a natural lake located in Kamrup
District, Assam.
2. The lake is located at the foot of Garo hills
surrounded by Assam and Meghalaya.
3. This lake was formed on 12 June 1897 at the
evening Assam earthquake. During that
period the forest went down and became the
lake.
4. The lake's chief feature is the natural lagoon
that has been formed in the lake.
5. Chandubi Lake is a tourist destination, with
some tourists visiting the lake during the
Changdubi festival in first week of January.
Name
Kanwar Lake
Place
Bihar
Importance
1. Once a haven for migratory birds, the
Kanwar lake in Bihar, Asia’s largest
freshwater oxbow lake, is today a dying
wetland ecosystem.
2. Kanwar jheel, as it is locally called, is located
22 km north-west of Begusarai town.
3. It is a residual oxbow lake, formed due to
meandering of Gandak river, a tributary of
Ganga, in the geological past.
4. Kanwar lake was declared a notified area
under the Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972.
Name
Hamirsar lake
Place
Gujarat
Importance
1. Hamirsar lake is a 450-year-old lake named
after Jadeja ruler Rao Hamir (1472-1524), the
founder of Bhuj.
2. The lake was built during the reign of Rao Khengarji
I.
3. Rao Khengarji I chose this place as an oasis in saline
and arid Kutch; and over several decades,
developed canals and tunnels to bring together
water from three river systems and recharge
acquifier, to fulfill the needs of Bhuj.
4. The mid-lake island in center of lake, which was
earlier known as Green Island but has now been
renamed Rajendra Park and is maintained as a
beautiful garden.
Name
Kankaria lake
Place
Gujarat
Importance
1. Biggest artificial lake of Ahmedabad.
2. Built by Sultan Ahmed shah II, whose
name accounts for the name of the city
Ahmedabad.
3. Kankaria Carnival is a week-long festival
held here in the last week of December.
4. Many cultural, art, and social activities
are organized during the carnival.
Name
Badkal Lake
Place
Haryana
Importance
1. Badkhal Lake was a natural lake situated in
the state of Haryana.
2. Fringed by the hills of the Aravalli Range, this was a
man-made embankment.
3. Owing to unchecked mining in neighbouring areas,
the lake began drying up two decades back and is
now totally dried up.
4. It is a biodiversity area within the Northern Aravalli
leopard wildlife corridor stretching from Sariska
Tiger Reserve to Delhi.
5. Its name is derived from the Persian
word beydakhal, which means free from
interference.
Name
Brahma Sarovar lake
Place
Haryana
Importance
1. Brahma Sarovar is an ancient water pool sacred
to Hinduism in Thanesar, in the state of Haryana.
2. The Brahma Sarovar here is believed to be the cradle
of civilization.
3. The sarovar is also mentioned in the eleventh century
AD memoirs of Al Beruni, called 'Kitab-ul-Hind’.
4. The pool offers a breath-taking sight during the Gita
Jayanti celebrations held each year in the last week of
November and early December when a 'deep daan'
ceremony of floating lamps in water and [Aarti]
occurs.
5. This also happens to be the time when migratory birds
from distant places arrive at the sarovar.
Name
Chandra Taal lake
Place
Himachal Pradesh
Importance
1. It is a high-altitude lake. Tso Chikgma
or Chandra Taal (meaning the Lake of the
Moon), or Chandra Tal is a lake in the
Lahaul part of the Lahul and Spiti district of
Himachal Pradesh.
2. Chandra Taal is near the source of
the Chandra River (a source river of
the Chenab).
3. It supports IUCN Red-listed Snow Leopard.
4. Migratory species such as the Ruddy
shelduck are found in summer.
Name
Maharana Pratap Sagar lake/ Pong Dam
Lake
Place
Himachal Pradesh
Importance
1. It is also known as Pong Dam Lake.
2. Pong Dam Lake is a water storage
reservoir created in 1975 on the Beas River in
the low foothills of the Himalaya on the
northern edge of the Indo-Gangetic plain.
3. The avian habitats formed by the creation of
the Pong Dam assumes a great significance –
given the site’s location on the trans-
Himalayan flyway, more than 220 bird species
have been identified, with 54 species of
waterfowl.
Name
Dal Lake
Place
Jammu & Kashmir
Importance
1. It is a tectonic Lake.
2. Dal is a lake in Srinagar, the capital of the Union Territory of
Jammu and Kashmir. Dal Lake is a misnomer as Dal in
Kashmiri means lake.
3. It is integral to tourism and recreation in Kashmir and is
named the “Jewel in the crown of Kashmir” or “Srinagar’s
Jewel”.
4. It is also an important source for commercial operations in
fishing and water plant harvesting.
5. It covers an area of 18 square kilometres and is part of a
natural wetland including its floating gardens.
6. Asia’s largest Tulip garden is on the banks of Dal Lake.
7. Mughal gardens, Shalimar Bagh and the NishatBagh are on
the banks of Dal Lake.
Name
Wular Lake
Place
Jammu & Kashmir
Importance
1. It is the largest freshwater lake in India.
2. The lake basin was formed as a result of
tectonic activity and is fed by the Jhelum
River.
3. The Tulbul Project is a “navigation lock-
cum-control structure” at the mouth of
Wular Lake.
4. The lake is one of the 42 Indian wetlands
designated as a Ramsar site.
5. The lake sustains a rich population of
birds.
Name
Agara Lake
Place
Karnataka
Importance
1. Agara lake is a 98-acre natural lake located
in Agara, Bangalore. It is one of the most well
maintained lakes of Bangalore.
2. At one end is a park and a jogging trail
encircles the lake.
3. About 40 species of waterbirds like pelicans
and reptiles such as rat snakes are found.
4. The lake is filled by the water of Madivala
lake, through the Raja Kaluve.
5. Surplus water is drained to the Bellandur
Lake.
Name
Vembanad Lake
Place
Kerala
Importance
1. Vembanad Lake is also known as Vembanad Kayal,
Vembanad Kol, Punnamada Lake (in Kuttanad) and Kochi
Lake (in Kochi).
2. It is the longest lake in India and the largest in Kerala.
3. It is a popular backwater stretch in Kerala.
4. Vallam Kali also known as Nehru Trophy Boat Race is a
Snake Boat Race held every year in the month of August
in Vembanad Lake.
5. It was included in the list of wetlands of international
importance under the Ramsar Convention in 2002.
6. The Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary is located on the east
coast of the lake.
Name
Sasthamkotta lake
Place
Kerala
Importance
1. Sasthamcotta
Lake or Sasthamkotta Lake,
also categorized as a wetland,
is the largest fresh water lake
in Kerala.
2. The lake is named after the
ancient Sastha temple (a
pilgrimage centre) located on
its bank.
3. The lake is a
designated wetland of
international
importance under the Ramsar
Convention since November
2002.
Name
Bhojtal lake
Place
Madhya Pradesh
Importance
1. Paramara Raja Bhoja built this lake.
2. Bhojtal, formerly known as Upper Lake, is a
large lake which lies on the western side of the
capital city of Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India.
3. It is a major source of drinking water for the
residents of the city, serving around 40% of
the residents with nearly 30 million imperial
gallons (140,000 m3) of water per day.
4. Bada talaab, along with the nearby Chhota
Talaab, meaning small lake in Hindi,
constitute Bhoj Wetland, which is now
a Ramsar site.
Name
Shivsagar lake
Place
Maharashtra

