RIVERS OF INDIA

Himalayan Rivers
The main Himalayan river systems are the Ganga, the Indus and the Brahmaputra river
systems. The Himalayan rivers form large basins. Many rivers pass through the Himalayas.
These deep valleys with steep rock sides were formed by the down - cutting of the river
during the period of the Himalayan uplift. They perform intense erosional activity up the
streams and carry huge load of sand and silt. In the plains, they form large meanders, and a
variety of depositional features like flood plains, river cliffs and levees.
These rivers are perennial as they get water from the rainfall as well as the melting of ice.
Nearly all of them create huge plains and are navigable over long distances of their course.
These rivers are also harnessed in their upstream catchment area to generate hydroelectricity.

Peninsular Rivers
The main peninsular river systems include the Narmada, the Tapi, the Godavari, the Krishna,
the Kaveri and the Mahanadi river systems. The Peninsular rivers flow through shallow
valleys. A large number of them are seasonal as their flow is dependent on rainfall. The
intensity of erosional activities is also comparatively low because of the gentler slope. The
hard rock bed and lack of silt and sand does not allow any significant meandering. Many
rivers therefore have straight and linear courses. These rivers provide huge opportunities for
hydro-electric power.

The Indus River System

The Indus originates in the northern slopes of the Kailash range in Tibet near Lake
Manasarovar. It follows a north-westerly course through Tibet. It enters Indian territory in
Jammu and Kashmir.
It forms a picturesque gorge in this part. Several tributaries - the Zaskar, the Shyok,
the Nubra and the Hunza join it in the Kashmir region. It flows through the regions of
Ladakh, Baltistan and Gilgit and runs between the Ladakh Range and the Zaskar Range. It
crosses the Himalayas through a 5181 m deep gorge near Attock, lying north of the Nanga
Parbat and later takes a bend to the south west direction before entering Pakistan. It has a
large number of tributaries in both India and Pakistan and has a total length of about 2897 km
from the source to the point near Karachi where it falls into the Arabian Sea. The main
tributaries of the Indus in India are Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas and Sutlej.
Jhelum
The Jhelum originates in the south-eastern part of Kashmir, in a spring at Verinag. It flows
into the Wular Lake, which lies to the north, and then into Baramula. Between Baramula and
Muzaffarabad it enters a deep gorge cut by the river in the Pir Panjal range. It has a right bank
tributary the Kishanganga which joins it at Muzaffarabad. It follows the Indo-Pakistan border
flowing into the plains of Punjab, finally joining the Chenab at Trimmu.
Chenab
The Chenab originates from the confluence of two rivers, the Chandra and the Bhaga, which
themselves originate from either side of the Bara Lacha Pass in Lahul. It is also known as the
Chandrabhaga in Himachal Pradesh. It runs parallel to the Pir Panjal Range in the north-
westerly direction, and cuts through the range near Kishtwar. It enters the plains of Punjab
near Akhnur and is later joined by the Jhelum. It is further joined by the Ravi and the Sutlej
in Pakistan.

Ravi
The Ravi originates near the Rotang pass in the Kangra Himalayas and follows a north-
westerly course. It turns to the south-west, near Dalhousie, and then cuts a gorge in the
Dhaola Dhar range entering the Punjab plain near Madhopur. It flows as a part of the Indo-
Pakistan border for some distance before entering Pakistan and joining the Chenab river. The
total length of the river is about 720 km.

Beas
The Beas originates in Beas Kund, lying near the Rohtang pass. It runs past Manali and Kulu,
where its beautiful valley is known as the Kulu valley. It first follows a north-west path from
the town of Mandi and later a westerly path, before entering the Punjab plains near Mirthal. It
joins the Sutlej river near Harika, after being joined by a few tributaries. The total length of
the river is 615 km.

Sutlej
The Sutlej originates from the Rakas Lake, which is connected to the Manasarovar lake by a
stream, in Tibet. Its flows in a north-westerly direction and enters Himachal Pradesh at the
Shipki Pass, where it is joined by the Spiti river. It cuts deep gorges in the ranges of the
Himalayas, and finally enters the Punjab plain after cutting a gorge in a hill range, the Naina
Devi Dhar, where the Bhakra Dam having a large reservoir of water, called the Gobind Sagar,
has been constructed. It turns west below Rupar and is later joined by the Beas. It enters
Pakistan near Sulemanki, and is later joined by the Chenab. It has a total length of almost
1500 km.

