The Coastal Plains and Islands of

India

B.A./B.Sc. 2nd Year

 The Coastal Plains

• The narrow coastal strip between the edges of the

peninsular plateau and the coastline of India
running for a distance of about 6000 km from Rann
of Kuchchh in the West to Ganga Brahmaputra
delta in the east is called the coastal plains.
• The area between Western Ghat and the Arabian sea
coast is known as Western Coast Plain.
• The area between Eastern Ghat and coast of Bay of
Bengal is called the East Coastal Plain.
• The two coastal plain meet each other at the
southernmost point, i.e. Kannyakumari.
• The straight and regular coastline of India is
the result of faulting of the Gondwanaland
during the Cretaceous period. The origin of
Western and Eastern Coasts of India may be
attributed to faulting and subsidence of the
Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal blocks towards
the end of the Eocene period.
 West Coastal Plain
• Stretching from the Rann of Kuchchh in the north to
Kanyakumari in the south, there are narrow west coastal
plains with an average width of about 65 km.
• It is broader in northern and southern part and quite narrow in
the middle.
• Depending on the relief and structure, it can be divided into
following sub divisions:
The Kuchchh peninsula:
The Kathiawar Peninsula:
The Gujarat Plain
The Konkan Plain
The Karnataka Coastal Plain
The Kerala Plain
• The Kuchchh Peninsula: it is an island surrounded by seas and
lagoons. Filled by the sediments brought by Indus river.
• The island become a part of the main land and comparatively broad plain
was formed.
• Due to scarcity of rain and flowing surface water, the work of wind has
given rise to arid and semi arid landscape. Coastal sand dunes, sandy
dunes, interrupted with bare rocky hills are the chief characteristic
physiographic features.
• North of the Kuchchh there is a broad level salt-soaked plain. This is the
Great Rann. Its southern continuation is known as Little Rann, it lies on the
coast and south east of the Kuchchh.
• The flat and unbroken great rann is about 320 km long with a maximum
width of 160 km, covering an area of about 21,500 sq. km. It rises only a
few metres above sea level and is flooded by the Banas and the Luni rivers
during rainy season.
• Some places are actually below sea level and are inundated during high
tides.
• Most of the area is formed of sun-baked dark silt encrusted with salt. A few
patches of high ground are covered with grass and break the monotony of
the otherwise flat plain.
• Kathiawar Peninsula:
• it lies to the south of the Kuchchh. It is encircled
on the east and north east by Little Rann and the
Nal basin.
• The avg. elevation is less than 200 mtr. This
region have radial /centrifugal drainage pattern
as central part is a highland of Mandav hills.
• Mt Girnar highest peak (1117 mtr) is supposed to
bee volcanic origin.
• Gir Range is located in the southern part, covered
with thick forest (Gir Forest famous for Lion)
• The Gujrat Plain :
• It lying in the East of Kuchchh and Kathiawar
slope towards the west and south west.
• It is described as the intrusion of Indo-Gangetic
conditions into Peninsula formed by Narmada,
Tapi, Mahi and Sabarmati.
• It includes the southern part of Gujrat and coastal
areas of the Gulf of Khambat.
• Elevation less than 150 mtr. Eastern part is most
fertile.
• A chain of saline marshes near the coast is prone
to floods during high tide.
• The Konkan Plain: south of the Gujrat plain extends from
Daman to Goa for a distance of about 500 km with its varying
from 50 to 80 km. It has some features of marine erosion
including cliffs, shoals, reefs and islands in the Arabian.
Mumbai was an island but parts of the sea lying between the
mainland and the island have been reclaimed in recent years
to connect it with the mainland.
• The Karnataka Coastal plain: Goa to Mangalore is about 225
km long. It is narrow plain with an average width of 30-50 km,
the maximum being 70 km near Mangalore. The central part
of this plain is crossed by numerous spurs projected from the
Ghats. Running like ridges, the spurs attain heights of more
than 600 mtr near the Ghats. Steep slopes and waterfalls
create beautiful scenario. Gersoppa (Jog ) fall is situated here.
Marine topography is marked here.
 Kerala Plain
• It is Known as Malabar Plain, between
Mangalore and Kanyakumari 500 mtr long.
• Wider than karnataka plain. Low lying plain,
height does not cross 30 mtr. lakes,
backwaters, lagoons, spits are significant
characteristics here.
• Back waters locally known as Kayals.
 East Coastal Plain
• Between the Eastern ghat and the east coast of
India are located the east coastal plains extending
from the Subarnarekha river along West Bengal-
Orissa border to Kanyakumari.
• This plain is formed through the alluvial fillings of
littoral zones by the rivers Mahanadi, Godavari,
Krishna and cauvery.
• The plain is known as northern Circars between
Mahanadi and Krishna river, Carnatic between
the Krishna and the Cauvery rivers.
• Depending on the physiographic variations, the entire
plain is divided into three regions:
• Utkal Plain: coastal area of Orissa about 400 km long.
Include Mahanadi Delta. the most imp. physiographic
feature is Chilka Lake, it is a lagoon, and the biggest lake
of the country.
• The Andhra Plain: lies south of the Utkal plain and
extends upto Pulicat lake. this lake is barred by a long
sand spit, Sriharikota. the delta of Godavari and Krishna
are the most important part here. Andhra Plain has a
straight coast.
• The Tamilnadu Plain: from Pulicat to Kanyakumari along
the coast of Tamilnadu, avg width 100 km. Cauvery delta
is the most significant feature here. it is most fertile area,
known as Granary of South India.
 The Indian Islands
The Andaman and Nicobar:
composed of 265 big and small islands
in Bay of Bengal. two distinct groups of
island i.e. Great Andaman island in the
north and Nicobar group in the south
separated by Ten Degree channel.
• Andaman is a closely knit group of
203 islands. it is divided into: North
Andaman, Middle Andaman and
south Andaman.
• Nicobar group consist of 7 big and 12
small islands.
most of these islands are
made of Tertiary sandstone,
limestone and shale resting
on basic and ultra basic
volcanoes.

The Barren and Narcondam

are volcanic islands. some
of the islands are fringed
with coral reefs. many of
them are covered with thick
forests. most of the islands
are mountainous. saddle
peak (737 mtr)of North
Andaman is the highest
peak.
 Lakshadweep Islands
• A group of 25 islands widely scattered
in Arabian sea. the islands in the north
of 11ͦ N are known as Amendivi and in
the south are known as Cannanore
islands.
• in the extreme south there is Minicoy
Island.
• all of them coral origin and are
surrounded by fringing reefs, largest is
Minicoy Island.
• most of the islands have low elevation,
do not rise more than 5 metre from the
sea level. topography are flat, relief
features such as hills, streams, valleys
are conspicuous by their absence. In
western side shallow lagoons are there,
and eastern side are steeper.