THE INDUS SYSTEM (INDUS AND ITS

TRIBUTARIES)
(Geography)
By Vineet Thaploo

RIVERS SOURCE TOTAL RIVER BASIN INFORMATION

LENGTH (KM) (SQ. KM)

(i) Indus (one of the Tibet, at an altitude 2,880 (709 in 3,21,290 in • Mountain tributaries;
world's largest river). of 580 m near India). India. Gilgit, Shyok, Skardu,
Mansarovar Lake. Shigoo.
• Plain tributaries;
Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi,
Sutlej and Beas.
Jhelum (An important Rises in Verinag at 400 28,490 (in • Its basin lies between
river of Kashmir and the foothills of Pir India). Great Himalaya and Pir
is the main Panjal. Panjal Range.
waterway). • It flows through Vale of
Kashmir and Wular Lake
before entering into
Pakistan.
Chenab (largest of all Rises in snow 1,800 (in India). 26,755 (in • Flows through
the Indus tributaries). covered Kullu hills India). Chamba state for 160 km
of Himachal in the trough between the
Pradesh. Greater Himalaya and the
Pir Panjal.
Ravi Kullu hills ofH.P. 725 5.957(in India)
Satluj (second largest Rakas Lake, at an 1050 (in India). 24,087 (in • It enters India through
tributary of Indus). altitude of 4,555 m in India). Shipki La and flows
Tibet. through Himachal
Pradesh and Punjab
before entering into
Pakistan.
Beas Kullu Hills at an 460 (in India). 20,303 (in • It joins Satluj near
altitude of 3960 near India). Harike.
Rohtang Pass in
Himachal Pradesh.
The Ganga system (Ganga and its tributaries)

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The Canga Rises in Of its total length 8,61,404 sq.km. • Left Bank tributaries;
Formed by two head Gangotri glacier of 2,525 km, 1,450 Largest river Ramganga, Gomti,
streams Alaknanda of the Great km in U.P., 445 km basin in India. Ghaghara, Gandak, Burhi
and Bhagirathi which Himalaya. in Bihar and 520 Covers more Gandak, Kosi.
join at Devprayag. Above km in West than fourth of • Right Bank tributaries;
Devaprayag it is Bengal. the country's Yamuna, Son.
called as total surface. • The Bhagirathi-
Bhagirathi Hooghly is the western
and below it is most distributary of the
referred to as the river.
Ganga. • Beyond Farakka it
bifurcates itself into
Bhagirathi-Hooghly in
West Bengal and Padma-
Meghna in Bangladesh.
The Yamuna (Largest Rises in the 1300 km from its 3.59,000 • Important tributaries;
and the most Yamunotri source to Chambal (rises in Mhow
important tributary of glacier which is Allahabad where it in the Vindhya) Sone.
Ganga) west of Ganga joins Ganga. Betwa and Ken.
source. • It joins Ganga at
Allahabad.
The Son (Right bank Rises from the 780 71,900 • It joins Ganga near
'tributary of Ganga) Amarkantak Maner near Patna.
Plateau.
Ramganga Rises in the 696 32,412 • It joins the left bank of
Kumaun Ganga below
Himalaya Farukkhabad.
near Nanital.
Ghaghara Rises from east of 1.080 1.27,500 sq.km. • It joins the left bank of
Gangotri. - more than half Ganga near Chapra
of its basin is in (Bihar).
Nepal.
Gandak Rises near the 425 (in India) 9,540 (in India). It flows through central
Nepal -China part of Nepal, enters
border at an Bihar in Champaran
altitude of 7,600 districts and turns south
m in the Central east to join the left bank
Himalaya. of Ganga near Sonepur.
Kosi (formed by the Rises from the 730 (in India). 11,600 (in It flows through eastern
confluence of the Son peak of Nepal- India) Nepal, enters Bihar in
Kosi, the Arun Kosi Tibet. Saharsa district and joins
and the Tamur Kosi) the left hank of Ganga
below Bhagalpur (Bihar).
The river is notorious for
shifting its course and
causing floods, thus often
termed as the 'Sorrow of
Bihar'.
Damodar Rises in Chhola 541 22,000 It joins the Bhagirathi
nagpur plateau in Hooghly in West Bengal
the Palamau Also known as 'Sorrow of
district Bengal'.
(Jharkand).

