Group 2

Geography GD:
Northern Plains Of India.

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Northern Plains of
India
The northern plain has been formed by the interplay
of the three major river systems, namely the Indus,
the Ganga and the Brahmaputra along with their
tributaries. With a rich soil cover combined with
adequate water supply and favorable climate it is
agriculturally a very productive part of India.
 01
Physiographical
Divisions
About Physiographical
Divisions
Political division: Northern plains lie between the northern mountains in the north and the peninsular
plateau of India in the south they extend in the great from Punjab in the west to the Brahmaputra
valley in the east for a length of about 2400 km. From the north to the south, these plains can be
divided into three major zones: the Bhabar, the Tarai and the alluvial plains. The alluvial plains can be
further divided into the Khadar and the Bhangar.
Features:
The northern plains are formed by the alluvial deposits of the three major river systems of the Indus,
the Ganga and the Brahmaputra along with their tributaries. This plain is completely formed of
alluvial soil. The plains are very fertile and are best suited for agriculture. The Great Plains are a large
plateau featuring grassland, prairie, mountains, hills, and valleys, depending on what part of the
Plains you are on. These are very important because the rivers that flow in this region are navigable, it
has flat land which is good for roads and railways and it provides best Irrigational facilities.
02
Soil
About Soil
The northern plains are composed of alluvial soil due to the silt deposited by the
three major rivers-Ganges, Brahmaputra and Indus and their tributaries. The states'
agricultural development is partially due to the presence of these alluvial deposits
brought down by the north Indian/Himalayan rivers along with their respective
tributaries. Alluvial soils are derived from the sediment being deposited by the river
Ganga. alluvial soil is formed by the deposition of alluvium and sediments carried by
rivers and seas over many years, which makes this soil fertile. Alluvium consists
of silt, sand, clay, and gravel and often contains a good deal of organic matter.
Northern plains are also known as food bowl of India because of fertile alluvial soil
present which helps in the growth of many food crops. The northern plains of India
are an agriculturally productive region due to the presence of rich soil cover, enough
water supply, and a favourable climate.
 
 03
Agriculture
About Agriculture
The northern plains in India lie to the south of the
Himalayas and to the north of the Deccan plateau. These
plains have a rich soil cover with ample water supply and
a favorable climate, which is why it is very productive part
of India in terms of agriculture. It is also known as
gangetic plains. These plains originate from the alluvial
sediments of the three river system of Ganga,
Brahmaputra and Indus as well as their branches. The
northern plains are best suited for agriculture as the soil
found in this region is very fertile. Rice, wheat, sugar
cane, millets, jute and maize are some of the crops grown
here. The northern plains are rich in agriculture due to
the introduction of all the soils of the Ganga,
Brahmaputra and Indus.
 04
Economic
Development
About Economic Development
1. UP-exports Uttar Pradesh (UP) has been a confluence of cultures, religions, and businesses
over the last many decades. Uttar Pradesh also ranks third in terms of Gross State Domestic
Product (GSDP) in the country. On the contrary though, the State accounts for less than 5
per cent share in India’s exports – significantly lower as compared to its contribution to
other key macroeconomic parameters i.e. The parameters required to acknowledge the
contribution of a state to the country as a whole. In this case, in the sub category of
exports– underlining the need for UP to focus on promoting its exports. However since the
beginning of the fiscal year 2021-2022 i.e. After the end of lockdown period, the exports of
UP have shot up by 156% which has, in turn aided the economic and infrastructural
development of the region. exports have not only boosted the economic activity but also
create more employment and helped in bringing Uttar Pradesh up on the pedestal with the
rest of the states as a result of increased exports. It provides approximately 66% of India's
food exports as well as has about 11.1% share in exporting fruits and 14.8% for vegetables.
