The
Rivers of India play a significant role in the lives of Indian society as well
as in the lives of the aspirants pursuing the UPSC Civil Service Exam. The
river systems provide irrigation, drinking water, economical transportation,
power, as well as grant livelihoods to a large number of population. This
straightforwardly demonstrates why all the major cities of India are positioned
by the banks of the river.
|
Indian River Systems |
||
|
River System |
Total length |
Length in India |
|
Indus River System |
3180 km |
1114 km |
|
Brahmaputra River System |
2900 km |
916 km |
|
Ganga River System |
2510 km |
2510 km |
|
Yamuna river System |
1376 km |
1376 km |
|
Narmada River System |
1312 km |
1312 km |
|
Tapi River System |
724 km |
724 km |
|
Godavari River System |
1465 km |
1465 km |
|
Krishna River System |
1400 km |
1400 km |
|
Cauvery River System |
805 km |
805 km |
|
Mahanadi River System |
851 km |
851 km |
Major River System –The Indus River
System
The Indus
arises from the northern slopes of the Kailash range in Tibet near Lake
Mansarovar.
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 out of which approx 700km lies in India.
It enters
the Indian Territory in Jammu and Kashmir by forming a picturesque gorge.
In the
Kashmir region, it joins with many tributaries – the Zaskar, the Shyok, the
Nubra and the Hunza.
It flows
between the Ladakh Range and the Zaskar Range at Leh.
It
crosses the Himalayas through a 5181 m deep gorge near Attock, which is lying
north of Nanga Parbat.
The major
tributaries of the Indus River in India are Jhelum, Ravi, Chenab, Beas, and
Sutlej.
Major River System – The Brahmaputra
River System
The Brahmaputra originates from
Mansarovar Lake, which is also a source of the Indus and Sutlej.
It is 3848kms long, a little
longer than the Indus River.
Most of its course lies outside
India.
It flows parallel to the
Himalayas in the eastward direction. When it reaches Namcha Barwa, it takes a
U-turn around it and enters India in the state of Arunachal Pradesh.
Here it is known as the Dihang
River.
In India, it flows through the
states of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam and is connected by several tributaries.
The Brahmaputra has a braided
channel throughout most of its length in Assam.
The river is known as the Tsangpo
in Tibet. It receives less volume of water and has less silt in the Tibet
region. But in India, the river passes through a region of heavy precipitation,
and as such, the river carries large amounts of water during rainfall and a
significant amount of silt.
It is considered one of the
largest rivers in India in terms of volume. It is known for creating calamities
in Assam and Bangladesh.
Major River System – Ganga River
System
The Ganga
originates as the Bhagirathi from the Gangotri glacier.
Before it
reaches Devprayag in the Garhwal Division, the Mandakini, Pindar, the
Dhauliganga and the Bishenganga rivers merge into the Alaknanda and the Bheling
drain into the Bhagirathi.
The
Pindar River rises from East Trishul and Nanda Devi unite with the Alaknanda at
Karan Prayag. The Mandakini meets at Rudraprayag.
The water
from both Bhagirathi and the Alaknanda flows in the name of the Ganga at
Devprayag.
The concept of Panch Prayag
Vishnuprayag:
where the river Alaknanda meets river Dhauli Ganga
Nandprayag:
where river Alaknanda meets river Nandakini
Karnaprayag:
where river Alaknanda meets river Pinder
Rudraprayag:
where river Alaknanda meets river Mandakini
Devprayag:
where river Alaknanda meets river Bhagirathi -GANGA
The
principal tributaries of the Ganga are Yamuna, Damodar, Sapta Kosi, Ram Ganga,
Gomati, Ghaghara, and Son. The river after travelling a distance of 2525 km
from its source meets the Bay of Bengal.
Yamuna River System
The
Yamuna River is the largest tributary of the Ganga River.
It
originates from the Yamunotri glacier, at the Bandarpoonch peak in Uttarakhand.
The main
tributaries joining the river include the Sin, Hindon, Betwa Ken, and Chambal.
The Tons
is the largest tributary of the Yamuna.
The
catchment of the river extends to the states of Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar
Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh.
The Narmada River System
The
Narmada is a river located in central India.
It rises
to the summit of the Amarkantak Hill in Madhya Pradesh state.
It
outlines the traditional frontier between North India and South India.
It is one
of the major rivers of peninsular India. Only the Narmada, the Tapti, and the
Mahi rivers run from east to west.
The river
flows through the states of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Maharashtra.
It drains
into the Arabian Sea in the Bharuch district of Gujarat.
The Tapi River System
It is a
central Indian river. It is one of the most important rivers of peninsular India
with the run from east to west.
It
originates in the Eastern Satpura Range of southern Madhya Pradesh state.
It flows
in a westward direction, draining some important historic places like Madhya
Pradesh’s Nimar region, East Vidarbha region and Maharashtra’s Khandesh in the
northwest corner of the Deccan Plateau and South Gujarat before draining into
the Gulf of Cambay of the Arabian Sea.
The River
Basin of Tapi River lies mostly in eastern and northern districts Maharashtra
state.
The river
also covers some districts of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat as well.
The
principal tributaries of Tapi River are Waghur River, Aner River, Girna River,
Purna River, Panzara River and Bori River.
The Godavari River System
The
Godavari River is the second-longest course in India with brownish water.
The river
is often referred to as the Dakshin (South) Ganga or Vriddh (Old) Ganga.
It is a
seasonal river, dried during the summers, and widens during the monsoons.
This
river originates from Trimbakeshwar, near Nasik in Maharashtra.
It flows
southeast across south-central India through the states of Madhya Pradesh,
Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Orissa, and drains into the Bay of Bengal.
The river
forms a fertile delta at Rajahmundry.
The banks
of this river have many pilgrimage sites, Nasik(MH), Bhadrachalam(TS), and
Trimbak. Some of its tributaries include Pranahita (Combination of Penuganga
and Warda), Indravati River, Bindusara, Sabari, and Manjira.
Asia’s
largest rail-cum-road bridge which links Kovvur and Rajahmundry is located on
the river Godavari.
The Krishna River System
Krishna is one of the longest
rivers of India, which originates from Mahabaleshwar in Maharashtra.
It flows through Sangli and
drains the sea in the Bay of Bengal.
The river flows through the
states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
Tungabhadra River is the main
tributary which itself is formed by the Tunga and Bhadra rivers that originate
in the Western Ghats.
Dudhganga Rivers, Koyna, Bhima,
Mallaprabha, Dindi, Ghataprabha, Warna, Yerla, and Musi are some of the other
tributaries.
The Cauvery River System
It
originates from Talakaveri located in the Western Ghats.
It is a
famous pilgrimage and tourist place in the Kodagu district of Karnataka.
The
headwaters of the river are in the Western Ghats range of Karnataka state, and
from Karnataka through Tamil Nadu.
The river
drains into the Bay of Bengal. The river supports irrigation for agriculture
and is considered as a means of support of the ancient kingdoms and modern
cities of South India.
The river
has many tributaries called Arkavathy, Shimsha, Hemavati, Kapila, Shimsha,
Honnuhole, Amaravati, Lakshmana Kabini, Lokapavani, Bhavani, Noyyal, and
Tirtha.
The Mahanadi River System
The
Mahanadi originates from the Satpura Range of central India and it is a river
in eastern India.
It flows
east to the Bay of Bengal. The river drains of the state of Maharashtra,
Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Orissa.
The
largest dam, the Hirakud Dam is built on the river.
