Geography Ch04 – Rivers of India

💧 Drainage Patterns

🌐 5 Drainage Patterns

Radial — Flow in all directions from a mountain
Dendritic — Like tree branches
Parallel — Rivers flow parallel to each other
Trellis — Right angle confluence of rivers
Centripetal — Rivers falling into lake/depression

📊 2 Drainage Systems

Himalayan Drainage System
- Perennial rivers (snow-fed)
- Antecedent rivers mostly
- Deep V-shaped valleys, gorges, waterfalls
Peninsular Drainage System
- Seasonal rivers (rain-fed)
- Relatively fixed courses; less meandering
- Narmada and Tapti are classic rift-valley examples
- Early Tertiary western-flank subsidence influenced drainage evolution

🗺️ Rivers — Falls Into

🌊 Bay of Bengal

Ganga

Brahmaputra

Mahanadi

Godavari

Krishna

Kaveri

Damodar

Subarnarekha

🌊 Arabian Sea

Indus

Narmada

Tapti

Luni (→ Rann of Kutch)

Mahi

Sabarmati

Periyar

🏷️ River Nicknames — Exam Favourite

River	Nickname
Kosi	Sorrow of Bihar
Damodar	Sorrow of Bengal
Godavari	Dakshin Ganga / Vriddha Ganga
Kaveri	Ganga of South India / Ponni (Tamil)
Brahmaputra	Siang (AP) / Yarlung Tsangpo (Tibet) / Jamuna (Bangladesh)
Ganga	Padma (Bangladesh) / Bhagirathi (origin)
Punpun	Adi Ganga

🚨 EXAM TRAP

Narmada & Tapti → flow West (Arabian Sea) — most peninsular rivers flow East
Kaveri = relatively sustained/perennial flow, supported by both monsoons
Mahi = crosses Tropic of Cancer twice
Luni = inland drainage → Rann of Kutch (not sea)

🏔️ Indus River System

🌊 Indus River — Main Channel

3,180 km

Total Length

1,114 km

In India

Arabian Sea

Falls Into

Origin: Near Manasarovar Lake, Tibet (China)
In Tibet: Singi Khambon (Lion's Mouth)
Flows between Ladakh and Zaskar ranges
Tributaries: Shyok, Gilgit, Hunza, Shigar, Dras, Zaskar, Nubra

💧 Main Tributaries of Indus

River	Ancient Name	Origin	Length	Key Fact
Jhelum	Vitasta	Verinag Lake (Pir Panjal)	725 km	Srinagar on its banks; trib. of Chenab
Chenab	Asikni	Baralacha La Pass (HP) — Chandra + Bhaga	About 1,180 km before entering Pakistan	Tribs: Jhelum, Ravi, Tawi; Ujh joins Ravi
Ravi	Parushni	Rohtang Pass (Kullu Hills)	725 km	Transboundary river (India-Pakistan); trib. of Chenab
Beas	Vipasha	Rohtang Pass (Beas Kund)	470 km	Tributary of Sutlej
Sutlej	Shatadru	Rakastal Lake (Langchen Khambab, Tibet)	1450 km (1050 in India)	Antecedent river; enters via Shipkila Pass; Gurudwara Patal Puri on its banks

📜 Indus Water Treaty — 1960

Signed in: Karachi
Mediated by: World Bank

Rivers	India Share	Pakistan Share
Indus, Jhelum, Chenab	Limited permitted uses	Primarily allocated
Ravi, Beas, Sutlej	Primarily allocated	Limited permitted uses

🚨 EXAM TRAP

Chenab origin = Baralacha La (Chandra + Bhaga) — NOT Rohtang
Ravi + Beas both originate from Rohtang Pass area — different points
Sutlej = antecedent river | enters India via Shipkila Pass
Jhelum = tributary of Chenab, NOT directly Indus
Indus Water Treaty = Karachi (not Delhi, not Islamabad)

🙏 Ganga River System

🌊 Ganga — Mother River

2,525 km

Total Length

8.6 lakh km²

Drainage Area

10 States + Delhi (NCT)

Basin Spread

5 States

Flows Through

Origin: Gomukh (Gangotri Glacier) — initially called Bhagirathi
Longest tributary: Yamuna
First major left-bank tributary (downstream sequence): Ramganga
Last major left-bank tributary (downstream sequence): Mahananda
In Bangladesh: Padma

