1st PUC Geography Question Bank Chapter 9 Physiography

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Karnataka 1st PUC Geography Question Bank Chapter 9 Physiography

1st PUC Geography Physiography Text Book Questions and Answers

I. Answer the following in a word or a sentence each.

Question 1.
What is the other name to the Himalayas?
Answer:
Abode of Snow.

Question 2.
Which mountain range is called ‘Backbone of Asia’?
Answer:
The Karakoram.

Question 3.
Name the longest and the largest glacier of India.
Answer:
Siachen Glacier.

Question 4.
What is the other name to Outer Himalayas?
Answer:
Siwaliks

Question 5.
Name the largest doon of India.
Answer:
Dehradun.

Question 6.
In which regional Himalayas Jelep la pass is found?
Answer:
The central or sikkim Himalayas.

Question 7.
What is Terai plain?
Answer:
Terai plain are found to the south of Bhabar plains with wide marshy tracts, where streams reappear to the surface. The region is a marshy hand of excess dampness with thick forests, rich in wild life.

Question 8.
Mention the highest peak of peninsular plateau.
Answer:
Anaimudi is the highest peak of the peninsular plateau of India (2695m) situated in the Annamalai hills of Kerala.

Question 9.
Which region of India is called ‘Ruhr of India?
Answer:
Damodar Valley

Question 10.
Where do western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats meet?
Answer:
Nilgiri hills (Bhue mountains)

Question 11.
Name the longest coastal plains of India.
Answer:
Eastern coastal plains

Question 12.
Why are the Himalayan rivers perennial?
Answer:
Himalayan rivers are perennial because they take birth in the Glaciers (Snowfed)

Question 13.
From which mountain pass does the river Sutlej enter India?
Answer:
Shipki-La pass in Himachal Pradesh.

Question 14.
Which is the longest and the largest tributary of Ganga?
Answer:
The River Yamuna.

Question 15.
Name the largest and the longest river of south India.
Answer:
The River Godavari.

II. Answer the following in two or three sentences each.

Question 1.
Mention any two ranges of Trans Himalayas.
Answer:

• Karakoram Range
• Ladakh Range

Question 2.
Name any two hill stations of the Himalayas.
Answer:

• Shimla
• Mussorie.

Question 3.
Distinguish between Bhangar and Khadar plains.
Answer:
Bhangarplains:
is a type of alluvial soil formed by the deposition of the older alluvium and lie above the flood limit of the plains. The main constituent of hangar is clay which at places gives way to loam and sandy loam.

Khadarplains:
are formed from the younger alluvium knadar of the flood plains of numerous rivers. These plains are enriched by fresh deposits of silt, every year during the floods and consist of sand, silt, mud and clay.

Question 4.
Name any two ghats of the Western Ghats,
Answer:

• Shiradi ghat
• Charmudi ghat

Question 5.
Which coastal plains are found in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu?
Answer:
West coastal plains in Karnataka East coastal plain in Tamil Nadu.

Question 6.
State the difference between Lakshadweep and Andaman and Nicobar islands.
Answer:
Lakshadweep islands:

• Islands in the Arabin Sea
• Coral in origin Surrounded by fringing reefs
• 43 Islands

Nicobar islands:

• Islands in Bay of Bengal.
• Tectonic and volcanic in origin
• 204 Islands
• Warm tropical climate

Question 7.
Name any four tributaries of river Indus.
Answer:
Jhelum, chenab, Ravi, Beas. and Sutelj (Any four).

Question 8.
Mention any four west flowing rivers of peninsular India.
Answer:
Luni, Sabarmati, Mahi, Narmada, Tapi (Tapthi), Mandovi, Inari, Kali, Sharavathi, Gangavathi, Bedthi, Netravati, peryiar (any four)

Question 9.
What are the salient features of River regime?
Answer:
The Himalayan rivers are perennial and are dependent on the pattern of water supply by the melting ice in the Himalayas and rainfall in the foothills and plains of India. The peninsular rivers are seasonal as they are dependent on monsoon raines, peninsular rivers have unequal distribution of water through monsoon rains!