Importance
1. The Shivsagar Lake is a reservoir in the
state of Maharashtra, India.
2. The lake was formed after the Koyna
River was impounded by the Koyna Dam.
3. The catchment area dams the Koyna river
and forms the Shivsagar Lake which is
approximately 50 km (31 mi) in length.
Name- Lonar Lake

Place- Maharashtra

Importance
1. The Lonar lake, situated in the Deccan Plateau’s volcanic basalt
rock, was created by the impact of a meteor 35,000 to 50,000 years
ago.
2. The lake is part of Lonar Wildlife Sanctuary which falls under the
unified control of the Melghat Tiger Reserve (MTR).
3. It is also known as a Lonar crater and is a notified National Geo-
heritage Monument. Geo-heritage refers to the geological features
which are inherently or culturally significant offering insight to
earth’s evolution or history to earth science or that can be utilized
for education.
4. It is the second Ramsar site in Maharashtra after Nandur
Madhmeshwar Bird Sanctuary in the Nashik district.
5. The water in the lake is highly saline and
alkaline, containing special microorganisms like anaerobes,
Cyanobacteria, and phytoplankton.
Name
Periyar Lake
Place
Kerala
Importance
1. Periyar Lake is formed by the construction of the dam
across the Mullaperiyar River in 1895.
2. The notable elephant reserve and a tiger reserve,
Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary is located on the banks of
PeriyarLake.
3. It is often also referred to as the Thekkady Lake.
Name
East Kolkata Wetlands
Place
West Bengal
Importance
1. East Kolkata wetlands is the biggest ecological
asset of the city and a Ramsar Site.
2. The east Kolkata wetlands are a fascinating
natural resource to which tremendous value has
been added by traditional knowledge.
3. The wetlands have been historically created by a
natural shift of the Bidyadhari, a tributary of the
Ganga.
4. The land on which Kolkata is built slopes to the
east.
5. So the British created canals to take out the city’s
waste water into in the wetlands.
Name
Rudra Sagar Lake
Place
Tripura
Importance
1. Rudrasagar Lake, also known as Rudijala, is
a lake located in Melaghar, Tripura.
2. The Government of India's Ministry of
Environment and Forest has identified Rudrasagar
as one of the wetlands of National Importance for
conservation and sustainable use, based on its
bio-diversity and socio economic importance.
3. The lake is designated as a Ramsar site.
4. Hydromorphologically, Rudrasagar Lake is a
natural sedimentation reservoir, which receives
flow from three perennial streams namely,
Noacherra, Durlavnaraya cherra and Kemtali
cherra.
Name- Loktak lake
Place
Manipur
Importance
1. Loktak Lake is the largest freshwater lake in the
north-eastern region of the country.
Keibul Lamjao the only floating national
2. It is famous for the phumdis (heterogeneous
park in the world floats over it.
mass of vegetation, soil, and organic matter at
It was also listed under the Montreux
various stages of decomposition) floating over it.
Record on 16 June 1993, "a record of
3. Loktak Lake is fed by the Manipur river and
Ramsar sites where changes in ecological
several tributaries and ‘Ungamel Channel’ (Ithai
character have occurred, are occurring or
Barrage) is its only outlet now. are likely to occur".
Name
Umiam Lake
Place
Meghalaya
Importance
1. Umiam Lake (locally known as Dam sait) is
a reservoir in the hills 15 km (9.3 mi) north
of Shillong in the state of Meghalaya.
2. Umiam Dam, which impounds the lake, was built by
the Assam State Electricity Board in the early 1960s.
3. The dam's original purpose was to store water for
hydroelectric power generation.
4. Apart from storing water for electricity generation,
the lake also provides numerous ecosystem
services at micro, meso and macro levels.
Downstream irrigation, fisheries, and drinking water
cater to local anthropogenic needs.
Name
Tam Dil lake
Place
Mizoram
Importance
1. Ṭam Dil is a reservoir lake situated 6 km
from Saitual, the nearest town, and 64 km
from Aizawl, the capital city
of Mizoram, India.
2. In Mizo language, the word Ṭam is
a contraction of anṭam, which means
a mustard plant; and Dil means "lake".
Name- Chilika Lake
Place- Odisha

