Geography_11_INDIA-PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

Geography_11_I-PE_Chapter 01: INDIA-LOCATION

INDIA

MAP

SIZE

INDIA & ITS NEIGHBOURS

Geography_11_I-PE_Chapter 02: STRUCTURE AND PHYSIOGRAPHY

THREE GEOLOGICAL DIVISIONS

  1. THE PENINSULAR BLOCK

2.THE HIMALAYAS AND OTHER PENINSULAR MOUNTAINS

3.INDO-GANGA-BRAHMAPUTRA PLAIN

PHYSIOGRAPHY

PHYSIOGRAPHIC DIVISIONS

THE NORTHERN AND NORTH-EASTERN MOUNTAINS

THE NORTHERN PLAINS

THE PENINSULAR PLATEAU

THE INDIAN DESERT

THE COASTAL PLAINS

THE ISLANDS

THE GREAT HIMALAYAS & SHIVALIK

  1. KASHMIR OR NORTHWESTERN HIMALAYAS
  1. HIMACHAL AND UTTARANCHAL HIMALAYAS
  1. DARJILING AND SIKKIM HIMALAYAS
  1. ARUNACHAL HIMALAYAS
  1. EASTERN HILLS AND MOUNTAINS

From the
north to the south, these can be divided into three major zones:

THE TARAI

ALLUVIAL PLAINS

THE DECCAN PLATEAU

THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS

THE NORTHEASTERN PLATEAU

On the basis of the orientation, the desert can
be divided into two parts

THE SOUTHERN TOWARDS THE RANN OF KACHCHH

On the basis of the location and
active geomorphological processes, it can be
broadly divided into two

THE EASTERN COASTAL PLAINS

ISLANDS IN BAY OF BENGAL

ISLANDS IN ARABIAN SEA

Geography_11_I-PE_Chapter 03: DRAINAGE SYSTEM

DRAINAGE BRIEF

INDIAN DRAINAGE SYSTEM

ON THE BASIS OF ORIENTATION OF DISCHARGE OF WATER

THE BAY OF BENGAL DRAINAGE

THE ARABIAN SEA DRAINAGE

ON THE BASIS OF SIZE OF WATERSHED

MAJOR RIVER BASINS WITH MORE THAN 20,000 SQ.KM OF CATCHMENT AREA

MEDIUM RIVER BASINS WITH CATCHMENT AREA BETWEEN 2,000-20,000 SQ.KM

MINOR RIVER BASINS WITH CATCHMENT AREA LESS THAN 2,000 SQ.KM

DRAINAGE SYSTEMS OF INDIA

THE HIMALAYAN DRAINAGE

THE PENINSULAR DRAINAGE SYSTEM

EVOLUTION OF HIMALAYAN DRAINAGE

THE RIVER SYSTEMS OF HIMALAYAN DRAINAGE

THE INDUS SYSTEM

THE BRAHMAPUTRA SYSTEM

THE EVOLUTION OF PENINSULAR DRAINGAE

THE RIVER SYSTEMS OF PENINSULAR DRAINAGE

THE MAHANADI

THE GODAVARI

THE KRISHNA

THE KAVERI

THE NARMADA

THE TAPI

THE LUNI

SMALL RIVERS FLOWING TOWARDS THE WEST

SMALL RIVERS FLOWING TOWARDS THE EAST

RIVER REGIMES

EXTENT OF USABILITY OF RIVER WATER

PROBLEMS IN USING RIVER WATER

  1. NO AVAILABILITY IN SUFFICIENT QUANTITY
  1. RIVER WATER POLLUTION
  1. LOAD OF SILT IN THE RIVER WATER
  1. UNEVEN SEASONAL FLOW OF WATER
  1. RIVER WATER DISPUTES BETWEEN STATES

