Indian River Systems & Drainage Basins

India's drainage network is broadly bifurcated into the perennial Himalayan and the rain-fed Peninsular river systems, separated by the major water divide along the Delhi ridge, Aravallis, and Sahyadris. The Himalayan system encompasses three major basins: the Indus, the Ganga, and the Brahmaputra (Yarlung Tsangpo), characterized by large catchments, deep V-shaped gorges, and antecedent drainage patterns. In contrast, Peninsular rivers such as the Godavari (Dakshin Ganga), Krishna, Mahanadi, and Cauvery flow eastward into the Bay of Bengal, forming fertile deltas, while the Narmada and Tapi flow westward through tectonic rift valleys to empty into the Arabian Sea without delta formation, creating tidal estuaries.