Importance
1. It is a brackish water lagoon at the mouth of the Daya
River.
2. It is the largest coastal lagoon in India.
3. Birds from as far as the Caspian Sea, Lake Baikal, Aral Sea,
and other remote parts of Central Asia, Ladakh, and the
Himalayas come here.
4. In 1981, Chilika Lake has designated the first Indian
wetland of international importance under the Ramsar
Convention.
5. Nalbana Bird Sanctuary is the core area of the Ramsar
designated wetlands of Chilika Lake.
6. The Irrawaddy dolphin (critically endangered) is the
flagship species of Chilika lake.
7. Chilka is home to the only known population of Irrawaddy
dolphins in India.
Name
Harike lake
Place
Punjab

Importance
1. It is a shallow water reservoir at the confluence
of the Beas and Sutlej rivers.
2. It is an important site for breeding, wintering,
and staging birds, supporting over
200,000 Anatidae (ducks, geese, swans, etc.)
during migration.
3. The Punjab government has planned
to introduce amphibious vehicles which can run
both on water and land at Harike wetlands.
4. Reintroduction of wild gharials in the Beas
river area of Harike wetlands.
Name
Kanjli Lake
Place
Punjab
Importance
1. Kanjli Wetland, a man-made Wetland, which
subsumes the Kanjli Lake, located in
the Kapurthala district of Punjab was created by
constructing the headworks across the
perennial Bien River, a tributary of the Beas
River to provide irrigation facilities to the
hinterland.
2. The stream is considered to be the most
significant in the state from the religious point
of view, as it is associated with the first guru of
the Sikhs, Shri Guru Nanak.
Name
Sambhar Lake
Place
Rajasthan
Importance
1. Sambhar Salt Lake is India's largest saline lake and
is the source of most of Rajasthan's salt production.
2. The lake receives water from five rivers: Medtha,
Samaod, Mantha, Rupangarh, Khari, and Khandela.
3. The circumference of the lake is 96 km, and it is
surrounded by the Aravali hills on all sides.
4. Sambhar has been designated as a Ramsar site
because the wetland is a key wintering area for
tens of thousands of pink flamingos and
other birds that migrate from northern
Asia and Siberia.
Name
Nakki Lake
Place
Rajasthan
Importance
1. It is called by this name because it was dug out
from Nails (Nakh).
2. Nakki Lake is situated in the Indian hill station of
Mount Abu in Aravalli range.
3. Mahatma Gandhi’s ashes were immersed in this
Holy Lake on 12 February 1948 and Gandhi Ghat
was constructed.
Name
Pushkar Lake
Place- Rajasthan

Importance
1. Located in the town of Pushkar in Ajmer district of the
Rajasthan.
2. Pushkar Lake is a sacred lake of the Hindus.
3. The Pushkar Fair is an annual multi-day livestock and
cultural fair that takes place on the banks of the Pushkar
Lake .
4. The Pushkar Fair is also called the Pushkar Camel Fair or
locally as Kartik Mela.
5. This temple situated at Pushkar is one of very few
existing temples dedicated to the Hindu creator-god
Brahma in India and remains the most prominent
among them.
6. It is also significant for its Gurdwaras for Guru Nanak
and Guru Gobind Singh.
Name
Barpani Lake
Place
Meghalaya
Importance
1. Barapani or Umiam Lake is in Shillong, Khasi Hills.
2. It is also kown is big lake or Water of Tears
3. The origin of Lake in 1965 is due to the
UmiamUmtru Hydro Electric Power Project, the
first Hydel power project in the North-east region
of India.
Name
Pichola Lake
Place
Rajasthan
Importance
1. Lake Pichola, situated in Udaipur city in the Indian state
of Rajasthan, is an artificial fresh water lake, created in
the year 1362 AD, named after the nearby Picholi
village.
2. It is one of the several contiguous lakes, and developed
over the last few centuries in and around the
famous Udaipur city.
3. Two islands, Jag Niwas and Jag Mandir are located
within Pichola Lake, and have been developed with
several palaces to provide views of the lake.
4. Rudyard Kipling mentioned this lake in his Letters of
Marque (1899), "If the Venetian, owned the Pichola
Lake, he might say with justice, see it and die'".
Name: Sardar Sarovar lake
Place- Gujarat