State-wise Length:

State	Length
Uttar Pradesh	1450 km (longest)
West Bengal	520 km
Uttarakhand	110 km (conventional state-wise breakup)
Bihar	445 km
Jharkhand	40 km

⛪ Panch Prayag — Alaknanda Confluences

1. Vishnuprayag

Alaknanda + Dhauliganga

2. Nandprayag

Alaknanda + Nandakini

3. Karnaprayag

Alaknanda + Pindar (Pindari River)

4. Rudraprayag

Alaknanda + Mandakini

5. Devprayag

Alaknanda + Bhagirathi = GANGA forms here

🌿 Major Tributaries of Ganga

Left Bank Tributaries

River	Origin / Key Fact
Ramganga	Garhwal Hills (Dudhatoli) — 1st trib — meets near Kannauj
Ghagara (Ghaghara)	Mapchachungo Glacier — 1080 km — meets Ganga at Revelganj–Chapra, Bihar
Gandak	Nepal (Kali Gandaki + Trishuli at Devghat) — 630 km — meets at Hajipur–Sonepur confluence area, Bihar
Kosi	Tibet — 730 km — "Sorrow of Bihar"
Mahananda	Last major left-bank tributary in the usual downstream sequence

Right Bank Tributaries

River	Key Fact
Yamuna	Longest trib — origin Yamunotri (Bandarpunch range) — meets at Prayagraj
Son	Origin Amarkantak — 780 km — meets Ganga near Maner, Patna district
Punpun	Origin Palamu (JH) — meets at Fatuha, Patna — "Adi Ganga"

🌊 Yamuna & Its Tributaries

Origin: Yamunotri Glacier (Bandarpunch Range)
Length: 1376 km
Confluence: Ganga at Prayagraj
Tributaries: Chambal, Sindh, Ken, Betwa, Tons
Water mostly used for irrigation
Delhi Ridge = water divide between Indus and Ganga rivers

Chambal River (Yamuna's main trib):

Origin: Mhow, Malwa Plateau (MP)
Known for badland topography
Tribs: Parbati, Kali Sindh, Banas, Shipra
Rises south of the Tropic of Cancer, then flows northward across it
Banas river → from Aravalli Hills (Rajasthan)

😢 Kosi River — Sorrow of Bihar

Origin: Tibet (antecedent river)
Length: 730 km
Main stream in Tibet: Arun
Arun joins to form Saptakosi
Tributaries: Sun Kosi, Dudh Kosi, Tamur

⚠️ "Sorrow of Bihar" — Kosi river changes its course frequently → floods Bihar every year → massive devastation → hence "Sorrow of Bihar"

🌊 Sarda / Ghagara / Son Key Facts

Kali/Mahakali–Sharda: Greater Himalaya, Pithoragarh (Uttarakhand); about 547 km to the Ghaghara confluence; forms part of the India–Nepal boundary and is called Sharda in the plains.
Ghagara: Origin Mapchachungo Glacier | 1080 km | Meets Ganga at Revelganj–Chapra, Bihar | Trib: Sarda, Sarju
Son: Amarkantak | 780 km | meets Ganga near Maner, Patna district | tributaries: Koel, Rihand

🚨 EXAM TRAP

Ganga formed at Devprayag (Alaknanda + Bhagirathi)
Longest trib = Yamuna | Major left-bank downstream sequence: Ramganga first, Mahananda last
The Gandak joins the Ganga in the Hajipur–Sonepur confluence area, Bihar.
Son meets Ganga near Maner, Patna district | Punpun at Fatuha (Patna)
Yamuna origin = Bandarpunch Range (Yamunotri Glacier) — NOT Gangotri
Ganga basin = India's largest drainage system (8.6 lakh km²)

🌀 Brahmaputra River System

🌊 Brahmaputra — The Great River

2,900 km

Total Length

916 km

In India

5,80,000 km²

Basin Area

Origin: Chemayungdung Glacier
Falls into: Bay of Bengal
Forms eastern boundary of Himalayas
Near Namcha Barwa → deep gorge → U-turn → enters Arunachal Pradesh

