Indian

Rivers and
Water
Resources
• The drainage of India has evolved and adjusted itself with its
evolution of the three physiographic units.
1.The Himalayas
2.Peninsular Plateau
3.The Indo-Gangetic Plain
• On the basis of its origin the drainage system in India can be
broadly divided into two categories

The Himalayan Rivers The Peninsular Rivers

First Let us Learn About Himalayan Rivers.

How are
Himalayan Rivers
divided???

Wait until I
show you the
Next slide
students….
 The Himalayan Rivers
• The Himalayan rivers belong to three principal system .
The Indus, The Ganga and The Brahmaputra.
• These rivers originate from almost the same region with few
kilometers of each other separated by water divider.
• They first flow parallel to main axis of mountain.
 The Himalayan Rivers

• Then they take a sudden bend towards the south cutting

through the massive mountain chain to the reach the north
Indian plains.
• In the process they have carved out deep V- shaped valleys.
This is well exhibited by Indus and the Brahmaputra rivers.
• The Himalayan rivers are perennial. This is because the rivers
are supplied on rainfall as well as the melting snow.
 The Indus Systems :
• The Indus originates in the northern
slopes of the Kailash range in Tibet
near lake Manasarovar.
• It flows a north – westerly course
through Tibet
• It enters Indian territory in Jammu and
Kashmir.
 The Indus Systems :
• The main tributaries of Indus in
India are Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi,
Beas, and Sutlej
• It covers Jammu and Kashmir,
Punjab and Himachal Pradesh states
of India.
• Its length is 2880 kilometers.
 The Ganga Systems :

• It is the longest river in India.

• The Ganga has twin resources.
• The main one is Gangothri where it is called Bhagirathi.
• The other is sathopanth glaciers north-west of Badrinath where it
is called Alkananda.
 The Ganga Systems :

• The two joints at devprayag to form the ganga that emerges from
the hills of haridwar.
• The ganga is joined by a large number of tributaries. A majority
of them originate in the Himalayan ranges but some of them
have their source in the peninsular plateau.
• It passes through five states Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar,
Jharkhand and West Bengal.
 The Ganga Systems :

• It enters into Bangladesh as Padma river. Its length is 2525

kilometers.
• Its tributaries are Rāmgangā, Gomati, Son, Gandak, Chambal,
Koshi, Yamuna and many more.
 The Brahmaputra System :
• The Brahmaputra is known as the Yarlung Tsangpo
in Tibet.
• It rises from the snout of the chemayungdung
glaciers of the kailas range near manasarovar.
• It flows eastwards through Southern Tibet. Near
Lhatse Dzong, it open out into a wide navigable
channel for about 640 kilometers.
 The Brahmaputra System :
• Thereafter, the river breaks through a succession of rapids.
• It enter in a great loop southwest through Arunachal Pradesh in
India, first as the Siang and then as the Dihang.
• Emerging into the Assam valley it is joined by two tributaries The
Dibang and the Lohit.
• From here the river is known as the Brahmaputra.
• It’s length is 2900 kilometers.
• It’s tributaries are Dibang, Lohit, Dhansiri, Kameng, Manas,
Raidak, Jaldhaka and Teesta.
Path of Brahmaputra River Yarlung Tsangpo River
in Tibet
The Peninsular Rivers :
• The western are the water divided between
the major peninsular rivers, discharging
their water in the Bay of Bengal and small
rivers joining the Arabian sea.
• Most of the major Peninsular rivers except
Narmada and Tapti flow from west to east.
The Peninsular Rivers :
• The Chambal, Sind, Betwa, ken and son
originating in the northern part of the
peninsular belong to the Ganga river
systems.
• The other major river systems of
peninsular drainage are the Mahanadi, the
Godavari, the Krishna and the Cauveri.
Peninsular Rivers:
 • Godavari is India’s second largest
GODAV river after the Ganga.
• It’s source is in Triambakeshwar.
ARI • It flows east for 1,465 kilometers ,
draining the states of Maharashtra,
Telangana, Andhra Pradesh,
Chhattisgarh and Odisha.
• Godavari tributaries are Purna,
Indravati, Pranahita, Taliperu, Sabari
and many more.
• Krishna tributaries are Bhima,
Ghataprabha, Malaprabha, Musi,
Munneru, Tungabhadra and many
KRISH
more.
• It’s draining states are Maharashtra
NA
in the west, Andhra Pradesh on the
east coast, flows through Karnataka
state before entering into
Telangana.
• It’s length is 1400 kilometers.
• It’s source is near mahabaleshwar
in Maharashtra.
KAVE • Kaveri river rises at Talakaveri
on the Bramhagiri range in the
Western Ghats, Kodagu(Coorg)
RI district of the state of Karnataka.
• Peninsular rivers are
characterized by fixed course,
absence of meander and largely
non-perennial flow of water.
 • Kaveri tributaries are
KAVE Hemavathi, Shimsha,
Arkavathy, Kabini, Bhavani,
RI Amaravati and many more.
• It’s draining states are
Kerala, Karnataka and
TamilNaidu.
• Mahanadi river originates from
sihawa mountain in Dhamtari district MAHAN
of Chhattisgarh.
• It’s length is 858 kilometers. ADI
• Mahanadi tributaries are Seonath,
Mand, Hasdeo, Jonk, Telen and many
more.
• It’s draining states are Chhattisgarh
Odisha, Maharastra and Bihar.
• Narmada tributaries are Banjar,
Tawa, Kundi, Ganjal and many more.
• It’s draining states are Madhya NARMA
Pradesh and Gujarat.
• Narmada is also known as Lifeline of DA
Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat for its
huge contribution to the state of
Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat in many
ways.
• It rises from Amarkantak Plateau near
Anuppur district of Madhya Pradesh.
• It’s length is 1,312 kilometers.
• Tapti tributaries are Girna, Gomai,
Mausam, Panzara and Purna.
• It’s draining states are Madhya
TAP
Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat.
• It origins near “Multai” in Madhya
TI
Pradesh.
Thank You