Importance
1. Sardar Sarover lake is a dam that is located on the
Indian Narmada river in the state of Gujarat.
2. It is one of the countries most controversial water
reservoir infrastructure that is built.
3. It was built in the year 1987 and is one of the oldest
dams in the country.
4. The Sardar Sarovar Lake is a 1,210m long concrete
gravity dam with a proposed final height of 163m above
the deep foundation that it is laid upon.
5. The tallest statue of the world enjoys a splendidly scenic
location facing the Sardar Sarovar Dam, 3.2 kilometres
away. This colossal statue stands on the isle of Sadhu-
Bet in River Narmada, at Kevadia, District Rajpipla in the
Indian State of Gujarat
Name
Tsomgo Lake
Place
Sikkim
Importance
1. In India, the Tsomgo Lake, which is also
known as Tsongmo Lake or Changu Lake,
is the lake located at very high elevation.
2. It is a glacial lake located in the East
Sikkim district of the Indian state of Sikkim
at a height of 3753 meters.
3. Given its severe ecosystem, the lake is
mostly frozen in the winter season.
Name: Sela Lake
Place
Sikkim
Importance
1. The Sela Pass is a high-altitude mountain
pass located on the border between
the Tawang and West Kameng Districts
of Arunachal Pradesh.
2. Sela Lake, near the summit of the pass, is one of
approximately 101 lakes in the area that are
sacred in Tibetan Buddhism.
3. Sela lake is a large lake located on the north side
of the pass at an elevation of 4,160 metres
(13,650 ft).
4. This lake often freezes during the winter and is
drained Nuranang River, a tributary of the Tawang
River.
5. Limited vegetation grows around the lake which is
used as a grazing site for yaks during the summer.
Name
Cholamu Lake
Place
Sikkim
Importance
1. Tso Lhamo lake is one of the highest lakes in the
world, located at an altitude of 6,065 m (19,898 ft).
It is situated in North Sikkim, India, about 4 km
(2.5 mi) southwest of the international border with
China. It is fed by waters from Zemu glacier, Kangtse
glacier or Pauhunri glacier, and is the source of
the Teesta river.
2. Joseph Dalton Hooker referred to the lake
as Cholamoo lake. Its name is also spelled Chho
Lhamo and Cholamu lake.
3. Tso Lhamo Lake is a glacial, fresh-water lake located
northeast of the Kangchenjunga range in a high
plateau area connected with the Tibetan Plateau.
Name: Chembarambakkam lake
Place
Tamil Nadu
Importance
1. Chembarambakkam lake is a lake located
in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
2. The Adyar River originates from this lake. A part of
water supply of the metropolis of Chennai is drawn
from this lake.
3. This was the first Artificial lake built by Rajendra Chola
I the son of Rajaraja Chola and Thiripuvana Madeviyar,
prince of Kodumbalur.
4. Chembarambakkam lake was known as Puliyur
Kottam. It is one of the 24 kottams (villages) that
existed even during the later Chola period in Thondai
Mandalam which had Kanchipuram as its
headquarters.
Name
Pangong Tso Lake
Place- Ladakh

