The Punjab-Haryana Plains owe their origin to the aggradational activity of the Satluj, the Beas and the Ravi rivers. They extend for 640 km from north-east to south-west and 300 km from west to east covering an area of about 1.75 lakh sq. km.

The height of the plains varies from 300 m in the north to 200 m in the south-east. In the east the Delhi ridge separates this region from the Ganga plains.

The region has two regional slopes, westward towards the Indus River and southward towards the Rann of Kachchh. The main topographic features of these plains include river bluffs called Dhaya as high as 3 m or more, and the Khadar belt known as Bet which is agriculturally valuable.

The northern part of the region, adjoining the Siwaliks, has witnessed inten­sive erosion through numerous small streams called Chos. The south-eastern part of the plains bordering the Rajasthan Plains (near Hissar) is sandy and is characterised by shifting sand dunes. The Ravi, the Beas, and the Satluj are the only perennial rivers while others are ephemeral streams. Between the Satluj and the Yamuna, the Ghaggar (ancient Saraswati) is a seasonal stream whose bed is about 10 km wide.

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On micro regional basis the Punjab-Haryana Plains may be divided into (a) the Bari Doab (be­tween the Beas and the Ravi), (b) the Bist Doab (between the Beas and the Satluj), (c) the Malwa Plain (occupying the central part of the region), and (d) the Haryana-Bhiwani Bagar in the southern and south-eastern part of the region.