Question 10.
What is the the necessity of inter-linking of Rivers?
Answer:
Inter-linking of Rivers is necessary as the distribution of rainfall in India is highly uneven and seasonal. The Himalayan Rivers are perennial while the peninsular rivers are seasonal. During rainy season, much of the water is lost in floods and wastefid flow into the sea and in other seasons there is a scarcity of water.

Due to the unequal distribution of rainfall some regions receive heavy rainfall, causing floods and devastating life and property, while other regions have a scarcity of rainfall and prone to famines and droughts. The problems of floods and droughts can be minimized through inter- rives linkages, for optimum utilization of river water.

III. Answer the following.

Question 1.
Name the important physical divisions of India. Explain the Himalayas.
Answer:
India is divided into four Major physical divisions. They are:

• The Northern Mountains
• The Northern Plains
• The peainsular plateau
• The coastal plains.

The Northern Mountains (The Himalayas):
The Northern Mountain are the loftiest, snow covered chain of young fold mountains in the owrld. They are formed by the tectonic forces in the recent past with the folded layers. Hence, they are called ‘young fold Mountains’. These mountains stretch in a continuous chain from pamir Knot in the north west, (North West of Jammu & Kashmir) to Arunachal Pradesh in the east along the Northern boundary of India and then run in south west direction towards Myanmar.

It is in the convex shape of India. The length of this mountain is around 2400 km and width is 240 to 320 km. The average height of this mountain is 6000 m and it covers and area of 5 lakh sq km.
The Northern mountains are divided into three major systems, a) The Trans-Himalayas b) The Himalayas c) The purvachal or Eastern off-shoots.

(a) The Trans-Himalayas:
This is a continuous range of mountains found in Jammu & Kashmir commencing from pamir knot to Indus valley. The Trans- Himalayas comprises of three important ranges running parallel to each other,

• Karakoram range
• Ladakh range and
• Zaskar range.

Karakoram (‘backbone of high Asia’) is a range of high mountain peaks and glaciers. K2 or Mt Godwing Austin (8611 m), India’s highest peak (POK) and the World’s second-highest peak is found in this range. Other important peaks are Hidden peak, is found in this range. Other important peaks are Hidden peak, Broad peak, Gasherbrum peak etc.,

The improtant glaciers of this region are Siachen, Biafo, Batura, Hispar and Balataro etc., Siachen is the longest and largest glacier of India. It is the highest battle ground in the world.

(b) The Himalayas:
This is the loftiest and snow covered (Himalaya-’abode of snow’) mountains in the world. The area occupied by the Himalayas was earlier a part of‘Tethys Sea’. The formation of this mountain is by tectonic forces (folding and faulting) of Gondwana and Angara land masses.

It is situated to the north of the Indus, Ganga and the Brahmaputra plains. The slope of the Himalayas are gentle towards the north(China) and steep towards south (Indo-Gangetic plain). The Himalayas have distinct charcteristics ofhigh relief sonw covered peaks, complex geographical structures, parallel separted by deep valleys and rich temperate vegetation etc.,

The Himalayas are classified into three paralle ranges based on altitude and latitude

1. The Great Himalayas or Himadri
2. The Lesser Himalayas or Himachal
3. The Outer Himalayas or Siwaliks.

1. The Great Himalayas:
These are the inner most loftiest and continuous ranges of mountains (Himadri-abode of gods). The average height of the Great Himalayas is 6100 m and the width varies between 120 and 190 km. The important peaks of great Himalayas in India are, Kanchenjunga- 8598 m (third highest peak in the world) in Sikkim (highest peak of India, under its control), Nanga Parbat-8126m, Nandadevi, Badrinath, Kamet, Trishul etc.

2. The Lesser Himalayas:
These ranges are also known as Inner Himalayas or Himachal ranges. It is situated between Greater Himalayas in the north and Outer Himalayas or Siwaliks in the south. Its average height is around 1500-4500 m and the width is about 60 to 80 km. These are very rugged and complex ranges due to erosion by rivers.

