Indian River Systems

By Rajat Kumar Mohapatra

 2 type
• Northern River System
1. Ganga River System
2. Indus River System
3. Brahmaputra River System

• Peninsular River System

1. West flowing Rivers
2. East flowing Rivers
 Indus River System
• Indus + 5 tributaries
• After partition: Indus water
Treaty 1960
• Indus, Jhelum, Chenab to
Pak
• Ravi, Beas and Sutlej to
India
• Chej doab, ReChna doab,
Bari doab, Bist doab
 Indus River
• Origin- Manasarobar Lake, Kalisha Mountain, Tibet
• Cities on Indus –Leh
Tributaries:
• Shyok from Siachin glacier
• Suru (Obsequent tri) – originate from Deosai mt. ,Burzil la pass,
City on it- Kargil
Dam- Chutak Dam
• Gilgit – last tri in India
• Joined with its tributary at Mithankot.
• Mouth at Karachi Port.
 Siachin glacier

Shyok river
Leh
Suru River City

Zaskar riv
 Tributaries of Indus: Jhelum
• Origin- at Verinag
• City on Shore-Shrinagar
Kis
• Dams On the River- Uri
riv hanga
er n ga Dam,Baramulla
TRIBUTARY
Jh
el
um

• Kishanganga joins on right.