The Brahmaputra River System

The Brahmaputra originates in the Mansarovar lake, also the source of the Indus and the
Satluj. It is slightly longer than the Indus, but most of its course lies outside India. It flows
eastward, parallel to the Himalayas. Reaching Namcha Barwa (7757 m), it takes a U-turn
around it and enters India in Arunachal Pradesh and known as dihang. The undercutting done
by this river is of the order of 5500 metres. In India, it flows through Arunachal Pradesh and
Assam, and is joined by several tributaries.
In Tibet, the river is known as the Tsangpo. There, it receives less volume of water and has
less silt. But in India, it passes through a region of heavy rainfall and as such, the river carries
a large amount of rainfall and considerable amount of silt. The Brahmaputra has a braided
channel throughout most of its length in Assam, with a few large islands within the channel.
The shifting of the channels of the river is also very common. The fury of the river during
rains is very high. It is known for creating havoc in Assam and Bangladesh. At the same time,
quite a few big pockets suffer from drought.

The Narmada River System

The Narmada or Nerbudda is a river in central India. It forms the traditional boundary
between North India and South India, and is a total of 1,289 km (801 mi) long. Of the major
rivers of peninsular India, only the Narmada, the Tapti and the Mahi run from east to west. It
rises on the summit of Amarkantak Hill in Madhya Pradesh state, and for the first 320
kilometres (200 miles) of its course winds among the Mandla Hills, which form the head of
the Satpura Range; then at Jabalpur, passing through the 'Marble Rocks', it enters the
Narmada Valley between the Vindhya and Satpura ranges, and pursues a direct westerly
course to the Gulf of Cambay. Its total length through the states of Madhya Pradesh,
Maharashtra, and Gujarat amounts to 1312 kilometres (815 miles), and it empties into the
Arabian Sea in the Bharuch district of Gujarat.

The Tapi River System

The Tapi is a river of central India. It is one of the major rivers of peninsular India with the
length of around 724 km, and only the Tapi River along with the Narmada river, and the
Mahi River run from east to west. It rises in the eastern Satpura Range of southern Madhya
Pradesh state, and flows westward, draining Madhya Pradesh's historic Nimar region,
Maharashtra's historic Khandesh and east Vidarbha regions in the northwest corner of the
Deccan Plateau and South Gujarat before emptying into the Gulf of Cambay of the Arabian
Sea, in the State of Gujarat. The Western Ghats or Sahyadri range starts south of the Tapti
River near the border of Gujarat and Maharashtra.
The Tapi River Basin lies mostly in northern and eastern districts Maharashtra state viz,
Amravati, Akola, Buldhana, Washim, Jalgaon, Dhule, Nandurbar, Malegaon, Nashik districts
but also covers Betul, Burhanpur districts of Madhya Pradesh and Surat district in Gujarat as
well.
The principal tributaries of Tapi River are Purna River, Girna River, Panzara River, Waghur
River, Bori River and Aner River.

The Godavari River System

The river with second longest course within India, Godavari is often referred to as the Vriddh
(Old) Ganga or the Dakshin (South) Ganga. The name may be apt in more ways than one, as
the river follows the course of Ganga's tragedy. The river is about 1,450 km (900 miles) long.
It rises at Trimbakeshwar, near Nasik and Mumbai (formerly Bombay) in Maharashtra
around 380 km distance from the Arabian Sea, but flows southeast across south-central India
through the states of Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Orissa and Andhra Pradesh, and empties
into the Bay of Bengal. At Rajahmundry, 80 km from the coast, the river splits into two
streams thus forming a very fertile delta. Like any other major rivers in India, the banks of
this river also has many pilgrimage sites, Nasik, Triyambak and Bhadrachalam, being the
major ones. It is a seasonal river, widened during the monsoons and dried during the
summers. Godavari river water is brownish. Some of its tributaries include Indravati River,
Pranahita (Combination of Penuganga and Warda), Manjira, Bindusara and Sabari. Some
important urban centers on its banks include Nasik, Bhadrachalam, Rajahmundry and
Narsapur. The Asia's largest rail-cum-road bridge on the river Godavari linking Kovvur and
Rajahmundry is considered to be an engineering feat.

