Rivers, Lakes, Dams & Water Resources Module
Himalayan & Peninsular River Systems
India's drainage network is divided into perennial Himalayan river systems and seasonal Peninsular river systems. The Himalayan group comprises the Indus, the Ganga, and the Brahmaputra, sustained by glacial melt and monsoonal precipitation. The Ganga river basin is marked by the sacred Panch Prayags (Vishnuprayag, Nandaprayag, Karnaprayag, Rudraprayag, and Devprayag) where the Alaknanda merges with sister streams before emerging as the Ganga. In contrast, Peninsular rivers like the Godavari (Dakshin Ganga), Krishna, Kaveri, Mahanadi, Narmada, and Tapti flow through mature, graded valleys, with the Narmada and Tapti carving rift valleys that drain westward into the Arabian Sea.
Key Concepts & Examination Highlights
- Devprayag in Uttarakhand is the holy confluence where the Alaknanda and Bhagirathi rivers merge to form the Ganga.
- The Godavari River, originating at Trimbakeshwar in Maharashtra, is the longest peninsular river in India (1,465 km) and is known as 'Dakshin Ganga' or 'Vridha Ganga'.
- The Narmada and Tapti (Tapi) rivers flow westward through tectonic rift valleys between the Vindhya and Satpura ranges, discharging into the Arabian Sea without forming deltas.
- The Brahmaputra River originates from the Chemayungdung glacier near Lake Manasarovar as the Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibet before entering India through Arunachal Pradesh as the Siang/Dihang.
Curriculum & Reference Sources: Survey of India, Central Water Commission (CWC), and National Institute of Hydrology (NIH).