RIVERS

1. Indus River System

a. Origin - Bokarchu Glacier, Near Mansarovar
b. Enters India through Ladakh, Flows only in J&K
c. Flows btw Ladakh & Zanskar ranges
d. Enters Pak through hair pin bend of Nanga Parbat
e. NP - Hemis NP
f. Wildlife - Indus River Dolphin, Cetaceans, South Asian River Dolphin,
Eurasian Otter
g. Thiksey Monastery
h. Chenab joins Indus at Mithankot

i.

j. Tributaries -
▪ RIGHT BANK
1. Shyok - originates from Rimo Glacier - aka "river of death"
• Nubra - tributary of Shyok (origin - Siachen Glacier)
• Galwan - tributary of Shyok
2. Hunza
3. Gilgit
4. Swat, Kunar, Kabul, Kurram, Gomal
▪ LEFT BANK
1. Zaskar

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 2. Jhelum (Vitasta)- origin Verinag Spring - flows northward
to Wular Lake
• Dal Lake (2 islands - Rupa Lank, Sona Lank)
• Tributary - Kishanganga
• Tributary of Chenab
3. Chenab (Asikni) - origin BaraLacha Pass (kullu hills)
• Aka Chandra-Bhaga in HP - Chandra(south) and
Bhaga(north) => 2 headward streams
• Largest tributary of Indus
• Vaishno Devi temple near basin
• Famous projects - Duhasti, Baglihar, Salal HEP
4. Ravi (Parushni or Irawati) - origin Kullu hills near Rohtang
Pass (HP)
• Tributary of Chenab
• Smallest of 5 rivers
• Mukteshwar temple
• RanjitSagar Dam, Chamera I, Chamera II, Ujh
multipurpose project on Ujh tributary
5. Beas (Vipasa) - origin Beas Kund near Rohtang Pass (HP)
• Tributary of Satluj
• Only river flowing entirely in India
• Great Himalayan NP (Parvati Valley, Tirthan Valley)
• Hadimba Temple
• Meets Satluj near Harike
• Pong Dam, Pandoh Dam
6. Satluj (Satadari)- Origin Rakas Lake, Tibet, near
Mansarovar
a. Enters India through Shipki La
b. Tribuatries- Baspa, Satluj
c. Naptha Jhakri Project, Chaba HEP & Bhakra Nangal
Dam with Govind Sagar Reservoir

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 ▪

b. Doabs-
▪ Bist - Beas-Satluj
▪ Bari - Beas- Ravi
▪ Rachna - Ravi-Chenab
▪ Chaja - Chenab-Jhelum
▪ Sind Sagar - Jhelum-Indus
2. Ganga
a. Origin - as Bhagirathi (Tehri Dam on Bhagirathi) from Gangotri
b. Alaknanda (originates from Sathopant Glacier) meets Bhagirathi at
Devprayag, Uttarakhand
c. Panch Prayag =>

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 o

▪ DR KVN (reverse V-N)

▪ Ba, Ma, Pa Da Na
d. Right Bank Tributaries
▪ Yamuna
1. Origin - Banderpunch - Yamunotri
2. Meets Chambal (tributary of Yamuna) at Etawah distt of
UP
3. Later Sindh, Betwa and Ken also join
4. Meets Ganga at Prayagraj
5. Tributaries-
a. Chambal - source Mhow, MP
i. Banas - tributary
ii. RanaPratap Sagar, Gandhisagar, Jawahar
Sagar

iii.

b. Sind -source Malwa Plateau

c. Betwa - source Vindhyas, Matatila Dam
d. Ken - source Kaimur range, Panna NP, main river of
Bundelkhand - Panna TR

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 2. Son
a. Origin - Amarkantak
b. Bandhavgarh NP
c. Bal Sagar Dam
d. Tributaries - Johila, Gopad, Rihand, Kanhar, N. Koel
5. Meets Ganga at Patna
5. Left Bank Tributaries - RaGoGhaGaKoMa
1. Ramganga
1. Origin - Dudhatoli range (UK)
2. Jim Corbett NP
2. Gomti
1. Origin - Gomat Taal (UP)
2. Pilibhit Tiger Reserve
3. Ghaghra
1. Origin - Southern Tibet near Rakas Lake
2. Tributary - Sharda River
3. Passes through Ayodhya

4.

4. Gandakf
1. Origin - Nhubine Himal Glacier, Nepal
2. Aka Kalyani in Nepal
3. Valmiki NP, Bihar
4. Joins Ganga near Patna
5. Kosi
1. As Arun river in Nepal
2. Aka Saptakoshi in Nepal, since 7 streams -

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 •

3. Kusha Dam
4. Sagarmatha NP
6. Mahananda
1. Rises from Darjeeling Hills, WB

o Damodar (tributary of Hoogly (-> distributary of Ganga))

1. Origin - Eastern Jharkhand
2. Terughat Reservoir
3. Passes through Bokaro (Jharkhand) and Asansol, Durgapur and
Bardhaman (WB)
4. Meets Hoogli near Kolkata

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 ▪

o Ganga Spilts at Farakka into => Hoogly (flows southwards) +Ganga mainstream
(flows into Bangladesh)
▪ Ganga mainstream after entering Bangladesh called => Padma
▪ Padma joins Brahmaputra to form => Meghna
3. Brahmaputra
1. Origin - Chemayungdung Glacier (Kailash range, Tibet)
2. Enters AP as Dihang River at Sadiya (assam)
3. Dihang joined by Dibang from north and Lohit from South =>
Brahmaputra

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 4.