ri
ve
r

Srinagar City
• Dam-Kishanganga River
valley project.
Tributaries of Indus: Chenab
• Origin-Two headward
tributaries: Chandra and Bhaga
• Chnadra originate near Zozi la
and Bhaga at Baracha la
• Dams on the system-
Ch
an 1. Dhulhasti
dra
riv
er 2. Baglihar
Bh
ag 3. Salal dams
ar
iv
er
Tributaries of Indus: Ravi
• Source- Rohtang pass in
Himachal Pradesh
• Drains between Pripanjal and
Dhauladhar.
• City- Chamba(Himachal Pradesh)
• Dams-
1. Ranjit Sagar Dam(Punjab)
2. Teheri Dam(Punjab)
Tributaries of Indus: Beas
• Source- Rohtang pass - at
southern end of Pir Panjal (HP)
• Meets Satluj at Harike
• City-Kulllu on Beas’s tributary
Parbati
• It is entirely within India
• Dams on Beas- Pong
Dam(Himachal Pradesh)
 Pong Dam
• The Pong Dam, also
known as the Beas Dam
situated on Himachal
Pradesh .The lake created
by the dam, Maharana
Pratap Sagar, became a
renowned bird sanctuary.
• This site is one of the 26th
Sites in India by Ramsar
Convenction.
Tributaries of Indus: Satluj
• Originate-Man sarovar
• Enters India through Shipki
la pass
• Imp tributary: Spiti
• City- Firozpur
• Dam
1. Neptha-jhakhari dam
2. Bhakra Nagal Dam(H.P)
 Bhakra Nagal Dom
• Bhakra Dam is a concrete
gravity dam on the Sutlej River in
Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh in
northern India. The dam forms the
Gobind Sagar reservoir.
• Nangal Dam is another dam in
Punjab downstream of Bhakra Dam.
However, sometimes both the dams
together are called Bhakra-Nangal
Dam though they are two separate
dams.
• Highest Gravity Dam in India(226m)
Ganga system: Head ward Streams
• Originate as Bhagirathi from
Gangotri
• Alaknanda originates from
Badrinath
• Dhauliganga meet Alaknanda at
Vishnu prayag
• Pindar river (from Nanda devi)
meet Alaknanda at Karn Prayag
Ganga system
• Mandakini (from Kedarnath)
meet at Rudra prayag
• Alaknanda and Bhagirathi
meet at Dev prayag
• After merger known as Ganga
• City-Badrinath(Alkananda),
Kedarnath(Mandakini)
• Dams- Teheri
Dam(Bhaggirathi River)
 Teheri Dam
• The Tehri Dam is the
highest dam in India and
one of the highest in the
world.
• It is a multi-purpose rock
and earth-fill
embankment dam on the
Bhagirathi River near
Tehri in Uttarakhand,
India.
 The Ganga System
• Origin- Gangorti Glacier place
name Gomukh, Uttarakhand.
• Actual origin place Devprayag, Uk
• Join in the plane at Haridwar.
• Flows throw UP and Joined with
Yamuna at Prayagraj.
• Leave India after Farakka Barrage
of WB and Padma in Bangladesh.
• Join with Brahmaputra River near
Dhaka and created worlds Largest
Delta “Sunderban”.
• River Mouth at Sagar Island.
 Cities Besides Ganga
1. Risikesh
2. Haridwar
3. Farukabad
4. Kanuj
5. Kanpur
6. Varanasi
7. Prayagraj
8. Patna
9. Bhagalpur
10. Murshidabad
11. Plassy
 Dams on Ganga
• Chittorgarh
Dam(UP)
• Sisir Dam(UP)
• Candraprabha
Dam on Karmasa
River
• Farakka
Barrage(WB)
 Ganga System
Left Bank tributaries Right Bank tributaries
• Ramganga • Yamuna
• Gomati • Son
• Ghaghar • Hugli
• Gandak
• Kosi
Ganga system: left bank tributaries
• Ramganga
• Gomati
• Ghaghra (Saryu)
• Gandak
• Kosi
 left bank tributaries
Ramganga
• Originate near Garhwal
Ra
a Region Uttarakhanda.
mg
an • Dam- Ramganga Dam(U.K)
g
Gomati
Go
ma
• Gomati: north UP
ti
• Lucknow City is on Gomati
Ga
ng • Both originate within India
a
Ganga system: left bank tributaries
Gurla Ghaghara
mandhata Man sarovar
• originate from Gurala mandhata
peak lake
peak (South of Man sarovar) in Tibet
• Two headward streams: kali (Sarda)
Karnali river
and Karnali
Kali (Sarda) • Cities
river
Rapti river
1. Ayodhya(On Sarayu river,tribut: of
Sarada)
2. Faizabad located on Ghaghara
Ghaghara • Tributary:Rapti
river
• Gorakhpur City is on Rapti River
Ganga system: left bank tributaries
Gandak
• Gandak originated near Nepal-Tibet
Kali Gandaki
border
• Kali Gandaki and Trishuli imp
tributaries
• Merge in Ganga near Patna.
• Gandak Project on UP and Bihar
Project.
Ganga system: left bank tributaries
Kosi(Saptkaushi)
• 7 streams
Kosi • Located in snow covered areas –
heavy rainfall – huge volume of
water
• 7 streams -> 3 stream -> merged at
Triveni (mahabharat range) to form
Kosi
• River is infamous for Floods in Bihar
known as “Sorrow of Bihar”.
Ganga system: right bank tributaries
Yamuna
• Originates from Yamnotri
glacier – Bandarpunch peak
–Garhwal
• Flows through City- New
Delhi, Agra, Firozabad and
Mathura.
• Hatinikund Dam in Hariyana
on Yamuna
• Imp tributaries:
• Right bank -Tons-rises from
Bandar punch glacier
Yamuna system: right bank tributaries
Chamabal Badland Rivers
• Chambal is the imp right bank
tributaries from Vindhyan range.
• Chambal has 3 tributary Banas Kali
Sindh and Prabati. Banas tri of
a
Chmabal originate from Aravalli.
b
am • Bislapur Dam on Bans River
Ch a
dh etw
l Si n B • Chambal River Project In MP and
as
n
n
Ba asa Rajastan.
Dh

• Mp- Gandhi Sagar Dam

n
i
Kali sindh
Parbat

Ke

• Ranapratap Sagar(Rawatbhatta)
• Jawar Sagar(Kota),
 Rivers Of Chambal Badlands
• Others river on
Badlands are
Sindh, Betwa
and Ken
• Govind Sagar
Dam(Shahzad
River) On
Betwa.
• Kota City on
Chambal Rivers
 Ganga system: right bank
tributaries
Son
• Origin- From Amarkantak plateau
• Imp tributaries: Rihand – source
Ramgarh hills
• Govind vallabh pant sagar on
Rihand
• North Koel – source –Chhota
Nagpur plateau
Ri h a

