Indian River System/ भारत की नदी प्रणालियााँ

Based on source:
Himalayan Rivers
Peninsular Rivers

• Peninsular Rivers:
– West Flowing
– East Flowing

Parcham Classes 1
 Peninsular River System
• Rivers that originate from the peninsular plateaus
and small hills of India.
•Largely seasonal/no-perennial - depend on rainfall.
•Mostly East Flowing - originate from Western Ghats
and flow towards Bay of Bengal - make deltas at their
mouths.
•Water-divide is formed by Western Ghats
•Low velocity of water and load carrying capacity of
the streams is low due to low gradient.

Parcham Classes 2
• 2 long west flowing rivers - Narmada and Tapi (as well as
those originating from the Western Ghats and falling in the
Arabian Sea) - form estuaries in place of deltas.
• No Delta → Due to Hard rocks & lack of Distributaries
Estuary - Semi closed coastal body of water and it’s
connected to the open sea
River delta - a landform created
by deposition of sediment that is carried by a river

Parcham Classes 3
 Major West Flowing Rivers

1. Narmada
2. Tapi/Tapti
3. Mahi
4. Sabarmati

Parcham Classes 4
 Gulf of Khambat (खंभात की खाडी)
• Also known as Gulf of
Cambay
• A bay on Arabian
Sea coast of India,
bordering Gujarat.
• About 200 km long,
about 20 km wide in
north and up to 70 km
wide in south.

Major rivers forming estuaries -

Narmada, Tapti, Mahi and Sabarmati
Parcham Classes 5
1. Narmada River (नर्मदा नदी)

Parcham Classes 6
 Narmada River
• Also called Rewa and previously also known as Nerbudda
• Origin – Amarkantak peak (north eastern end of satpura
range), near Anuppur district of Madhya Pradesh.
• Flows – in a rift valley between Vindhya range and Satpura
range
• Drains - Arabian Sea near Gulf of Khambat, west of Bharuch
city of Gujarat
• Largest west flowing river in peninsula.
• Known as the lifeline of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat.
• Total length from its source in Amarkantak to its estuary in
the Gulf of Khambhat is 1,310 km.
Parcham Classes 7
 Narmada River
• Forms Dhuandhar Falls (धंआधार जिप्रपात) in Bedaghat
near Jabalpur (M.P.)

Parcham Classes 8
• Major Dams - Sardar Sarovar, Indira Sagar,
Omkareshwar Dam, Maheshwar Dam
• Kanha National Park located in the upper reaches
of Narmada. Tributaries of Narmada – Hallon and
Banjar, flow through this park.

Parcham Classes 9
Tapi/Tapti River (तापी/ ताप्ती नदी)
• Origin – Multai,
Betul District (M. P.)
eastern central part
of Satpura range.
• Flows – westward
crossing Satpura in
the center, enter
Maharashtra then
Gujarat.

• Drains – Gulf of Khambat in Surat district, Gujarat near

Hazira mangrove.
Parcham Classes 10
Parcham Classes 11
• Known as ‘the twin’ or ‘the handmaid’ of Narmada.
• Basin is bounded by the Satpura range - north, Mahadev
hills - east, Ajanta Range and the Satmala hills - south and
Arabian Sea - west.
• Dams on Tapti River:
– Ukai Dam/ उकाई बााँ ध (Gujarat)
– Hathnur Dam and Girna Dam (Maharashtra)
• Industry in Tapti Basin
– Textile factories in Surat
– Paper and news print factory at Nepanagar (M.P.).

Parcham Classes 12
 Mahi River (र्ाही नदी)
• Origin – Vindhya
range, M.P.
• Flows – Northwards
to Vagad (वागड)
Region of Rajasthan,
takes U-Turn and
enters Gujarat
• Drains – Gulf of
Khambat
• The major part of basin is covered with agricultural land
accounting to 63.63% of the total area.
• Hydro Power stations located at - Mahi Bajaj Sagar dam
(र्ाही बजाज सागर बां ध) and Kadana
Parcham Classes Dam (कदाणा बां ध). 13
 Vagad Region (वागड प्रदे श)

• Vagad is a region (वागड प्रदे श) in

southeastern Rajasthan state of western India.
• Its boundaries are roughly defined by those of the
districts of Dungarpur and Banswara.
• Major cities of the region
are Dungarpur and Banswara.
• Mahi River is said to be the lifeline of Vagad.

