The Peninsular Rivers - Concepts - Chapter 3 Class 9 Geography - Drainage - Geography

The Peninsular Rivers 

• The Western Ghats, which run from north to south close to the western coast, form the main water divide in Peninsular India.
• Most of the Peninsula's major rivers, including the Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, and Kaveri, flow eastward and drain into the Bay of Bengal.
• A number of small streams flow west of the Western Ghats.
• The Narmada and Tapi rivers are the only long rivers that flow west and form estuaries.
• The peninsular rivers' drainage basins are relatively small in size.

The Narmada Basin

• The Narmada rises in the Amarkantak hills in Madhya Pradesh.
• It flows westward through a rift valley which is formed by faulting.
• The Narmada creates many picturesque locations such as the 'Marble rocks' near Jabalpur, where the Narmada flows through a deep gorge, and the 'Dhuadhar falls,' where the river plunges over steep rocks.
• The Narmada's tributaries are very short , and the majority of them join the mainstream at right angles. 
• The Narmada basin is located in Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat.

The Tapi Basin

• The Tapi rises in the Satpura ranges, in the Betul district (Madhya Pradesh).
• It flows in a rift valley parallel to the Narmada , but its length is much shorter.
• Its basin covers parts of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Maharashtra.
• The coastal plains that connect the Western Ghats to the Arabian Sea are extremely narrow. As a result, the coastal rivers are short. 
• Sabarmati, Mahi, Bharathpuzha, and Periyar are the major west-flowing rivers .

The Godavari Basin

Features of Godavari River

• The Godavari is the largest Peninsular river.  
• It rises from the slopes of the Western Ghats in Maharashtra's Nasik district. 
• It is approximately 1500 kilometers long.
• It drains into the Bay of Bengal.
• Among the peninsular rivers, its drainage basin is the largest . 
• The basin covers parts of Maharashtra (about 50 percent of the basin area lies in Maharashtra), Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh
• The Godavari is fed by several tributaries , including the Purna, Wardha, Pranhita, Manjra, Wainganga, and Penganga. 
• It is also known as the Dakshin Ganga due to its length and the area it covers.

The Mahanadi Basin

Features of Mahanadi

• The Mahanadi River rises in the Chhattisgarh highlands . 
• It flows through Odisha before entering the Bay of Bengal.  
• The river runs for approximately 860 kilometers .
• Its drainage basin is shared by Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Odisha.

The Krishna Basin

The Krishna River 

• The Krishna River flows about 1400 kilometers rise from a spring near Mahabaleshwar to the Bay of Bengal. 
• Some of its tributaries include the Tungabhadra, Koyana, Ghatprabha, Musi, and Bhima.
• Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh share their drainage basin.

The Kaveri Basin

The Kaveri River

• The Kaveri rises in the Brahmagri range of the Western Ghat s and it reaches the B ay of Bengal in the south of Cuddalore in Tamil Nadu.
• The river's total length is approximately 760 kilometers.
• Amravati, Bhavani, Hemavati, and Kabini are its major tributaries.
• Its basin drains parts of Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu.