Give an account of the Northern Plains of India.

Solution

Northern Plains are in India are the most recent landforms. These plains comprise of enormous
features. The northern plain is the largest plain covering many rivers that are running from
Himalayan Mountains.

Facts about northern plain

 The plain has various spectacular features. Let us read about the feature of the plain one by
one.
 Alluvial deposits
 The northern plains are mainly formed by the alluvial deposits.
 The northern plain has been formed by the interplay of the three major river systems. They
are the Indus, the Ganga and the Brahmaputra along with their tributaries.
 This plain is completely formed of alluvial soil.
 The deposition of alluvium in a vast basin lying at the foothills of the Himalaya over millions
of years formed this fertile plain.
Area- How it is spread
 It stretches its area around 7 lakh sq. km.
 The plain is about 2400 km lengthwise and 240 to 320 km breadthwise.
 It is a densely populated physiographic division. As per the survey the population maybe
around 400 million.
 With a rich soil cover equipped with an adequate water supply and favourable climate, it is
agriculturally a productive part of India.
Division of the plain
The Northern Plain is mainly divided into three sections.
 The Western part of the Northern Plain is referred to as the Punjab Plains. It is formed by the
Indus and its tributaries, the larger part of this plain lies in Pakistan.
 The Indus and its tributaries are the Jhelum, the Chenab, the Ravi, the Beas and the Satluj all
originate in the Himalayas.
 The Ganga plain broadly extends between Ghaggar and Teesta rivers.
 The plain spreads over the northern states of Haryana, Delhi, U.P., Bihar and partly
Jharkhand.
 The Ganga plains also extend towards Bengal towards the eastern region.
 Further towards the east, in Assam lies the Brahmaputra plain.
 The northern plains are called as flatlands with no variations in its relief. However, this is not
completely true. These vast plains also have diverse relief features.
Variations in relief features
According to the variations in relief features, the Northern plains can be categorised in four
segments or regions.
 The rivers, that are descending from the mountains, deposit pebbles in a narrow belt of
around 8 to 16 km in width lying parallel to the slopes of the Shiwaliks. This region is called
bhabar. All the streams disappear or vanish in this bhabar belt.
 In the southern part of this belt, the streams and rivers re-emerge and create a wet, swampy
and marshy region called terai. This was once a thickly forested region, full of wildlife.
 Bhangar is the largest part of Northern Plains and it is composed of old alluvial soil
(deposited before the river changed its course). It lies above the floodplain and resembles a
terrace. Locally, the soil of this region is called Kankar.
  Khadar: This floodplain is formed by younger alluviums called Khadar. The soil of this region
is renewed every year and it is highly fertile. This region is considered ideal for intensive
agricultural activities.

What are the features of the northern Plains?

Ans:

 The northern plains are formed by the alluvial deposits of the three major river systems of the
Indus, the Ganga and the Brahmaputra along with their tributaries.
 This plain is completely formed of alluvial soil.
 The plains are very fertile and are best suited for agriculture.
 These plains are densely populated because of their fertile lands and economic activities
based on agriculture.

Explain the Rajasthan Plains.

The Marusthali and Rajasthan Bagar regions are situated in the west of Aravalis. There are many
brackish lakes present as a result of the submergence of marine which existed. Only the Luni River
reaches the ocean, even though several inland drainage systems exist. The area is covered with
dunes and sand mostly. Bagar is mostly a fertile, semi-arid region that is drained by the Luni River
in the southern part.

States in the Northern Plains of India

The important states in the northern plains of India include:
1. Punjab
2. Haryana
3. Uttar Pradesh
4. Bihar
5. Delhi
6. Jharkhand
7. West Bengal
8. Assam
These are the important states which make up the northern plains of India.

Rivers of Northern Plains of India

The major rivers of the Northern Plains of India include:
1. Indus river
2. Ganga river
3. Brahmaputra river

Crops Grown in Northern Plains of India

The northern plains of India are best suited for agriculture because of their fertile soil. Some of the
most important crops include maize, millet, jute, sugarcane, wheat, and rice.
What are the northern plains called?
Answer:
The northern plains are also known as Indo-Gangetic plains, as most of the area is covered by plains
which are formed by deposition of river Indus and Ganga.

