5.

0 REGIONAL GEOLOGY
The region consists of a part of Indo-Gangetic plains and Bundelkhand Plateau. Indo-Gangetic plains
are named after the Indus and the Ganges rivers and encompasses several large urban areas. The
plain is bound on the north by the Himalayas, which feed its numerous rivers and are the source of
the fertile alluvium deposited across the region by the two river systems. Indo-Gangetic planes are
underlain by quaternary sediments consisting of clays, silt, sands and pebbles of different grades.
Bundelkhand Plateau is bounded by the Yamuna river in the north Vindhyans in the south., the
Chambal in the northwest and Panna-Ajaigarh Range in the south-east. The Bundelkhand upland
stretches over the districts of Banda, Hamirpur, Jalaun, Jhansi, and Lalitpur (U.P.}, and Datia,
Tikamgarh, Chhatarpur and Panna (M.P.). Rivers like Betwa, Dhasan and Ken have carved out steep
gorges, rapids, cataracts and waterfalls.
The general geological sequence of the formations is given below:
TABLE 5.1
GENERAL GEOLOGICAL SEQUENCE
Group Age Formation Lithology
Quaternary Recent to upper Newer Alluvium Fine, sand, silt and clay
Pleistocene Clay with pebbles and
Upper Pleistocene to Older Alluvium sands of different grade
Lower Pleistocene
Bundelkhand Palaeozoic ……….. Conglomerates
Plateau containing pebbles of
jaspar
---------------------------------------------Unconformity ---------------------------------------------
Upper Vindhyan Meso-proterozoic Kaimur series Shale and carbonates,
Sandstones and volcanic
clasts
---------------------------------------------Unconformity ---------------------------------------------
Lower Vindhyan Pre-Cambrian Semri group sand stones & shale and
limestone

In our stretch, regions of Etawah, Auraiya and Jalaun falls in Indo-Gangetic planes in which
sediments of newer alluvium are mainly arenaceous in nature and are found in topographically low
region. These sediments are loose, unconsolidated, flood plain deposits or back swamp deposits and
are confined in narrow strips all along the present drainage system. The newer alluvial material
along the river Yamuna comprises mainly micaceous mineral while in the northern parts along the
bed of the river Senegar the younger alluvial material resembles mineralogically to older alluvial
material as it is formed by the reworking of older alluvium through alluvial action. The older alluvial
material generally occupies the region of higher elevation. These sediments are argillaceous in
nature and relatively compact. The clays predominate over sandy horizon in older alluvium.
Regions of Banda, Hamirpur and Chitrakoot consists of weathered material from Bundelkhand
Plateau and having some low elevated hills in some regions. These rocks contain red sandstone to
quartzite and some calc silicates at depth. In the foothills of Bundelkhand Plateau, Paleozoic
sediments are deposited below fine quaternary deposits carried by tributaries of Yamuna River.