DRAINAGE

Drainage – River system of an area where small rivers join to form the main river, which ultimately
drains into a large water body such as a lake or a sea or ocean
Generally, the area drained by a river and its tributaries is called its river basin or catchment area or a
watershed. But, there are subtle differences between them.

 River Basin / Drainage Basin – Portion of land drained by a river & its tributaries is known as river
basin.
 Catchment area is area of land over which rain falls and is caught to serve a river. As the water
flows over the landscape it finds its way into streams and down into the soil, eventually feeding
the river.
 Watershed The small area that separates one drainage basin from another is called a 'watershed'.
Every body of water has a watershed. A watershed is a smaller version of a river basin
The catchments of large rivers are called river basins while those of small rivers & streams are often
referred to as watersheds. There are many smaller watersheds within a river basin. Example: watershed
of Yamuna + water shed of Chambal + watershed of Gandak + so on = Drainage basin of Ganga.

 Source of a river: The beginning or start of a river.

 Confluence: The point at which two rivers or streams join.
 Distributary: The small river that branches out from the main river and then never meets again.
It thus decreases the river’s water volume. Distributaries are commonly found on deltas but are
also important in the formation of alluvial fans and cones.
 Tributary: A stream or smaller river which joins a larger stream or river and thus increases its
water volume.
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  Mouth: The point where the river comes to the end, usually when entering a sea.
 Determination of left/right bank of a river: Stand facing the mouth of the river in the direction
of its course. Your left hand side will be the left bank and your right hand side, the right bank.
Amazon – World’s largest drainage basin.
Ganga – India’s largest drainage basin.
Nile – Longest River in the world.

Drainage Pattern - Within the same river basins different streams & rivers make & remake

different patterns. The drainage pattern of an area is the outcome of the geological time
period, nature and structure of rocks, topography, slope, amount of water flowing and the
periodicity of the flow.

a) Dendritic Pattern - Tributaries come from all directions to meet the main river. River channel follows
the slope of the terrain. Looks like branches of a tree. Tributaries join larger streams at acute angles (less
than 90°)
Example - The Ganga Brahmaputra river system, the Indus river system, the Mahanadi or Godavari river
system

b) Rectangular Pattern - The main stream bends at right angles and the tributaries join at right angles
creating rectangular patterns. It develops in the areas that have very little topography and a system of
bedding planes, fractures, or faults that form a rectangular network. It differs from trellis pattern
drainage since it is more irregular & its tributary streams are not as long & parallel
Example - Chambal, Betwa

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c) Trellis Pattern - Formed when the primary tributaries of main rivers flow parallel to each other and
secondary tributaries join them at right angles. Trellis drainage patterns typically develop
where sedimentary rocks have been folded or tilted, and then eroded to varying degrees depending on
their resistance to erosion.

Example - Rivers in the upper part of the Himalayan Region & in the old folded mountains of the
Singbhum (Chotanagpur Plateau)

d) Radial Pattern/Centrifugal Pattern - forms when Centripetal pattern is formed when rivers
rivers originate from a hill and flow in all directions discharge their waters from all directions into a
Example - the rivers originating from the lake or a depression.
Amarkantak Example - Loktak lake in Manipur.

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 Drainage System of India

Himalayan Rivers Peninsular Rivers

– Indus – drain in Arabian Sea drain in – Narmada Basin

Arabian sea – Tapi Basin

– Ganga drain in the Bay of Bengal

– Brahmaputra

drain – The Godavari Basin

in Bay of – The Mahanadi

Bengal – The Krishna

– The Kaveri

Himalayan Rivers Peninsular Rivers

Originate from the peninsular plateaus &
Originate from the Himalayan Mountain Ranges
small hills of India
Rivers are Perennial i.e. thay have water throughout
Rivers are seasonal flow is dependent on
the year. These receive water from rain & well as snow
rainfall.
fed.
Rivers that originate in the Central
Highlands & flow towards the West –
Two major Himalayan Rivers originate from the North Narmada & Tapi.
of the mountain ranges i.e., Indus, Brahmaputra
Most of the rivers originate in the Western
Ghats & flow towards the Bay of Bengal.
Have long courses from their sources to the sea. Have shorter & shallower courses

