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Major Rivers in India
8 April 2020
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Indus River System
Indus - Ancient name → Sindhu
- Origin → Bokharchu Glacier, Near Mansarovar
- In Tibet, Called Singi Khamban / Lion’s mouth
- Enters In India through Ladakh, flows only in J &K
- Enters Pak through the hairpin bend of Nanga Parbat
- Finally Discharges in Arabian Sea
- Flows approx. ( 709 / 2880 ) Km in India
- India uses 20 % of its water by Indo Pak water treaty of 1960
Shyok - Originates from Rimo Glacier
- Known as a river of death
- flows through Ladakh in India
- A tributary of the Indus River
Jhelum - Ancient name → Vitasta
- Origin → Verinag Spring (Kashmir)
- Tributary of Indus, flows only in J &K
- Flows Northward to Wular Lake
- Cut through gorge in Pir- Panjal range to reach Muzzafarabad (POK)
Chenab - Ancient name → Akshani / Iskmati
- Origin → Bara Lacha Pass (Himachal)
- Known as chandra-bhaga in Himachal
- Chandra River → Water flowing south from the pass
- Bhaga River → Water Flowing north from the pass
- Flows Northward & parallel to Pir –Panjal Range for some distance
- Cut through gorge in Pir – Panjal & Turns southward
- Largest tributary of Indus, Flows through Himachal & J & K
- Famous Projects → Duhasti, Baglihar & Salal hydroelectric project
Ravi - Ancient name → Purushni
- Origin → Kullu hills near Rohtang Pass (Himachal)
- Tributary of Chenab
- Smallest of 5 rivers
- Flows through Indo – Pak boundary
- Flows northward b/w Pir – Panjal & Dhauladhar Ranges
- Cut a gorge through Dhauladhar range & flows southward
Beas - Ancient name → Vipasha
- Origin → Beas kund near Rohtang Pass, Himachal
- Tributary of Satluj
- Only river flowing entirely in India
- Runs southward, Cut a deep gorge in Dhauladhar & turns west to meet Satluj near Harike (Punjab)
- Famous Project → Pong Dam
Sutluj - Ancient name → Shatadru
- Origin → Rakas lake, Tibet, near Mansarovar
- Enter Himachal at Shipki La Pass
- Collects water from Ravi, Chenab, Jhelum & Beas to join Indus near Mithalkot (Pak)
- Famous Projects → Naptha Jhakri Project & Bhakra Nagal Dam with Govind Sagar Reservoir
Ganga River System
- Origin → As Bhagirathi from Gangotri Glacier (Uttarkashi – Uttarakhand)
- Alakananda unites with Bhagirathi at Devprayag, Uttarakhand → Henceforth known as Ganga
- Passing through Rishikesh, it debounches in plains of Haridwar
- From Haridwar, it flows Southward to reach Allahabad where it joins Yamuna
- Near Rajmahal Hills, it turns southeast & bifurcates at Farraka into Hoogly (Kolkata) & Padma (BD)
- At Bangladesh, Ganga merges with Brahmputra (Known as Jamuna in Bangladesh) at Goalundo Ghats.
- Mixture is known as Padma River.
- Then it merges with Meghna & finally falls in Bay of Bengal
- Meghna → Known as Barack river in India
- Major tributaries → Yamuna, Gomti, Ghaghara, Gandak, Kosi, Son & Punpun
Ghaghara - Origin → Bharchachungar Glacier (Rakas lake) near Mansarovar
- Joins Ganga at Chhapr.
- Known as Manchu or Karnali in Nepal.
- Known as Saryu or Ghaghra in UP
- Perennial river
- Major tributaries → Sarda & Rakti
Gandak - Origin → Sino – Nepal Boundary (Dhaulagiri range)
- Known as Kalyani in Nepal
- Major River of Nepal
- Joins Ganga at Sonpur, Bihar
Kosi - Origin → Gosainath peak (Tibet)
- Merges with river Ganga at Bhagalpur (Bihar)
- Consists of 7 streams & known as Saptakoshi in Nepal
- Main stream → Arun, Tamur & Sun Koshi
- Formerly Known as Sorrow of Bihar
- Major Projects → Kusha Dam
Son - Origin → Amarkantak Plateau (Near north of origin of Narmada)
- Flows through Kaimur Range to meet Ganga at Patna
Gomti - Originates from Gomat Taal / Fulhaar jheel – Pilibhit
- A tributary of Ganga
Yamuna - Origin → Yamunotri Glacier (Uttarkashi – Uttarakhand)
- Largest Tributary of Ganga
- After cutting deep gorge across Shivalik, it enters into plains near Tajewala
- Flows southward up to Agra & then turns southeast to meet Ganga at Allahabad
- Famous tributaries → Chambal, Sind, Betwa & Ken
Betwa - Major Tributaries → Tributary of Yamuna, rises from Vindhya range, MP
- Major Projects → Matatila dam & Rajghat dam
Ken - Rises from Kaimur hills in Satna (Madhya Pradesh), a tributary of Yamuna
- Famous for its Shajar stone & Raneh waterfalls
Chambal - Origin → Vindhya Range (Mhow, MP)
- Passes through Kota & Dhaulpur (Rajasthan)
- Merge with Yamuna at Etawah (UP)
- Forms boundary between Rajasthan & MP
- Major tributaries → Kali Sindh, Parvati & Banas
- Main Power Projects → Gandhisagar, Rana Pratap Sagar & Jawahar Sagar
Banas - Originate from eastern slopes of Aravali
- Tributary of Chambal
Damodar - Origin → Eastern part of Chhota Nagpur Plateu
- Meets Hoogli at Falta
- Power Projects → Talaiya, Maithan, Barakar & Panchet
Brahmaputra River System
- Origin → Chemayungdung Glacier (Kailash Range, Tibet)
- In Tibet, known as TSANG – PO
- In China, known as YARLUNG ZANBO
- Forms grand canyon in Tibet
- Turns southward near Namcha – Barwa
- Enters Arunachal Pradesh as Dihang River at Sadiya, emerging from the mountains
- Joined by Dibang river from the north & Lohit river from the south → Known as Brahamputra
- Turns at Dhubri to enter into Bangladesh
- After joining Teesta, known as Jamuna in BD
- Joins Ganga & Megna → Merges to BOB.