Amarkanta
nd

k plt
Son river Ramgarh
hills
Ganga system: Distributary
Hugli
• Origin near Faraka Barrage.
• Tributary: Ajay
• Dams- Mayurakshi River Dam
Aj • Kolkata on river Hugli
a
riv y
er Damodar
Hugli • Origin- Chotanagapur Platue
river • Flows into Huguli
Kolkata • DVC- Damodar Valley Project this
River
 Brahmaputra system
• Originate from Chemayungdung
glacier in Kailash
• Its name in Tibet was Tsangpo.
K a i l a s h ra n g e • Enters into India Near Namch Barwa
Dihang Hills by taking a U turn in Dibang.
• In Arunanchal Pradesh its name is
Dihang.
• After entering Assam its name became
Brahmaputa.
 Brahmaputra system
• Enters into Assam Plains near
Manas a ng Sadiya
Subansiri Dih
• After Sadiya it is known as
oh it
L Brahmaputra
siri • Tributaries: Manas, Subansiri,
Kapil Dhan
li Dhansiri, Dibang, Lohit and
Naga
Garo Khas hills Kapilli
Jaintia Barai
i • Tista river originate from Sikkim
l
rang join in with Brahmaputa in
e Bangladesh.
• Worlds biggest River Island
Majulli is on this River in Assam.
• Also known as Red river for flood
carried Red Soil.
 Brahmaputra system
• Enters Bangladesh as Jamuna
Brahmaputr
a • Merged with Ganga – unitedly
known as Padma
Gan
• Meghana river joins
ga
Meghna • Now known as Meghna
Padm • Large delta formation in the world.
a
• Dams- Subasini Lower Dam On
Subasini River on the border of
M
eg

Assam and AP.

hn
a

• Cities- Dibrugarh and Gwuahati

De lta
 Question Bank
(1) Satluj River enters India through which of the following passes?
1. Nathu La
2. Shipki La
3. Lipulekh
4. Zozila Pass
(2) The town which is situated at the confluence of Bhagirathi and Alaknanda is?
5. Rudra Prayag
6. Dev Prayag
7. Vishnu Prayag
8. Karna Prayag
(3) Which among the following is the longest river in the world?
1. Nile
2. Amazon
3. Mississippi-Missouri
4. Yangtze River
(5) Nathpa Jhakri hydel power project is located on which of the following rivers?
5. Sutlej
6. Jhelum
7. Chenab
8. Padma
(6) Which river used to be called the ‘Sorrow of Bengal’?
1. Brahmaputra 2. Hooghly 3. Bhagirathi 4. Damodar
• Sonbhadra, Chandauli, Varanasi, Ghazipur, Kaimur and Buxar are located on the bank
of which of the following river?
1. Sindh 2. Kali 3. Sharda 4. Karmanasa
• Largest river island in the India is _________.
1. Majuli Island 2. Barak 3. Barali 4. None of these
• Takshashila University was located between which two rivers?
1. Indus and Jhelum 2. Jhelum and Ravi 3. Beas and Indus 4. Satluj and Indus
• Which city is located on the banks of the river Chambal?
1. Ahmedabad 2. Ayodhya 3. Badrinath 4. Kota
• Which of the following rivers flows into the Bay of Bengal?
1. Sindhu 2. Narmada 3. Tapti 4. Ganga
• Which one of the following rivers of India is called ‘biological desert’?
1. Bhadar 2. Damodar 3. Bhiwani 4. Noyyal
• Which of the following rivers form the Sundarban Delta?
1. Padma and Jamuna 2. Ganga and Jhelum 113. Sindu and Jhelum 4. Ganga and
Yamuna
• Which dam is built on the Bhagirathi River?
1. Sardar Sarovar 2. Srisailam 3. Koyna 4. Tehri
• The river which marks the international boundary between India and Nepal is:
1. The Gandak 2. Tista 3. Kosi 4. Mahakali
• .Which of the following is the longest river that originates in India?
1. Brahmaputra
2. Ganga
3. Yamuna
4. Godavari
• Which among the following rivers originates from the Amarkantak?
1. Betwa
2. Mahi
3. Son
4. Chambal
• Through which of the following states Chambal river does not flow?
1. Uttar Pradesh
2. Madhya Pradesh
3. Rajasthan
4. Gujarat
• Which of the following river originates as well as ends in the territory of India?
1. Brahmaputra
2. Indus
3. Kosi
4. Chambal
• Which of the following river is the home for fresh water dolphins?
1. Brahamaputra
2. Yamuna
3. Ganga
4. Sabarmati
• Aizawl is situated on which of the following river bank?
1. Meghna
2. Tlawng river
3. Hwang Ho
4. Irawadi
• Which river is called as the male river in India?
1. Godavari
2. Ganga
3. Brahmaputra
4. Cauvery
• Which river flows through Surat?
1. Mahanadi 2. Kim 3. Tapi 4. Rupen
• Arrange the following rivers from South to North.
A. Cauvery B.Krishna C. Godavari D. Mahanadi
1. A, C, B, D
2. C, D, A, B
3. B, D, C, A
4. A, B, C, D
• Singar Chouri peak on the northern slopes of the Vindhyan escarpment situated near
Indore is the source of which river?
1. Tapi river 2. Chambal river 3. Mahi River 4. Mahanadi
• Which river is known as "Vridha Ganga"?
1. Narmada 2. Godavari 3. Cauvery 4. Krishna
• Which of the following rivers is known as "Oil River"?
1. Nile River 2. Zambezi River 3. Brahmaputra River 4. Niger River
• Kaveri River flows from which state to which state?
1. Karnataka to Andhra Pradesh 2. Odisha to Karnataka 3. Karnataka to Tamil Nadu 4.
Tamil Nadu to Andhra Pradesh
• Which river is mainly associated with the Sardar Sarovar Project?
1. Ganga 2. Brahmaputra 3. Krishna 4. Narmada
• The longest river in Asia is ________.
1. River Jhelum 2. River Yangtze 3. River Hwamg Ho 4. River Ganga
• London is situated on the banks of which river?
1. Tiber 2. Danube 3. Tigris 4. Thames
• The highest multipurpose dam built on the river Ravi is-
(a) Bhakra Nagal (b) Kahalgaon
(c) Ranjit Sagar dam (d) Rihand dam
• The longest river of Peninsular India is:
(a) Narmada (b) Godavari
(c) Mahanadi (d) Cauvery
• The largest irrigation canal India is called the:
(a) Yamuna Canal (b) Sirhind Canal
(c) Indira Gandhi Canal (d) Upper Bari Doab Canal
• Of which major river system is the Sutlej a part?
(a) Indus (b) Ganga
(c) Brahmaputra (d) Yamuna
• The river on which the reservoir for Indira Gandhi
Canal has been built is
(a) Sutlej (b) Ravi
(c) Luni (d) Jhelum
Peninsular rivers
1) West flowing rivers:
Narmada – Tapi
2) East-flowing rivers:
Damodar,
Subarnarekha,
Mahanadi, Godavari,
Krishna, Kaveri etc
Narmada
WEST FLOWING RIVERS