The important ranges in Lesser Himalayas are Pirpanjal, Dhauldhar (Mussorie range) and Nag-Tiba etc., The important Hill stations are Shimal, Mussorie, Ranikhet, NainitafAlmora, Chakrata, Darjeeling etc. This range is famous for valleys. Some of them are kulu vally, Kangra valley, spiti valley etc.,

3. The Outer Himalayas or Siwaliks:
These are the outer most ranges situated to the south of Lesser Himalayas, Known as Siwaliks. The Siwaliks extend from Jammu & Kashmir in the north west to Arunachal Pradesh in east. The average height of this range is around 600-1500 m and its width varies between 15-50 km.

The Siwaliks are formed form the sediments brought down by the rivers of Lesser and Grater from the sediments brought down by the rivers of Lesser and GreaterHimalayas. There are flat-floored structure valleys between, Siwaliks and Lesser Himalayas called Doors/Duns.

Some of the important doons are Udampur, Kotli, Dehradun (largest doon), kota, Path, Choaukamba etc. The Outer Himalayas are fertile, intensively cultivated and thickly populated regions.

(c) Purvachal or Eastern offshoots:
Other than the above ranges there are some hills and hill ranges in the northeastern region, popularly called urachal or Eastern Hills. These are the extension of the Himalayas in north east towards Myanmar. Their height is lesser than other mountain ranges but are covered with dense forest.

The important ranges and hills are Dafla, Miri and Mishmi hills, Patkai Bum(Arunachal Pradesh), Naga hills (Nagaland), Mizo hills (Mizoram), Mikir hills (Assam), Garo, Khasi and Jaintia hills (Meghalaya)-Mawsynram of Meghalaya receives highest rainfall in the Connery. These are inhabited by various tribes and nomadic groups.

Question 2.
Briefly explain the Regional Himalayas.
Answer:
Regional or Longitudinal divisions of the Himalayas:
The Himalayas are also classified into Regional and Longitudinal divisions. They are:

1. The Kashmir Himalayas
2. The Himachal Himalayas
3. The Kumaun Himalayas
4. The Central or Sikkim Himalayas
5. The Eastern Himalayas.

1. The Kashmir Himalayas:
They are spread over in Jammu and Kashmir for about 700 sq km. The important parallel ranges in the Kashmir Himalayas are Karakoram, Ladakh, Zaskar and Pirpanjal. They are characterized by high snow-covered peaks, largest number of glaciers, deep valleys and high mountain passes.

The north-eastern part of the Kashmir Himalayas (Ladak region) is a cold region and it lies between the Greater Himalayas and the Karakoram ranges. A special feature of the Kashmir valley is the Kareswas. The important mountain passes are Banihal (Jawahar Tunnel), Zoji-la, Chang-la, Khardung-la etc.

2. The Himachal Himalayas:
It is found in Himachal Pradesh and parts of punjab, comprising of all the three ranges (Great, Lesser and Siwaliks) of the Himalayas. The beautiful Valleys ifKullu, Kangra, Lahul artd Spiti known for orchards and scenic beauty are found here. Shipkila, Rohtang, Baralacha la are the famous mountain passes and Kulu- Manali, Shimal, Dalhousie, Chamba etc., are the popular hill stations of this region.

3. The Kumaon Himalayas:
It extends from river Sutlejmin the west to Kali in the east and lies in the states of Himachal Pradesh (parts) and Uttarakhand. Peaks like Nanda Devi, Kamet, Trisul, Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri are found in this region. Gangotri, Yamunotri, Pindar, Alakapur are the famous glaciers. The important mountain passes are Man, Niti, Balcha Dhura etc. Mussorie, Nainital, Raniket, Almora are the famous hill stations.

4. The Central or Sikkim Himalayas:
This range streches from river Kali to river Tista. The Major part of it lies in Sikkim and a small part in West Bengal. The highest peaks of the world are found in this part. This region has two famous passes Nathu-la (Silk route) and Jelep-la (Largest pass in India). In Sikkim, the slopes of the Himalayas have been developed for tea cultivation

5. The Assam or Eastern Himalayas:
This range extends from river Tista to Brahmaputra valley covering the states of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. Important mountain passes in this region are Debang, Tse-la, Bomdi-la etc., Due to heavy rainfall, fluvial erosion is quite prominent. This region (Tea gardens in Assam) is very important for tea cultivation.

