The River System of India

The Indian River system is made up of two major rivers systems- Himalayan
and peninsular river systems. The majority of rivers empty into the Bay of
Bengal. There are some rivers that fow through the western porton of the
naton and end up in the Arabiian Sea. Inland drainage exists in portons of
Ladakh, the northern Aravalli range, and the parched Thar Desert. One of the
three primary watersheds in India is the source of all of India’s major rivers.

Potamology is the study of the rivers, Limnology is the study of lakes.

Indian Rivers and the sources

Himalayan rivers
The Ganga, Indus, and Brahmaputra River systems are the three primary
Himalayan River systems. Large biasins are formed biy the Himalayan rivers. The
Himalayas are crisscrossed biy numerous rivers. The down-cutng of the river
in the era of the Himalayan uplif created these deep gorges with sheer rock
walls. They convey massive loads of sand and silt upstream due to intensive
erosional actvity. They generate enormous meanders and a variety of
depositonal structures such as food plains, river clifs, and levees in the plains.
The main Himalayan River systems are as follows :

1. Indus river

Origin place : Tibiet, Manasa sarowar, Kailasa hills, Bokhar Glacier.

Mouth place : Karachi, Pakisthan, Arabiian sea.

Flowing countries : China

Pakisthan

India

Important note :

 Indus river fowing union territories are Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir.
 The Indus is one of the most important drainage System of the
subicontnent of India. It has a length of 2880km, of which 709km lies in
India.
 The catchment area of the Indus is abiout 1,165,000sq km, out of which
abiout 45,3931.87 sq km in India.
 It drains the largest numbier of glaciers and mountain slopes of the
Karakoram.
 It is known as Singi Khamban (meaning lion’s mouth) in Tibiet.
 Indus makes its deepest George at Gilgit.
 The water resources of Indus river system are shared biy India and Pakisthan
according to the Indus Water Treaty, 1960
 This treaty accords India to utlise 20% of the total discharge of the Indus
waters.
 Longest tribiutary of Indus river is Sutlej.
 Largest tribiutary of Indus river is Chenab.

Tributaries of Indus river :

Right hand tributaries

Das, Gilgit, Shigar, Shyok, Hanza, Kabiul, Zaskar, Kurram, Touch, Nubira, Sardi,
Joabi.
Left hand tributaries

Name of the Old Origin

River Names Place
Jhelum Vitasta Verinag, j&k
Chenabi Asikni Bara-Lacha Pass,
Himachal Pradesh
Ravi Parushni or Iravathi Rohtang Pass, Kulu
mountain, Himachal
Pradesh
Beas Vipasa or Argikiya Rohtang Pass, Beas
Kund, Himachal Pradesh
Sutlej Satudri Rakas Lake

 Several tribiutaries the Zaskar, the Nubra, the Shyok and the Hunza. Join
it in the Kashmir region.
 It enters into Pakistan near chillar in the dardistan region.
 The Sutlej, the Beas, the Ravi, the Chenab and the Jhelum join together
to enter the Indus on its lef biank near Mithankot in Pakistan.
2. Ganga River :

With a length of 2510km and a biasin area of 808334.44 sq.km, the Ganga biasin
is the most important and the largest river biasin in India. It is an a internatonal
river as it passes through Bangladesh biefore merging into the Bay of Bengal.

The Ganga originates as Bhagirathi from the Gaumukh (Gangotri Glacier) in

Uttar Kashi District of Uttarakahnad at an elevaton of abiout 7010 m.
Alaknanda, originatng from the Stopanth Glacier, joins the Bhagirathi at
Devprayag. Before making a confuence at Devprayag Alaknanda and its
tribiutaries make fve confuences known as Panch Prayag.

 Before Devprayag Ganga River is called Jahnavi.

 Afer Devprayag Ganga River is called Ganga.
 In west Bengal Ganga river is divided into 2 parts at Pakuru.
 Lef hand part is called Padma in Bangladesh and right hand part is called
Hugli in west Bengal.
  Padmaa river + Brahmaputra river = at Gelundo (Bangladesh )
 Before Gelundo Brahmaputra River is called Jamuna.
 Afer Gelundo Brahmaputra River is called Meghana.
 Meghana River is merging into Bay of Bengal at Sagar Island.
 Hugli river is merge into Bay of Bengal at Farakka Barriage.

Ganga River is fowing into 5 states in India. They are

 Uttarakahand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal.

