Drainage Geography

TEXT BOOK QUESTIONS

Q1. Choose the right answer from the four alternatives given below.
(i) Which one of the following describes the drainage patterns resembling the branches
of a tree?
(a) Radial (c) Centrifugal
(b) Dendritic (d) Trellis
(ii) In which of the following states is the Wular Lake located?
(a) Rajasthan (c) Punjab

(b) Uttar Pradesh (d) Jammu and Kashmir

(iii) The river Narmada has its source at

(a) Satpura (c) Amarkantak

(b) Brahmagiri (d) Slopes of the Western Ghats

(iv) Which one of the following lakes is a salt water lake?

(a) Sambhar (c) Wular

(b) Dal (d) Gobind Sagar

(v) Which one of the following is the longest river of the Peninsular India?
(a) Narmada (c) Godavari
(b) Krishna (d) Mahanadi
(vi) Which one amongst the following rivers flows through a rift valley?

(a) Damodar (c) Krishna

(b) Tungabhadra (d) Tapi

Q2. Answer the following questions briefly.

(i) What is meant by a water divide? Give an example.
Ans. It refers to the higher ground separating two adjoining river system. The higher
ground may occur in the form of a mountain or a plateau or any other upland.
This elevated boundary line separating two different river systems is also called
Watershed e.g. Western Ghats acts as a major watershed between eastward and
the westward flowing rivers of peninsular India.

(ii) Which is the largest river basin in India?

Ans. The Ganga, which is over 2,500 km long, forms the largest river basin in India.

(iii) Where do the rivers Indus and Ganga have their origin?
Ans. The river Indus rises in Tibet, near Lake Mansarowar. The Ganga originates at
the Gangotri Glacier on the southern slopes of the Himalayas.
 (iv) Name the two headstreams of the Ganga. Where do they meet to form the Ganga?
Ans. The two headstreams of the Ganga are Bhagirathi and Alaknanda. They meet to
form the Ganga at Devaprayag in Uttarakhand.

(v) Why does the Brahmaputra in its Tibetan part have less silt, despite a
longer course?
Ans. Since Tibet has a cold and dry climate, the Brahmaputra carries a smaller volume
of water and less silt in this region.

vi) Which two peninsular rivers flow through trough?

Ans. Narmada and Tapi are the two peninsular rivers flowing through trough.

(vii) State some economic benefits of rivers and lakes?

Ans. Economic benefits of rivers and lakes:
(a) Source of fresh water
(b) Irrigation
(c) Navigation
(d) Hydro-power generation
(e) Development of tourism

Q3. Natural Lakes and Made-Made Lakes:

NATURAL LAKES MAN-MADE LAKES
Wular Gobind Sagar
Dal Hirakund
Bhimtal Rana Pratab Sagar
Nainital Vembanad
Loktak Nizam Sagar
Barapani Nagarjuna Sagar
Chilika Gandhi Sagar
Sambhar
Pulicat

Q4. Discuss the significant difference between the Himalayan and the
Peninsular Rivers?

Ans. 1. The Himalayan Rivers are perennial i.e. they have water throughout
the year whereas the Peninsular Rivers are seasonal in nature as they are
rain-fed rivers.
2. The tributaries of these rivers are very long and their number is
more whereas the tributaries of peninsular rivers are smaller in
length and their number is comparatively less.
3. The valleys of Himalayan rivers are broad, some rivers form very
deep gorges in the Himalayan mountains. The valleys of peninsular
rivers are graded and shallow. Their banks are steep and wall like.
4. The Himalayan Rivers are still in a youthful stage as they flow across
the young fold mountains. The peninsular rivers are very old and
have existed for a much longer period of time on the plateau.
5. The Himalayan Rivers have long courses from their source to the
sea. The Peninsular rivers have shorter and shallower courses as
compared to their Himalayan counterparts.
 Q5 Compare the east-flowing and the west-flowing rivers of the Peninsular
Plateau?