Importance
1. Pangong Tso is a long narrow, deep, landlocked lake
situated at a height of more than 14,000 ft in the Ladakh,
Himalayas.
2. The 135 km-long lake sprawls over 604 sq km in the
shape of a boomerang, and is 6 km wide at its broadest
point.
3. The western end of Pangong Tso lies 54 km to the
southeast of Leh.
4. The brackish water lake freezes over in winter, and
becomes ideal for ice skating and polo.
5. Tourists were not allowed at Pangong Tso until 1999, and
even today, one need to obtain an Inner Line Permit
from the office of the Deputy Commissioner at Leh.
6. Now tourists are only allowed up to Spangmik village,
around 7 km into the lake.
Name: ManasBal Lake
Place
Jammu and Kashmir
Importance
1. Manasbal Lake is located in Safapora area
of Ganderbal District in the union territory
of Jammu and Kashmir in India. The name
Manasbal is said to be a derivative of the Lake
Manasarovar.
2. The lake is a good place for birdwatching as it is one
of the largest natural stamping grounds of Aquatic
birds in Kashmir and has the sobriquet of "supreme
gem of all Kashmir Lakes".
3. The lake is surrounded by the Baladar mountains on
the east, by an elevated plateau known as 'Karewa'
comprising lacustrine, fluviatile and loessic deposits
on the north and bounded by the Ahtung hills in the
south, which are used for limestone extraction.
Name
Kaliveli lake
Place
Tamil Nadu
Importance
1. Kaliveli Lake, or Kaliveli Lagoon, is a
coastal lake and lagoon with wetlands in
the Viluppuram District of Tamil Nadu.
2. This lake is on the Coromandel Coast, near
the Bay of Bengal.
3. Kaliveli Lake is a seasonal wetland, with a
gradient from freshwater to brackish water, and
is an important feeding and breeding ground
on migratory bird flyway. The lake is one of the
largest wetlands in peninsular India, and is
considered a wetland of both national and
international importance by the IUCN.
Name
Ooty Lake
Place
Tamil Nadu
Importance
1. Ooty lake is also called as ooty boat house is
located in Ooty in the Nilgiris district.
2. Ooty lake is an artificial lake constructed
by John Sullivan, in 1824.
3. The water flowing down mountain streams in
the Ooty valley was dammed to form the
lake.
4. The lake is surrounded by groves of
Eucalyptus trees with a railway line running
along one shore.
Name
Hussain Sagar
Place
Telangana
Importance
1. The Hussain Sagar Lake of Hyderabad is the largest artificial lake in
Asia.
2. This lake was built during the reign of Ibrahim Quli Qutub Shah by
Hussain Shah Wali in 1562 AD.
3. Hussain Sagar Lake, built on the tributary of the River Musi, had
been of significance in the early days since it connected the twin
cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad.
4. The place where the Hussain Sagar Lake is located is called 'Tank
Bund’.
5. The lake was built to meet the water and irrigation requirements
of the city. Till 1930, the lake was used for irrigation and drinking
water requirements.
6. A prominent tourist spot, the lake connects the twin cities and in
the lake's centre is a monolith statue of Lord Buddha weighing 350
tonnes, which is 16 meters tall and made of white granite.
Name
Nagarjun Sagar Lake
Place
AP and TS
Importance
1. The Nagarjuna Sagar Dam on River Krishna is
considered to be the largest stone masonry dam in
the world.
2. It has the most widely spread canal system in India.
3. Completed in 1969, the 124-m-high dam is one
kilometre long and has 26 crest gates.
4. It is one of the first projects built for the purpose of
generating hydro-electricity after India gained
Independence.
5. A lake has been built behind the dam, which is one
of the largest man-made lakes in the world.
Name
Ramappa Lake
Place
Telangana
Importance
1. Ramappa Lake is a lake situated in Warangal
district, Telangana.
2. The lake is one of the prominent reservoirs built
by Kakatiya rulers.
3. Ramappa Lake adjoins the well-known Ramappa temple
at Palampet in Mulug taluk of Warangal district. Gopal
Reddy and P.V.P. Sastry state that this lake had a colossal
bund only one side that extends over 200 feet and rises
up to 56 feet.
4. The lake has a ring of hills on three sides. Kakati Ganapati
Deva’s Senapati, Recharla Rudra constructed this lake in
AD 1213.
Name
Kambam Lake
Place
Andhra Pradesh
Importance
1. Cumbum Lake, also known as Gundlakamma Lake, was
built on the Gundlakamma rivulet upon
the Nallamala hills. It is one of the oldest man-made
lakes in Asia.
2. Built by the Gajapati Kings of Orissa in the 15th century,
and later extensively renovated by Rani Varadarajamma
of Vijayanagar Dynasty.
3. In 2020, Four sites in India get World Heritage Irrigation
Structure tag
4. The sites are Cumbum Tank, Kurnool-Cuddapah Canal,
Porumamilla Tank (Anantharaja Sagaram) in Andhra
Pradesh and 490-year-old Dhamapur Lake in
Maharashtra’s Sindhudurg district
Name
Dhamapur Lake
Place
Maharastra
Importance
1. Dhamapur Lake, is an earth-fill dam
constructed in 1530 by the villagers and
Nagesh Desai who was Mandlik of the
Vijaynagar dynasty.

2. Dhamapur Lake, one of the biggest lakes in

Sindhudurg district in Maharashtra, is one of
four Indian historical structures selected from
India to receive the World Heritage Irrigation
Structure (WHIS) award for 2020.
Name
Govind Bhallabh Pant Sagar
Place
Uttar Pradesh
Importance
1. Rihand Dam also known as Govind Ballabh
Pant Sagar, is the largest dam of India by
volume.
2. The reservoir of Rihand Dam is called Govind
Ballab Pant Sagar and is India's largest artificial
lake.
3. Rihand Dam is a concrete gravity dam located
at Pipri in Sonbhadra District in Uttar
Pradesh, India.
4. Its reservoir area is on the border of Madhya
Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
5. It is located on the Rihand River, a tributary of
the Son River.
Name
Belasagar Lake

Place
Uttar Pradesh

Importance
1. Belasagar Lake it is situated in Belatal
village of Uttar Pradesh, India.
2. This lake is a source for irrigation in the
area. This lake is also known as Bela
Taal locally.
Name
Bhimtal lake
Place
Uttarakhand

Importance
1. It is the largest lake in Kumaon region, known as
the "lake district of India".
2. The lake provides drinking water supply and
supports aquaculture with variety of fish species.
3. There is an island at the centre of the lake which
has been developed as a tourist attraction and has
an aquarium.
4. The lake provides drinking water supply and
supports aquaculture with variety of fish species.
There is an island at the centre of the lake which
has been developed as a tourist attraction and has
an aquarium.
Name
Asthamudi lake
Place
Kerala

Importance
1. Ashtamudi Lake (Ashtamudi Kayal), in the Kollam
District of the Indian state of Kerala, is the most
visited backwater and lake in the state.
2. It possesses a unique wetland ecosystem and a
large palm-shaped (also described as octopus-
shaped) water body, second only in size to
the Vembanad estuary ecosystem of the state.
3. Ashtamudi means 'eight braids' (Ashta :
'eight'; mudi : 'hair braids') in the
local Malayalam language. The name is
indicative of the lake's topography with its
multiple branches.
Name
Panchbhadra lake
Place
Rajasthan
Importance
1. Situated in the Barmer district of
Rajasthan near Jaisalmer, Pachpadra Lake
is a salt water lake with a sodium chloride
level of 98%.
2. Besides the usual extraction of high
quality salt from the water, the lake is also
a popular tourist spot and one of the
most visited attractions in the city.
3. Sprawling over a vast 25 sq. kms of area,
the white waves of salt hitting the
boundaries of the lake, in the middle of a
scorching desert land is a visual treat.
Name
Gangabal lake
Place
Jammu and Kashmir