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Indus River System :

Starts in Tibet, near Mansarowar Lake

Flow West

Enters India (in Ladakh)

Tributaries that join in Kashmir & Ladakh region – Zanskar, Nubra, Shyok, Hunza

 Zaskar joins at Leh

 Shyok joins near Skardu (Gilgit Baltistan Region)

 Nubra is a tributary of the Shyok River

 Hunza joins in the Gilgit Baltistan Region

Flows through Baltistan & Gilgit & emerges from the

mountain of Attock

In Pakistan, the Satluj (or Sutlej), the Beas, Ravi, Chenab & Jhelum join the Indus near

Mithankot (Pakistan)

Flows Southwards

Reaching the Arabian Sea, east of Karachi

 Jhelum originates in Kashmir. Jhelum is a tributary of the Chenab

 Chenab originates in Himachal Pradesh. The river Chandrabhaga (Chenab) is formed when two
streams, Chandra and Bhaga meet to form Chenab.
 Ravi originates in Himachal Pradesh. Ravi joins the Chenab
 Jhelum and Ravi merge with the Chenab and eventually flow into the Satluj
 Beas originates in Himachal Pradesh. Beas joins the Satluj in Punjab
 Satluj originates in Tibet near the source of the Indus river
– Has a gentle Slope
– Length 2900 km (NCERT) 3180 present
– Indus is also known as Sindhu
– In India, the Indus basin spreads over Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and a part
of Rajasthan, Haryana, & Chandigarh
The principal right bank tributaries - the Shyok, the Gilgit, the Kabul, the Gumal

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The principal left bank tributaries - the Chenab, the Jhelum, the Ravi, the Beas, and the Sutlej.
Indus Water Treaty – 1960 - water-distribution treaty between India and Pakistan, under the
supervision of the World Bank, to use the water available in the Indus River and its tributaries.
The treaty gave the waters of the western rivers—the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab—to Pakistan and
those of the eastern rivers—the Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej—to India.

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Major River Valley Projects/Dams associated with the Indus system

 The Indira Gandhi Canal Project - Beas & Sutlej

 The Bhakra Nangal Project-. Bhakra Dam and Nangal Dam have been constructed on the
river Satluj in the state of Himachal Pradesh.

Ganga River System :

 Originates from “Bhagirathi” – fed by the Gangotri Glacier – Western Himalayas , Uttarakhand.

 Joined by Alakananda at Devprayag, Uttarakhand

 At Haridwar – emerges from the mountains.

 Main tributaries that join are the Yamuna [at Prayagraj (U.P.)], Ghagra (in Bihar), Gandak (at
Patna) & the Kosi [at Kursela (Bihar)], Gomti (at Varanasi, U.P)

– Yamuna emerges from the Yamunotri Glacier in the Himalayas.

– Ghagra, Gandak, Kosi rise in the Nepal Himalayas – flood parts of the Northern Plains, but
enriches the soil for agriculture.

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  Main tributaries which come from the peninsular uplands include Chambal (originates &flows
through Madhya Pradesh, running for a time through Rajasthan then joins Yamuna in Uttar
Pradesh), Betwa (originates & flows through Madhya Pradesh and joins Yamuna in Uttar
Pradesh) & Sone (originates in Chhattisgarh and merges with the Ganga in Bihar)

– Chambal & Betwa do not join the Ganga River. They are tributaries of Yamuna which in turn is a
tributary of Ganga and joins Ganga at Prayagraj, U.P. Sone join near Patna, Bihar. (these rivers
do not carry much water in them)

 Flows eastwards till Farakka (Northern most point of the Ganga Delta) –distributary flows in
India - here the river bifurcates – the Bhagirathi-Hooghly Delta (a distributary) flows southwards
to the Bay of Bengal.

 The main stream flows southwards into Bangladesh called as Padma & joined by the
Brahmaputra. Further downstream it is known as Meghna. The delta formed by these rivers is
known as Sunderban Delta

Ganga Brahmaputra Basin

The basin covers 11 states -, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana,
Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal and Delhi.

What is Delta? A river delta is a landform created by deposition of sediment that is carried by a river as
the flow leaves its mouth and enters slower-moving or stagnant water. This occurs where a river enters

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an ocean, sea, estuary, lake, reservoir, or (more rarely) another river that cannot carry away the
supplied sediment.