[Link]-flowing rivers of the [Link]-flowing rivers of the Peninsular Plateau

Peninsular Plateau
[Link] rivers flowing eastwards: [Link] two long rivers flow
Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, westwards: Narmada, Tapi
Kaveri
[Link] into the Bay of Bengal [Link] into the Arabian Sea
[Link] greater amount of sediments, [Link] lesser amount of sediments, so
so form deltas at their mouths form estuaries at their mouths
[Link] number of tributaries [Link] number of tributaries

Q6. Why are rivers important for the country’s economy?

Ans. Rivers have been of fundamental importance throughout
human history. Rivers, lakes, ice caps, ground water are the
fresh water reserves of the Earth. Water is a basic natural
resource, essential for various human activities. The water
from the rivers is used for various domestic, industrial and
agricultural purposes. The presence of rivers boosts trade and
commerce by helping in the easy transport of goods. They are
also a potential source of energy. The water from rivers is
used for running hydro-electric dams. Regions having rivers
are usually of great scenic and recreational value, and hence,
serve as good tourist spots.

Extra Questions Very Short Answer Type Questions

Question [Link] area drained by a single river system is called a _______ .
Answer: Drainage

Question [Link] world’s largest drainage basin is of the river _______ .

Answer: Amazon

Question 3. The largest delta in the world is _______ .

Answer: Sunderban delta

Question 4. An area through which a river and its tributaries flow is called
_______ .
Answer: Basin
Question 5. What is the total length of the Indus river?
Answer: The total length of the Indus river is 2900 km.

Question 6. Which is the largest tributary of the Ganga?

Answer: Yamuna

Question 7. Most of the Himalayan rivers are _______ .

Answer: Perennial

Question 8. A river along with its tributaries may be called

Answer: River system

Question 9. The Brahmaputra rises in _______ .

Answer: Tibet

Question 10. Name any one freshwater lake of India.

Answer: Wular lake.

Question 11. When the streams flow in different directions from a central peak
or dome like structure, a _______ pattern is developed.
Answer: Radial drainage.

Question 12. What does NRCP stands for?

Answer: National River Conservation Plan

SUMMARY DRAINAGE
Drainage’ is a term signifying the river system of an area. A drainage basin or
river basin is an area which is drained by a single river system. An upland that
separates two drainage systems that are next to each other is called a water
divide. On the basis of origin, there are two river systems of India — The
Himalayan rivers and the Peninsular rivers. Himalayan rivers are rained and
snowed, so they have water in them throughout the year, i.e., they are perennial
and thus navigable. Himalayan rivers create meanders, oxbow lakes and other
depositional features on their course. Peninsular rivers are seasonal; mostly
depending on rainfall and thus non-navigable. Most of the rivers of peninsular
India originate in the Western Ghats and flow’ towards the Bay of Bengal.

The Himalayan Rivers

A river along with its tributaries may be called a river system. The major
Himalayan rivers are the Indus, the Ganga, and the Brahmaputra.

The Indus River System

Rising near Lake Mansarovar in Tibet, the Indus enters India in the Ladakh
district of Jammu and Kashmir. Rivers Satluj, Beas, Ravi, Chenab and Jhelum
join Indus near Mithankot, Pakistan and flow southwards to fall into the
Arabian Sea, east of Karachi. With a total length of 2,900 km, the Indus is one
of the longest rivers of the world.

The Ganga River System

The headwaters of the Ganga are called ‘Bhagirathi’. Bhagirathi is fed by the
Gangotri Glacier and joined by the Alaknanda at Devprayag. Ganga meets the
tributaries from the Himalayas such as Ghaghara, Gandak, Kosi and the
Yamuna. A major river Yamuna, arising from Yamunotri Glader in the
Himalayas, joins Ganga at Allahabad.

Other tributaries — Chambal, Betwa and Son — come from Peninsular uplands
to join Ganga. Ganga is joined by the Brahmaputra and flows through
Bangladesh to reach the Bay of Bengal. The delta formed when the Ganga and
the Brahmaputra flow into the Bay of Bengal is known as the Sunderban Delta.
The length of the Ganga is over 2,500 km and it develops large meanders.

