Brief notes on the Rivers Originating In the Himalayas (India)

The Brahamputra, the Sutlej and the Indus rivers are older than the Himalayan Mountains. The rivers have three distinct stages during their journey from their source to the sea, like mountain, plain and delta.

Himalayan rivers in their upper courses are known for river capture or river piracy. The rivers pass through valleys and gorges.

Since Himalayan rivers rise from snow bound mountain thus are permanent in flow and contain sufficient water. The rivers have caused various types of drainage patterns depending upon the rock structure.

The Himalayan Rivers bring alluvium which is deposited along their courses, thus resulting in bestowing flat alluvial fertile plains.

The three river plains of the Sindh, the Ganga and the Brahamputra form the great Northern Plains of India. From the ancient rimes, many civilizations developed in this plain.

The basic reasons were the availability of fertile alluvial soil, flat topography, and ample water supply from the perennial rivers along with favourable climate. These conditions made it an area of high agricultural productivity.

This plain sprawls from the Sindh River to the delta of the Ganga in the Indian sub-continent. The foot-hills of the Himalayas make its northern boundary while the extensions of the Peninsula limit it to the South.

Between the mouths of the Sindh and the Ganga, the length of the plain approximates 3,200 km. This includes the plains of India and Pakistan. Within India this plain extends from the Ravi River to the Gangetic delta – about 2,400 km in length.

The breadth of the plain is not uniform throughout. It is 280 km broad near Allahabad, 160 km near Rajmahal Hills and 90-100 km in Assam. In other words the plain broadens towards the west from the east.

Glaciers of the Himalayas.

The Himalayan snow line varies in height from 4500 m in the East to 6000 m in the West. It is nearly 5000 m in H.P and kumaon Himalayas.

The Mighty Himalayas have innumerable large sized valley glaciers in different stretches. They arc Gangotri, Milam, Hispar, Zemu, Biafo, Baltora, Saichen, etc. The Saichen glacier has ass tuned great importance because of its strategic location bordering Pakistan.