Drainage

Introduction: • The term drainage

describes the river system
of an area. The area
drained by a single river
system is called a drainage
basin.
• A closer observation on a
map will indicate that any
elevated area, such as a
mountain or an upland,
separates two drainage
basins. Such an upland is
known as a water divide.
DRAINAGE SYSTEMS IN
INDIA
• The Indian rivers are divided
into two major groups:
• The Himalayan rivers.
• The Peninsular rivers.
• The world’s largest drainage
basin is of the Amazon river.
Features
created by
Rivers:
The Himalayan Rivers:
• Indus River System:
• The river Indus rises in Tibet, near Lake Mansarowar. Flowing
west, it enters India in the Ladakh.
• It forms a picturesque gorge in this part. Several tributaries,
the Zaskar, the Nubra, the Shyok and the Hunza, join it in the
Kashmir region.
• The Indus flows through Baltistan and Gilgit and emerges
from the mountains at Attock.
• The Satluj, the Beas, the Ravi, the Chenab and the Jhelum
join together to enter the Indus near Mithankot in Pakistan.
• Beyond this, the Indus flows southwards eventually reaching
the Arabian Sea, east of Karachi.
• The Indus plain has a very gentle slope. With a total length of
2900 km, the Indus is one of the longest rivers of the world.
• A little over a third of the Indus basin is located in India
Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab
and the rest is in Pakistan.
• According to the regulations of the Indus Water Treaty
(1960), India can use only 20 per cent of the total water
carried by the Indus river system. This water is used for
irrigation in Punjab, Haryana and the southern and the
western parts of Rajasthan.
 Ganga River System:
• The headwaters of the Ganga, called the ‘Bhagirathi’ is fed by the
Gangotri Glacier and joined by the Alaknanda at Devaprayag in
Uttarakhand. At Haridwar, the Ganga emerges from the mountains
on to the plains.
• The Ganga is joined by many tributaries from the Himalayas, like the
Yamuna, the Ghaghara, the Gandak and the Kosi.
• The river Yamuna rises from the Yamunotri Glacier in the Himalayas.
It flows parallel to the Ganga and as a right bank tributary meets the
Ganga at Allahabad.
• The Ghaghara, the Gandak and the Kosi rise in the Nepal Himalaya.
They are the rivers, which flood parts of the northern plains every
year, causing widespread damage to life and property, whereas, they
enrich the soil for agricultural use.
• The Namami Gange Programme is an Integrated Conservation
Mission approved as a ‘flagship programme’ by the Union
Government in June 2014 to accomplish the twin objectives of
effective abatement of pollution, conservation and rejuvenation of
the national river.
• The main tributaries, which come from the peninsular
uplands, are the Chambal, the Betwa and the Son.
These rise from semi-arid areas, have shorter courses
and do not carry much water in them.
• Enlarged with the waters from its right and left bank
tributaries, the Ganga flows eastwards till Farakka in
West Bengal. This is the northernmost point of the
Ganga delta. The river bifurcates here; the Bhagirathi-
Hooghly (a distributary) flows southwards through the
deltaic plains to the Bay of Bengal.
• The mainstream, flows southwards into Bangladesh and
is joined by the Brahmaputra. Further downstream, it is
known as the Meghna. This mighty river, with waters
from the Ganga and the Brahmaputra, flows into the
Bay of Bengal. The delta formed by these rivers is known
as the Sundarban Delta.
• The Sundarban Delta derived its name from the Sundari
tree, which grows well in marshland. It is the world’s
largest and fastest growing delta. It is also the home of
Royal Bengal tiger.
• The length of the Ganga is over 2500 km. Ambala is
located on the water divide between the Indus and the
Ganga river systems.
• The plains from Ambala to the Sunderban stretch over
nearly 1800 km, but the fall in its slope is hardly 300
metres. In other words, there is a fall of just one metre
for every 6 km. Therefore, the river develops large
meanders.
 Brahmputra River System:

• The Brahmaputra rises in Tibet east of Mansarowar

lake very close to the sources of the Indus and the
Satluj.
• It is slightly longer than the Indus, and most of its
course lies outside India. It flows eastwards parallel
to the Himalayas.
• On reaching the Namcha Barwa (7757 m), it takes a
‘U’ turn and enters India in Arunachal Pradesh
through a gorge. Here, it is called the Dihang and it
is joined by the Dibang, the Lohit, and many other
tributaries to form the Brahmaputra in Assam.
• Brahmaputra is known as the Tsang Po in Tibet and
Jamuna in Bangladesh.
• In Tibet, the river carries a smaller volume of water
and less silt as it is a cold and a dry area.
• In India, it passes through a region of high
rainfall. Here the river carries a large volume
of water and considerable amount of silt.
• The Brahmaputra has a braided channel in its
entire length in Assam and forms many
riverine islands. “MAJULI” is the world’s largest
riverine island formed in the Brahmputra river.
• Every year during the rainy season, the river
overflows its banks, causing widespread
devastation due to floods in Assam and
Bangladesh.
• Unlike other north Indian rivers, the
Brahmaputra is marked by huge deposits of
silt on its bed causing the riverbed to rise. The
river also shifts its channel frequently.
The Narmada & Tapi
River Systems:
• The Narmada rises in the Amarkantak
hills in Madhya Pradesh. It flows
towards the west in a rift valley
formed due to faulting.
• On its way to the sea, the Narmada
creates many picturesque locations.
The ‘Marble rocks’, near Jabalpur,
where the Narmada flows through a
deep gorge, and the ‘Dhuadhar falls,
where the river plunges over steep
rocks, are some of the notable ones.
• All tributaries of the Narmada are very short and most of these join
the main-stream at right angles. The Narmada basin covers parts of
Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat.
• The Narmada river conservation mission has been undertaken by the
government of Madhya Pradesh by a scheme named Namami Devi
Narmade.