• Source: Amarkantak plateau

• Flow in rift valley between Vindhyan and
Satpura.
• MP-MH and GJ
• Duandhar fall in MP, Jabalpur
• Merged near Bharuch in GJ
• DAMS- Sardar Sarovar(GJ),
Maheshwar(MP),
Omkareswar(MP).Narmada Sagar(MP).
Tawa(MP), Bargi(MP)
• CITY-Rajkot(MP), Vadodara(GUJ),
Omkareswar(MP), Jabalpur(MP),
Bharuch(GUJ)
 WEST FLOWING RIVER

Tapi/Tapti River
• Source: Betul plateau
• Flow south of Satpura
• Imp tributary: Purna river
• Merged into sea near Surat
Rajpipla • MP-MH-GJ
range Gawilgarh range
Betul • CITY-
plateau Surat(GUJ),Nepanagar(MP)
Tapi river • DAM- Ukai Dam(Guj)
Purna river
 Other
West flowing Peninsular rivers
Others:
l li • Sabarmati from Aravalli range
va
ra • Mahi from Vindhyans
A
Mahi • Luni from Samar Lake Aravali
• DAMS-Kadana Dam(GUJ) on Mahi
River.
Vindhyan • Sabarmati dam on Sabarmati Dam
Sabarmat
i • City- Ajmer and Pushkar on Luni(Raj),
Ahemadabad on Sabarmati, Vadodara
on Viswhamati.
 Rivers Of Goa
• West flowing rivers from Western
Mandovi Ghats
river • Mandovi and Zuari in GOA
• Panaji City on the river of Mandovi.
• Salaulim Dam on Sanguem river
Zuari tributary of Zuari.
river
Peninsular rivers Of Karnatak
• Kalinadi, Sharavati, Netravati in
KN
• Origin- Baba bhudan Range.
• Shravati- Jog fall (highest)
• Saravati Hyadal Project
Kalinadi • Mangalore City on Netravati
river.
Sharavati