Nick names of Ganga River

 Natonal river
 Polluated river
 Traditonal river

Tributaries of Ganga River :

Left hand tributaries

 Sharda river
 Ram Ganga river
 Gomat river
 Karnali river
 Gandak river
 Kosi river
 Mahananda river
 Tista river
 Ram Ganga river supply drinking water to Delhi.
 Lucknow city fowing river is gomat river.
3. Brahmaputra river :

Originatng from the Angsi glaciers lying to the south-east of Kailash Mountain
and Mansarovar Lake, at an elevaton of 5150 m, the Brahmaputra is known as
the Tsangpo in Tibiet. It pierces the Greater Himalayas (7755) near Namcha
Barwa. It passes the Dihang-gorge in Arunachal Pradesh. At sadiya, the river
comes down to 135 m abiove sea level.
In India, the river is known as Brahmaputra. The river fows to the west in
Assam upto Dhubiri(28m), and further bielow, it takes a sharp southward biend
to enter into Bangladesh.

The catchment area of the Brahmaputra river receives heavy rainfall. Most of
the tribiutaries are large and pour large quantty of water and sediment into
the Brahmaputra River.

Tributaries of Brahmaputra River :

Subiansiri, Bhareli, Manas, Sankos, Tista, and Raidak on its right side, while the
Dihang, Lohit, and Burhi Dihang are from the east and Dhansiri, Kalang and
kapil are the lef side tribiutaries of the Brahmaputra.

Peninsular Rivers :

 The peninsular drainage system is older than the Himalayan one.

 A larger numbier of the Peninsular River are seasonal. As their fow is
dependent on rainfall.
 The Peninsular Rivers have shorter and shallower courses as compared
to their Himalayan counter parts.
 Most of the major rivers of the peninsula such as the Mahanadi, the
Godavari, the Krishna and Cauveri fow Eastwards and drain into the Bay
of Bengal.

West fowing peninsular Rivers :

1. Narmada river :
 The Narmada Rises in the Amarkantak hills in Madhya Pradesh at an
alttude of 1057 m.
 It fows towards the west in a raif valley formed due to faultng bietween
Vindhyas in the North and Satpuras in the South.
 The Narmada biasin covers parts of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat.
 It forms a picturesque gorge in marbile rocks and Dhuandhar falls near
Jabialpur.
 It fows into Arabiian Sea forming a long estuary South of the town of
Bharuch.
 2. Tapti River :
 The Tapt rises from Multai in the Betual district of Madhya Pradesh in
Satpura ranges.
 Its biasin covers parts of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Maharashtra.
 Purna is the main lef biank tribiutary of Tapt along with Girna and
Panjra.
 Narmada and Tapt bioth fow through rocks of Rif valley and neither
abile to form distribiutaries nor deltas, only form estuaries.
3. Mahi River

Mahi rises in the Vindhyas at an elevaton of 500 m and fows through Madhya
Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat biefore falling into the Gulf of Khambiat. Its
main tribiutaries are Som, Anas and Panam. Mahi River cuts Tropic of Cancer
twice.

4. Sabarmati River

It is the combiined name given to the stream of Sabiar and Hathmat. It

originates from Mewar hills in the southern part of Aravali range and fows into
Gulf of Khambiat.

East fowing peninsular Rivers :

1. Subarnarekha River

Subiarnarekha river is originates in the Ranchi plateau of Jharkhand and fow in

a south-east directon forming bioundary bietween west Bengal and Odisha in
its lower course. It forms an estuary to eventually fall into Bay of Bengal.

2. Brahmani River

Brahmani River is formed biy the confuence of two rivers – Sankh and south
koel near Rourkela. It shares delta with Mahanadi Rivers and falls into Bay of
Bengal afer traversing through a length of 800 km.

3. Mahanadi River

The Mahanadi rises in the highlands of Chhattisgarh near Sihawa in Raipur

district. Its biasin lies in the States of Chhatsgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand
and Odisha. The length of the river is abiout 860 km. Its main tribiutaries on the
lef bianks are Ib, Mand, Hasdo and Sheonath while those on the right biank are
Ong and Tel. It fows Eastwards biefore taking a Southward turn at the point
where Hirakud dam has bieen constructed and fnally fows into Bay of Bengal
forming large delta plains

4. Godavari River

The Godavari is the largest Peninsular River and is also called Dakshin Ganga. It
rises from the slope of the Western Ghats in the Trimbak plateau in Nasik
district of Maharashtra. Its length is abiout 1465 km. It drains into the Bay of
Bengal. Its drainage basin is also the largest among the Peninsular Rivers. The
biasin(river) covers parts of Maharashtra (abiout 50% of the biasin area lies in
Maharashtra), Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. The
Godavari is joined biy a numbier of tribiutaries bioth from right and lef bianks.
Lef biank tribiutaries are more in numbier and larger in size and include rivers
such as the Purna, the Wardhaa, the Pranhita, the Indravati, the Wainganga
and the Penganga.

