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Drainage System of India

DRAINAGE SYSTEM IN INDIA

• Drainage refers to the channel of a river system in an area.

• Drainage Basin refers to an area which is drained by one river system, i.e. Main
River along with its tributaries.
• Drainage system refers to the group of channels of drainages, i.e. channels of
main (original) river and its tributaries.
• The function of time of the geological period determines the characteristics of
the drainage pattern.
• The major characteristics of drainage pattern are – topography, slope, amount
of water flow, nature and structure of rocks.

DRAINAGE PATTERNs

• Drainage patterns are formed based on the channel and shape of rivers which
forms a part of the drainage basin.
• Based on the formation of river patterns the drainage patterns are classified
into two types – Discordant and Concordant Drainage Pattern.

DISCORDANT DRAINAGE PATTERN

• In Discordant drainage pattern, the rivers will not change its path according to
the change in topography or landform in an area.
• The discordant drainage pattern further divided into two types :
• Antecedent and
• Superimposed drainage pattern
• Example: R. Indus, R. Brahmaputra, etc.,

CONCORDANT DRAINAGE PATTERN

• In Concordant drainage pattern, the rivers will change its path in accordance
with the slope and topography of a region.
• The concordant drainage patterns are further divided into:
1. Consequent rivers
2. Subsequent rivers
3. Dendritic Drainage pattern
4. Trellis Drainage Pattern
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5. Radial Drainage Pattern

6. Centripetal Drainage Pattern
• In consequent rivers, the rivers flow through the general slope of an area.
Mostly main (original) rivers have this drainage pattern. Eg: R. Godavari, R.
Cauvery, etc.
• In Subsequent rivers, the tributary streams are formed after the formation of
the original stream by the vertical and lateral erosion along the slope. Eg: R.
Ken, R. Chambal. Etc.
• In Dendritic Drainage pattern, the pattern of flow of the original river and its
tributaries looks like branches of a tree. Eg: R. Indus, R. Mahanadi, R. Godavari,
etc.,
• In Trellis Drainage Pattern the tributaries (Subsequent rivers) joins the
original river at right angles and the tributaries flow parallel to each other.
• In Radial Drainage Pattern the rivers originate from a common area and flow
in all direction from the source region. Eg: Amarkantak Plateau
• In Centripetal Drainage Pattern rivers from different directions drains into a
common area. Eg: Loktak Lake, Manipur.

Source: NCERT
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INDIAN DRAINAGE SYSTEM

• The drainage system of India is mainly classified into:

• Himalayan rivers
• Peninsular rivers

Himalayan River System

• The upliftment of Himalayas in different geological period resulted in the

present drainage system of Himalayan rivers.
• The water divide, watershed and the channel of these rivers have changed at
different times and the folding leads to the creation of many rivers.
• There are three major river systems in the Himalayas: (i) The Indus System;
(ii) The Ganga System; (iii) The Brahmaputra System.

RIVER SOURCE MOUTH TRIBUTARIES DESCRIPTION

Left: Jhelum,
Known as Singi
Chenab, Sutlej,
Khamban (Lion’s
Ravi, Beas,
Mouth)
Zanskar
Arabian Sea
Near Bokhar Chu
(near
INDUS Glacier, Tibetan In India, it flows
Karachi, Right: Shyok,
Plateau only in Jammu &
Pakistan) Hunza, Gilgit,
Kashmir state
Kabul,
Khurram,
Tochi, Gomal,
Viboa, Sangar
It passes through
Srinagar and Wular
R. Chenab (in Right: Neelum, Lake
JHELUM Verinag, J & K
Pakistan) Sind

It is also called as
Tandi, Himachal R. Indus (in Right:
CHENAB Marusadar Chandrabhaga
Pradesh (formed Pakistan)
by two rivers river
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Chandra and It is the largest

Bhaga) tributary of river
Indus

Rohtang Pass,
RAVI Himachal R. Chenab
Pradesh
It is known as
Langchen Khambab
in its source place.