Netrava
ti
 Peninsular rivers of Kerala
• 2 Main rivers
1. Periyar River
2. Pamba River
• Periyar River Originated from
Annamalai Hills.
• Pamba River Originated from
Cardmom Hills.
Periyar
river
• Both Rivers fall in Vembanad lake.
kochi • Periyar Dam in Idduki in Periyar
Annamalai hills
River. It is the H arch dam of India
Vembnad Pamba river Cardamom hills • Kochi is on the bank of Periyar River.
lake
 East Flowing Peninsular rivers
Damodar
• Source: chhota Nagpur plateau
• Tributary: Barakar
• Iron and steel industry
Bara
k
river ar

Da m
od a r
river
Chhota Nagpur
plt
 East Flowing Peninsular rivers
Subarnarekha, Baitrani and Brahmani
• Subarnrekha – from Ranchi plateau
• Baitrani- Garhjat hills
• Brahmani – headward streams, South
Ranchi Koel and Sankh from Chhota Nagpur
plateau plateau
Sub
arnr
a ekh
Garhjat hills
Br
ah
m Baitrani
an
i
 East Flowing Peninsular rivers
Mahanadi
• Source: Danadkarnya
• Left bank: Sheonath, Hasdo and
Mand
• Right bank: Tel, Jonk, Ong
• Delta started from Cuttack
Hasdo
d • Mouth at Vitarkanika
a n
Sheonath M • Dam; Hirakund dam in samabalpur
adi • Ravi Sankar Sagar Dam-
n
a ha Ong Chhatishgarh
M
• Dudhawa Dam- Chhatishgarh
l
Te
East Flowing Peninsular rivers
4) Rushikulya
Source: Nayagarh hills
Mouth known for: hatching
site of Olive ridley turtles
5)Baitarani
Source: Ganasika Mountain
Chilka lake Mouth at Dhamara Port

Rushikulya
river
Oilve Ridley turtles
• The smallest and most abundant of all
sea turtles found in the world
• They live in warm waters of the
Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans.
• Olive ridley turtles IUCN status-
“endangered”
Olive Ridley turtles on Odisha coast
• known for their unique mass
nesting called “Arribada”=
thousands of females come
together on the same beach to lay
eggs.
• Orissa coast is the largest mass
hatching site of Olive ridley turtle
in the world.
 GODAVARI
• Source: Trimbak plt
• Left bank tri:
ang
Weng • Penganga, Wardha, Wainganga

W
Pengang a

ar
(combined = Pranhita), Indravati

dh
a Indravati

a
Balaghat (fall), Sabari and sileru
Pranhi Sabari
ta • Right bank tri: Manjara
Ma
nj ara i leru • City- Nasik(MH),
S
Nizamabad(Telengana)
• Dams- Indravati Dam(Odisha)
• Nizam Sagar Dam(Manjara
River)TG
• Polavarm Dam(Sileru and Saberi
Dam) AP
 Krishna
• Source: Mahabaleshwar
• Left bank tri: Musi, Sina,Bhima
Si
na

• Right bank Tri; Ghat prabha,

Bh Musi
ima Malprabha, Tungbhadra, Hagari
Ghatprabh • Vijayawada(TG),Mahabaleswar(MA
a h
Malprab HA) cities.
a • Dams: Bhima and Konya
Hagari
Tungbhad Dam(Maha),
ra
• Tungavadra Dam(KT), Nagarjuna
Sagar(TG), Srisailam(AP)
Penneru/Penner
• Source: Nandi durg peak
in KN
• Tri: Kunder, Charavati,
Papagni, Punchu
East Flowing Peninsular rivers
Kaveri
• Source: Tal kaveri at Brahmagiri hills
• Left bank tri: Shimsa, Hemvati
• Right bank tri: Kabani, Bhavani,
Noyil, Amaravati
• Trichi city on Kaveri.
• Sivasamudram Dam(KT)- Oldest
Project of India
• Mettur Dam(TN)-Stanley Reservior
• Amaravati Dam(TN),Tungavadra
Dam(KT)
 Vaigai
• Source: Varushand Hills
• Madurai located on Vaigai river
• Dry channel
• Disappear then again re-appear
• Vaigai Dam on TN

Varushand
Hills
THE END