Importance
1. The Gangbal Lake, is a lake situated at the
foothills of Mount Haramukh (the second
highest mountain peak in the vicinity of
Kashmir valley) in Ganderbal district, north
of Srinagar, in the Indian union
territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
2. It is an alpine high altitude oligotrophic lake,
home to many species of fish, including
the brown trout.
Name
Nainital lake
Place
Uttarakhand
Importance
1. Nainital Lake, also known as Naini Lake a
natural freshwater body, situated amidst
the township of Nainital in Kumaon.
2. It is of tectonic in origin, is kidney shaped
or crescent shaped and has an outfall at
the southeastern end.
3. Nainital Lake, in the Nainital district called
the Lake District of India, is one of the
four Lakes of Kumaon hills; the other three
lakes are Sattal Lake, Bhimtal
Lake and Naukuchiyatal Lake.
Thank You
 La Excellence
Geography Series

Types of Soils
 Rock- Rock Cycle
Rocks are made of one or more minerals. There are three main classifications of rock,
based on the way the rock was formed: sedimentary, metamorphic and igneous.
Soil is formed of fine rock particles mixed with air, water
and particles from dead plant and animal matter.
 Soil Soil Profile
Soils are complex mixtures of minerals, water, air, organic
matter, and countless organisms that are the decaying
remains of once-living things. It forms at the surface of
land – it is the “skin of the earth.” Soil is capable of
supporting plant life and is vital to life on earth.

Major Soil Major Soil

Components Characteristics

1. Inorganic 1. Colour
matter 2. Texture
2. Organic 3. Structure
Matter 4. Acidity and
3. Soil Water Alkalinity
4. Soil Air
 Zonal Soils Intra- Zonal Soils Azonal Soils
Types of Soils- These soils occur in These soils occur It is that soil which has
broad geographical within other zonal been developed by the
1. Alluvial Soil areas or zones. soils. process of deposition by
They are influenced It is a well- the agents of erosion.
2. Black Soil/ Regur Soil more by the climate developed soil These are immature soils
and vegetation of reflecting the and lack well-developed
3. Red Soil the area rather than influence of some soil profiles.
4. Laterite Soil the rock-type. local factor of relief, This may be due to the
They are mature, as parent material, or non-availability of
5. Arid/ Desert Soil a result of stable age rather than of sufficient time for them to
conditions over a climate and develop fully or due to the
6. Saline and Alkaline Soil
long period of time. vegetation. location on very steep
7. Peaty and Organic Soils For example – red For example, slopes which prohibits
soils, black soils, calcerous soil (soils profile development.
8. Forest Soils laterite soils, desert which develop from For Example – alluvial and
soils etc. limestone), peat loess soils.
soil.
Major Types of Soils in India:
1.Alluvial soil [43%]
2.Red soil [18.5%]
3.Black / Regur soil [15%]
4.Arid / desert soil
5.Laterite soil
6.Forest and Mountainous
Soil
 Soil Rich In Deficient in Distribution Other points Crops
1 Alluvial Potash and N2,Prosperous, Plains of Northern India and Khadar, Bhangar Wheat, rice, maize,
lime Humus coastal India sugarcane, pulses, etc
2 Black Soil Fe, Al, Mg N, P, Organic MH, Gujarat, MP, Ts, etc Lava Soils, High water Cotton, Sugar cane,
and Lime Matter storage capacity Rice, etc
3 Red Soil Iron Oxide N, P, Organic Peninsular India Decomposition of Wheat, cotton, pulses,
matter granite& gneiss rocks tobacco, oilseeds, etc
4 Lateritic Iron and Silica , lime, Karnataka, Kerala, Paucity of lime makes it Rice, Ragi, Sugarcane
Soil Aluminium Humus, Potash Tamilnadu, MP, Assam and acidic- Heavy Rainfall and Cashew nuts,
Orissa hills. and temperature areas Coffee&Tea plantations
5 Arid and Soluble Moisture and Western Rajastan, north Kankar content is high Millets, Maize, Pulses,
Desert salts, Humus. Gujarat and southern which restricts the etc
Soils phosphate Punjab infiltration of water
6 Saline Sodium, Nitrogen and W.Gujarat, deltas of eastern Can be reclaimed by Barseem, Dhaincha and
&Alkaline Potassium, Calcium coast, Sunderban areas of improving drainage, by other
Soils Magnesium WB, Punjab and Haryana applying gypsum, lime leguminous crops, etc

7 Peat Soils Humus/ Kari - Kottayam Kerala, coastal track of Near wetland, including Rice, scrubs and
org matter Alleppey Orissa, Sundarbans of W.B swamps, marshes Vegetable crops, etc
8 Forest Organic Potash, lime, Forest regions across India Differences of hill slopes Tea, Coffee, Timber,
Soils matter phosphorus and climates- Soil types Spices, Apple, etc
 Karewa soils
Karewa soils are the lacustrine
deposits in the Kashmir valleys and
Bhadarwah valley.
The fine silt, clay, and boulder gravels
are the composition of Karewa soil.
They are characterized with the
fossils.
These soils are mainly devoted to the
cultivation of saffron, almonds,
apple, walnut, etc
 Permafrost
Permafrost is a permanently frozen layer on or under Earth's surface.
It consists of soil, gravel, and sand, usually bound together by ice.
Permafrost usually remains at or below 0°C (32ºF) for at least two years.