2. UP- industries and tourism: Buddhist places of pilgrimage such as Sarnath and Kushinagar and prominent Hindu pilgrimage places
such as Prayagraj and Varanasi. The state was ranked second and third in terms of domestic and foreign tourist arrivals, in 2020. This
has resulted in the collection of foreign exchange and domestic exchange for the state and the nation which, in turn, led to betterment
of the infrastructure of UP as well as provided funds for initiating various subsidies and missions. Uttar Pradesh is known as the food
basket of India as it is a leading producer of several food items. It is also the top manufacturing destinations in India contributing more
than 8% of national manufacturing output. The state is a leading electronic hardware exporter in the country and has also emerged as a
key hub for IT/ ITeS and service sector including software which has made it an all-rounder state polishing itself from all sides.

3. Bihar and West Bengal: Bihar: The state is the largest source of the important food crop of rice, a staple diet across India, and the
second largest producer of potatoes in India. West Bengal is also the second-largest fish producing state. Apart from these, jute,
sugarcane and wheat are the top crops of the state. 14  Other major food crops include maize, pulses, oil seeds, wheat, barley, and
vegetables. Tea is another important cash crop. Darjeeling is globally recognized for tea plantation of the acclaimed Darjeeling tea
variety which is renowned for its unique muscat-like fruitiness in aroma and flavor, that develops in the second flush and is present to
a lesser degree in the subsequent autumnal flush. it is also the second largest tea-producing state in India, accounting for 27.8 percent
of the country's total tea production which brought in domestic funds to improve their economic state and launch subsidies, especially
for rural areas. The state is the largest vegetables producing state in India West Bengal accounts for nearly 10% of the country's edible
oil production. The state produced a total of 1.63 million tonnes of fish in 2015-16 compared to a production of 1.61 million tonnes
during 2014–15, retaining second spot after Andhra Pradesh in fish production. West Bengal produced around 4961 thousand tonnes of
milk in FY14-15. The state is the third largest meat producing state in the country (including poultry) after Uttar Pradesh and Andhra
Pradesh, producing 0.648 million tonnes of meat in 2012-13 and it is the largest producer of goat meat
Bihar: Despite the distasteful reputation of Bihar and its citizens, There has been an improvement
in tax collection by the state government. Tax collection growth in the first half stood at 265%.
Patna witnessed a growth of 43.09% in personal income tax collections at Rs 559 crores. For
industrial development, the NDA government has cleared a total of 135 proposals worth Rs
71,289.64 crore, submitted by big entrepreneurs for setting up medium and large industries. The
proposals are related to sugar mills, ethanol, engineering and medical colleges and power
production in the state. A sum of Rs 602.54 crore had already been spent on various activities
pertaining to the cleared projects, which are likely to create job opportunities for over 114,000
people. The proposals include opening of 23 new sugar mills and the expansion of seven existing
ones, apart from the production of ethanol in two sugar mills and five sugarcane juice production
plants. The projects regarding five power plants, 12 food-processing units and 15 steel-processing
and cement plants have also been cleared by the state.[35] Older industrial Project is also
witnessing expansion and modernization. The Oil refinery at Barauni's expansion is undergoing a
vast metamorphosis due to increase in funds and tax collections. A Polymer Park is also under
construction in Barauni Refinery. The closed HFC fertilizer factory at Barauni is also being
reopened with investment of thousands of crores and is expected to produce urea by 2024.
Punjab's economy has been primarily agriculture-based since the Green Revolution due to the
presence of abundant water sources and fertile soils; most of the state lies in a fertile alluvial
plain with many rivers and an extensive irrigation canal system. Punjab makes up for about
17% of India's wheat production (second highest amongst Indian states and union territories
after Uttar Pradesh, the latter producing more than 30% of the nation's supply), around 12% of
its rice production, and around 5% of its milk production, being known as India's breadbasket.
he percentage of GDP produced by the manufacturing sector was 25% in 2018–19. The growth
rate of the manufacturing sector was 5.8% in 2018–19, compared to 6.0% for the state's
economy as a whole. A prominent feature of Punjab's industrial landscape are its small sized
industrial units. There are nearly 194,000 small scale industrial units in the state in addition to
586 large and medium units. Ludhiana is an important center for industry. Other major
industries include the manufacturing of scientific instruments, agricultural goods, electrical
goods, machine tools, textiles, sewing machines, sports goods, starch, fertilizers, bicycles,
garments, and the processing of pine oil and sugar. Minerals and energy resources also
contribute to Punjab's economy to a much lesser extent. Punjab has the largest number of
steel rolling mill plants in India, which are in "Steel Town"—Mandi Gobindgarh in the Fatehgarh
Sahib district.