The important lakes in the Himalayas are:

• Wular lake (Largest fresh water lake of India) -Jammu & Kashmir
• Dal lake (biggest tourist lake oflndia, water freezes during winter) -Jammu & Kashmir
• Lokak lake (Floating National Park – KeibulLamjo) – Manipur etc.

The important pilgrimage centers in the Himalayas are: Vaishno Devi and Amamath cave (Jammu and Kshmir), Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, Badrinath and Hemkund sahib (Uttarakhand) etc.

Question 3.
Describe the significance of Northern Plains.
Answer:
Significance of the Northern Plains:

1. The Northern plains have fertile soil, uniform surface and perennial rivers- suitable for agriculture.
2. The Plains have encouraged the development of of transport and communication.
3. They are helpful for agro-based industries and urbanization.
4. They have great social, religious and political significance.
5. The rivers in the plain help in the development o f inland water transportation.
6. It has rich underground water, useful for irrigation and other activities.
7. It has cultural and traditional importance – house hold goods, art, arts crafts, music etc.
8. The Northern plains have high concentration of population – 45% of India’s population.

Question 4.
The peninsular plateau is the largest physical division of India, Explain its features.
Answer:
The Peninsular Plateau
This is the oldest and the largest physiographic division of India. It lies to the south of the Northern Great Plains and covers an area of about 16 lakh sq km. The elevation of this upland varies from 600 to 900m. This is in an inverted triangle shape, with wide base lying in the north and the apex formed in the south, with tilt towards south east.

It is bounded by the Aravallis in the north west, Bundelkhand plateau in the north, Rajmahal hills in the north east, the Western Ghats in the west and the Eastern Ghats in the East. The highest peak of the Peninsular plateau is Anaimudi (2695m) situated in Annamalai hills of Kerala. The fault in which the Narmada river flows divides the region into two unequal parts.

On the basis of relief features the peninsular plateau can be divided into two main divisions.

1. The Central Highlands.
2. The Deccan Plateau

1. The Central Highlands:
This is a smaller region of a peninsular plateau situated to the north of the Narmada river. It is slightly tilted towards the north. It includes the Aravallis, the Mahva plateau, the Vindhya range, the Bundelkhand, the Baghelkand and Chotanagpur Plateau and Rajmahal Hills etc.

The Aravallis:
It is a range that runs from north east to southwest for about 800km between Delhi to Palanpur (Gujarat). It is one of the oldest folded mountains of the world. Its highest peak is Guru Shikar (1722m). It separates Rajasthan into two parts, as,

• Western Rajasthan-Desert region
• Eastern Rajasthan-upland and agricultural region.

The Aravallis are composed of quartzites, gneisses and schists; Rivers like the Luni, Sabarmati and the Mahi flow from Aravali Ranges. Mt Abu, a well known place is situatedin this range.

Malwa plateau:
It is bordered by the Aravallis in the north and the Vindhya range in the south. This plateau has two drainage system,

• Narmada and Mahi towards the Arabian sea
• Chambal, Sind, Betwa and Ken towards the Bay of Bengal.

The Vindhya Range:
It extends in east west direction for about 1050 km. The Kaimur hills lies in the east of the Vindhya range and the Maikala range forms a link between the Vindhya and Satpura ranges.

The Chotanagpur Plateau:
It is spread over in the states of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Odisha. It covers Ranchi, Hazaribagh, Singhbhum, Dhanbad, palm ave, Santhal Paragana and Purulia regions. This region is composed of granite, gneiss and dharwar rocks, which are rich in mineral wealth.

Chotanagpur plateau is prosperous in minerals as well as industries. Therefore,it is called ‘Mineral bowl of India’ and ‘Ruhr of India’. The Subemarekha and the Damodar rivers drain the Chotanagpur plateau.

2. The Deccan Plateau:
This is a triangular plateau situated to the south of the river Tapi or Tapati. The Deccan Trap is the crystalline core of the peninsular plateau and it is made up of very old and hard rocks. The lava effusions forming this plateau are believed to have occurred through a fissure volcano and this region is considered a lava shield.