It's widespread in the Arctic regions of Siberia,

Canada, Greenland, and Alaska—where nearly 85
percent of the state sits atop a layer of permafrost.
It's also found on the Tibetan plateau, in high-altitude
regions like the Rocky Mountains, and on the floor of
the Arctic Ocean as undersea permafrost.
Investment on education pays best interest
 La Excellence

Important Canals
and Straits in News
Strait-

A strait is a naturally formed, narrow,

typically navigable waterway that
connects two larger bodies of water.
Most commonly it is a channel of
water that lies between two land
masses.
Canals-
Canals are waterway channels,
or artificial waterways, for water
conveyance, or for servicing water
transport vehicles.
They carry free surface flow
under atmospheric pressure, and can be
thought of as artificial rivers.
1. The Suez Canal (opened in 1872)
Suez Canal-
Located in Egypt, between Africa and Asia, one of the most famous
man made canals connects the Mediterranean and the Red Sea.
It is estimated that 8% of international trade uses this 193-
kilometer long structure, which is also connected to the Indian
Ocean.
Around 50 vessels traverse through the canal every day. Four lakes
are part of the route: Manzala, Timsah, Great Bitter, and Small
Bitter.
In 2016, the Suez Canal Authority opened a new side channel
located at the northern side of the east extension of the Suez
Canal.
2. Corinth Canal (opened in 1893)
✓ Carved into the rock of the Isthmus of
Corinth, a natural corridor between two land
strips, the 6 kilometer long canal is filled up
by the blue waters of the gulfs of Corinth and
Saronic.
✓ Those who go through it end up surrounded
by cliffs 40 meters high.
✓ Since it separates the region of the
Peloponnese from the mainland Greece – a
400-kilometer shortcut – it was often used in
the Second World War.
3. Kiel Canal (opened in 1895)
✓ Kiel Canal is an artificial freshwater canal located in
Germany stretching 98 kilometres.
✓ It connects the North Sea to the Baltic Sea, close to
the city of Kiel-Holtenau.
✓ The canal's construction represented a 519-
kilometer shortcut. Before its edification, the ships
passed through the Jutland peninsula, having to
endure harsh sea storms.
✓ It is estimated that Kiel Canal is the most widely-
used canal in the world. In 2007, more than 43.000
ships crossed it.
4. The Panama Canal (opened in 1914)
✓ One of the best known man made canal, the Panama Canal, a 77 km long waterway,
✓ is one of the most incredible engineering feats of mankind.
✓ Strategically and economically it is one of the most important waterways in the world
providing the shortest sea link between East Asia, North America and Europe.
✓ Its opening in 1914 had provided alternative route to lengthy sea voyage around the
southernmost tip of South America via the Drake Passage or Strait of Magellan.
✓ France had started work on the canal in 1881, but stopped it due to engineering
problems and a high worker mortality rate. Later US took over the project in 1904 and
opened it in August 1914.
✓ The canal was taken over or completely nationalised by the Panamanian government in
1999. Now it is managed and operated by the Panamanian government-owned Panama
Canal Authority.
5. Rhine–Main–Danube Canal (opened in 1992)
✓ This German canal connects the North Sea and Atlantic Ocean to the Black Sea.
✓ To cross the 171 kilometer long canal, the so called Europa Canal, travelers need to sail
over a bridge.
✓ There is a passage, in the mountainous region of Solarberg (Germany), in which the beds
of the Danube and Main rivers are artificially linked to the Rhine.
✓ All this to ensure that the North Sea navigation is possible up to the Black Sea, in Romania.
✓ The heights of the different places vary immensely. The vessels overcome the differences
by a sequential system of 16 locks with lifting heights of up to 25 meters.
 Year
Canal name Length Start point End point
opened
White Sea–Baltic Canal 1933 227 km Russia: Lake Onega Baltic Sea in Saint Petersburg

Rhine-Main-Danube
1992 171 km Germany: Main at Bamberg Danube at Kelheim
Canal
Suez Canal 1869 193.3 km Egypt: Port Said Port Tewfik
Volga-Don Canal 1952 101 km Russia: Volgograd Tsimlyansk Reservoir
Kiel Canal 1895 98 km Germany: Brunsbüttel Kiel
Houston Ship Channel 1914 80 km United States: Houston Gulf of Mexico
Panama Canal 1914 77 km Panama: Caribbean Sea Pacific Ocean

Danube-Black Sea Canal 1984 64.4 km Romania: Danube at Cernavodă Black Sea at Agigea

Manchester Ship Canal 1894 58 km United Kingdom: Eastham Locks Salford Quays

Welland Canal 1932 43.4 km Canada: Lake Ontario at Port Weller Lake Erie at Port Colborne

Saint Lawrence Seaway 1959 600 km Canada: Port Colborne Canada: Montreal
Important Straits
1. STRAIT OF HORMUZ

The Strait of Hormuz is a strait between the Persian

Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.
It provides the only sea passage from the Persian
Gulf to the open ocean.
The narrow Strait of Hormuz is considered one of
the world’s most-strategic straits of water.
On the north coast lies Iran, and on the south coast
the United Arab Emirates and Musandam, an
exclave of Oman.
2. BAB-EL MENDEB STRAIT

The Bab-el Mendeb Strait is a strategic

waterway between the Red Sea and the Gulf
of Aden.
At its narrowest, it is only eighteen miles
across.
Exports from the Persian Gulf and Asia
destined for Western markets must pass
through the strait before passing through
the Suez Canal.
3. STRAIT OF MALACCA
The Strait of Malacca is a natural water route between Indonesia and Malaysia, with a
high commercial importance.