SHRINKING OF CHANNELS DUE TO THE EXTENSION OF SETTLEMENTS TOWARDS THE THALWEG

Geography_11_I-PE_Chapter 04: CLIMATE

WEATHER AND CLIMATE

UNITY AND DIVERSITY IN THE MONSOON CLIMATE

FACTORS DETERMINING THE CLIMATE OF INDIA

FACTORS RELATED TO LOCATION AND RELIEF

FACTORS RELATED TO AIR PRESSURE AND WIND

LATITUDE

THE HIMALAYAN MOUNTAINS

DISTRIBUTION OF LAND AND WATER

DISTANCE FROM THE SEA

ALTITUDE

RELIEF

MECHANISM OF WEATHER IN THE WINTER SEASON

SURFACE PRESSURE & WINDS

JET STREAM & UPPER AIR CIRCULATION

WESTERN CYCLONIC DISTURBANCE & TROPICAL CYCLONES

MECHANISM OF WEATHER IN SUMMER SEASON

SURFACE PRESSURE & WINDS

JET STREAM & UPPER AIR CIRCULATION

EASTERLY JET STREAMS & TROPICAL CYCLONES

ITCZ

NATURE OF INDIAN MONSOON

ONSET OF THE MONSOON

RAIN BEARING SYSTEMS & RAINFALL

BREAK IN THE MONSOON

EL NINO & THE INDIAN MONSOON

THE RHYTHM OF SEASONS

THE COLD WEATHER SEASON

THE HOT WEATHER SEASON

THE SOUTHWEST MONSOON SEASON

THE RETREATING MONSOON SEASON

TEMPERATURE

PRESSURE AND WINDS

RAINFALL

TEMPERATURE

PRESSURE AND WINDS

MONSOON WINDS OF THE ARABIAN SEA

FAMOUS LOCAL STORMS OF HOT WEATHER SEASON

  1. MANGO SHOWER
  1. BLOSSOM SHOWER
  1. NOR WESTERS
  1. LOO

MONSOON WINDS OF THE BAY OF BENGAL

CHARACTERISTICS OF MONSOONAL RAINFALL

TRADITIONAL INDIAN SEASONS

VASANTA

GRISHMA

VARSHA

SHARADA

HEMANTA

SHISHIRA

MARCH-APRIL

MAY-JUNE

JULY AUGUST

SEPT-OCT

NOV-DEC

JAN FEB

DISTRIBUTION OF RAINFALL

VARIABILITY OF RAINFALL

CLIMATIC REGIONS OF INDIA

KOEPPEN'S SCHEME

MONSOONS & ECONOMIC LIFE IN INDIA

GLOBAL WARMING

Geography_11_I-PE_Chapter 05: NATURAL VEGETATION

TYPES OF FORESTS

TROPICAL EVERGREEN AND SEMI FORESTS

TROPICAL DECIDUOUS FORESTS

TROPICAL THORN FORESTS

MONTANE FORESTS

LITTORAL AND SWAMP FORESTS

FOREST COVER IN INDIA

FOREST CONSERVATION

WILDLIFE

FIRST POLICY

BIOSPHERE RESERVE

SOCIAL FORESTRY

FARM FORESTRY

WILDLIFE CONSERVATION IN INDIA

LIST DOWN 14

FOUR BIOSPHERE RESERVES RECOGNIZED BY UNESCO

NILGIRI

NANDA DEVI

SUNDERBANS

GULF OF MANNAR

Geography_11_I-PE_Chapter 06: SOILS

CLASSIFICATION OF SOIL

SOIL DEGRADATION

ACCORDING TO INDIAN COUNCIL OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH (ICAR)

INCEPTISOLS

ENTISOLS

ALFISOLS

VERTISOLS

ARIDISOLS

ULTISOLS

MOLLISOLS

OTHERS

ON THE BASIS OF GENESIS, COLOR, COMPOSITION & LOCATION

ALLUVIAL SOILS

BLACK SOILS

RED & YELLOW SOILS

LATERITE SOILS

ARID SOILS

SALINE SOILS

PEATY SOILS

FOREST SOILS

SOIL EROSION

SOIL CONSERVATION

Geography_11_I-PE_Chapter 07: NATURAL HAZARDS & DISASTERS

WHAT IS DISASTER?