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 The Brahmaputra System (Brahmaputra and its tributaries)
Brahmaputra or Rises in the 2,960 2,40,000 Important tributaries:
Tsangpo (Tibet) Chemayungdung Suhansiri, Kameng,
One of the longest glacier in the Dhansiri, Dihang. Lohit,
rivers of the world. Kailash Range Tista, Torsi, Manas; Burhi
and Mariam La Dihing, etc.
pass separates it It flows through Tibet,
from Mansarovar India and Bangladesh
Lake. and form:; the largest
delta of the world along
with Ganga.

Information about the Peninsular Rivers

East flowing Rivers

PENINSULAR RIVERS SOURCE LENGTH (KM) RIVER'S BASIN AREA INFORMATION
(SO. KM.)
Mahanadi (An Northern foothills of 857 * 141,600 sq. km (in M. Left bank
important river of the Dandakarnaya near P., Orissa, Bihai and tributaries:
Peninsular India).1 Shiawa in Raipur Maharashtra). Sneonath,
district. Hasdeo, !h and
Mand.
Right bank
tributaries; Tel,
Ong, and Jonk.
Subarnarekha, These small river
Brahmi and Baitarni. basins are
interposed
between the
Ganga and the
Mahanadi
Basin.
The Godavari river system (Godavari and its tributaries)
Trimbak plateau of 1465 (longest river of 3,12,812, half of which Largest river
Godavari north Sahyadri near Peninsular India). lies in Maharashtra and system f the
Nasik (Maharashtra). also in Andhra Peninsular India
Pradesh. M.P, Orissa, and is next only to
and Karnataka. the Ganga
system in India.
left bank
tributaries;
Psnganga,
Wardha,
Wainganga,
lndravati and
Sabri
Right bank
tributary: Manjra
Krishna River system (Krishna and its tributaries)
Krishna (second North of Flows for a distance 2,58.948 sq. km Lies in Important
largest east flowing Mahabaleshwar in of 1,400 km to the Karnataka, Andhra tributaries. Bhima

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river of the Peninsula). the Western Ghats. Bay of Bengal Pradesh and , Tungabhadra,
Maharashtra Ghat prabha
Malaprabha,
Musi and Koyna.
Cauvery Rises in the 800 km 87.900 sq km. - shared Left bank
Brahmgiri Range of by Kerala, Karnataka, tributaries:
western Ghats. and Tamil Nadu. Herangi,
Hemavati,
Shimsha,
Arkavati etc
Right bank
tributaries
Kabani, Bhavani
and Amravati etc.
West Flowing Rivers
Saharmati Mewar hills in 320 km 21,674 sq. km. shared Important
Aravalli Range. by Rajasthan and tributaries:
Gujarat. Hathmati, Sedhi,
Wakul etc.
Mahi Vindhya Range at an 533 km 34,862 sq. km Madhya Pradesh,
altitude of 500 m. Rajasthan and
Gujarat share the
river bask.
Narmada (largest west Rises in Ainarkantak 1312 km (from its 98.796 sq. km which is Left bank
flowing Peninsular in Madhya Pradesh. source to its estuary shared by M P. Gujarat tributaries: Tawa,
river). in the Gulf of and Maharashtra Burhner, etc.
Khambhat). Right bank
tributary Hiran
World's famous
Dhuan Dhar or
Cloud of Mist
Fulls is located on
this riser near
Jahalpur.
It Sows through a
rtrt valley
between the
Vidhyas and the
Satpura Range.
Tapi or Tapti Rises near Multai on 740 65,145 sq. km. (in M.P, Left bank
(Second largest of west the Satpura Range in Maharashtra and tributaries Puma
flowing river of Betul district (M P.). Gujarat). Veghar, Girna.
Peninsula). Bari and the
Punjhara
Right bank
tributarics; Betul,
Arunavati. Ganjal
and Gomai.
It is also known
as the twin or
handmaid' of the
Narmada

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 River Valley Projects
PROJECT RIVER STATE PURPOSE

Bhakra Nangal Multipurpose Satluj Joint venture of Irrigation, hydro

Project. (A tributary of Indus). Punjab, Haryana and electricity.
Bhakra dam: One of the Rajasthan.
highest gravity dam in the
world.
Govind Sagar Lake (H. P.) is a
reservoir.

Thein Dam project Ravi (A tributary of Punjab Irrigation,

Indus). hydroelectricity.
Dulhasti project Chenab (A tributary of Jammu and Kashmir Part of the programme
Indus). of cascade
development for
irrigation.
Salal project Chenab (A tributary of Jammu and Kashmir Irrigation
Indus).
Beas project Beas (A tributary of Indus). Joint venture of Hydro electricity
Punjab, Haryana and
Rajasthan.
Sharda Sahayak Project Ghagra (left bank tributary Uttar Pradesh Irrigation
of Ganga).

Ramganga multipurpose Chuisot stream near Uttar Pradesh Irrigation,

project Kalabagh hydroelectricity.

Banasagar project Son M.P., Bihar and UP. Irrigation

RihanfJ Scheme Reservoir: Rihand Uttar Pradesh Hydroelectricity for

Govind Ballabh Sagar (U.P.). the development of
south eastern industrial
region of U.P.
Damodar valley multipurpose Damodar West Bengal (also shared Flood control,
project by Jharkhand). Irrigation,
Four dams: Tilaiya and Hydroelectricity.
Maithon (on the Barakar
River), Konar (Konar River)
and Panchet (Damodar River).

Mayurakshi project Mayurakshi West Bengal Irrigation,

hydroelectricity.
Hirakud multipurpose Project Mahanadi Orissa Irrigation,
(world's longest mainstream hydroelectricity.
dam).

Poochampad Project Godavari Andhra Pradesh Irrigation.

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Jayakwadi Project Godavari Maharashtra Irrigation.

Nagarjuna Sagar Krishna Andhra Pradesh Irrigation,

hydroelectricity.
Upper Krishna Project Krishna Kamataka Irrigation (Almatti dam
is being constructed).

Tungabhadra multipurpose Tungbhadra (A tributary Joint venture of Irrigation,

project. of Krishna). Andhra Pradesh and hydroelectricity.
Kamataka.
Ghatprabha project Ghatprabha (A tributary of Andhra Pradesh and Irrigation
Krishna). Kamataka.

Malprabha project Malprabha (A tributary of Kamataka Irrigation

Krishna)

Bhima project Bhima Maharashtra Irrigation

Mettur project Cauvery Tamil Nadu Hydroelectricity

Shivasamudram scheme On Cauvery Falls. Kamataka Hydroelectricity

Kundah project Kundah Tamil Nadu Hydroelectricity

Sharavati Project Sharavati (near Joe falls) Kamataka Hydroelectricity

Chambal project Chambal (a tributary of Rajasthan, Madhya Irrigation,

(Gandhi Sagar Dam (M.P.), Yamuna). Pradesh. hydroelectricity.
Rana Pratap Sagar and
Jawahar Sagar Dam or Kota
Dam.

Kakrapara Project Tapi Gujarat Irrigation

Ukai project Tapi Gujarat Irrigation

Sardar Sarovar Project Narmada Gujarat, M.P.. Irrigation,

Rajasthan Maharashtra. hydroelectricity

Tawa project Tawa (A tributary of Madhya Pradesh Irrigation

Narmada).

Mahi project (Jamnalal Bajaj Mahi Gujarat Irrigation

Sagar)

Matatila project Betwa Uttar Pradesh, Irrigation,

Madhya Pradesh. hydroelectricity.