The Krishna River System

The Krishna is one of the longest rivers of India (about 1300 km in length). It originates at
Mahabaleswar in Maharashtra, passes through Sangli and meets the sea in the Bay of Bengal
at Hamasaladeevi in Andhra Pradesh. The Krishna River flows through the states of
Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
The traditional source of the river is a spout from the mouth of a statue of a cow in the
ancient temple of Mahadev in Mahabaleshwar.
Its most important tributary is the Tungabhadra River, which itself is formed by the Tunga
and Bhadra rivers that originate in the Western Ghats. Other tributaries include the Koyna,
Bhima, Mallaprabha, Ghataprabha, Yerla, Warna, Dindi, Musi and Dudhganga rivers.

The Kaveri River System

The Kaveri (also spelled Cauvery or Kavery) is one of the great rivers of India and is
considered sacred by the Hindus. This river is also called Dakshin Ganga. The headwaters are
in the Western Ghats range of Karnataka state, and from Karnataka through Tamil Nadu. It
empties into the Bay of Bengal. Its waters have supported irrigated agriculture for centuries,
and the Kaveri has been the lifeblood of the ancient kingdoms and modern cities of South
India.
The source of the river is Talakaveri located in the Western Ghats about 5,000 feet (1,500 m)
above sea level. Talakaveri is a famous pligrimage and tourist spot set amidst Bramahagiri
Hills near Madikeri in Kodagu district of Karnataka. Thousands of piligrims flock to the
temple at the source of the river especially on the specified day known as Tula sankramana
when the river water has been witnessed to gush out like a fountain at a predetermined time.
It flows generally south and east for around 765 km, emptying into the Bay of Bengal
through two principal mouths. Its basin is estimated to be 27,700 square miles (71,700 km²),
and it has many tributaries including Shimsha, Hemavati, Arkavathy, Kapila, Honnuhole,
Lakshmana Tirtha, Kabini, Lokapavani, Bhavani, Noyyal and Famous Amaravati.

The Mahanadi River System

The Mahanadi is a river of eastern India. The Mahanadi rises in the Satpura Range of central
India, and flows east to the Bay of Bengal. The Mahanadi drains most of the state of
Chhattisgarh and much of Orissa and also Jharkhand and Maharashtra. It has a length of
about 860 km.
Near the city of Sambalpur, a large dam - the Hirakud Dam - is built on the river.

Comparison between the Himalayan and

the Peninsular River

Sl. No. Aspects Himalayan River Peninsular River

Himalayan mountain covered with Peninsular plateau

1. Place of origin
Glaciers and central highland

Perennial; receive water from Seasonal; dependent

2. Nature of flow glacier on monsoon
and rainfall Rainfall

Super imposed,
Antecedent and consequent rejuvenated resulting
3. Type of drainage leading to in trellis, radial and
dendritic pattern in plains rectangular
patterns

Long course, flowing through the

rugged mountains experiencing
headward erosion and river Smaller, fixed course
4. Nature of river capturing; with well-adjusted

In plains meandering and shifting valleys

of
Course
 Relatively smaller
5. Catchment area Very large basins
basin

Old rivers with

graded profile, and
Young and youthful, active and
6. Age of the river have
deepening in the valleys
almost reached their
base levels

RIVERS AND THEIR ORIGIN

S.No. Rivers Origin Length (km) End

Gangotri Glacier
1. Ganga 2,525 Bay of Bengal
(Bhagirathi), Uttarakhand

Merges with
Ganga at
Yamunotri Glacier, Allahabad
2. Yamuna 1,376
Uttarakhand (Triveni Sangam
– Kumbh Mela
spot

Himalayan Glacier in Merges with

3. Brahmaputra Tibet, but enters India in 1,800 Ganga and ends
Arunachal Pradesh in Bay of Bengal

Tributary of Yamuna
Joins Yamuna
4. Chambal river, starting at Madhya 960
river in UP
Pradesh

Joins Ganga just

Tributary of Ganga, above Patna –
5. Son starting at Amarkantak, 784 also considered
Madhya Pradesh part of Vindhya
river system
S.No. Rivers Origin Length (km) End

Nepal; Ganges tributary at

Joins Ganga near
6. Gandak Indo-Nepal border 630
Patna
(Triveni Sangam)

Joins Ganga near

Starts from Bihar near
7. Kosi 720 Katihar district
Indo-Nepal border
of Bihar

Tributary of Yamuna,
Joins Yamuna at
8. Betwa rises at Vindhya region, 590
Hamirpur in UP
MP