It occupies the areas of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and parts of Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Tamil Nadu. The Deccan Plateau is bordered by the Western Ghats in the west, the Eastern Ghats in the east and the Satpura, Maikal and Mahadeo hills in the north. The Deccan plateau is divided into Maharashtra plateau (Maharashtra), Telangana plateau (Andhra Pradesh) and Karnataka plateau (Karnataka).

Question 5.
Briefly explain the Coastal plains of India.
Answer:
The Coastal Plains:
The peninsular plateau of India is flanked by anrrow coastal plains of varied width from north to south, known as the West coastal plains and the East coastal plains. They are formed by the deposition action of the rivers and the erosional and depositional actions of the sea waves.

The main land of India has a coastline of 6100 km from Gujarat (Rann of Kutch) in the west to West Bengal in the east. This coastline is washed by the water of the Arabian sea in the wst and the Bay of Bengal in the east.

The coastal plains of India is divided into two parts. They are:

1. The west coastal plains and
2. The East coastal plains.

1. The West Coastal Plains:
It lies between the Western ghats and the Arabian Sea, from the Rann of Kutch to Kanyakumari. It is narrow, steep and rocky (except in Gujarat) coast, having an average elevation of 150 m above sea level. The west coastal plains is almost straight and has many sandy beaches, sand dunes, lagoons, estuary, residual hills etc.

The west coastal plains have Gujarat, Konkan, Karnataka and Malabar Coasts. The Gujarat Coast comprises of Rann of Kutch and Cambay Coasts. It is formed by the alluvial deposits of Sabarmati, Mahi, Luni, and other small streams. Gujarat has the longest coast line in India, Kandla and Okha are famous sea ports and Alang is the biggest ship breaking centre.

This coast produces highest salt in the country. The Konkan Coast lies to the south of Gujarat coast and extends from Maharashtra to Karnataka for about 530km. It is a broken coast line which provides suitable site for natural seaports, eg: Mumbai, Navasheva (Jawaharlal Nehru Port), Marmagoa, Karwar, New Mangalore etc.,

This coast records highest coastal erosion. It is very rich in petroleum and Natural gas (Bobay high). The Karnataka Coast is a part of Konkan coast. It extends from Karwar in the north to Mangalore in the south. It is the narrowest part of west the coastal plains. Karwar and New Mangalore are important ports in this belt. Sea Bird, the Naval base near Karwar is the largest naval base in India.

The Malabar Coast extends from Mangalore to Kanyakumari. Sand dunes, lagoons and backwaters are the important features of Malabar Coast. Cochin or Kochi in the biggest seaport in this coast. Backwaters of Kerala facilitate navigation and tourists enjoy travelling through small country boats. The first south west monsoon rainfall is received in this coast.

2. The East coastal plains:
It lies between the Eastern ghats and the Bay of Bengal stretching from the delta of Hoogly in the North to Kanyakumari in the south. Compared to the west coastal plains the east coastal plains are broader. These plains are formed by the alluvial fillings. The coastal plain has a straigt shoreline with well defined beaches of sand and shingle. eg.Marina beach of Chennai.

Many rivers of south India cut across the east coastal plains and have formed deltas eg. Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri deltas etc. Due to its gentle slope, the sea water near the coastal plain in shallow. Hence, this coast does not have natural harbours except at Vishakapatnam.

Other ports like Chennai, Kolkata, Paradeep etc. are artificial (man-made) Ports. The southern part of east coast is known as the Coromandel coast (Kanyakumari to delata of Krishna). While, the northern part is know as North Circar coast (delta of Krishna to river Hoogly).

The Coromandel coast gets more rainfall from the north east monsoons and it is highly affected by cyclones. There are few lakes in the east coast. They are:

• Pulicat lake (border of Andhra Pradesh & Tamilnadu)
• Kolleru lake (Andhra Pradesh)
• Chilka Lake (Odisha).

Question 6.
Describe the important features of Islands and Indian desert.
Answer:
The Indian Islands:
India has a total of247 islands. Of these 204 are in the Bay of Bengal and the remaining 43 are in the Arabian Sea. The islands of the Bay of Bengal are called Andaman and Nicobar Islands, which are largely tectonic and volcanic origin. In Andaman, there are four group of islands – North Andaman, Middle Andaman (biggest group), South Andaman and Little Andaman.