Manjira is an important right biank tribiutary. South of Polavaram, it forms a

picturesque gorge and causes heavy foods in its lower reaches in the rainy
season. Total area of Godavari river is 3,12,812 km.

Tributaries of Godavari River

Right hand tributaries :

Pravara, Manjeera, Mula, Kinnerasani, Pedda vagu, Maneru.

Left hand tributaries :

Indravathi, Pranhita, Sabiari, Kadem, Wardhaa.

Godavari River divided into 7 parts at davaleshwar.

Name of the parts Mouth place

Gowthami Yanam, Bay of Bengal
Vasista Antharvedi, Bay of Bengal
Vainateya Komagiri patnam, Bay of Bengal
Thulya Bendamuru lanka, Bay of Bengal
Bharathwaja Bendamuru lanka, Bay of Bengal
Koushika Vasista, Bay of Bengal
Athreya Vainatheya, Bay of Bengal

Nick names of Godavari River :

 Indian rain river

 South Indian Ganga
 Oldest river in India (Vrudda Ganga)
 Telivahaka River.

5. Krishna River

Origin place :

State : Maharashtra

Ghats : Western Ghats

Plateau: Mahabialeshwar.

Mouth place: Hamsaladeevi, Krishna District, Andhra Pradesh.

 Krishna river is divided into 2 parts at the place of puligadda.

 Highest foods at Diviseena in 1977 Nov 19th , Diviseena is a dangerous
food is happend in India.
 Krishna river one and only island is Diviseena.
 Krishna river length is 1400 km.
 Krishna river area is 2,59,000
 Krishna river is the fourth largest river in India.
 Krishna river nick name is Shilphi, or Telugu Ganga.
  Longest tribiutary of Krishna river is Bheema, largest tribiutary is
Tungabhadra.

Tributaries of Krishna River

Left hand tributaries ;

Bheema, Paleru, Dindi, Musi.

Right hand tributaries :

Mala prabiha, Ghata prabiha, Panch Ganga, Koina and Tungabihadra.

6. Cauveri River

Origin place:

State: Karnataka

Ghats: Western Ghats, Thalai Kaveri.

Hills: Brahmagiri hills

Mouth place: kaveri patnam, Tamil nadu, Bay of Bengal.

 Cauveri River fowing states is three, they are Karnataka, Tamil nadu,
and Kerala.
 Cauveri river length is 805 km.
 Cauveri river area is 1,40,000 sq.km.
 Cauveri river Ancient name is Ponni.
 Its main tribiutaries are Arkavati, Bhavani, Hemavati, Kabini, Lakshman,
Tirtha, Noyyal.

7. Pennar River

Pennar River rises from the Nandi Durga peak in Karnataka and fows in a
Northward directon biefore entering Andhra Pradesh where it takes an
Eastward turn to eventually form a small estuary and fall into Bay of Bengal.
Papagni, Chitravari and Chayyeru are its principal tribiutaries.

Indian inland Rivers:

The river water is sink into the earth without merge into any ocean/sea is river
are called inland rivers. The following rivers are Inlands Rivers, they are:

 Luni
 Ghaggar
 Bani

Luni River:

Origin place: Anna sagar

Flowing states: Rajasthan, and Gujarat.

Ending place: Rann of Katch, Gujarat.

Length: 495 km.

 Luni is a longest inland river in India.

 Luni which is the largest river of Rajasthan.

Ghaggar River:

Origin place: Himachal Pradesh, Sivalik hills.

Flowing states: Himachal Pradesh, Punjabi, Haryana, Rajasthan.

Ending place: Rajasthan

Length : 320 km.

 Ghaggar is a largest inland river in India.

 Nick name of Ghaggar river is Hakra.
 Ghaggar river is the most important example of inland drainage.

Bani River

Length : 160 km.

 Bani River is fowing in Thar desert.

Volga River
 Origin place is volthas plateaus at Russia
 Ending place is near Caspian sea Russia
 World largest and longest inland river is Volga River.
 Length 3530 km.