Northern plains

Introduction
• The northern plain has been formed by the
interplay of the three major river systems,
namely the Indus, the Ganga and the
Brahmaputra along with their tributaries
• This plain spreads over an area of 7 lakh sq. km.
• The plain being about 2400 Km long and 240 to
320 Km broad, is a densely populated
physiographic division.
• With a rich soil cover combined with adequate
water supply and favourable climate so it
is agriculturally a very productive part of India.
 Punjab Plains
• The Punjab plains form the western part of the northern plain.
• In the east, the Delhi-Aravalli ridge separates it from the Ganga plains.
• This is formed by the Indus and its tributaries; like Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi,
Beas and Sutlej. A major portion of these plains is in Pakistan.
• It is divided into many Doabs i.e. a region or land lying between two rivers .
• Sindh Sagar Doab- between the Indus and Jhelum rivers.
• Jech Doabs- between the Jhelum and Chenab rivers.
• Rechna Doab- between the Chenab and Ravi rivers.
• Bari Doabs- between the Ravi and Beas rivers.
• Bist Doab – between the Beas and Sutlej rivers.
 Ganga Plains
• The Ganga plains lie between the Yamuna catchment in the west to the Bangladesh border in
the East.
• The lower Ganga plain has been formed by the downwarping of a part of the Peninsular India
between Rajmahal hills and the Meghalaya plateau and subsequent sedimentation by
the Ganga and Brahmaputra rivers
• The main topographical variations in these plains include Bhabar, Tarai, Bhangar, Khadar,
levees, abandoned courses etc.
• Almost all the rivers keep on shifting their courses making this area prone to frequent floods.
The Kosi river is very notorious in this respect. It has long been called the ‘Sorrow of Bihar’.
• The northern states, Haryana, Delhi, UP, Bihar, part of Jharkhand and West Bengal in the east
lie in the Ganga plains.
• The Ganga-Brahmaputra delta: the largest delta in the world. A Large part of the coastal delta
is covered tidal forests called Sunderbans. Sunderbans, the largest mangrove swamp in the
world gets its name from the Sundari tree which grows well in marshland. It is home to the
Royal Tiger and crocodiles.
 Physiographic divisions of plains
Bhabar
• Bhabar is a narrow belt ranging between 8-10 km parallel to the
Shiwalik foothills at the break-up of the slope. As a result of this, the
streams and rivers coming from the mountains deposit heavy materials
of rocks and boulders, and at times, disappear in this zone
• Area is not suitable for agriculture, only big trees with large roots are
available
Bhangar
• It represents the uplands formed by the older alluvium.
• The Alluvium is of dark colour generally rich in calcium called Kankar
• The main constituent of Bhangar is clay which at places gives way to
loam and sandy-loam
• Terai
• It is a 10-20 km wide marshy region in the south of Bhabar and runs parallel to it.
• It is characterized by the re-emergence of the underground streams of the
Bhabar belt.
• The reemerged water transforms large areas along the rivers into badly drained
marshy lands.
• Once covered with dense forests, most of the Tarai land (especially in Punjab,
Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand) has been reclaimed and turned into agricultural
land over a period of time.
• Khadar
• Composed of newer alluvium and forms the flood plains along the river banks.
• Light in colour, sandy in texture and more porous.
• Found near the riverbeds.
• A new layer of alluvium is deposited by river flood almost every year. This makes
them the most fertile soils of Ganges