Tributary of Ganga,
Joins Ganga in
9. Gomti starting at Gomat Taal, 900
Varanasi district
UP

Himalayan Glacier in Joins Ganga in

10. Ghaghara 1080
Tibet, tributary of Ganga Bihar

Merges with
Hugli Tributary of Ganga near
11. 260 Ganga at Bay of
(Hooghly) West Bengal
Bengal

Merges with
Tributary of Hugli near
12. Damodar 592 Hugli in West
Chandwara, Jharkhand
Bengal

Paglajhora falls,
13. Mahananda 360 Merge in Ganga
Darjeeling, West Bengal

Merge in Ganga,
Satopanth & Bhagirathi-
14. Alaknanda 190 Devprayag,
Kharak glacier
Uttarakhand

Merge in Ganga,
15. Bhagirathi Gaumukh, Uttarakhand 205 Devprayag,
Uttarakhand
S.No. Rivers Origin Length (km) End

Originates in Tibetan Merges into

16. Indus plateau, Enters India in 3180 Arabian sea near
J&K Sindh

Upper Himalayas in the

Merges with
17. Chenab Spiti district of Himachal 960
Indus
Pradesh

Merges with
Tributary of Chenab river,
18. Jhelum 725 Chenab at Jhang
Punjab
(Pakistan)

Starts from Bara Bhangal,

Joins Chenab in
19. Ravi Kangra district, Himachal 720
Pakistan
Pradesh

Meets Beas river

Tributary of Indus river,
in Pakistan and
20. Sutlej originates at Rakshastal, 1500
ends at Arabian
Tibet
sea

Rises at Himalayas in Joins Sutlej river

21. Beas 470
central Himachal Pradesh in Punjab, India

Mixes with Beas

River at Bhuntar,
Mantalai Glacier near Pin
22. Parbati – near Kullu of
Prabati Pass
Himachal
Pradesh

Panzella Glacier, Pensi La Indus, Nurla,

23. Suru 185
Pass, Kargil Skardu, Pakistan

Machoi Glacier, Zoji La,

Suru River at
24. Dras ear Sonamarg, Jammu & 86
Kharul, Kargil
Kashmir
S.No. Rivers Origin Length (km) End

Doda River (First

Indus River near
Branch), Kargyag and
25. Zanskar – Nimmu in
Tsarap River (Second
Ladakh
Branch)

Zanskar River,
26. Tsarap Pankpo La, Sarchu 182
Padum, Kargil

Drang-Drung Glacier, Zanskar River,

27. Doda 79
Pensi La Padum, Kargil

Talakaveri in Western Ends in Bay of

28. Kaveri 765
Ghats in Karnataka Bengal

Originates in the Western

Ends in Bay of
Ghats near
29. Krishna 1400 Bengal near
Mahabaleshwar in
Andhra Pradesh
Maharashtra

Starts in Maharashtra and

Empties in Bay
30. Godavari passes through 7 Indian 1465
of Bengal
states

Joins Krishna
river along the
Tributary of Krishna river
31. Tungabhadra 531 border of
staring at Karnataka
Telangana and
Andhra Pradesh

Empties into
Rises in Eastern Satpura Gulf of
32. Tapti 724
Ranges, Madhya Pradesh Khambhat,
Gujarat

Flows into
33. Mahi Rises in Madhya Pradesh 580 Arabian sea from
Gujarat
S.No. Rivers Origin Length (km) End

Drains into
Starts from Amarkantak,
34. Narmada 1315 Arabian sea via
Madhya Pradesh
Gulf of Cambay

Godavari near
border of
Dandakaranya range,
35. Indravati 535 Maharashtra,
Kalahandi district, Odisha
Chhattisgarh and
Telangana

Confluence of Wardha Godavari, near

36. Pranhita and Wainganga, near 113 Kaleshwaram,
Sirpur Kaghaznagar Telangana

Satpura range, Multai,

37. Wardha Betul district of Madhya 528 Pranhita River
Pradesh

Sinkaran hills, Koraput,

38. Kolab (Sabari) 200 Godavari
Odisha

Godavari, near
39. Manjira Balaghat hills 724 Kandakurthi,
Karnataka

Satpura range, Mundara,

40. Wainganga Seoni district, Madhya 579 Pranhita River
Pradesh

Wardha river,
Ajanta range, Chandrapur
41. Painganga 676
Aurangabad, Maharashtra district,
Maharashtra

