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Himalayan Rivers

1. These rivers contain water throughout the year.
2. They are long, deep and having slow flow.
3. They are used as waterways.
4. Their river basin areas are large.
5. Meanders are seen

Peninsular Rivers

1. These rivers are seasonal.
2. They are short, shallow and having fast flow.
3. They cannot be used as waterways.
4. Their river basin areas are comparatively.
5. Meanders are not seen.

The flow of river can be divided in three sections. Each section is called a ‘Course’. There are three courses of river.

They are:

1. Upper Course
2. Middle Course
3. Lower Course.

(1) Upper Course:

1. When a river starts from mountainous region, it flows quickly with lots of energy. This causes intense erosion.
2. The upper course carries huge volume of sand and sediments along with it.

(2) Middle Course:

In the middle course, the river flow slowly, but spreads on wide areas. This course transports lots of sediment and hence the river looks muddy.
(a) Formation of meanders: The fall of river found in upper course changes to sideways motion. The river starts moving, to the right side then the left side, causing bends or loops in the shape of horseshoe (i.e., animal hoof) in the river. These bends are called meanders.
(b) Formation of lakes: At times due to the meanders and the impact of floods, the loop formed during meanders gets cut-off from the main channel. The cut-off loop is called an ox bow lake.

(3) Lower Course:

1. The end of the river is called the mouth. Lower course refers to the end of the journey of the river.
2. In the lower course, the river has a high volume of water and a large discharge of sediments but at low energy level.
3. The river channel is now deep and wide and the landscape around it is flat.

(a) Formation of delta: At the mouth of a river, there is often a river delta a river delta is a large, muddy area where the river splits into many different slow-flowing channels i.e., tributaries. Delta is a highly fertile triangular-shaped plain.

Correct option is B. Sambhara

Correct option is C. Kosi

The drainage pattern of Indian rivers can be divided into four parts:

(A) Dendritic Pattern:
When the arrangement of a river and its tributaries make a shape of the branches of a tree, it is called dendritic pattern, For example-Ganga.

(B) Trellis Pattern:

• When streams starting from mountainous region meet one another due to the slopes they make a net-like shape. This pattern of river is called trellis pattern of river.
• For example, many streams of Himalayan Mountains meet Himalayan rivers and form a trellis pattern.

(C) Rectangular Pattern:

1. When the main river and its tributaries meet each other at right angles, they form a rectangular pattern.
2. Mostly, rivers flowing through rift valleys form such river rectangular river system. For example, Narmada.

(D) Radial (Centrifugal) Pattern:

1. In this drainage pattern, the rivers flow outwards from one central hilly region.
2. Radial pattern is found in the river of Saurashtra.

1. Western Ghats is considered to be the main water divide for peninsular rivers.

2. Major rivers such as Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri, etc. flow eastwards and meet the Bay of Bengal.

3. Other smaller rivers which flow eastwards and meet Bay of Bengal include Damodar, Brahmani, Vaitami and Suvamarekha.

4. Major rivers like Narmada,’Tapi, Sabarmati and Mahi (Mahisagar) flow from east to west and meet Arabian Sea in the west.

Brahmaputra River System:

1. Brahmaputra is the only river having a masculine name.
2. Brahmaputra which is about 2900 km long is longer than Sindhu but most of its flow is outside India.
3. It originates in Tibet near the origin of Sindhu and Satluj rivers.
4. It is called Tsang Po in Tibet.
5. In Tibet, it flows parallel to Himalayas in the eastern direction.
6. It then takes a ‘U’ turn at the mountain peak called Namcha Barwa and enters India through Arunachal Pradesh. Here, it is known as Dihang.
7. This river, with Dihang, Lohit and Kenula tributaries collectively is known as Brahmaputra in Assam.
8. Brahmaputra is known as Jamuna in Bangladesh.
9. ‘Mazuli’, an island in Brahmaputra, is the largest riverine island in the world.
10. The Tibet part of Brahmaputra contains less sediment.
11. In India, Brahmaputra flows through areas receiving very heavy rainfall and hence, the river carries much alluvium.
12. Many tributaries meet this river in Assam.
13. During monsoon, the total volume of Brahmaputra river water and her tributaries rises greatly causing floods in Assam and Bangladesh.
14. Due to increased sand level of this river at several places its surface gets higher. As a result, there are frequent changes in the course of river.

1. Several rivers meet Ganga and form the Ganga River system.

2. All these rivers contain a very large volume of water. Hence, the northern plain experiences flood almost every year.

3. These floods cause a heavy loss of lives and property in some areas.

4. On the other hand, the plain formed by these rivers are extremely fertile.

5. Due to these rivers India has been able to prosper tremendously in agriculture.

1. Ambala city works as a water-divide between Ganga and Sindhu rivers.

2. Ambala to Sunderban is about 1800 km, but it has a very gentle slope.

3. Ambala is at an altitude of 300 meters from sea level whereas Sunderban is at sea-level.

4. Considering this, the slope happens to be 6 km per one metre (1800/300 = 6).

5. Due to this gentle and continuous slope there are many meanders on this river.

The large network of streams, lakes and rivers that are part of a larger river’s network of tributaries and distributaries is together called the river system. There are three main river system in the Himalayan river system. 

They are:

1. Sindhu River System
2. Brahmaputra River System
3. Brahmaputra River System.

1. Brahmaputra originates in Himalayas and hence contains much water.

2. This river flows through Arunachal Pradesh and Assam in India where many small rivers merge with her.

3. Moreover these rivers flow through areas that experience heavy rainfall.

4. Hence, Brahmaputra river water rises greatly and so it gets flooded heavily during monsoon.

• A large number of ‘Sundari’ trees grow in the delta region of Ganga. Hence, this region is called Sundarban delta.
• It is quite famous for mangrove forests.

Sindhu (Indus) River System:

1. It is one of the longest rivers of the world, with the length of 2900 km.
2. Sindhu river originates from near Mansarovar region in Tibet.
3. It has formed many inaccessible deep ravines and passes.
4. About one-third of its basin falls in the mountainous region of Jammu and Kashmir.
5. First, Sindhu flows to north and then turns westwards and enters India via. Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir.
6. Here, Zaskar, Nubara, Shyok and Hunza rivers meet Sindhu.
7. From Jammu and Kashmir, Sindhu rivers starts flowing towards Pakistan.
8. In Punjab of Pakistan, main tributaries namely Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas and Satluj meet Sindhu at a place called Mithankot.
9. Then the combined flow of all these rivers ultimately flow southwards and meets Arabian Sea.
10. These rivers flow at a slower speed in the plain.
11. In 1960, a Treaty was signed with Pakistan regarding the distribution of Sindhu river water.
12. According to this, India can use only 20% of its water.
13. Waters of Satluj, Ravi and Beas rivers are used for irrigation in the states of Punjab, Haryana and south-western part of Rajasthan.

The study of river pattern of a region is known as the drainage system. The natural arrangement of a river and her tributaries is called the drainage pattern.

The drainage pattern of Indian rivers can be divided into four parts:

1. Dendritic drainage pattern
2. Trellis drainage pattern
3. Rectangular drainage pattern
4. Centrifugal/Radial pattern.

1. The word drainage system is used for the systematic pattern of rivers.

2. It is seen that one main river along with its tributaries come from different directions and meet into a single river.

3. The water of these rivers is emptied into a water reservoir, sea or a desert. Thus, when a flow of a river flows through its system in any area it is called a river basin.

4. When a mountain or an upland separates the flow of water from one another, it is called water divide.