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53 views3 pages

HH

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harshanmp123
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CBSE Notes Class 9 Geography Chapter 3 – Drainage

The area drained by a single river system is called a drainage basin. Any
elevated area, such as a mountain or an upland which separates two drainage
basins, 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 Himalayan rivers The Peninsular rivers
Most of the Himalayan rivers are perennial, which means they have water
throughout the year. Peninsular rivers are seasonal.
These rivers receive water from rain as well as from melted snow from high
mountains. The flow of these rivers is dependent on rainfall.
Two major Himalayan rivers, the Indus and the Brahmaputra originate from the
north of the mountain ranges. Most of the rivers of peninsular India originate
in the Western Ghats and flow towards the Bay of Bengal.
The Himalayan rivers have long courses from their source to the sea. These
rivers have shorter and shallower courses as compared to the Himalayan rivers.
The Himalayan Rivers
The major Himalayan rivers are the Indus, the Ganga and the Brahmaputra. A
river, along with its tributaries, may be called a river system.

1) The Indus River System


Indus is one of the longest rivers in the world, with a total length of 2900 km.
The river Indus rises in Tibet near Lake Mansarovar.
It enters India in the Ladakh district of Jammu and Kashmir, where it forms a
picturesque gorge.
The Satluj, the Beas, the Ravi, the Chenab and the Jhelum join together to enter
the Indus near Mithankot in Pakistan.
2) The Ganga River System
The source of the Ganga called the ‘Bhagirathi’, is fed by the Gangotri Glacier
and joined by the Alaknanda at Devaprayag in Uttarakhand.
The Ganga emerges from the mountains to the plains at Haridwar.
The Ganga is joined by many tributaries from the Himalayas, a few of them being
major rivers, such as the Yamuna, the Ghaghara, the Gandak and the Kosi.
The length of the Ganga is over 2500 km.
Farakka in West Bengal is the northernmost point of the Ganga Delta where the
Ganga River divides into 2 parts.

The Bhagirathi-Hooghly 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. The Meghna River
flows into the Bay of Bengal and forms Sundarban Delta.
3) The Brahmaputra River System
The Brahmaputra rises in Tibet east of Mansarowar Lake.
It is slightly longer than the Indus.
On reaching the Namcha Barwa (7757 m), it takes a ‘U-turn’ and enters India in
Arunachal Pradesh, where it is called the Dihang.
Dihang is joined by the Dibang, the Lohit, and many other tributaries to form
the Brahmaputra in Assam.
The Peninsular Rivers
The main water divide in Peninsular India is formed by the Western Ghats. Most
of the major rivers of the Peninsula, such as the Mahanadi, the Godavari, the
Krishna, and the Kaveri, flow eastwards and drain into the Bay of Bengal. These
rivers make deltas at their mouths. The Narmada and the Tapi are the only long
rivers which flow west and make estuaries.

1) The Narmada Basin


The Narmada rises in the Amarkantak hills in Madhya Pradesh.
The Narmada flows through a deep gorge at the ‘Marble Rocks’ near Jabalpur.
At Dhuadhar Falls, the river jumps over steep rocks.
The Narmada basin covers parts of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat.
2) The Tapi Basin
The Tapi rises in the Satpura ranges in the Betul district of Madhya Pradesh.
Its basin covers parts of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra.
3) The Godavari Basin
The Godavari is the largest Peninsular river. Its length is about 1500 km.
It rises from the slopes of the Western Ghats in the Nasik district of
Maharashtra.
The basin covers parts of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Andhra
Pradesh.
The Godavari is joined by a number of tributaries, such as the Purna, the
Wardha, the Pranhita, the Manjra, the Wainganga and the Penganga.
Owing to its length and the area it covers, it is also known as the Dakshin
Ganga.
4) The Mahanadi Basin
The Mahanadi rises in the highlands of Chhattisgarh.
The length of the river is about 860 km.
Its drainage basin is shared by Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and
Odisha.
5) The Krishna Basin
It rises from a spring near Mahabaleshwar.
The length of the river is about 1400 km.
Its drainage basin is shared by Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
6) The Kaveri Basin
The Kaveri rises in the Brahmagri range of the Western Ghats.
The total length of the river is about 760 km.
Its basin drains parts of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Besides these major rivers, there are some smaller rivers flowing towards the
east. Some of them are:

The Damodar
The Brahmani
The Baitarni
The Subarnrekha
Lakes
India has many lakes. These lakes differ from each other in size and other
characteristics.

Most lakes are permanent


Some contain water only during the rainy season
Some lakes are the result of the action of glaciers and ice sheets
Some have been formed by wind, river action and human activities
These lakes are attractive to tourists in places like Srinagar, Nainital.
Different lakes are:

A meandering river across a floodplain forms cut-offs that later develop into
ox-bow lakes.
Spits and bars form lagoons in the coastal areas. Eg, 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 is a saltwater lake which is used for producing salt.
Most of the freshwater lakes are in the Himalayan region. They are of glacial
origin. The Wular Lake in Jammu and Kashmir is the result of tectonic activity,
which is the largest freshwater lake in India. Some other important freshwater
lakes are Dal Lake, Bhimtal, Nainital, Loktak and Barapani.
Importance of Lakes
Lakes are useful to human beings in many ways:

Lakes help to regulate the flow of a river.


During heavy rains, these lakes prevent flooding.
During the dry season, these lakes help to maintain an even flow of water.
Lakes can also be used for developing hydel power.
Lakes moderate the surrounding climate, maintain the aquatic ecosystem, enhance
natural beauty, and provide recreation.
Role of Rivers in the Economy
Rivers have been of fundamental importance throughout human history.
Water from rivers is a basic natural resource, essential for various human
activities.
Rivers are used for irrigation, navigation, hydropower generation etc.
River Pollution
The growing domestic, municipal, industrial and agricultural demand for water
from rivers is affecting the quality of water. Rivers are getting polluted as a
heavy load of untreated sewage and industrial effluents are getting emptied into
the rivers. Concern over rising river pollution led to the launching of various
action plans to clean the rivers.

Questions on CBSE Class 9 Geography Notes Chapter 3 Drainage


Q1
What is a drainage basin?
Drainage basins refer to the area of land drained by a major river and its
tributaries.

Q2
Where is the ‘Bhagirathi’ river located?
The Bhagirathi River is situated in the Indian state, Utharakhand.

Q3
What is a lagoon?
A shallow sound, channel, or pond near or communicating with a larger body of
water is called a lagoon.

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