- Forms many river island of which Majuli is world 2nd largest one
- Major tributaries → Dihang, Lohit, Subansiri, Teesta, Meghna (Barack in Assam), Manas
Teesta - Major tributary of Brahmaputra
- Rises from Sikkim
- Known as lifeline of Sikkim
Lohit - Tributary of Brahmaputra
- Flows through Arunachal Pradesh
- Along with river Dihang merges into Brahmaputra, at Sadia town (Arunachal Pradesh)
Peninsular Rivers India – Flowing East to West
Luni - Desertic river, also known as the Sagarmati
- Rises from the western slopes of the Aravalli Range near Ajmer
- Ends in the marshy lands of Rann of Kutch in Gujarat
- Inspite of high salinity, it is a major river in region
- Serves as a primary source of irrigation
Sabarmati - Rises from Dhebar lake in Aravalli Range of the Udaipur (Rajasthan)
- Flow Route: Udaipur → Gulf of Khambat → Arabian Sea via Estuary
Mahi - Rises from Vindhya range (MP)
- flows through MP, Rajasthan & Gujrat & drains in Gulf of Cambay
- Famous Projects → Banswara Dam & Kadana dam
Narmada - Origin → Amarkantak, Shahdol, MP
- Also known as Rewa River
- Flows through rift valley of Vindhya & Satpura
- Flow Route: MP → Bharuch (Gujrat) → Gulf of Khambat (Gujrat) → Arabian Sea via Estuary
- Longest among all east to west flowing rivers
- Known as Life line of MP
- Forms Duandhar falls at Jabalpur
- Only tributary → Hiran River
- Aliabet → Largest Island in Estuary
- Famous projects →Sardar Sarovar Dam, Maheshwar Dam, Indira Gandhi Sagar Dam
Tawa - Rises in the Satpura Range of Betul (MP)
- Narmada’s longest tributary
Tapi - Origin → Mahadev hills, Satpura range, Betul district, MP
- Flow Route: MP → Maharashtra → Gulf of Khambat or Cambay → Arabian Sea via Estuary
- Famous projects → Kakrapar Dam & Ukai Dam
Periyar - Rises from Western Ghats in Kerala
- Flows towards west & drains in Arabian Sea via an estuary
Peninsular Rivers India – Flowing West to East
Mahanadi - Origin → Dandakaranya Hills, Raipur
- Flow Route: Chhattisgarh → Orissa → EGs → BOB
- Famous Project : Hirakund Dam
Godavari - Origin → Triambakeshwar Plateau, Nashik, WGs
- Largest Peninsular River
- Known as Dakshina / Vriddha Ganga
- Flow Route: Nashik → Andhra Pradesh → BOB
- Famous Tributaries → Penganga, Sabri, Wardha & Indravati
- Famous Projects → Poochampad, Jayakwadi, Polavaram
Penganga - Rises from Ajanta hills (Maharashtra)
- a tributary of River Wardha which finally merges into Godavari
Krishna - Origin → Mahabaleshwar, Maharashtra, WGs
- Flow Route: Maharashtra → Andhra Pradesh → BOB
- Famous Projects → Koyna, Tugrabhdra, Srisailam & Nagarjuna Sagar Dam
Tungabhadra - a major tributary of Krishna
- Rises from Western Ghats
Bhima - Rises from Balaghat range (Maharashtra)
- Tributary of Krishna
Kaveri - Origin → Brahamgiri hills, Karnataka, WGs
- Flow Route: Karnataka → Kaveripatnam (TN) →BOB
- Perrenial River
- Forms Shivasundaram Waterfalls
- Famous projects → Krishnaraja Sagar & Mettur
Penner - Rises from Karnataka
- Flows b/w Krishna & Kaveri
- Drains into BOB
Vaigai - Rises from Palni hills (TN)
- A seasonal river flows through TN
- Drains in Gulf of Mannar
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