What are the 4 types of Northern Plains?

Answer:
The 4 types of Northern plains include the bhabar, terai, bhangar and Khadar.

Significance of the Northern Plains

Most favourable for human settlement- fertile soil, many rivers and favourable climate. Many multi-
purpose dams constructed- provision of water for irrigation, generate electricity. They hold social and
religious significance- vast literature, art and architecture and sacred rivers. The rivers in the plains
are navigable which allow easy transportation and thus, promote trade and commerce.

Describe division of the Northern Plain on the basis of variations in relief features.
According to the various relief features, the Northern Plains can be divided into four regions:
(i) The Bhabar Belt. The Bhabar is that narrow belt of the plain which is covered with pebbles and lies along
the foothills of the Shiwaliks from the Indus to the Teesta. This belt is laid down by numerous streams
descending down the hills. All the streams disappear in this Bhabar Belt.
(ii) The Terai Belt. It lies next to the Bhabar region and is composed of newer alluvium. These plains are
formed due to the re-emergence of rivers and thus creating a wet, swampy and marshy region known as terai. It
was thickly forested region full of wildlife. But now the forests have been cleared to create agricultural land and
to settle migrants from Pakistan after partition.
(iii) The Bhangar Belt. It is formed from older alluvium. They lie above the flood plains of the rivers and
present a terrace like feature. These plains are found far from the river basins. The soil in this region contains
calcareous deposits locally known as Kankar which is less fertile.
(iv) The Khadar Belt. The newer, younger deposits of the flood plains are called Khadar. They are renewed
almost every year. So they are very fertile and ideal ,for intensive agriculture.

How the northern plains were formed?

The Northern Plain was formed by the deposits brought in by the three major rivers and their
tributaries.
1. The Indus
2. The Ganga
3. The Brahmaputra
Alluvium was deposited at the foothills of the Himalayas for millions of years. These deposits are
now the fertile Northern Plains.
 Why the Northern Plains of India are called the 'gift of the Himalayas'?

 Himalayas act as a huge reservoir of water for the north Indian rivers.
 Almost all the great and perennial rivers of the India originate from the Himalayan mountain or
glaciers, abundant rainfall, vast snow field and huge glaciers are the feeding grounds of the mighty rivers of the
India.
 Snow melt in summer provides water to these rivers even during dry season and hence these are perennial
rivers.
 Himalayan rivers are the life line of the north India.
 Himalayas are the formation of the sediments deposited in the Tethys Sea.
 This sediment is carried by the Himalayan rivers and deposited in the northern plain in the form of the fertile
soil, making the plain one the most fertile land of the world.
 It is, therefore, often said that Northern Plains of India called the 'gift of the Himalayas.

Write short notes on the Northern Plains of India ?

Northern plains lie in the south of Himalayas Mountains and north of Deccan plateau. It is formed by
flooding of three major rivers- Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra. It is drained by many other rivers like
Yamuna, Ghaghara, Gandak etc. These are perennial rivers which flow throughout the year which
helps plains maintain their fertility. It has the largest tract of 2400 km of alluvial soil in the world. The
soil of these plains is very fertile. A large number of people live here who are dependent on
agriculture for livelihood.

What is the length of the Northern Plains?

The Northern Plain was formed by the interplay of the three major river systems, the Indus, the Ganga
and the Brahmaputra along with their tributaries. It is composed of alluvial soil, it is about 2400 km
long and about 240 to 320 km broad. With a rich soil cover combined with adequate water supply and
favorable climate it is agriculturally a very productive part of India. It is divided into three sections,
viz. the Punjab Plain, the Ganga Plain and the Brahmaputra Plain.

Explain any five properties of the northern plains of India.

Properties are:
(i) The northern plains have been formed from the alluvium deposited by the mountain rivers.
(ii) They are located between the Himalayan Rivers in the north and the Peninsular Plateau in
the south.
(iii) They turned the soil on the surfaced land fertile for growing a rich harvest of variety of crops.
This led to the development of the Indus Valley Civilization.
(iv) They are made up of deposits of alluvium and cover an area of 7 lakh sq. km.
(v) They are densely populated physiographic division of India and are believed to be highly
productive in terms of agriculture.