Short Notes on Ghats of the Deccan Plateau

Short Notes on Ghats of the Deccan Plateau

i. The Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats determine the western and eastern edges of the Deccan Plateau respectively.

ii. Western Ghats run parallel to the western coast.

iii. They display great structural unity.

1. They are continuous and are crossed through passes only.

2. These passes provide routes to the rail and the roads.

3. Western Ghats are higher than the Eastern Ghats.

4. Their average elevation is 900-1600 mts.

5. The Western Ghats cause orographic rain by blocking the rain bearing moist winds along the western slopes of the Ghats.

6. The Western Ghats are known by different local names.

It is Syhadari in the north Nilgaun and Annamilai in the middle and Cardamom hills in the south.

7. The height of the Western Ghats progressively increases from north to south. The highest peak (2,633 mts).

The Eastern Ghats spread from Mahanadi to the Nilgiri in the south.

8. They are discontinuous and irregular.

9. Rivers draining into Bay of Bengal dissects the Eastern Ghats. Their average elevation is 600 mts.

Mahendragiri (1500 mts.) is the highest peak in the Eastern Ghats. Shevroy hills and the Javadi hills are located to the south-east of the Eastern Ghats.

iv. The most important rivers of the Deccan Plateau are Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri.