Question

Describe the main peninsular rivers of India.

Answer 1

Hint: The drainage system of the Peninsular is older than that of the Himalayas. This is evident from the deep shallow valleys, which are mostly graded, and the rivers' maturity. Peninsular rivers have shorter courses, unlike Himalayan rivers. They are seasonal as well.

Complete answer: Near the western coast, the Western Ghats act as the water divide between the major Peninsular Rivers, discharging their water into the Bay of Bengal and entering the Arabian Sea as tiny rivulets. The Mahanadi, the Godavari, the Krishna, and the Kaveri, the Narmada, the Tapi, and the Luni are the major river systems of the peninsular drainage:

1.Godavari: Also known as the ‘Dakshin Ganga’, it is the largest peninsular river system. It rises in Maharashtra's Nashik district and discharges its water into the Bay of Bengal. Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh are the states where its tributaries pass through. Its principal tributaries are the Penganga, the Indravati, the Pranhita, and the Manjra.

2.Krishna: It is the second-largest Peninsular River flowing east, which rises in Sahyadri near Mahabaleshwar, Maharashtra. Its length is 1,401 km in total. Its main tributaries are the Koyna, the Tungabhadra, and the Bhima.

3.Mahanadi: It rises in the Chhattisgarh district of Raipur near Sihawa and flows through Odisha to discharge its water into the Bay of Bengal. It is 851 km long and stretches over 1.42 lakh sq. of its catchment area. In the lower course of this channel, such navigation is carried out. In Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, 53 percent of the drainage basin of this river lies, while in Odisha, 47 percent.

4.Kaveri: It rises in the Brahmagiri hills (1,341m) of Karnataka's Kogadu district. Since the upper catchment area receives rainfall during the southwestern monsoon season (summer) and the lower portion during the north-eastern monsoon season (winter), with comparatively fewer variations than the other peninsular rivers, the river carries water throughout the year. The Kabini, the Bhavani, and the Amravati are major tributaries.

5.The Narmada: It originates at an altitude of about 1,057 m on the western flank of the Amarkantak plateau. It flows between the Satpura in the south and the Vindhyan range in the north in a rift valley; it forms a picturesque gorge in the marble rocks between Jabalpur and Dhuandhar waterfall. After a distance of approximately 1,312 km, it meets the Arabian Sea south of Bharuch, creating a deep estuary 27 km long. Its catchment region is approximately 98,796 sq.km. On this river, the Sardar Sarovar Project has been developed.

6.The Tapi: It is the other significant river flowing westward. It originates from Multai in Madhya Pradesh's Betul district. It is 724 km long and drains 65,145 sq. of land. In Maharashtra, almost 79 percent of its basin is located, 15 percent in Madhya Pradesh, and the remaining 6 percent in Gujarat.

7.The Luni: This is Rajasthan's largest river system, west of Aravali. It originates in two branches near Pushkar, i.e. the Saraswati and the Sabarmati, which at Govindgarh join each other. The river comes out of Aravali from here and is known as Luni. It flows west to Telwara and then heads southwest to join the Rann of Kuchchh. The river system as a whole is ephemeral.

Note: 1. Except for Narmada and Tapi, most of the major Peninsular rivers flow from west to east.
2. The rivers of the peninsula are distinguished by a set course, lack of meandering, and non-perennial water flow. However, the Narmada and the Tapi that flows through the valley of the rift are exceptions.