RYAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, SHARJAH

ACADEMIC YEAR 2024-25

CLASS NOTES
Class IX
Subject SOCIAL SCIENCE
Topic: DRAINAGE

Learning Objective:
Students will be able to:
 Differentiate between drainage and drainage basin.
 Identify the various drainage patterns and how they are formed.
 Compare the east flowing with west flowing rivers of peninsular plateau.
 Locate and label important river and lakes on the outline map of India.

Q.I ANSWER THE FOLLOWING:

1. Write a short note on National River Conservation Plan (NRCP).

Ans: 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.

2. How does the trellis and rectangular patterns of drainage develop?

Ans: Trellis patterns: In the trellis pattern of drainage, the tributaries join the main river at
approximately right angles and make it look like a rectangular arrangement. It develops
where hard and soft rocks exist parallel to each other.
Rectangular patterns: This drainage pattern develops on a strongly jointed rocky terrain
Trellis Drainage.

3. What is drainage and drainage basin?

Ans: The term ‘drainage means the river system of an area. It is a system of flowing
water from the higher level to the lower level.
Drainage Basin: Some small streams flowing from different directions come together to
form the main river, which ultimately drains into a large water body such as a lake or a
sea. The area drained by a single river system is called a drainage basin.

4. What are the different types of lakes found in India?

Ans: The types of lakes found in India.
 Freshwater lake: Most of the freshwater lakes are in the Himalayan region. They are of
 glacial origin. They formed when glaciers dug out a basin, which was later filled with
snowmelt.
 Saltwater lake: India’s famous saltwater Lake is the Sambhar lake, found in Rajasthan. It
is a saltwater lake, and its water is used for producing salt.

5. Which river is known as ‘Dakshin Ganga’? Describe its main features.

Ans: The Godavari River is known as the ‘Dakshin Ganga’.
The main features of the river Godavari are:
 It is the largest Peninsular River, which rises from the slopes of the Western Ghats in the
Nasik district of Maharashtra.
 Its length is about 1500 km that drains into the Bay of Bengal.
 A number of tributaries joins the Godavari River such as the Purna, the Wardha, the
Penganga, the Manjra, the Wainganga, and the Pranhita.

6. Describe the three main features of the Narmada basin.

Ans: The river Narmada emerges from the Amarkantak hills in Madhya Pradesh.
The main features of the Narmada basin are :
(a) It flows towards the west in a rift valley formed due to faulting.
(b) It creates many picturesque location like the Marble Rocks near Jabalpur and
Dhuandhar Falls.
(c) All the tributaries of the Narmada are very short and most of them join the main
stream at right angles. The Narmada Basin covers parts of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat.

7. What is a lagoon? Which state of India is known for it?

Ans:
 When a small portion of sea in the coastal areas is separated from the main body of water
by sand bars of spits, a Salt Lake is formed. It is called lagoon.
 These are found in Kerala and Odisha. The Chilka lake in Odisha is an example of a
lagoon.

8. Define the term drainage? What are the different types of drainage patterns?
Ans: The term drainage describes the river system of an area. The streams within a
drainage basin form certain patterns, depending on the slope of land, underlying rock
structure as well as the climatic conditions of the area.
The different drainage patterns are:
 Dendritic Pattern: The dendritic pattern develops where the river channel follows the
slope of the terrain. The stream with its tributaries resembles the branches of a tree, thus
the name dendritic.
 Trellis Pattern: A river joined by its tributaries, at approximately right angles, develops a
trellis pattern. A trellis drainage pattern develops where hard and soft rocks exist parallel
to each other.
 Rectangular Pattern: A rectangular drainage pattern develops on a strongly jointed rocky
terrain.
 Radial Pattern: The radial pattern develops when streams flow in different directions from
a central peak or domelike structure.

9. What do you know about the Ganga River System?

Ans: The Ganga System: The Ganga acquires its name after its two head streams—the
Alaknanda and the Bhagirathi join at Devprayag.
The Ganga enters the plains from the Himalayas at Haridwar. It is joined by a large
number of tributaries from the north.
Among them the Ghaghara, the Gandak, and the Kosi enter the northern plains of India
from Nepal. They are the rivers, which flood parts of the northern plains every year,
causing widespread damage to life, whereas they enrich the soil for agricultural use.
These rivers have tremendous potential to generate waterpower and to irrigate lands both
in Nepal and India. By mutual trust and cooperation, the sharing of river water for
developmental purposes can used in prosperity to the people of both the countries.
The main tributaries, which come from the peninsular uplands, are the Chambal, the
Betwa and the son. The length of the Ganga is over 2,500 km.
In India, it has the largest basin. The Ganga River system drains most of north India.

10.Write a note on the Brahmaputra Drainage System.

Ans: The river Brahmaputra rises in Tibet, east of the Mansarowar lake. The river flows
eastwards parallel to the Himalayas in its upper course. It is known as Tsang Po in Tibet.
It carries smaller volume of water and less silt in Tibet as it is a cold and a dry area.
The river takes a U-turn bend at Namcha Barwa (7757 m) and enters India in Arunachal
Pradesh through a gorge. In Arunachal Pradesh, it is known as Dihang. Here, it is joined
by the Dibang, the Lohit, the Kenula and many other tributaries. The volume of the river
increases here, and it is known as the Brahmaputra in Assam.
The region receives heavy rainfall during the monsoon which increases the volume of
water and silt content of the river. Devastating floods are caused by the river in Assam
and Bangladesh every year during the rainy season. The deposition of the silt in the
riverbed due to the heavy load, leads to the formation of braided channels intervened by
riverine islands.
The Brahmaputra has a braided channel in its entire length in Assam. Many riverine.
islands like the Majuli, the world’s largest riverine island, are formed in between the
channels. The Brahmaputra is known as Jamuna in Bangladesh.

11.In what different ways do rivers get polluted?

Ans: Rivers get polluted in the following ways:
 The growing domestic, municipal, industrial and agricultural demand for water from
rivers naturally affects the quality of water.
 The volume of river is also reduced because more and more water is being drained out of
the rivers.
 A 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.
  The increasing urbanisation and industrialisation also contribute to the river pollution.
 Dumping of garbage into the streams is another cause of river pollution. They are
changing the life-giving rivers into toxic streams.

THINK AND ANSWER:

1. Compare the east-flowing and the west-flowing rivers of the Peninsular plateau.
2. Why are rivers important for the country’s economy?
3. Explain the ‘National River Conservation Plan’ (NRCP) in brief.
4. “Rivers constitute the most useful natural resources.” Support the statement with
five suitable examples.
5. Describe the four drainage patterns.
6. Why is the Godavari River also known as ‘Dakshin Ganga’?

MAPWORK:

(i) On an outline map of India mark and label the following rivers: Ganga, Satluj, Damodar,
Krishna, Narmada, Tapi, Mahanadi, and Brahmaputra.
(ii) On an outline map of India mark and label the following lakes: Chilika Sambhar, Wular,
Pulicat, Kolleru.