The major river basins form about 84 per cent of the total drainage area of the country
The three major river systems (Ganga., Indus, and Brahmaputra) are international rivers.
The Indus and some of its important tributaries traverse Tibet (China), India, and Pakistan while
the Ganga and Brahmaputra, and their tributaries cross Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh.
On the basis of mode of origin, the drainage of India may be divided into
{i) Himalayan or the Extra-Peninsular Drainage, and
{ii) the Peninsular Drainage.
There is no clearcut line of demarcation between these two drainage systems, as many of the
Peninsular rivers like the Chambal, Betwa, Sind, Ken, and Son are much older in age and origin
than the Himalayan rivers.
RIVER SYSTEMS OF THE HIMALAYAN DRAINAGE
The rivers originating from the Himalayan and Trans-Himalayan regions consist of three river
systems, namely:
(i) the Indus System,
(ii) the Ganga System, and
(iii) the Brahmaputra System
1. The Yamuna River(length "1.380 km.)
the longest and the western-most tributary of the Ganga.
source lies in the Yamunotri Glacier on the western slopes of Banderpunch {6316 m).
Downwards, it is joined by Tons river behind the Mussoorie Range (Uttarakhand).
From the Mussoorie Range, it debouches into the plains where it flows in a broad curve.
Making a boundary between Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, it passes Delhi, Mathura, Agra and
flows southward until it joins the Ganga at Allahabad.
The important tributaries of the Yamuna are mostly the right bank tributruies, originating from
the Aravallis (Rajasthan), Vindhyan Range, and the Malwa Plateau of Madhya Pradesh.
The Chambal, Sind, Behva, Ken and Tons are the main right hand tributaries of the Yamuna
River.
It is believed that during the Vedic period, the River Yamuna might have flowed towards south
and southwest through Bikaner in Rajasthan, and shared its water with the legendary River
Saraswati.
The Chambal River (Length 960 km)
The Chambal River rises near Mhow-south-west of Indore in Malwa Plateau from the Vindhyan
Range-and flows towards the north in a gorge upto the city of Kota.
Below Kota, it turns to the north-east, and after passing Bundi, Sawai-Madhopur and Dholpur, it
finally joins the Yamuna about 40 km to the west of Etawah.
The Banas River, rising from the Aravalli Range is its main left bank tributary.