Parcham Classes 14
 Sabarmati River (साबरर्ती नदी)
• Origin – Aravalli hills,
Udaipur, Rajasthan
• Flows – Southwest
direction, enters
Gujarat and flows
through Ahemdabad
• Drains – Gulf of
Khambat

The major part of basin is covered with agriculture accounting

to 74.68% of the total area.

Parcham Classes 15
 Luni River (िूनी नदी)
• Luni is largest river in the Thar
desert in north-west India
• Luni is the only river basin of any
significance in Western Rajasthan.
• The Luni or the Salt River is
named so because its water is
salty below Balotra (Barmer).
• Lavanavari or Lavanavati
•Originates – Naag Pahaad on western slopes of the Aravalli
ranges, in Pushkar Valley (Ajmer) - Sagarmati
•Flow - South West direction around 511 km in Rajasthan
•Finally flow into the Rann of Kutch (it gets lost in the
marshes). Parcham Classes 16
 East Flowing Peninsular Rivers
• Major peninsular rivers
flow from west
to east due to the
gradient of land.
• These rivers drain into Bay
of Bengal
• Carry greater amount of
sediments and therefore
form Delta on the east
coast.
• These rivers have a
developed and large
tributary System Parcham Classes 17
 Major East-Flowing Rivers
• Mahanadi River
• Godavari River
• Krishna River
• Kaveri (Cauvery) River
Other Important Rivers:
• Subarnarekha River
• Brahmani River
• Pennar River
• Vaigai River
Parcham Classes 18
 Mahanadi River
• Source – Sihawa
Mountains in
Chhattisgarh
• Total length – 851 Km
• Flow – Chhattisgarh &
Odisha

Upper Course:
 Flows in a northerly
CHATTISGARH – ODISHA – BAY OF BENGAL
direction
 Drains the Raipur
district Parcham Classes 19
Middle Course:
• After being joined by
the Seonath, the river
flows in an easterly
direction

•It is joined by the Jonk and Hasdeo rivers before entering

into Odisha
•Near the city of Sambalpur (Odisha), it is dammed by the
longest earthen dam in the world, the Hirakud Dam.
Parcham Classes 20
Lower Course
• The river enters
the Odisha plains at
Naraj, near Cuttack
• Just before entering
Cuttack, it gives off a
large distributary called
Kathjori.
• Mahanadi enters Bay COURSE IN ODISHA
of Bengal via several
channels •It also forms the largest
near Paradeep at False Brackish water lake in India –
Point, Jagatsinghpur. Chilika lake
Parcham Classes 21
• Drinage Basin shared by – Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh,
Jharkhand and Odisha
• The major part of basin - covered with agricultural land -
54.27% of the total area.
• One of the most-active silt-depositing streams in the Indian
subcontinent.
• Puri, at one of its mouths, is a famous pilgrimage site.
• In water potential and flood producing capacity, it ranks
second to Godavari.
• It was called 'sorrow of Orissa '.
• Left bank Tributaries: Seonath, Hasdeo, Mand and Ib.
• Right bank Tributaries: Ong, Tel, Jonk.
Parcham Classes 22
 Godavari River
• Largest Peninsuar River
• Also Known as Dakshin
Ganga
• Length – 1465 Km
• Source - Slopes of
Western Ghats in
Tryambakeshwar in
Nashik (Maharashtra)

• Flows eastwards and

enters Telangana in
Nizamabad district.