🏷️ Different Names of Brahmaputra

Region	Name
Tibet	Yarlung Tsangpo
Arunachal Pradesh	Dihang
Assam	Brahmaputra
Bangladesh	Jamuna

🌿 Tributaries of Brahmaputra

Left Bank:

Burhi Dihing

Disang

Dikhow

Dhansiri (South)

Kopili

Right Bank:

Subansiri (longest trib)

Kameng

Manas

Sankosh

Teesta

📌 Important Extra Facts

Majuli Island → situated on Brahmaputra (world's largest inhabited river island)
Jamuna joins Padma; combined flow later joins Meghna. Barak feeds the Meghna system through Surma–Kushiyara.
World's largest mangrove forest → Sundarbans, within the Ganga–Brahmaputra–Meghna delta
Kolkata is on Hoogly River (distributary of Ganga)
Wang Chu River → flows in Bhutan (trib of Brahmaputra)
Ghaggar River → originates from Shivalik Hills (HP)
Cities on Ganga: Kanpur, Patna, Prayagraj, Varanasi

🚨 EXAM TRAP

Brahmaputra = Yarlung Tsangpo (Tibet) → Dihang (AP) → Brahmaputra (Assam) → Jamuna (Bangladesh)
Longest tributary = Subansiri (right bank)
Near Namcha Barwa, the river makes a sharp bend before entering India.
Kolkata stands on the Hooghly River, not directly on the main channel of the Ganga.

🌴 Bay of Bengal — Peninsular Rivers

River	Origin	Length	Key Facts
Mahanadi	Near Farsiya/Sihawa, Dhamtari district (CG)	851 km	Drainage: MP+CG(53%), Odisha(about 46.3%); Tribs: Seonath, Hasdeo, Ib, Tel
Damodar	Chotanagpur Plateau	592 km	"Sorrow of Bengal"; rift valley; meets Hoogly; Tribs: Bokaro, Barakar
Godavari	Trimbakeshwar, Nashik (MH)	1465 km	Dakshin Ganga; longest in South India; 3.13 lakh km² catchment; via Yanam (Puducherry)
Krishna	Mahabaleshwar (Sahyadri)	About 1400 km	Basin: MH(26.6%), KA(43.8%), AP(9.8%); shares do not exhaust the basin; Tribs: Koyna, Tungabhadra, Bhima, Musi
Kaveri	Brahmagiri Hills, Kodagu (KA)	800 km	Relatively sustained/perennial flow; Ponni (Tamil); Basin: KA(41.2%), TN(55.3%)
Subarnarekha	Chotanagpur Plateau	395 km	Jharkhand → West Bengal → Odisha → Bay of Bengal

🌴 Arabian Sea — Peninsular Rivers

River	Origin	Length	Key Facts
Narmada	Amarkantak (1057m)	1312 km	Rift valley (Satpura+Vindhyan); estuary at Bharuch (Gulf of Khambhat); Tribs: Orsang, Tawa, Kolar
Tapti	Betul district, MP	724 km	Rift valley (Satpura+Ajanta); Drainage: MH(79%), MP(15%), GJ(6%)
Luni	Western Aravalli slopes near Ajmer/Pushkar	About 495 km	Major river system of western Rajasthan's desert region; inland drainage → Rann of Kutch
Mahi	Dhar district, MP	585 km	Crosses Tropic of Cancer twice; Gulf of Khambhat
Sabarmati	Aravalli Hills, Udaipur (RJ)	371 km	Gulf of Khambat; RJ + GJ
Periyar	Sivagiri Hills (W.Ghats)	—	Lifeline of Kerala; longest river of Kerala; Tribs: Muthirapuzha, Mullayar

🌿 Other Important Peninsular Rivers

Baitarani → Origin: Keonjhar Plateau, Odisha
Brahmani → Origin: Koel + Shankha rivers confluence (Odisha)
Vaitarna → Maharashtra (Nashik district)
Sharavathi → Shimoga district, Karnataka
Pamba → Kerala → Vembanad Lake
Vaigai → Southern Tamil Nadu; closely associated with Madurai
Pennar → Origin: Nandi Hills, Karnataka → AP (Somamila dam)
Gumti → Tripura