Left: Baspa
It enters India
Raksas Tal, near
R. Chenab, through Shipki La
SUTLEJ Mansarovar,
Pakistan pass
Tibet Right: Spiti,
Beas
Bhakra Nangal
Project is
constructed across
this river
Beas Kund, near
Rohtang pass,
BEAS R. Sutlej
Himachal
Pradesh
Left:
Ramganga,
Gomati,
Gandak, Kosi,
Confluence of R. Ghaghara,
Sagar Island,
Bhagirathi and Mahananda Ganga is India’s
GANGA Bay of Bengal
R. Alaknanda at largest river system
(Bangladesh)
DevPrayag
Right:
Yamuna, Son,
Chambal,
Betwa
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Left:
Rishiganga
R. Ganga, It is the longest
Yamunotri
YAMUNA Allahabad tributary of Ganga
Glacier Right:
(UP) river
Chambal,
Betwa, Ken,
Sind
Badland
R. Yamuna, Left: Banas topography is an
Mhow, Malwa
CHAMBAL Madhya Right: Parbati, important feature
plateau
Pradesh Shipra of the Chambal
river system
Left: Trisuli
R. Ganga,
GANDAK Mustang, Nepal Sonpur,
Bihar Right: Kali
Gandak
Left: Rapti
Mapchachungo, R. Ganga,
GHAGHARA
Tibet Bihar
Right: Sarda,
Budhi Ganga
It is an antecedent
Tribenighat, R. Ganga,
KOSI trans-boundary
Nepal Bihar
river
R. Ganga,
Pauri Garhwal,
RAMGANGA Uttar
Uttarakhand
Pradesh
It flows northwards
R. Ganga,
Amarkantak to reach Ganga and
SON Bihar (near
Plateau its largest south
Patna)
bank tributary
R. Ganga, Last left bank
MAHANANDA Darjeeling Hills
West Bengal tributary of Ganga
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It enters India in
the state of
Arunachal Pradesh
(near Sadiya town)

Left: Burhi
Dihing, In Tibet, it is called
Dhansri, Lohit as Tsangpo
Chemayungdung
BRAHMAPUTRA Glacier, KailashBay of Bengal
Right: Takes U-turn and
Range, Tibet
Subansri, enters India near
Manas, Namcha Barwa
Kameng, peak
Sankosh

Frequent Shifting of
the channel is one
of its main
characteristics

Peninsular River System

• The course and channel of Peninsular rivers are evolved by passing through
various geological events like subsidence, Upheaval of Himalayas, the tilt of
Peninsular India
• The Western Ghats acts as a water divide between thus most of the peninsular
rivers flow towards the east and few flowing through the west reaching the
Arabian Sea with few exemptions which flow northwards.
• The characteristics of river channels of these rivers like the fixed course,
absence of meanders, etc., indicates that these rivers are older than Himalayan
rivers.

PENINSULAR
SOURCE MOUTH TRIBUTARIES DESCRIPTION
RIVER
Maharashtra,
Bay of Bengal Left: Seonath, Chattisgarh,
Sihawa, Mand, Ib
MAHANADI (False Point, Jharkhand,
Chattisgarh
Odisha) Odisha are its
basin states
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Right: Ong,
Jonk, Telen
Bay of Left: Prahnita,
It is called as
Bengal, Indravati
Dakshin Ganga
Brahmagiri Andhra
as this river is
GODAVARI Hills, Nasik, Pradesh
the largest
Maharashtra (East Right: Manjira,
Peninsular
Godavari Pravara,
River
district) Manair
Left: Bhima,
Musi, Munneru
Krishna
district,
Mahabaleshwar,
KRISHNA Andhra Right:
Maharashtra
Pradesh, Bay Tungabhadra,
of Bengal Koyna,
Dudhganga,
Ghataprabha
Left:
Hemavathi, This river
Arkavathy receives
Poompuhar, rainfall from
Brahmagiri
CAUVERY Tamil Nadu, both south-
Hills, Karnataka
Bay of Bengal Right: Kabini, west and
Bhavani, north-east
Noyyal, monsoon
Amaravati
Known for
Marble Rocks
Left: Tawa, (Jabalpur, MP)
Shakkar and falls
Amarkantak Gulf of
NARMADA Hills, Madhya Khambat,
Pradesh Arabian Sea
Right: Hiran, West flowing
Kolar, Dindori river and flows
through a rift
valley
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Gulf of
Betul District,
Khambat, West flowing
TAPI Madhya
Surat, river
Pradesh
Arabian Sea

Comparison between Himalayan and the Peninsular Rivers of India

S. No. Aspect Himalayan River Peninsular River
Himalayan mountain
covered with Peninsular plateau and
1. Place of origin
central highland
glaciers
Perennial; receive water Seasonal; dependent on
2. Nature of flow from the glacier monsoon
and rainfall rainfall
Superimposed,
Antecedent and rejuvenated resulting
Type ofconsequent leading to
3. in trellis, radial and
drainage the dendritic pattern in rectangular
plains
patterns
Long course, flowing
through the
rugged mountains
experiencing Smaller, the fixed course
4. Nature of river headward erosion and with well-adjusted
river capturing; valleys
In plains meandering
and shifting of
course
5. Catchment area Very large basins Relatively smaller basin
Old rivers with the graded
Young and youthful,
profile, and have
6. Age of the river active and
almost reached their base
deepening in the valleys
levels
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Source: NCERT