Comprehensive Notes on Peninsular River System

i. Western Ghats from the main water divide in the Peninsular India.

ii. It runs from north to south close to the western coasts.

iii. Most of the major rivers of the Peninsula, like the Godavari, the Krishna and the Kaveri rise in the Western Ghats and flow eastward into the Bay of Bengal.

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Iv. All these rivers form delta before falling into the sea.

v. There are numerous small rivers that rise in the Western Ghats and flow westwards into the Arabian Sea.

vii. The Narmada and the Tapi are the only two long rivers that flow into the Arabian Sea.

vii. They form estuaries not delta.

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River Mahanadi:

i. Mahanadi River rises in the highlands of Chhattisgarh. It flows through Orissa into the Bay of Bengal.

ii. Its basin drains parts of Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Orissa. River Godavari

iii. Godavari River is the largest Peninsular River.

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iv. It rises from the eastern slopes of the Western Ghats in the Nasik district (Maharashtra).

v. It has the largest drainage basin among the Peninsular Rivers.

a. The basin covers parts of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa and Andhra Pradesh.

b. Nearly 50% of the total basin lies in Maharashtra.

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vi. The Godavari has three large and numerous small tributaries.

vii. Because of its length and the area it covers, it is known as the ‘Dakshin Ganga’. River Krishna

viii. Krishna River rises from a spring near Mahabaleshwar (Maharashtra) in the Western Ghats.

ix. It has several major tributaries. Its basin drains parts of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

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River Kaveri :

i. Kaveri River rises in the Brahmagir range of the Western Ghats.

ii. Flowing eastwards, it falls into Bay of Bengal near Kaveripatnam (Tamil Nadu).

iii. Its basin drains parts of Karnataka, Kerla and Tamil Nadu.

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River Narmada:

i. Narmada River raises in the Amarkantak hills in Madhya Pradesh.

ii. It flows towards the west in a rift valley formed due to faulting.

iii. On its way to the sea, the Narmada creates many picturesque locations.

iv. “Marble rocks” near Jabalpur where the Narmada flows through a deep gorge, and the “Dhuadhar falls” where the river plunges over steep rocks, are some of the important features of the basin.

i. All the tributaries of Narmada River are very small and mostly join it at right angles.

ii. They form a trellis pattern.

iii. The Narmada basin covers parts of Madhya Pradesh, the Gujarat.

River Tapi:

i. Tapi river raises in the Satpura ranges, in the Betul district of Madhya Pardesh.

ii. It also flows in a rift valley parallel to the Narmada. It is smaller in length.

iii. Its basin covers parts of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra.