Coastal plains of India refer to the Raised beaches and wave-cut platforms above the high water
mark. It signifies that signify that these coastal plains of India are basically the emerged floors of
the seas adjacent to the land. Plateau of Peninsular India is fringed with narrow Coastal Plains.
After the emergence of these lowlands, fluctuations in sea level, though limited to small areas,
have brought about some changes in the general surface features of the littoral. The Deccan
plateau has a coastal strip in the east and west. Coastal Plains of India are divided into two basic
types and these are - Western Coastal Plains and Eastern Coastal Plains.
Coastal plain in the
surrounding area of the
Palghat town and in the
south of Kerala is
relatively broad. In places,
it expands to a width of
near about 96 kilometres.
Off-shore bars have
enclosed lagoons which
run parallel to the coast in
southern part of Kerala.
These lagoons, also known
as Kayals, receive water of
a large number of rivers
before discharging that to
the sea with which they
are connected by narrow
openings. Interestingly,
formation of lagoons and
off-shore bars indicate that
there has been a minor emergence of southern coastal plain not in the remote past. Western
coastal plain widens from the states of Gujarat to Kerala. The coastal zone in the west along the
Arabian Sea is called as Malabar in the south of Goa and Konkan in the north of Goa.
Further, there are several estuaries - the main ones being those of the Narmada River and Tapi
River in Gujarat. It is blessed with cavernous natural harbours like Mumbai and Marmagao.
Towards the south, the coastal plains of India are combined with salt water lakes that are called
lagoons. There are also sand bars or spits in their mouths. The coast is celebrated for its tranquil
backwaters. Moreover, the coastal zone along the Bay of Bengal is extensive and differs from
the western strip. The coastal strip, if not for the deltas, is rocky and extremely cut apart by
small, but fast flowing rivers. The eastern coastal plain is wide in Tamil Nadu where its width is
around 100 to 120 kilometres. Eastern coastal plains have three min divisions and these are Utkal
Plains, Andhra Plains and Tamil Nadu Plains.
The Rann of Kutch, the peninsulas of Kutch and Kathiawar and the Gujarat Plain stand out as
major physiographic regions. The Rann of Kutch lies to the north of Kutch. Previously a gulf and
now a vast desolate plain it has been formed due to the deposition of silt. Kutch lies to the south
of Rann of Kutch. It was once an island. It is a dry area generally broad sandy terrain along the
coastal plains. Kathiawar is situated to the south of Kutch. It is hilly in the central part and a
rolling plain below an elevation of 200 metres. Tapti River, Narmada River, Sabarmati River
and Mahi River deposit huge load of sediments in the Gulf of Cambay. As a result, broad fertile
area has come into existence at the north of Daman. This plain extending towards north up to the
Aravalli Mountain Ranges is known as the Gujarat Plain. The west coastal plains south of
Surat are drained by small rivers which become torrents during the monsoon rainy season.
Coastal plains of Goa and Konkan south of Mumbai are marked with low hills separated by river
courses which end in streams near the sea. he Eastern Coastal Plains refer to a wide stretch of
landmass of India, lying between the Eastern Ghats and the Bay of Bengal. It stretches from
Tamil Nadu in the south to West Bengal in the north.
Deltas of many of India's rivers form a major portion of these plains. The Mahanadi, Godavari,
Kaveri and Krishna rivers drain these plains. The region receives both the Northeast and
Southwest monsoon rains with its annual rainfall averaging between 1,000 mm (40 in) and
3,000 mm (120 in). The width of the plains varies between 100 to 130 km (62 to 80 miles) [1].
It is locally known as Northern Circars between Mahanadi and Krishna rivers and Carnatic
between Krishna and Kaveri rivers.
Divisions
It has three broad divisions:-
(i) Utkal Plains:- It is the coastal track of Orissa and includes Mahanadi delta. Most prominent
feature is Chilka Lake to the south of Mahanadi Delta. It is the largest lake in India.
(ii) Andhra Plains:- It extends from Utkal Plains in the North to Pulicat Lake in south
(Sriharikota Island is in this lake). Its most important feature is the delta formation of R.
Godavari and R. Kaveri. It also has Kolleru Lake.
(iii) Tamil Nadu Plains:- It extends from Pulicat Lake to Kanyakumari. Most important feature
is Kaveri delta whose fertile soil and irrigation facilities make it a granary of South India where
rice is the major crop.
These plains can also be divided into seven regions: The Mahanadi delta; the southern Andhra
Pradesh plain; the Krishna Godavari deltas; the Kanyakumari coast; Coromandel Coast and
Sandy littoral.