CLASSIFICATION OF NATURAL DISASTERS

ATMOSPHERIC

TERRESTRIAL

AQUATIC

BIOLOGICAL

YOKAHAMA STRATEGY

NATURAL DISASTERS AND HAZARDS IN INDIA

EARTHQUAKES

EARTHQUAKE ZONES OF INDIA

  1. VERY HIGH DAMAGE RISK ZONE
  1. HIGH DAMAGE RISK ZONE
  1. MODERATE DAMAGE RISK ZONE
  1. LOW DAMAGE RISK ZONE
  1. VERY LOW DAMAGE RISK ZONE

SOCIO-ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES OF EARTHQUAKES

EFFECTS OF EARTHQUAKES

ON GROUND

ON MANMADE STRUCTURES

ON WATER

EARTHQUAKE HAZARD MITIGATION

TSUNAMI

TROPICAL CYCLONES

FLOODS

CONDITIONS

STRUCTURE OF TROPICAL CYCLONES

SPATIO-TEMPORAL DISTRIBUTION OF TROPICAL CYCLONE IN INDIA

CONSEQUENCES OF TROPICAL CYCLONES

CONSEQUENCE & CONTROL OF FLOODS

DROUGHTS

TYPES

METEOROLOGICAL DROUGHT

AGRICULTURAL DROUGHT

HYDROLOGICAL DROUGHT

ECOLOGICAL DROUGHT

DROUGHT PRONE AREAS

EXTREME DROUGHT AFFECTED AREAS

SEVERE DROUGHT PRONE AREAS

MODERATE DROUGHT PRONE AREAS

CONSEQUENCES OF DROUGHT

LANDSLIDES

LANDSLIDE VULNERABILITY ZONE

VERY HIGH

HIGH

MODERATE TO LOW

OTHER AREAS

CONSEQUENCES OF LANDSLIDES

MITIGATION

DISASTER MANAGEMENT

DISASTER MANAGEMENT BILL, 2005

CONCLUSION

THREE STAGES IN DISASTER MITIGATION & MANAGEMENT

  1. PRE DISASTER MANAGEMENT

2.DURING DISASTER MANAGEMENT

  1. POST DISASTER OPERATIONS

ABOUT INDIA LOCATION

INDIA'S TERRITORIAL LIMIT IN SEA 21.9 KM(12 NAUTICAL MILES) FROM THE COAST

SOUTHERN BOUNDARY 6°45' N LATITUDE IN BAY OF BENGAL

DISTANCE NORTH TO SOUTH 3214 KM DISTANCE EAST TO WEST 2933 KM

SOUTHERN PART IS IN TROPICS & NORTHERN PART IN SUBTROPICAL ZONE/WARM TEMPERATE ZONE

STANDARD MERIDIAN OF INDIA 82°30' E

IST= GMT- 5.5 HOURS

USA HAVE 7 TIME ZONES. INDIA HAVE 1.

AREA= 3.28 MILLION SQ. KM.

2.4% OF WORLD'S LAND SURFACE AREA

7TH LARGEST COUNTRY

MOUNTAIN PASSES

THE KHYBER

THE BOLAN

THE SHIPKILA

THE NATHULA

THE BOMDILA

COAST LINE 6100 KM IN MAIN LAND & 7517 KM ENTIRE INCLUDING ISLANDS

ISLAND COUNTRIES

SRI LANKA

MALDIVES

SEPARATED BY GULF OF MANNAR AND PALK STRAIT

CONSISTS OF CENTRAL, NORTH EASTERN PARTS AND SOUTHERN PART OF INDIA

RIFT VALLEYS OF THE NARMADA, THE TAPI AND THE MAHANADI AND THE SATPUTRA

CONSIST OF MOUNTAINS LIKE THE ARAVALI HILLS, THE NALLAMALA HILLS, THE JAVADI HILLS, THE VELICONDA HILLS, THE PALKONDA RANGE AND THE MAHENDRAGIRI HILLS ETC.

DELTAS FORMED BY THE MAHANADI, THE KRISHNA, THE KAVERI AND THE GODAVARI ETC.

SUBJECTED TO EXOGENIC AND ENDOGENIC FORCES RESULTING IN FAULTS, FOLDS AND THRUST PLAINS

TECTONIC IN ORIGIN

FAST FLOWING RIVERS ARE IN YOUTH AGE IN THIS REGION

PLAINS FORMED BY THE RIVER INDUS, THE GANGA AND THE BRAHMAPUTRA

AVERAGE DEPTH OF ALLUVIAL DEPOSITS 1000-2000 m

PHYSIOGRAPHY OF AN AREA IS THE OUTCOME OF STRUCTURE, PROCESS AND THE STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT

LENGTH OF GREAT HIMALAYAN RANGE (CENTRAL AXIAL RANGE) IS 2500 KM FROM EAST TO WEST & 160-400 KM NORTH TO SOUTH

RANGES- KARAKORAM, LADAKH, ZASKAR AND PIR PANJAL

NORTHEAST PART IS COLD DESERT

KASHMIR AND DAL LAKE ARE BETWEEN THE GREAT HIMALAYAS AND THE PIR PANJAL RANGE

GLACIERS- BALTORO AND SIACHEN

KAREWA FORMATIONS USEFUL FOR CULTIVATION OF ZAFRAN (SAFFRON)

KAREWAS ARE THE THICK DEPOSITS OF GLACIAL CLAY AND OTHER MATERIALS EMBEDDED WITH MORAINES

IMPORTANT PASSES

Zoji La on the Great Himalayas

what is Gulf?

what is strait?

CONVERSIONS

1 Nautical mile = about 1.8 km (1.852 km)

1 Statute mile = about 1.6 km (1.584 km)

DISTANCE BETWEEN TWO LONGITUDES DECREASES TOWARDS THE POLES WHEREAS THE DISTANCE BETWEEN TWO LATITUDES REMAINS THE SAME EVERYWHERE

Banihal on the Pir Panjal

Photu La on the Zaskar

Khardung La on
the Ladakh range

IMPORTANT FRESH LAKES

Dal and Wular and salt water lakes
such as Pangong Tso and Tso Moriri

IMPORTANT RIVERS

Indus, and its tributaries such as the Jhelum
and the Chenab

IMPORTANT PILGRIMAGE

Vaishno Devi, Amarnath Cave, Charar -e-Sharif

SRINAGAR

located on the banks
of Jhelum river.

SOUTHERNMOST PART

longitudinal valleys known as ‘duns’

Jammu dun and Pathankot dun are important examples

LIES between the Ravi in the west and the Kali (a tributary of Ghaghara) in the east

RIVERS

THE INDUS

THE GANGA

Ravi, the Beas and the Satluj

the Yamuna and the Ghaghara

All the three ranges of
Himalayas

Great Himalayan range

the Lesser Himalayas (which is locally known as Dhaoladhar in Himachal Pradesh and Nagtibha
in Uttarakhand)

the Shiwalik range

attracted the British colonial
administration

important hill stations WERE DEVELOPED

Dharamshala, Mussoorie, Shimla, Kaosani

health resorts such as
Shimla, Mussoorie, Kasauli, Almora ,
Lansdowne and Ranikhet

TWO DISTINGUISHING FEATURES

SHIVALIK

DUN FORMATIONS

Chandigarh-Kalka dun, Nalagarh dun, Dehra
Dun, Harike dun and the Kota dun

Dehra Dun is the largest of all the duns

valleys are mostly inhabited by the
Bhotia’s ( nomadic groups)

‘Valley of flowers’ is also situated in this
region

PILGRIMAGE

Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath, Badrinath
and Hemkund Sahib

known to have five famous Prayags (river confluences)

Vishnuprayag, Nandaprayag, Karnaprayag, Rudraprayag and Devprayag

Rivers

Tista

Mountain Peaks

KANCHENJUNGA

TRIBES

LEPCHA

TEA PLANTATION WAS INTRODUCED IN THIS AREA

CAUSES

high organic content

thick soil cover

moderate slope

well
distributed rainfall

mild winters

Duar formations

Important mountain peaks

Kangtu

Namcha Barwa

RIVERS

the Kameng

Bhramaputra

Subansiri

the Dihang

the Dibang

the Lohit

NUMEROUS TRIBES

the Monpa

Abor

Mishmi

Nyishi

the Nagas

communities practise Jhumming

known as shifting or slash and burn
cultivation

different local names

Patkai Bum

Naga hills

the Manipur hills

in the south as Mizo or Lushai hills

IMPORTANT RIVERS

The Barak

large lake known as ‘Loktak’
lake at the centre, surrounded by mountains

Mizoram which is also known
as the ‘Molassis basin’

MOST OF THE RIVERS IN NAGALAND FORM THE TRIBUTARY OF BRAHMAPUTRA

TWO RIVERS FROM MIZORAM AND MANIPUR ARE TRIBUTARIES OF THE BARAK RIVER WHICH IS TRIBUTARY OF MEGHNA

RIVERS IN EASTERN PART OF MANIPUR ARE THE TRIBUTARIES OF CHINDWIN WHICH IS A TRIBUTARY OF IRRAWADY OF MYANMAR

formed by the
alluvial deposits brought by the rivers – the Indus, the Ganga and the Brahmaputra.

THE BHABAR

KHADAR

BHANGAR

OLD ALLUVAL DEPOSITS

NEW ALLUVIAL DEPOSITS

narrow belt ranging between
8-10 km

MADE UP OF MANY PATLAND PLATEAUS

the Hazaribagh
plateau, the Palamu plateau, the Ranchi plateau, the Malwa plateau, the Coimbatore plateau and the Karnataka plateau

The Bhima fault

RAVINES

CHAMBAL, BHIND AND MORENA

bordered by the Western Ghats in west, Eastern Ghats in east AND Satpura, Maikal range and Mahadeo hills in the north

Western Ghats are locally known
by different names

Sahyadri in
Maharashtra

Nilgiri hills in Karnataka

Nilgiri hills in Karnataka and
Tamil Nadu

Anaimalai hills and
Cardamom hills in Kerala

‘Anaimudi’ (2,695 m), the highest peak of Peninsular plateau is located on the Anaimalai
hills of the Western Ghats followed by Dodabetta
(2,637 m) on the Nilgiri hills.

RIVERS

the Mahanadi

the
Godavari

the Krishna

the Kaveri

RANGES

the Javadi hills

the Palconda range

the Nallamala hills

the Mahendragiri hills

The Eastern and the
Western Ghats meet each other at the Nilgiri hills.

The Satpura range

crescent-shaped sand dunes called barchans.

metamorphic
processes

metamorphic rocks such as marble, slate,
gneiss, etc.

Most of the
tributaries of the river Yamuna have their origin in the Vindhyan and Kaimur ranges

Banas is
the only significant tributary of the river Chambal that originates from the Aravalli in
the west

ARAVALI RANGE IN THE WEST

the Meghalaya and Karbi Anglong
plateau stand detached from the main Peninsular Block

The Meghalaya plateau

(ii) The Khasi Hills

(iii) The Jaintia Hills

(i) The Garo Hills

rich in mineral resources like coal, iron
ore, sillimanite, limestone and uranium

with longitudinal dunes
and barchans

arid
climate with low vegetation cover

because
of these characteristic features that this is also known as Marusthali

land features
present here are mushroom rocks, shifting dunes and oasis

The Luni river

The lakes and the playas have brackish
water which is the main source of obtaining salt.

THE NORTHERN PART SLOPING TOWARDS SINDH

THE WESTERN COASTAL PLAINS

Kandla,
Mazagaon, JLN port Navha Sheva, Marmagao, Mangalore, Cochin, etc. are some of the
important natural ports

the Kachchh AND Kathiawar coast in Gujarat

Konkan coast in
Maharashtra

Goan coast and Malabar coast
in Karnataka and Kerala respectively

The Malabar
coast has got certain distinguishing features in the form of ‘Kayals’ (backwaters), which
are used for fishing, inland navigation and also due to its special attraction for tourists

Every
year the famous Nehru Trophy Vallamkali (boat race) is held in Punnamada Kayal in
Kerala.

WELL DEVELOPED DELTAS

the deltas of the Mahanadi, the
Godavari, the Krishna and the Kaveri

consist of about 572 islands/islets

two principal groups of islets

the Ritchie’s archipelago

the Labrynth island

The entire group of island is divided into two broad categories

the
Andaman in the north

Nicobar in the
south.

They are separated by a waterbody
which is called the Ten degree channel

Barren island, the only active volcano in India
is also situated in the Nicobar islands.

IMPORTANT MOUNTAIN PEAKS

Saddle
peak (North Andaman – 738 m),

Mount
Diavolo (Middle Andaman – 515 m),

Mount
Koyob (South Andaman – 460 m)

Mount Thuiller (Great Nicobar – 642 m).

Lakshadweep

Minicoy

There are approximately 36 islands of which
11 are inhabited

Minicoy is the largest island
with an area of 453 sq. km.

The flow of water through well-defined channels is known as ‘drainage’

network of such channels is called a ‘drainage system’.

A river drains the water collected from a
specific area, which is called its ‘catchment area’.