• Turns southeast and

enters Andhra Pradesh.
Parcham Classes 23
• Splits into two
branches -Vriddha
Gautami (Gautami
Godavari) and Vasishta
Godavari.
• Gautami and Vasishta
branches further split
into two branches
each.
• These four branches
form delta at Sir
Arthur Cotton
Barrage in
Rajamahendravaram The Godavari is subjected to heavy
floods in its lower reaches to the
(Rajamundri) before
south of Polavaram
joining Bay of Bengal. Parcham Classes 24
Important Left Bank Tributaries:
1. Purna
2. Pranhita: largest tributary conveying the combined
waters of Penganga, Wardha Wainganga]
3. Indravati
4. Sabari

Parcham Classes 25
Important Right Bank Tributaries:
1. Darna
2. Pravara
3. Manjira, Manjra
4. Manyar/ Manair

Parcham Classes 26
 Krishna River
• 2nd largest East flowing Peninsular
river
• Length – 1401 Km
• Source - Near Mahabaleshwar, Jor
village (Sahayadri), Maharashtra
• Flows - It flows through the state
of Karnataka before
entering Telangana State.
• Drains – into Bay of
Bengal at Hamasaladeevi (near
Koduru) in Andhra Pradesh.
• The delta of this river is one of
the most fertile regions in India
• Vijaywada (A.P.) – largest city on
Krishna Parcham Classes 27
 Tributaries

Left Bank Tributaries: Right Bank Tributaries:

• Bhima( Longest • Venna
Tributary) • Koyna
• Musi • Ghataprabha
• Paleru • Malaprabha
• Munneru • Tungabhadra (Largest
Tributary)
• Panchganga
• Dudhaganga

Parcham Classes 28
Parcham Classes 29
 Cauvery/Kaveri river
• Source - Talakaveri on
the Brahmagiri range in
Western Ghats, Kodagu
district of Karnataka
• Flows – through
Karnataka and Tamil
Nadu.
• Drains in to Bay of
Bengal at Poompuhar,
Tamil Nadu
• River Basin – Tamil
Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala,
Puducherry Parcham Classes 30
• Shivanasamudra Falls (Karnataka)- Asia's
first hydroelectric plant (built in 1902) was on
the left falls and supplied power to the city
of Bangalore

Parcham Classes 31
• Kaveri carries water throughout the year with
comparatively less fluctuation than other Peninsular
rivers.

• Since the upper catchment area receives rainfall during

summer (southwest monsoon) and the lower part
during winter (northeast monsoon)

• One of the best regulated rivers - 90 to 95 per cent of

irrigation and power production potential already stands
harnessed.

Parcham Classes 32
 Kaveri River Water Dispute
• The sharing of waters of Kaveri River has been the source of a
serious conflict between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

• Genesis of this conflict rests in two agreements in 1892 and

1924 between the Madras Presidency and Kingdom of Mysore

• Final verdict - by Indian Supreme Court - on 16 February 2018.

• As per an order by the Indian Supreme Court - Centre

constituted Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) on
1 June 2018 to address the dispute over sharing of river water
among Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Puducherry.

• Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) – 3 weeks later.

Parcham Classes 33
•Left Bank Tributaries -
Harangi, Hemavati, Shimsha, Arkavathy

•Right Bank Tributaries – Lakshmana

Tirtha, Kabini, Bhavani, Noyyal, Amravati, Moyar
Parcham Classes 34
 Subarnarekha River
• Source - Near Ranchi (Jharkhand)
• Flows through West Bengal - Odisha.
• Drains - into Bay of Bengal near Talsari, Odisha

Parcham Classes 35
 Brahmani River
• Source - Near Rourkela, Odisha
• Major seasonal river in the Odisha
• Drains into the Bay of Bengal at
Dhamra.

Parcham Classes 36
 Pennar River
• Source - rises in the Nandi
Hills in Karnataka
• Flows - runs north and east ANDHRA PRADESH
through the states of
Karnataka and Andhra
Pradesh
• Drains into Bay of Bengal KARNATAKA

Nellore district of Andhra

Pradesh.

Parcham Classes 37
 Vaigai River
• Source – Varusanadu Hills,
Tamil Nadu
• The Vattaparai Falls are
located on this river.
• Madurai is the largest city
that lies on Vaigai.

• Drains - into the Palk Strait , close to Pamban

bridge in Ramanathapuram District.
Parcham Classes 38
 Palk Strait
• The Palk Strait is
a strait between the Tamil
Nadu and the Jaffna
District of Sri Lanka.
• It connects the Bay of
Bengal in the northeast
with Palk Bay in the
southwest
• Several rivers flow into it,
including the Vaigai River of
Tamil Nadu.

Parcham Classes 39