Port Blair, the Capital of Andaman and Nicobar islands is situated South Andaman islands. Barren and Narcondam are famous volcanic islands in this group. In the Nicobar, there are three group of islands – Car Nicobar, Little Nicobar and Great Nicobar (biggest island).

The Andaman and Nicobar islands have warm tropical climate and receive heavy rainfall during monsoon seasons (southwest and northeast). They have thick forest and rich wildlife. The islands of the Arabian Sea are called the Lakshadweep Islands. These islands are very close to Kerala.

These are coral in origin and are surrounded by fringing reefs. Kavaratti is the capital of Lakshadweep islands. Minicoy and Amindivi are important groups in Lakshadweep.

The Indian Desert:
The Indian desert or Thar desert lies to the wst of the Aravallis. This desert is formed by the work of wind and climatic extremities. The total area of the desert is around 1,75,000 sq.km. Rajasthan, parts of Gujarat, Punjab and Haryana come under Thar desert.

The central regions of the desert is called ‘Marustali’, while the outer region is called ‘Bhagat’. Rajasthan bhagat in Rajasthan and Bhavani Bhagar in Haryana are the two outer limits of the Thar region. The Atmospheric condition in the desert is extreme. During summer temperature exceeds 50° Celsius and in winter it comes down to 10° Celsius and below.

Sri Ganganagar of Rajasthan has recorded more than 54° Celsius of temperature. It is recognized as the hottest place in India. The rainfall in the desert is very low. Roylee, a place in north Rajasthan, recorded the lowest rainfall in the country (8 cm per annum).

Indian desert comprises mainly of sand dunes. There are a few salt lakes in the desert eg. Sambhar, Tal, katu. The desert has very thin vegetation. A few species of vegetation found here are bushes, shrubs, babul, acacia, munj, kans etc.

Question 7.
Explain the river system of India with suitable maps.
Answer:
The Indus (Sindhu):
The Indus is one of the most important river systems of India. It rises near Mt.Kailash (6714m), has a length of2880 km, of which 709 km lies in India. It flows through narrow gorges between Ladakh and Zaskar ranges in the northwest direction in Jammu & Kashmir.

It is one of the oldest river systems of the world. Major part of its course and catchment area are in Pakistan. The main tributaries are Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas and Sutlej.

The Jhelum:
It rises from a spring at Verinag in the south eastern part of the valley of Kashmir, It flows in north west direction where, it enters the Wular lake (largest fresh water lake of India). Dal lake is also formed by this river. Jelum Treaty has temporarily settled the water dispute between India and pakistan.

The Chenab:
The river Chenab rises in the greater Himalayas, it is called Chandra Bhaga in Himachal Pradesh. The Baglihar, Selal and Dulhasti are the famous hydroelectric projects on this river. The Baglihar has become a disputed project (between India & Pakistan) in the south western part of Jammu & Kashmir.

The Ravi:
It rises near Rohtang pass in Kullu, very close to the source of the Beas river. It flows along the Indo – Pak boundary along with Gurudaspur and Amristar districts.

The Beas:
It rises at Beas kund near Kullu. It flows in the kullu and Kangra valley and finally joins the Sutlej near Harike.

The Sutlej:
The Sutlej river rises from the Lake Rakas in China. This is the only tributary of the Indus, which takes its birth outside India. It enters India throughout Shipki-la pass in Himachal Pradesh. The Bhakra Nangal multi-purpose river valley project is constructed on this river, near Bhakra gorge.

It is the joint venture of Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan. The Bhakra Dam is the second highest dam (741 ft.) of India. The Govindasagar lake (reservoir) is considered as the largest man-made lake of India.

The Ganga:
The Ganga is the longest (2500km) and the largest river system of the countery. It is generally called, the ‘National river’ of India. The Ganga has two head streams – the Bhagirathi and the Alakananda. The Bhagirathi takes its birth in Gangotri and Alakananda rises near Badrinath in Garhwal himalayas.

These two meet at Devaprayag and continue to flow as the Ganga. After flowing across the Himalayas, the Ganga enters the great plains at Haridwar. From Haridwar, it flows towards south and south east upto Mirzapur. Further, it continues to flow eastwards south and south east upto Mirzapur.

Further, it continues to flow eastwards in the Gangetic plains of Bihar and West Bengal and enters Bangladesh, where it joins the Brahmaputra and become padma, and finally flows into Bay of Bengal. The Hooghly, an important distributary of Ganga flows through Kolkata. Hooghly is a tidal river on which the Kolkata port is situated. The water level of Hooghly river is maintained from the farakka barrage.

The Gangareceives water from many tributaries. Two important groups are:

1. Left bank tributaries
2. Right bank tributaries.

1. Left Bank tributaries:
The main left bank tributaries of the Ganga are Ramganga, Sarada, Gomati, Ghaghra, Gandak and Kosi. The Gomati is an important tributary on which Lucknow city is situated. The Ghaghra rive is joined by the Sarada, later they meet Ganga near Chapra. The Gandak flows from Nepal and joins the Ganga near Patna.

The Kosi is one of the largest tributaries in this group. Itis often referred to as the ‘Sorrow of Bihar’, because the river which has shifted its course by more than 100km, cause devastating floods regularly in Bihar.

2. Right Bank tributaries:
The main right bank tributaries of the Ganga are Yamuna and Son. The Yamuna is the longest 1380 km and largest tributary of the Ganga. It rises in Yamunotri glacier, flows as a right bank tributary and joins Ganga at Allahabad. Prayag or Allahabad of Uttar Pradesh is called ‘Triveni Sangama’ where the Ganga, Yamuna and the Saraswathi meet.

Delhi, Mathura and Agra Cities are situated on the banks of the river Yamuna. The river Yamuna has a few tributaries -The Chambal, Sind, Betwa and Ken. The Chambal river is famous for its extensive ravines (Chamble valley -Bad lands) in Madhya Pradesh, Rajastan and Uttar Pradesh.

The important dams built across the river are Gandhi Sagar, Rana Pratap Sagar (Rawatbhat) and Jawahar Sagar. The Son: The river son is also an important right bank tributary of Ganga. It flows from Madhya Pradesh and joins the Ganga. The Rihand dam is constructed across the river Rihand, which is a tributary of Son. Govinda Vallab Panth Sagar is the reservoir of the Rihand dam.

The Damodar:
This river drain the eastern parts of the Chotangapur plateau. It is called the ‘Sorrow of West Bengal’, for its devastating floods. After the construction of the Damodar valley multi-purpose project (Now DVC), it has become the backbone of Jarkhand and West Bengal. It meets the Hooghly river at Falta in West Bengal.

The Brahmaputra:
It is one of the largest river systems in the world. It rises in Chemayung dung glacier near Manasarovar (China). The Brahmaputra is called ‘Tsang po’ in China, ‘The Brahmaputra’ in India, and ‘Jamuna’ in Bangladesh. The total length of the river is 2580km but, in India it flows for about 750km.

It enters India from Namcha Barwa (Arunachal Pradesh) by piercing the great Himalayan ranges. The catchment area of the Brahmaputra receives heavy rainfall. Therefore, it has numerous tributaries. The main tributaries are Subansiri, Dhansiri, Manas, Tista, Dihang, Lohit, BurhiDihang etc.,

This river basin is notorious for flooding and riverbank erosion. The river has produced many river islands. Majuli is the largest in the Assm region. Sundarban delta is formed by the river Ganga and Brahmaputra. It is the largest delta in the world.

The Peninsular Rivers:
The Peninsular rivers are also known as South Indian Rivers. The peninsular plateau of India has the largest network of river systems in the country. Most of the south Indian rivers rise in the western ghats and central high land regions. On the basis of the direction of flow the rivers are grouped into two types,

1. The East flowing rivers
2. The west flowing rivers.

1. The East flowing rivers:
These rivers rise in peninsular region, flow in eastern direction and finally join the Bay of Bengal. The important east flowing rivers are the Mahanadim Godavari, Krishna and the Kaveri.