The Brahmaputra River System

Originating in Tibet, very close to the sources of Indus and Satluj, Brahmaputra
enters India in Arunachal Pradesh and flows to Assam, joined by many
tributaries. The tributaries that join the Brahmaputra are Dibang, Lohit, and
Kenula. The Brahmaputra has a braided channel in its entire length in Assam to
form many riverine islands. Unlike other north Indian rivers, the Brahmaputra is
marked by huge deposits of silt on its bed, causing the riverbed to rise.

The Peninsular Rivers

The major rivers of the peninsula—Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, and Kaveri—

flow eastwards to drain into the Bay of Bengal. The Thai and Narmada are the
only rivers which flow west to make estuaries and drain into the Arabian Sea.
The drainage basins of the peninsular rivers are comparatively small in size.
The Godavari Basin

The Godavari begins in Nasik district of Maharashtra. It is the largest peninsular

river. Its large basin covers most parts of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa
and Andhra Pradesh. The tributaries which join the Godavari include Purna,
Wardha, Pranhita, Manjra, Wainganga and Penganga. Because of its length and
the area, it covers, the Godavari is also known as the Dakshin Ganga. The
Godavari drains into the Bay of Bengal.

The Mahanadi Basin

The Mahanadi, a 860 km long river, rises in Chhattisgarh to flow through Orissa
to reach the Bay of Bengal. Principal tributaries of Mahanadi river are
Sheonath, Jonk, Hasdeo, Mand, lb, Ong and Tel. Mahanadi river basin is shared
by Maharashtra, Orissa, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh. It is one of the major east
flowing peninsular rivers draining into Bay of Bengal.

The Krishna Basin

The 1,400 km long Krishna river rises from a spring in the Mahadev range near
Mahabaleshwar and falls into the Bay of Bengal. The tributaries of Krishna
include Bhima, Musi, Ghatprabha, Koyana and Tungabhadra. The Krishna
basin is shared by Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

The Narmada Basin

Rising in the Amarkantak Plateau of Maikala Range, Narmada flows to create a

gorge in marble rocks of Madhya Pradesh. Narmada flows towards the west in a
rift valley formed due to faulting. • Narmada river has 41 tributaries. The
important ones are: Barna, Ganjal, Chhota Tawa, Hiran, Janatara, Kolar,
Orsang, Sher.

The Tapi Basin

Originating in Betul, Madhya Pradesh, the Tapi flows through a basin that
covers Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra. The main west flowing
rivers are Sabarmati, Mahi, Bharatpuzha and Periyar. The entire Tapi basin can
be divided into three sub-basins: upper, middle and lower and into two well-
defined physical regions, viz, the hilly regions and the plains or Tapi Basin.

The Kaveri Basin

Originating in the Brahmagiri range of the Western Ghats, the Kaveri reaches
the Bay of Bengal at Kaveripatnam, sharing its basin with Karnataka, Tamil
Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry or Pondicherry. The main soil types found in the
basin are red and yellow soils.

Lakes

Most lakes are permanent while others contain water only during the rainy
season. Some lakes are the result of the glacial action and ice sheets and some
may have been formed by wind, river action and human activities. A river
meandering across a floodplain forms cut-offs that later develop into oxbow
lakes. Glacial lakes are formed when glaciers dig out a basin which is later
filled with snowmelt. Some lakes like Wular Lake in Jammu and Kashmir result
from tectonic activity. Apart from natural lakes, the damming of the rivers for
the generation of hydel power has also led to the formation of [Link] help
to regulate river water flow, prevent flooding, aid to develop hydel power,
moderate climate, maintain aquatic ecosystem, enhance natural beauty, develop
tourism and provide recreation.

Role of Rivers in the Economy

Rivers are a natural source of water. It forms the main backbone for
[Link] on the river banks have developed into [Link] are
used for irrigation, navigation, hydropower generation, all vital for India, and
agricultural economy.

River Pollution

Quality of river water is affected by the growing domestic, municipal, iftdustrial

and agricultural demand.A heavy load of untreated sewage and industrial
effluents are emptied into the river affecting the river’s self-cleansing
[Link] over rising pollution in our rivers led to the launching of
various action plans to clean the rivers like Narmada Bachao Movement.