Facts about India - River system in india

Himalayan Rivers and Peninsular Rivers(Ganga/Indus/Narmada,Krishna),Lakes

1. RIVER SYSTEM IN INDIA The rivers in India can be classified into two main groups : ( i )Himalayan Rivers  (ii)Peninsular Rivers  Himalayan rivers are classified into: ( i )Indus (ii) Ganga (iii)Brahmaputra

2. RIVER SYSTEM IN INDIA Peninsular Rivers are classified into: ( i )East Flowing Rivers of India (or Delta forming rivers ) Examples: Mahanadi River  , Godavari River etc. (ii)West Flowing Rivers in India Examples: Narmada River, Tapti River etc.

3. INDUS Indus system  has a total length of 2880 km &Originates in Tibet near Mansarovar Lake. Its Himalayan tributaries are: Zanskar , Dras , Gartang , Shyok , Shigar , Nubra , Gilgit , etc . Its most important tributaries, which join Indus at various places, are: Jhelum (725 km )-Originates from Verinag . Chenab (1800 km )- Originates from Bara Lacha Pass. Ravi (720 km )- Originates from Kullu Hills near Rohtang Pass. Beas (470 km )- Originates from a place near Rohtang Pass. Sutlej (1050 km )- Originates from Mansarovar in Rakas lakes.

4. GANGA Ganga is 2525 km long which is flows through Uttarakhand,UP , Bihar and West Bengal . The Ganga,is constituted of two main rivers Bhagirthi and Alaknanda , which combine at Devprayag to form Ganga .  Mandakini meets Alaknanda at Rudraprayag before Alaknanda meets Bhagirthi at Devprayag . Bhagirthi originates from Gaumukh , Alaknanda from Badrinath , Mandakini from Kedarnath .

5. GANGA Yamuna (1375 km) is its most important tributary of Ganga . It originates at the Yamunotri glacier in Uttarakhand . It runs parallel to Ganga for 800km and joins it at Allahabad . Important tributaries of Yamuna are Chambal (1050 km), Sind, Betwa (480 km) and Ken (all from south ). A part from Yamuna, other tributaries of Ganga are Ghaghra (1080 km), Son (780 km), Gandak (425 km), Kosi (730 km), Gomti (805 km), Damodar (541 km ). Kosi is known as ‘Sorrow of Bihar’, while Damodar is known as‘Sorrow of Bengal’. The main distributory of Ganga is Hooghli , flowing through Kolkata.

6.   BRAHMAPUTRA Brahmaputra has a total length of 2900 km. It originates fromTibet (from Chemayungdung glacier ), where it is called Tsangpo , and enters the Indian territory (in Arunachal Pradesh) under the name Dihang .  Important Tributaries are Subansiri , Kameng , Dhansiri , Manas , Teesta .  In Bangladesh, Brahmaputra is known by the name of Jamuna while Ganga gets the name Padma . Meghna is the most important distributory before it enters the Bay of Bengal.  The combined stream of Ganga and Brahmaputra forms the biggest delta in the world, the Sundarbans , covering an area of 58,752 sq. km . On Brahmaputra is the river island, Majuli in Assam, the biggest river island in the world.

7. PENINSULAR RIVERS ( East Flowing Rivers of India or Delta forming rivers ) Mahanadi River (858 km):   Originates from Raipur district in Chhatisgarh . Main tributaries: Seonath , Hasdo , Mand , Jonk , Tel etc.  Godavari River (1465 km):  Also called Vriddha Ganga or Dakshina Ganga . It is the longest peninsular river. Rises in Nasik. Main tributaries: Manjra, Penganga, Wardha , Indravati , Wainganga , Sabari , etc.  Krishna River (1327 km):  Rises in Western Ghats near Mahabaleshwar . Main tributaries: Koyna , Dudhganga , Panchganga , Malprabha , Ghatprabha , Bhima , Tungabhadra, Musi , etc.  Cauvery River (805 km):  It is the largest peninsular river (maximum amount of water). Infact , it is the only peninsular river which flows almost throughout the year. Known as the ‘ Ganga of the South’. It rises from the Brahmagir range of Western Ghats. Main tributaries: Hemavati , Lokpawni , Shimsa . Swarnarekha River (395 km) and Brahmani (705 km):  Rises from Ranchi Plateau. 

8. PENINSULAR RIVERS ( West Flowing Rivers in India) Narmada River (1057 km):  Originates from Amarkantak Plateau and flows into Gulf of Khambat . It forms the famous Dhuan Dhar Falls near Jabalpur. Main tributaries: Hiran , Burhner , Banjar , Shar , Shakkar , Tawa , etc.  Tapti River (724 km):   Originates from Betul district in Madhya Pradesh. Also known as twin or handmaid of Narmada. Main tributaries: Purna , Betul , Arunavati , Ganjal , etc.  Sabarmati River (416 km):   Originates from Aravallis in Rajasthan.  Mahi River (560 km):  Rises from Vindhyas in Madhya Pradesh. Luni River (450 km):   Originates from Aravallis . Also called Salt River. It is finally lost in the marshy grounds at the head of the Rann of Kuchchh .  Sharavati  is a west flowing river of the Sahyadris . It forms the famous Jog or Gersoppa or Mahatma Gandhi Falls (289 m), which is the highest waterfall in India.

9. LAKES IN INDIA The largest man-made lake in India is  Indira Sagar Lake , which is the reservoir of Sardar Sarovar Project, Onkareshwar Project and Maheshwar Project in Gujarat-Madhya Pradesh. Chilka Lake (Orissa)  is the largest brackish water lake of India(largest lake of India). Wular Lake (J & K)  is the largest fresh water lake of India. Dul Lake is also there in Jammu & Kashmir. From  Sambhar (  India's largest inland salt  lake) and Didwana Lake are in Rajasthan .   Vembanad Lake   in Kerala and  Kolleru & Pulicat  in Andra Pradesh.

10. GULFS IN THE INDIAN TERRITORY Gulf of Kuchch (west of Gujarat) :  Region with highest potential of tidal energy generation. Gulf of Cambay or Gulf of Khambat (Gujarat):  Narmada, Tapti, Mahi and Sabarmati drain into it . Gulf of Mannar (south east of Tamil Nadu):  Asia’s first marine biosphere reserve.