The strait is the main shipping

channel between the Indian
Ocean and the Pacific Ocean,
linking major Asian economies
such as India, Thailand, Indonesia,
Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore,
China, Japan, Taiwan, and South
Korea.
 4. Palk Strait
Palk Strait, inlet of the Bay of Bengal between
southeastern India and northern Sri Lanka.
It is bounded on the south by Pamban Island
(India), Adam’s (Rama’s) Bridge (a chain of shoals),
the Gulf of Mannar, and Mannar Island (Sri Lanka).
The southwestern portion of the strait is also called
Palk Bay.
It receives several rivers, including the Vaigai (India),
and it contains many islands on the Sri Lankan side.
The port of Jaffna, the commercial centre for northern
Sri Lanka, lies on the strait.
5. BOSPORUS STRAIT
The Bosporus Strait is a natural water
route located in northwestern Turkey.
Bosporus has always been strategically
important.
It connects the Black Sea with Sea of
Marmara and, by extension via the
Dardanelles, the Aegean and
Mediterranean Seas.
6. STRAIT OF GIBRALTAR

The Strait of Gibraltar has a strategic

importance, as it connects the
Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic
Ocean. It separates Gibraltar and
Peninsular Spain in Europe from Morocco
and Ceuta in Africa.
7. BERING STRAIT

The Bering Strait is an important

waterway between the easternmost point
of Asia and the westernmost point of
North America, which separates Russia
and Alaska. It is the boundary point of
North America and Asia.
The Bering Strait is named after Danish
explorer Vitus Bering.
8. STRAIT OF MAGELLAN

The Strait of Magellan is the most-important

natural passage between the Atlantic and
Pacific Oceans.
The Strait of Magellan is a sea route in
southern Chile separating mainland South
America to the north and Tierra del Fuego to
the south.
9. Kerch Strait
The Kerch Strait is a strait connecting the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.
It separates the Kerch Peninsula of Crimea from the Taman Peninsula of Russia's Krasnodar
Krai. It derives its name from Kerch (a city on the Kerch Peninsula in the east of the Crimea).
Strait/Canal Land masses divided Water Bodies joined
Suez Canal Runs through Egypt Mediterranean and Red Sea
Kiel Canal Runs through Germany North Sea and Baltic Sea
Bering Strait Alaska and Siberia Pacific and Arctic

Palk Strait India and Sri Lanka Bay of Bengal and Gulf of Mannar
Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean
Strait of Gibraltar Africa and Europe
Sea
Indonesia (Sumatra) and Malaysia
Strait of Malacca Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean
(Malay)

Panama Canal Runs through Republic of Panama Pacific and Atlantic Oceans

English Channel England and France North Sea and Atlantic Oceans
 Strait/Canal Land masses divided Water Bodies joined
Irish Sea and Atlantic Ocean (Celtic
St. George's Channel Ireland and Wales
Sea)

Cook Strait North and South Islands of New Zealand Tasman Sea and South Pacific Ocean

Ten Degree Channel Andaman Islands and Nicobar Islands Andaman Sea - Bay of Bengal

Runs through Istanbul (Turkey)

Bosphorus Strait separating Asian part of Turkey from its Black Sea and Sea of Marmara
European part

Rutland Island (Great Andaman) and

Duncan Passage Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea
Little Andaman

Eight Degree Ihavandiffulu Atoll (Maldives) and

Arabian Sea
Channel Minicoy Island (Lakshadweep)
 Strait/Canal Land masses divided Water Bodies joined
Formosa Strait China and Taiwan The South China Sea and the East China
Sea

Strait of Tartary Russia (East Russia-Sakhalin Sea of Okhotsk and the Sea of Japan
Islands)
Yucatan Strait Mexico and Cuba The Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea

Mesina Strait Italy and Sicily The Tyrrhenian Sea and the Ionian Sea,
within the central Mediterranean

Otranto Strait Italy and Albania Adriatic Sea & Ionian Sea
Cook Strait New Zealand The Tasman Sea and South Pacific Ocean

Mozambique Channel Mozambique and Madagascar Indian Ocean

North Channel Ireland and Scotland Irish Sea and Atlantic Ocean
Strait/Canal Land masses divided Water Bodies joined
Sunda Strait Java island of Indonesia with its Java Sea and the Indian Ocean
Sumatra island.
Florida Strait Cuba and the USA Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic
Ocean
Bering Strait Asia from America The Arctic Ocean and East Pacific
ocean
Korea Strait Japan and South Korea The East China Sea and the Sea of
Japan
Bonifacio Strait Corsica island of France and Sardinia The Tyrrhenian Sea and the
islands of Italy Mediterranean Sea
Bass Strait Tasmania island and mainland The Great Australian Bight and the
Australia Tasman Sea
Davis Strait Between Greenland and Canada The Baffin Bay and the Labrador Sea
Jamaica Channel Jamaica and Hispaniola The Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic
Hudson Strait Baffin Island and Labrador peninsula Hudson Bay and the Labrador Sea
All The Best