Ganga develops large meanders.

What is Meander? A meander is a winding curve or bends in a river.

Water Divide is the upland that separates the flow of two rivers or river system.

Ambala is located on the water divide between the Indus & the Ganga River system.

Sunderban Delta – named after Sundari trees found in that region. World’s largest and
fastest growing Delta

The tributaries of the river Ganga are classified as Left bank and right bank tributaries.

The left bank tributaries include Gomti, Ghaghara, Gandaki, and Kosi.

The right bank tributaries include the Yamuna, Son, Punpun (originates in Palamu district of Jharkhand)
and Damodar (rises in the Chota Nagpur plateau of south-central Bihar state. Joins the Hugli (Hooghly)
River southwest of Kolkata -Also sometimes mentioned as tributary of Hugli)

Length: approximately 2525 km

Namami Gange Programme - June 2014 to accomplish the twin objectives of effective abatement of
pollution, conservation and rejuvenation of River Ganga

Major River Valley Projects/Dams/Barrages associated with the Ganga river system

 The Tehri Dam- It is the highest dam in India. It is constructed on the Bhagirathi river

 The Damodar Valley Project- It is India's first multipurpose river valley project. It was started in
1948

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Brahmaputra River System

 Rises in Tibet known as Yarlung Tsangpo– east of Mansarowar (Very close to the sources lake of
the Indus & Sutlej – carries smaller volume of water & less silt as it it cold & dry)

Flows eastwards parallel to the Himalayas

 Reaching Namcha Barwa (Tibet) it takes a U-turn & enters India in Arunachal Pradesh through a
gorge (narrow valley between hills or mountains) – passes through a region of high rainfall.
River carries a large volume of water & considerate amount of silt.

 In Arunachal Pradesh – it is called Siang and Dihang

 Joined by the Dibang and the Lohit & other tributaries to form Brahmaputra in Assam.

Main Left Tributaries: Dibang River, Lohit River, Dhansiri River

Main Right Tributaries: Manas River, Teesta River, Subansiri River

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  It has a braided channel in Assam & forms many riverine islands - Islands which gets formed in
the river when the water level drops down

 World larges Riverine Island formed by the Brahmaputra – Majuli in Assam

 Brahmaputra is marked by huge deposits of silt causing the river bed to rise.

 Also shifts its channel frequently.

 The mainstream flows earthwards towards Bangladesh (Largest distributary of the Brahmaputra
is known as Jamuna River)

Length: 2900km

States: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, West Bengal, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Sikkim

Why does Brahmaputra turn red in few areas for sometime?

iron-rich soil of the riverbank turns red in the monsoon and flows into the water

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Peninsular Rivers
The main water divide in Peninsular India is formed by the Western Ghats which runs from north to
south close to the western coast

West Flowing Rivers

THE NARMADA BASIN

 Rising in the Amarkantak hills, Narmada flows to create a gorge in marble rocks of Madhya
Pradesh.
 Narmada flows towards the west in a rift valley formed due to faulting.
 Near Jabalpur it flows in the form of deep gorge in the marble rocks
 In the Narmada River famous waterfalls Dhuandhar Falls and Kapildhara are located.
 The Narmada Basin covers parts of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat
 All the tributaries of the Narmada are very short and most of these join the main stream at right
angles
 Sardar Sarovar Project - On Narmada river in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh; Indira Sagar Dam in
Madhya Pradesh

THE TAPI/TAPTI BASIN

 Originating in Betul, Madhya Pradesh in Satpura ranges.

 It also flows in a rift valley parallel to the Narmada but is much shorter than Narmada.
 Its mouth is located at Surat, Gujarat.
 Tapi flows through a basin that covers Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra.

The Narmada and the Tapi make estuaries.

Estuaries - An estuary is a partially enclosed, coastal water body where freshwater from rivers and
streams mixes with salt water from the ocean.

Luni River originates from western slopes of the Aravalli ranges and travel across a course of 511

km in Rajasthan, before it finally flows into the Rann of Kachchh.