An area drained by a river and its tributaries
is called a drainage basin.

Important Drainage Patterns

The drainage pattern resembling the branches of a tree is known as “dendritic”

When the rivers originate from a hill and flow in all directions, the drainage pattern is known
as ‘radial’

When the primary tributaries of rivers flow parallel to each other and secondary tributaries join them at right angles, the pattern is known as ‘trellis’.

When the rivers discharge their waters from all directions in a lake or depression, the
pattern is know as ‘centripetal’.

The boundary line separating one drainage basin from the other is known as the watershed.

The catchments of large rivers are called river basins.
while those of small rivulets and rills are often referred to as watersheds

Watersheds are small in area while
the basins cover larger areas.

River basins and watersheds are marked
by unity. one part affects the other. They are accepted as the most appropriate micro,
meso or macro planning regions.

Nearly 77 per cent of the drainage
area consisting of the Ganga, the Brahmaputra,
the Mahanadi, the Krishna, etc. is oriented
towards the Bay of Bengal

23 per cent
comprising the Indus, the Narmada, the Tapi,
the Mahi and the Periyar systems discharge
their waters in the Arabian Sea.

includes 14 drainage basins such as the
Ganga, the Brahmaputra, the Krishna, the Tapi, the Narmada, the Mahi, the Pennar, the Sabarmati, the Barak, etc.

44 river basins such as the Kalindi, the Periyar,
the Meghna, etc.

Large rivers flowing on the Peninsular plateau have their origin in the Western Ghats and discharge their waters in the Bay of Bengal. The Narmada and Tapi are two large rivers which are exceptions. They along with many small rivers discharge their waters in the Arabian Sea.

On the basis of the mode of origin, nature
and characteristics

It mainly includes the Ganga, the Indus and the Brahmaputra river basins


-fed both by melting of snow and precipitation, rivers of this system are perennial


-River Kosi, also know as the ‘sorrow of Bihar’,

in due course of time Indo– Brahma river was dismembered into three main drainage systems

  1. the Indus and its five
    tributaries in the western part
  1. the Ganga and its Himalayan tributaries in the central part
  1. the stretch of the Brahmaputra in Assam and its Himalayan tributaries in the eastern part

Shiwalik or Indo-Brahma traversed from Assam
to Punjab and onwards to Sind & discharged into the Gulf of Sind 5-24 million years ago

dismemberment was due to

Pleistocene upheaval in
the western Himalayas

uplift of the Potwar Plateau (Delhi Ridge)

the down- thrusting of the Malda gap area

one of the largest river basins of the world

covering an area of 11,65,000 sq. km (in India it is 321, 289 sq. km

total length of 2,880 km (in India 1,114 km)

Indus also known as the Sindhu

westernmost of the Himalayan rivers in India

originates from a glacier near Bokhar Chu in
the Kailash Mountain range

In Tibet, it is known as ‘Singi Khamban; or Lion’s mouth

Himalayan tributaries such as the Shyok, the Gilgit, the Zaskar, the Hunza, the Nubra, the Shigar, the Gasting and the Dras

it receives the Kabul river on its right bank

tributaries joining the right bank of the Indus
are the Khurram, the Tochi, the Gomal, the Viboa and the Sangar

river flows southward
and receives ‘Panjnad’

the Ravi

the Beas

the Satluj

the Chenab

the Jhelum

finally discharges into the Arabian Sea, east of Karachi

Indus flows in India only through Jammu and
Kashmir.

rises from foot of the Pir Panjal

joins the Chenab near Jhang in Pakistan.

flows through
Srinagar and the Wular lake

largest tributary of the Indus

formed by two streams, the
Chandra and the Bhaga

also known as Chandrabhaga

rises west of the Rohtang pass in
the Kullu hills of Himachal Pradesh

joining the Chenab near
Sarai Sidhu

originating from the Beas Kund near
the Rohtang Pass

enters the Punjab plains where it meets the
Satluj near Harike.

Satluj originates in the ‘Raksas tal’ near
Mansarovar

in Tibet where it is known as Langchen Khambab

It passes through the Shipki
La on the Himalayan ranges

It is an antecedent river

very important tributary as it feeds the canal
system of the Bhakra Nangal project.

Namami Gange Programme is an
Integrated Conservation Mission, approved as “Flagship Programme” by the Union
Government in June 2014 with the twin objectives of effective abatement of pollution conservation and rejuvenation of the
National River Ganga.

Main pillars of the Namami Gange
Programme are:

Sewerage Treatment Infrastructure

• River-Front Development

• River-Surface Cleaning

• Bio-Diversity

• Afforestation

• Public Awareness

• Industrial Effluent Monitoring

• Ganga Gram

THE GANGA SYSTEM

Ganga basin covers about 8.6
lakh sq. km area in India alone

length of 2,525 km

split into two distributaries

the Padma

the Bhagirathi

At Devprayag, the Bhagirathi meets the Alaknanda, hereafter, it is known as the Ganga

Alkananda

tributaries of Alaknanda such as the Pindar joins it at Karna Prayag while Mandakini or Kali Ganga meets it at Rudra Prayag

Alaknanda consists of the Dhauli and the Vishnu Ganga

Alaknanda has its source in the Satopanth
glacier above Badrinath

it is known as the Bhagirathi

rises in the Gangotri glacier near Gaumukh in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand

The Son is its major right bank tributary

important left bank tributaries are the
Ramganga, the Gomati, the Ghaghara, the Gandak, the Kosi and the Mahananda.

finally discharges itself into the Bay of
Bengal near the Sagar Island.

The Yamuna

the western most and the longest tributary of the Ganga

Source- Yamunotri glacier on the western slopes of Banderpunch range

joins the Ganga at Prayag (Allahabad)

it is joined by the Chambal, the Sind, the Betwa and the Ken on its right bank

the Hindan, the Rind, the Sengar, the Varuna, etc. join it on its left bank

The Chambal

rises near Mhow in the Malwa plateau of Madhya Pradesh

Gandhisagar dam has been constructed

The Chambal is famous for its badland topography called the Chambal ravines.

The Gandak

comprises two streams

Kaligandak

Trishulganga

It enters the Ganga plain in
Champaran district of Bihar

joins the Ganga at Sonpur near Patna.

The Ghaghara

originates in the glaciers of Mapchachungo

its tributaries – Tila, Seti and Beri

The river Sarda (Kali or Kali Ganga) joins it in the plain

it finally meets the Ganga at Chhapra.

The Kosi

an antecedent river with its source to the north of Mount Everest in Tibet

joined by the Son Kosi from the West and the Tamur Kosi from the east

forms Sapt Kosi after uniting with the river Arun.

The Ramganga

a small river rising in the Garhwal hills near Gairsain

it joins the Ganga near Kannauj.

The Damodar

it flows through a rift valley and finally joins the Hugli

The Barakar is its main tributary

Once known
as the ‘sorrow of Bengal’

The Sarda or Saryu river

rises in the Milam
glacier in the Nepal Himalayas

where it is known as the Goriganga

Along the Indo-Nepal
border, it is called Kali or Chauk, where it joins the Ghaghara

The Mahananda

joins the Ganga as its last left bank
tributary in West Bengal.

rising in the Darjiling
hills

originating in the Amarkantak
plateau

it reaches Arrah, west
of Patna, to join the Ganga.

one of the largest rivers
of the world

its origin in the Chemayungdung glacier of the Kailash range near the Mansarovar lake

traverses eastward longitudinally for a
distance of nearly 1,200 km in a dry and flat region of southern Tibet

In Tibet, it is known as the Tsangpo, which means ‘the purifier.

The Rango Tsangpo is the major
right bank tributary of this river in Tibet

The river emerges from the foothills under
the name of Siang or Dihang.

It enters India
west of Sadiya town in Arunachal Pradesh.

it receives its main left
bank tributaries, viz., Dibang or Sikang and Lohit

thereafter, it is known as the
Brahmaputra.

major left bank
tributaries are the Burhi Dihing and Dhansari

important right bank
tributaries are the Subansiri, Kameng, Manas and Sankosh

The Subansiri which has its
origin in Tibet, is an antecedent river.

In Bangladesh, the Tista joins it on its right bank from where the river is known as the Jamuna

finally merges with the river Padma, which falls in the
Bay of Bengal.

The Brahmaputra is well-known
for floods, channel shifting and bank erosion.

This is due to the fact that most of its tributaries
are large, and bring large quantity of sediments owing to heavy rainfall in its catchment area.