The industrial units in the state are broadly divided into three important sectors:
• Agro-based industrial units
• Machinery units
• Chemical units
The state produces nearly 25% of the best quality cotton in India. In spite of several
advantages, there is one major disadvantage that the total spindleage capacity of the state is
only 1.5% of the country. Ludhiana is known as Manchester of India. Batala was once called the
"Iron bird of Asia" as it produced the highest amount of C.I. casting, agricultural and
mechanical machinery. Batala is still one of the leading cities in Northern India in
manufacturing of C.I. casting and mechanical machinery. Cotton ginning, weaving, sugar
refining and rice milling are some of other important industries of the region. The cotton mills
are located at Abohar, Malout, Phagwara, Amritsar, Kharar, Mohali and Ludhiana. Malerkotla,
Abohar, Malout and Bhatinda are important for cotton ginning and pressing nearly 25.3 million
(25,300,000) bales of cotton. About 97 million kilograms of yarn and 36.5 million meters of
cloth were produced in the cotton textile mills of Punjab. But only 43% of the cotton yarn
formed in Punjab is used within the states and the remaining is sold outside the state.
 05
Population Settlement
Advantages of dense population settlement:
1. More people leads to greater human capital- If there are more people, the probability of finding a genius like Srinivasa
Ramanujan , increase. These exceptional people can lead to technological and cultural masterpieces which enrich our lives. The
past 200 years have shown exponential growth in technical development and innovation. There are many factors behind this,
but the world’s growing population means we have a bigger pool of human capital and the possibility of these cutting edge
discoveries increase.
2. Higher economic growth. Population growth will lead to economic growth with more people able to produce more goods. It
will lead to higher tax revenues which can be spent on public goods, such as health care and environmental projects. The
obvious evaluation is to say, the crucial thing is not GDP, but GDP per capita. If economic growth is at the same rate as
population growth, average living standards will not increase. However, it is possible population growth can also improve per
capita incomes. As the population increases, the economy can benefit from a bigger talent pool, economies of scale and
greater specialization. All this can enable higher per capita income, which we have seen in major developed economies.
3. Economies of scale. Farming and industry have been able to benefit from economies of scale, which means as the population
grows, food output and manufacturing output have been able to grow even faster than population growth. Technological
innovation and economies of scale, mean productivity of land has vastly increased as farmers make use of mechanization and
economies of scale for increased food production.
4. The improved demographic structure of society. Many western economies are now experiencing a falling population, with the
result that their population demographic is being skewed to old, retired people. This is imposing costs on society as we struggle
to pay for health care and pensions. Moderate population growth helps to rebalance the population with a higher share of
young, working people. Due to the average age of India being less than 25, the northern plains are major contributors of skilled
and unskilled workers, and since the plains are populated by youngsters and other adrenaline-driven as well as healthy
individuals, the tax collection of the northern state governments is also moderately high which leads to the development of not
only northern states but also contributes to the GDP of the entire country
Disadvantages of population growth:
1. Cost to the environment- Population growth exacerbates many of the existing
environmental problems
2. Trying to reduce carbon and methane emissions to reduce global warming is
relatively more difficult as the population.
3. There will be greater threat on natural habitats as a greater population has greater
demand for housing and farmland. This will increase pressure to cut down forests to
make way for farming and housing.
4. Higher population will lead to a greater consumption of non-renewable resources,
leading to a faster depletion of natural resources.
Thanks!