Tapi River System:

• The Tapi rises in the Satpura ranges, in the Betul district of Madhya
Pradesh.
• It also flows in a rift valley parallel to the Narmada but it is much
shorter in length. Its basin covers parts of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat
and Maharashtra.
• The coastal plains between Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea are
very narrow. Hence, the coastal rivers are short. The main west
flowing rivers are Sabarmati(Origin in Rajasthan), Mahi(Origin in
MP), Bharathpuzha(Origin in Kerala) and Periyar(Origin in TN).
 • The Godavari is the largest Peninsular
The Godavari Basin: river, rising from the slopes of the
Western Ghats in the Nasik district of
Maharashtra.
• Its length is about 1500 km. It drains into
the Bay of Bengal. Its drainage basin is
also the largest among the peninsular
rivers.
• The basin covers parts of Maharashtra
(about 50 per cent of the basin area lies
in Maharashtra), Madhya Pradesh,
Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.
• The Purna, the Wardha, the Pranhita, the
Manjra, the Wainganga and the
Penganga are major tributaries. The last
three tributaries are very large.
• Because of its length and the area it
covers, it is also known as the Dakshin
Ganga.
 • Mahanadi Basin
• The Mahanadi rises in the highlands of Chhattisgarh. It flows through
Odisha to reach the Bay of Bengal.
• The length of the river is about 860 km. Its drainage basin is shared by
Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Odisha.
Mahanadi, • The Krishna Basin
• Rising from a spring near Mahabaleshwar, the Krishna flows for about
Krishna & 1400 km and reaches the Bay of Bengal.
• The Tungabhadra, the Koyana, the Ghatprabha, the Musi and the Bhima
Kaveri Basins: are some of its tributaries. Its drainage basin is shared by Maharasthra,
Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
• Kaveri Basin
• The Kaveri rises in the Brahmagri range of the Western Ghats and it
reaches the Bay of Bengal in south of Cuddalore in Tamil Nadu. The total
length of the river is about 760 km.
• Its main tributaries are Amravati, Bhavani, Hemavati and Kabini. Its basin
drains parts of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu
• The river Kaveri makes the second biggest waterfall in India, known as
Shivasamudram Falls. The hydroelectric power generated from the falls is
supplied to Mysuru, Bengaluru and the Kolar Gold Field.
• There are also some smaller rivers flowing towards the east. The Damoder, the
Brahmani, the Baitarni and the Subarnrekha are some notable examples.
 LAKES:
• Lakes differ from each other in size and other characteristics. Most lakes are
permanent; are seasonal.
• A meandering river across a floodplain forms cut-offs that later develops into ox-
bow lakes. Spits and bars form lagoons in the coastal areas, e.g. the Chilika lake, the
Pulicat lake and the Kolleru lake.
• Lakes in the region of inland drainage are sometimes seasonal; for example, the
Sambhar lake in Rajasthan, which is a saline lake. It is used for producing salt.
• Most of the freshwater lakes are in the Himalayan region are of glacial origin. They
formed when glaciers dug out a basin, which was later filled with snowmelt.
• The Wular lake in Jammu and Kashmir, in contrast, is the result of tectonic activity.
It is the largest freshwater lake in India. The Dal lake, Bhimtal, Nainital, Loktak and
Barapani are some other important freshwater lakes.
• Apart from natural lakes, the damming of the rivers for the generation of hydel
power has also led to the formation of lakes, such as Guru Gobind Sagar (Bhakra
Nangal Project).
• A lake helps to regulate the flow of a river. During heavy rains, it prevents flooding
and during the dry season, it helps to maintain an even flow of water.
• Lakes can also be used for developing hydel power. They moderate the climate of
the surroundings; maintain the aquatic ecosystem, enhance natural beauty, help
develop tourism & provide recreation.
ROLE OF RIVERS IN THE ECONOMY & RIVER
POLLUTION:
• Water from rivers is a basic natural resource, therefore, riverbanks have
attracted settlers from ancient times. These settlements have now
become big cities.
• Using rivers for irrigation, navigation, hydro-power generation is of
special significance — particularly to a country like India, where
agriculture is the major source of livelihood of most of its population.
• Heavy load of untreated sewage and industrial effluents are emptied
into the rivers. This affects not only the quality of water but also the
self-cleansing capacity of the river.
• For example, given the adequate streamflow, the Ganga water can dilute
and assimilate pollution loads within 20 km of large cities.
• National River Conservation Plan (NRCP)-The river cleaning programme
in the country was initiated with the launching of the Ganga Action Plan
(GAP) in 1985. The Ganga Action Plan was expanded to cover other
rivers under the National River Conservation Plan (NRCP) in the year
1995.
• The objective of the NRCP is to improve the water quality of the rivers,
which are major water sources in the country, through the
implementation of pollution abatement work.