Tungabhadra
Confluence of Veda and
42. Vedavathi – river, near
Avathi
Siruguppa
S.No. Rivers Origin Length (km) End

Krishna river,
43. Bhima Bhimashankar 861
near raichur

44. Indrayani Lonavala, Maharashtra Bhima river

Sahyadri range, Lonavala

45. Pavana 58 Mula river
Maharashtra

Western ghats, Krishna river,

46. Ghataprabha 283
Sindhudurg, Maharashtra Almatti

Krishna river,
Mahabaleshwar,
47. Venna 130 Satara,
Maharashtra
Maharashtra

Krishna river,
Mahabaleshwar,
48. Koyna 130 near Karad,
Maharashtra
Satara

Kaveri river at
Anamalai hills, Pambar,
49. Amravati 282 Karur, Tamil
Chinnar rivers
Nadu

Kaveri river at
Silent valley National Kongu Nadu
50. Bhavani 135
Park, Kerala region of Tamil
Nadu

Kaveri river near

Western Ghats, Krishna Raja
51. Hemavati 245
Chikmagalur, Karnataka Sagara,
Karnataka

Bay of Bengal,
Dhamtari, Dandakaranya, near False Point,
52. Mahanadi 858
Chhattisgarh Kendrapara,
Odisha
S.No. Rivers Origin Length (km) End

Kirtania Port,
Chota Nagpur plateau,
53. Subarnarekha 395 near Talsari, Bay
near Ranchi, Jharkhand
of Bengal

Chota Nagpur plateau,

Bay of Bengal
54. Kangsabati Purulia district, West 465
near Haldia
Bengal

Nandi Hills, Bay of Bengal,

55. Penner (Penna) Chikkaballapur district, 597 near Nellore,
Karnataka Andhra Pradesh

Bay of Bengal,
Nandi hills, Kolar district
56. Palar 348 near Vayalur,
Karnataka
Tamil Nadu

Varusanadu Hills, Tamil Palk Strait,

57. Vaigai 258
Nadu Tamil Nadu

Bay of Bengal,
near
58. Vellar Shevaroy Hills 150
Parangipettai,
Tamil Nadu

Nandidurg,
59. Ponnaiyar 400 Bay of Bengal
Chikkaballapur

Velliangiri Hills, Western

60. Noyyal 180 Kaveri river
Ghats, Tamil Nadu

Tapti river, near

Prakasha,
61. Gomai Satpura Range –
Nandurbar,
Maharashtra

Near Pimpalaner, Dhule,

62. Panzara – Tapti river
Maharashtra
S.No. Rivers Origin Length (km) End

Tapti river, near

Satpura Range, Betul,
63. Purna – Changdev,
Madhya Pradesh
Maharashtra

Vindhya Range, near Narmada, near

64. Kolar Sehore district, Madhya 101 Raisen district of
Pradesh Madhya Pradesh

Narmada near
Satpura Range, Betul,
65. Tawa 172 Hoshangabad
Madhya Pradesh
district

Dhebar lake, Aravalli

Gulf of
66. Sabarmati range, near Udaipur, 371
Khambhat
Rajasthan

Hemad-Barshem in
67. Zuari 34 Arabian sea
western ghats

Near Rajmachi hills, Vasai creek,

68. Ulhas 122
Sahyadri range Mumbai

Arabian sea,
69. Mithi Vihar lake and Powai lake 15 Mahim creek,
Mumbai

70. Mandovi Bhimgad, Karnataka 77 Arabian sea

71. Kali Kushavali, Karnataka 184 Arabian sea

Arabian sea,
Kudremukh,
72. Netravati – near Mangalore,
Chikmagalur, Karnataka
Karnataka

Arabian sea,
near Honnavar,
Western Ghats,
73. Sharavati 128 Uttar Kannada
Tirthahalli, Karnataka
district,
Karnataka
S.No. Rivers Origin Length (km) End

Sivagiri hills, Lakshadweep

74. Periyar 244
Sundaramala, Tamil Nadu sea, Kerala

Lakshadweep
Anamalai Hills, Tamil
75. Bharathappuzha 209 sea, Ponnani,
Nadu
Kerala

Pulachimalai Hills,
76. Pamba 176 Vembanad Lake
Western Ghats

Elambaleri Hills, Western Lakshadweep

77. Chaliyar 169
Ghats, Wayanad, Kerala sea, Kerala