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 Other west flowing rivers are

Sabarmati River - Originates in the Aravalli Range in Rajasthan and meets the Gulf of Khambhat of

Arabian Sea

Mahi River - Rises in Madhya Pradesh and, after flowing through Rajasthan, enters Gujarat and flows

into the Arabian Sea.

Bharathpuzha River - Originates in Tamil Nadu, flows through Kerala and joins the Arabian Sea

Periyar River - Originates in Kerala, flows entirely through Kerala and joins the Arabian Sea

East Flowing Rivers

THE MAHANADI BASIN

 The Mahanadi, a 860 km long river, rises in Chhattisgarh to flow through Orissa to reach the Bay
of Bengal.
 Hasdeo River is the largest tributary of Mahanadi River.
 Mahanadi river basin is shared by Maharashtra, Orissa, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh
 Hirakud dam in the city of Sambalpur in Odisha is built across the Mahanadi River

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THE GODAVARI BASIN
 Godavari begins in Nasik district of Maharashtra and is the largest peninsular river about 1500
km.
 Its large basin extends over states of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh,Telangana, Chhattisgarh and
Odisha in addition to smaller parts in Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Union territory of
Puducherry
 The tributaries which join the Godavari include Purna, Wardha, Pranhita, Manjra, Wainganga
and Penganga.
 Because of its length and the area it covers, Godavari is also known as the Dakshin Ganga.
 Godavari drains into the Bay of Bengal.

THE KRISHNA BASIN

 The 1400 km long Krishna river rises from a spring near Mahabaleshwar to reach the Bay of
Bengal.
 The tributaries of Krishna include Bhima, Musi, Ghatprabha, Koyana and Tungabhadra.
 The Krishna basin is shared by Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, Telangana
 The two major dams Nagarjuna Sagar Dam and Srisailam Dam are situated on the Krishna at the
border of the states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

Kolleru lake is situated in between the deltas of the Godavari and Krishna deltaic regions

THE KAVERI/CAUVERY BASIN

 Originating in the Brahmagiri range of the Western Ghats, the Kaveri reaches the Bay of Bengal in
south of Cuddalore, in Tamil Nadu, sharing its basin with Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
 The river Kaveri makes second biggest waterfall in India known as Sivasamudram.
 The Kaveri river has the unique location advantage in the sense that its upper catchment area
receives rainfall during summer by the south-west monsoon and the lower catchment area
during winter season by the retreating north-east monsoon.
 Its main tributaries are Amravati, Bhavani, Hemavati & Kabini
 Mettur Dam is the largest dam in Tamil Nadu & is on the Kaveri River.

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Other east flowing rivers are
Brahmani & Baitarni - The Brahmani rises in Ranchi district of Jharkhand. The Baitarani rises in Keonjhar
district of Orissa. Both river systems fall into the Bay of Bengal forming a common delta area
Subarnrekha - The Subernarekha rises in the Ranchi District of Jharkhand and fall into the Bay of Bengal

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Lakes in India
India has many lakes. These differ from each other in the size, and other characteristics. Most lakes are
permanent; while
 some contain water only during the rainy season, like the lakes in the basins of inland
drainage of semi-arid regions
 some lakes are the result of the action of glaciers and ice sheets
 while the others have been formed by wind, river action, and human activities.
A meandering river across a flood plain forms cut-offs that later develop into ox-bow lakes.
An oxbow lake is a lake that forms when a meander in a river is cut off from the rest of the river. It is
shaped like a crescent, or the bow of an oxen yoke. A river meanders because of obstacles and patterns
of erosion and deposition of sediments
Name State Type

Salt Water
Chilika lake Odisha
(largest)
Oxbow Lake 96% - Andhra Pradesh
Pulicat lake Fresh Water
4% Tamil Nadu
Kolleru lake. Andhra Pradesh Fresh water

Inland Drainage Sambhar lake Rajasthan Salt water

Fresh water
Wular Lake Jammu and Kashmir
(largest)

Dal lake Jammu and Kashmir Fresh water

Bhimtal Uttarakhand Fresh water

Glacier Origin
Nainital Uttarakhand Fresh water

Loktak Manipur Fresh water

Barapani Meghalaya Fresh water

Guru Gobind Sagar

Dam Himachal Pradesh
(Bhakra Nangal Project).

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