🚨 EXAM TRAP

Godavari = longest Peninsular/South Indian river | Kaveri = relatively sustained/perennial flow; receives both monsoons
Narmada + Tapti = flow West through rift valleys (exception among peninsular rivers)
The Damodar is called the "Sorrow of Bengal", while the Kosi is called the "Sorrow of Bihar".
The Mahi River crosses the Tropic of Cancer twice.
Tungabhadra = tributary of Krishna (Hampi, Karnataka)
Luni = inland drainage → ends in Rann of Kutch (not sea)
Amarkantak = origin of both Narmada AND Son River

📍 Bihar Special — Rivers Important for BPSC

😢 Kosi — Sorrow of Bihar

Origin: Tibet
Length: 730 km
Main stream in Tibet: Arun → joins to form Saptakosi
Tributaries: Sun Kosi, Dudh Kosi, Tamur
Antecedent river — changes course frequently → floods Bihar
Enters Bihar from Nepal border

🌊 Ganga in Bihar

Ganga flows 445 km through Bihar
Cities: Patna, Hajipur, Munger, Bhagalpur
Enters Bihar from UP border | Exits to Jharkhand/WB

Rivers Meeting Ganga in Bihar:

River	Meets Ganga At	Bank
Gandak	Hajipur–Sonepur confluence area, Bihar	Left
Ghagara (Ghaghara)	Revelganj–Chapra, Bihar	Left
Son	Maner, Patna district, Bihar	Right
Punpun	Fatuha, Patna	Right
Kosi	Kursela, Bihar	Left

💧 Son River — Bihar's Major Right Bank Trib

Origin: Amarkantak Hills (MP)
Length: 780 km
Meets Ganga at: Maner, Patna district
Tributaries: Koel, Rihand
Flows through: MP → Jharkhand → Bihar

🌿 Gandak River — Nepal to Hajipur

Formed by: Kali Gandaki + Trishuli at Devghat (Nepal)
Origin: Nepal (between Dhaulagiri and Everest)
Length: 630 km
Meets Ganga: Hajipur–Sonepur confluence area, Bihar

🌊 Punpun River — Adi Ganga

Origin: Palamu district, Jharkhand
Length: 200 km
Meets Ganga at: Fatuha (near Patna)
Also known as: "Adi Ganga"

🌊 Ghagara / Sarda — Left Bank Tributaries

Ghagara Origin: Mapchachungo Glacier | Length: 1080 km
Meets Ganga: Revelganj–Chapra, Bihar
Tributary: Sarda River (Kali Ganga) — flows along India-Nepal border
Kali/Mahakali originates in the Greater Himalaya, Pithoragarh (Uttarakhand); called Sharda in the plains

🏔️ Subarnarekha & Damodar — Near Bihar

Subarnarekha: Origin Chotanagpur Plateau → Jharkhand → West Bengal → Odisha → Bay of Bengal
Damodar: Origin Chotanagpur Plateau → "Sorrow of Bengal" → meets Hoogly
Brahmani: Formed by Koel + Shankha rivers (Odisha)

⚡ BIHAR MASTER RECALL

Ganga flows 445 km in Bihar
Kosi = Sorrow of Bihar (changes course, Tibet origin, antecedent)
Gandak → Hajipur–Sonepur | Ghaghara → Revelganj–Chapra | Son → Maner | Punpun → Fatuha
Punpun = Adi Ganga | Son tribs = Koel + Rihand
Kali/Mahakali forms part of the India–Nepal boundary; called Sharda in the plains
Damodar (Jharkhand) → "Sorrow of Bengal" | Chotanagpur Plateau origin

🚨 BPSC EXAM TRAP — Bihar Rivers

Gandak joins the Ganga in the Hajipur–Sonepur confluence area, Bihar
Son meets Ganga near Maner, Patna district (right bank)
Kosi origin = Tibet | Main stream in Tibet = Arun
The Punpun, also referred to here as Adi Ganga, joins the Ganga at Fatuha.
Ghaghara ≈ 1080 km — largest Ganga tributary by discharge/volume; second-longest after Yamuna

🌊 Indian Geography — Chapter 04