5. Turns at Dhubri to enter Bangladesh -> becomes Jamuna

6. Jamuna + Ganga = Padma; Padma+Meghna = Meghna
g. Riverine islands -
i. Majuli - world's largest
ii. Umananda - world's smallest
h. Tributaries -
i. Teesta - originates from Zemu Glacier in Sikkim and joins Brahmaputra in
Bangladesh, Ranget River - tributary

ii. Subansiri, Kameng (pakke tiger reserve), Dihing, Dibang, Lohit - origin in
Arunchal - join Brahmaputra in Assam
iii. Dhansiri, Doyang, Dikhu - Nagaland - meet Brahmaputra in Assam
iv. Barak - Manipur
v. Tlawng - Mizoram
vi. Manas - largest river system of Bhutan - joins Brahmaputra at Jogighopa
i. So, Tributaries =>

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 i. Left-Bank - Dibang, Lohit, Disang, Diskhu, Dhansiri, Kopili
ii. Right Bank - Teesta, Manas, Kameng, Subansiri
j. National Parks-
i. Kaziranga - south of Brahmaputra - highest Tiger density
ii. Pobitora - south of Brahmaputra - highest one-horned Rhino Density
iii. Orang - North of Brahmaputra

d. Nameri NP - more north of Brahmaputra => south of Pakke Tiger Reserve (at
Arunachal-Assam border)
e. Dibru Saikhowa - south of Brahmaputra in Eastern Assam. North of Dibru river
▪ ASSAM West to East - Manas, Pobitora, Orang, Nameri, Kaziranga, Dibru

• NE States Rivers
o
Sikkim Teesta, Rangpo, Rangeet (meets Teesta at Tribeni)
AP Subansiri, Kameng, Dihing, Dibang (Mishmi Hills), Lohit
Assam Beki, Manas, Sankosh - origin in Bhutan
Nagaland Dhansiri, Dikhu, Doyang
Manipur Barak (joins Brahmaputra in Bangladesh), Imphal (goes
to Myanmar)
Mizoram Tlawng (joins Barak in Assam), Karnaphuli (drains into
BoB)
Tripura Manu, Gomti, Sumil, Feni (agreement with Bangladesh
on water withdrawal for Sabroom Town, tripura)
Meghalaya Digaru, Someshwari
▪ Narmada

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 o Origin - Amarkantak - Maikal Hills (MP-CG border)
o Flows btw Vindhya and Satpura - MP and Guj
o Drains at Bharuch

▪ Tapi
o Origin - Multai distt (MP) - Satpura range
o Flows along south slope of Satpura - MP,MH,Guj
o Drains at Surat near Hazira Mangrove
o Tributaries -
i. Purna - separates East Vidarbha and West Vidarbha
ii. Girna
iii. Panjhra
▪ Mahi
o Origin - Vindhyas, MP
o MP-Raj-Guj
o Cross Tropic of Cancer twice
▪ Sabarmati
o Origin - Aravalis near Udaipur
o Flows through Ahmedabad
▪ Mahanadi
o Origin - Sihawa, CG - Dandakaranya foothills
o Hirakud Dam, Orissa lying in western part of Ushakothi WS
o Satkosia Tiger Reserve
o Forms delta at Cuttack, Orissa => drains at Paradweep
o Tributaries-
i. Left-Bank - Sconath, Hasdo, Mand, Ib
ii. Right-Bank - Ong, Tel
▪ Godavari
o Origin - Trimbakeshwar near Nasik, MH
o MH, Telangana, AP
o Forms delta at Rajamundry, AP => Coringa Mangrove Forest
o Papikonda NP
e. Drains at Yanam
f. Tributaries -
i. Left-Bank - Purna, Penganga + Wardha + Wainganga (meet to
form Pranhita) , Indravati, Sabari

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 ii. Rigth-Bank - Manjira (meets Godavari at Nizamsagar), Maner,
Pravara, Kinnarsani

▪ Krishna
a. Origin - Mahabeleshwar, MH
b. MH, Karnataka, Telangana, AP
c. Srisailam Dam, Nallamalla Forests (AP)
d. Nagarjunasagar dam
e. Almatti Dam
f. Tributaries -
i. Koyna
ii. Ghatprabha
iii. Malprabha
iv. Musi
v. Tungabhadra (tunga+Bhadra meet in Shivamogga)
vi. Bhima
▪ Kaveri
a. Origin - Talakaveri, Brahmagiri Hills - Karnataka
b. Passes through Mysore and Seringapatnam
c. Karnataka, TN, Kerala
d. Tributaries -
i. Kabini - Banasura Sagar Dam
ii. Bhavani
iii. Amravati
iv. Hemavati
v. Noyyal - Coimbatore on its banks
vi. Arkavanty
vii. Shimsha
viii. Lakshman Tirtha
e. Stanley Reservoir - Mettur Dam
f. Krishnaraj Sagar Dam, Karnataka
g. Mekedatu Reservoir (planned)

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 o

• COASTAL RIVERS

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Jayant & Rishabh UPSC CSE Notes and Strategy - https://t.me/jayantrishabh
 o

Rishabh Kumar Rewar – AIR 104, CSE 2020

Jayant & Rishabh UPSC CSE Notes and Strategy - https://t.me/jayantrishabh