Himalayan vs Peninsular Rivers
Notes
Basis | Himalayan rivers | Peninsular rivers |
|---|---|---|
Source | Snow and glaciers of the Himalaya | Western Ghats, Satpura, Amarkantak; rain-fed |
Flow | Perennial (snow-melt plus rain) | Seasonal, dependent on monsoon rain |
Length and basin | Long, with huge basins | Shorter, smaller basins |
Age and stage | Young, active erosion; deep V-valleys and gorges in the upper course | Old, mature; broad shallow valleys; graded profiles |
Course | Meanders and shifting courses in the plains; frequent floods; large deltas | Fixed courses (hard rock); little meandering; deltas on the east, estuaries on the west |
Drainage | Antecedent rivers (Indus, Sutlej, Brahmaputra) cut across the rising Himalaya; river capture | Consequent rivers following the slope; mostly east-flowing, with Narmada and Tapi in rift valleys |
Navigation and irrigation | Navigable; canal irrigation; hydropower | Rapids and waterfalls; tank and well irrigation; hydropower |
Floods | Large floods (Kosi, Brahmaputra) | Floods in the lower courses in the monsoon |
Waterfalls | Few | Many (Jog, Dhuandhar, Shivasamudram, Hundru) |
Related points
- Water divide: the Western Ghats divide the west-flowing from the east-flowing rivers; the Vindhya divide the Ganga and the Deccan systems.
- River interlinking: the National Perspective Plan (1980) has Himalayan and Peninsular components; the Ken-Betwa link is the first project.
- Issues: inter-State water disputes (Cauvery, Krishna, Godavari), flood and drought, pollution (Namami Gange), and sedimentation.
Key Points
- Himalayan rivers: perennial, young, deep gorges, large deltas and floods.
- Peninsular rivers: seasonal, old, fixed courses; deltas (east) and estuaries (west).
- Antecedent drainage: Indus, Sutlej, Brahmaputra.
- Peninsular waterfalls: Jog, Dhuandhar, Shivasamudram.
- Ken-Betwa: the first river-linking project.
MCQs
Q1. Which of the following is an antecedent river?
(a) Godavari
(b) Brahmaputra
(c) Narmada
(d) Krishna Ans:
(b).
Q2. Peninsular rivers are mostly:
(a) Perennial
(b) Seasonal
(c) Glacier-fed
(d) Underground Ans:
(b).
Q3. The first project under the interlinking of rivers programme is:
(a) Ken-Betwa
(b) Godavari-Cauvery
(c) Ganga-Cauvery
(d) Mahanadi-Godavari Ans:
(a).