Test: Indian Drainage System

• The Narmada is one of the most famous Rivers of India. It creates the conventional border between South India and North India.

• The river runs to the west for a span of 1,312 km (815.2 miles) before flowing through the Gulf of Khambhat (Cambay) into the Arabian Sea, at a distance of 18.6 miles or 30 km west of the Bharuch city in Gujarat.

• Also known as Rewa. River in Central India. Similar to the Mahi River and the Tapti River, the Narmada River is a river flowing from east to west.

• The Son originates near Amarkantak in Madhya Pradesh, just east of the headwater of the Narmada River, and flows north-northwest through Madhya Pradesh state before turning sharply eastward where it encounters the southwest-northeast- running Kaimur Range.

• The Son river at 784 kilometres (487 mi) long, is one of the largest rivers of India. Its chief tributaries are the Rihand and the North Koel.

• The Ganges is a trans-boundary river of India and Bangladesh. The 2,525 km (1,569 mi) river rises in the western Himalayas in the Indian state of Uttarakhand and flows south and east through the Gangetic Plain of North India into Bangladesh, where it empties into the Bay of Bengal. It is the third-largest river in the World by discharge.

The Narmada, also called the Rewa, is a river in central India and the fifth-longest river in the Indian subcontinent. It is the third-longest river that flows entirely within India, after the Godavari and the Krishna.

• Saraswati River refers to a river that was a distributary of the Bhagirathi and is now no more there but was active till around the 16th century AD.

• The course and condition of the Saraswati have played an important role in the development and decline of river port towns in Bengal. Initially, the major port town was Tamralipta, after its decline Saptagram rose and declined, and finally, Kolkata came up.

Conditions for delta formation by a river:

• The river must have a gentle gradient in its lower course

• The river must carry a large amount of sediments along with it

• The coastal plains or area where the mouth of river lies should be wide

Though Narmada originates far from the Western Ghats and empties into the Arabian Sea, the river flows through a rift valley at a steep gradient which increases its speed. Also, the western coastal plains are less wider than that required for delta formation by Narmada.

• The Manas River is a major tributary of the Brahmaputra River flowing through Assam. It is named after “Goddess Manasa”, the serpent God in Hindu mythology.

• The Manas River is a trans-boundary river in the Himalayan foothills between southern Bhutan and India.

• Most of the Western flowing rivers travel lesser distance away to Western coast through hard rocks and over a higher gradient, they couldn’t collect large amounts of Slit and flow with very high speed compared to East flowing rivers.

• Eastern rivers flow through broken hills and mountain ranges. So, they widened and flowed with lesser velocity before entering the sea. So, they deposit sediments and silt before entering into the sea and can form a Delta.

• River Narmada emerges from Amarkantak Hill of Maikal Range. The mighty Narmada river as well the Son, the Mahanadi, and Arnadoh which is a major tributary of the Godavari all arise in the Amarkantak plateau.

• Son river is the largest of southern tributaries of Ganga that originates near Amarkantak in Madhya Pradesh near the source of Narmada River.

• Nanded town is situated on the banks of river Godavari.
• Nellore town is situated on the banks of river Penner.
• Hospet town is situated on the banks of river Tungabhadra.
• Hyderabad town is situated on the banks of river Musi.

Tista, Sankosh, Subansiri and Lohit are the tributaries of river Brahmaputra