The Mahanadi:
It rises in Sihawa or Simhava region of Chhattisgarh and is the most important river of Odisha and Chhattisgarh. The river flows to a length of885 km and joins the Bay of Bengal near Cuttack. The main tributaries of Mahanadi are Seonath, Hasdeo, Mand and Jonk. The Hirakud (longest damin India), Naraj and Tikarpara dams are built across this river.

The Godavari:
It is the longest and largest river of Peninsular India. It rises at Triambakeshwar inNasik district of Maharashtra. It flows through Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh to a Length of 1465 km and joins the Bay of Bengal near Kakinada (Andhra Pradesh).

The main tributaries of Godavari are the Puma, Penganga, Pranhita, Sabri, Indravathi and Manjira. The delta of Godavari is characterized by a number of channels and Mangrove associated with lagoons. The kolleru lake is one of the island lagoons.

The Krishna:
The Krishna is the second longest and largest east flowing river of peninsular India. It rises near Mahabaleshwar in Maharashtra, flows to a length of 1400 km before joining the Bay of Bengal near Divi point (Andhra Pradesh).

The Koyna, Yerla, Panchganaga, Dudhganga, Bhima, Ghataprabha, Malaprabha, Tungabhadra and the Musi art the main tributaries. Important dams built on the Krishna and its tributaries are Nagarjunasagar, Alamatti (Lai Bahadur Shastri), Narayanpura, Thugabhadra, Koyna etc.

The Kaveri (Cauvery):
The Kaveri is a sacred river like the Ganga. Therefore, it is also known as ‘Ganga of South India’. It rises at Talakaveri in the Brahmagiri hills or Kodagu district, flows to a distance of 805km and joins the Bay of Bengal near Kaveripattanam. Karnataka, Tamilnadu, Kerala and Ponidcherry are benefited by the waters of Kareri.

Its main Tributaries are Arkavathi, Hemavathi, Harangi, Lokapavani, Shimada, Lakshmanathirtha, Kabini, Suvamavathi, Bhavani and Amaravathi. Along its course, the river passes through Srirangapattana, Shivanasamudra and Srirangam island. It also flows through series of rapids, cascades and waterfalls viz, Ganganachukki, Barachukki, Mekedatu, Hogenkal falls etc.,

The first hydroelectric project of Asia was started on the river Kareri, in 1920 at Shivanasamudra (Shimasha). After Srirangam, the river divides into two branches . The Northern branch- ‘Kaveri’. The Gorur, Harangi, Kabini, Krishnarajasagara (KRS) Mettur and Bhavani are the important dams on the river kaveri. The other east flowing rivers of peninsular plateau are Subamarekha, Palar, Pennar, Vaigai, Tamrapami etc.

2. West flowing rivers:
These rivers rise in the peninsular version, flow in western direction and join the Arabian sea. These are skirt and of rivers flowing through the topography of the Western ghats. The main rivers are the Luni, Sabarmati, Mahi, Narmada, Tapi (Tapati), Mandovi, Zuari, Kali, Sharavathi, Gangavati, Bedthi, Netravathi, Periyar etc.

The Luni:
It rises near Ajmer in the Aravali ranges and flows through the Thar desert and then runs into the Rann of Kachchi.

The Narmada:
The Narmada river rises in the Amarkantak hills of Chattisgarh and passes through impressive marble gorges of Madhya Pradesh. Dhunwadhar and Kapiladhara are the important waterfalls Narmada course.

The ‘Sardar Sarovar’ Multi-purpose river projects is constructed on this river. It is the longest and largest river of peninsular India, having alluvial deposits in its. The Narmada forms the biggest estuary at Bharuchin Gujarath.

The Tapi:
It is the second largest west flowing river of the peninsular region. It rises at Mulati in Madhya Pradesh and flows through a rift valley between Satpura and Ajanta ranges. It joins The Arabian sea near surat of Gujarath.

The Kali:
It rises near ‘Supa’ in North Canara and flows westward through narrow gorges and joins the Arabian sea near Karwar. Lalguli waterfalls is formed by the Kali river.

The Sharavati:
It rises at Ambuthirtha in Shimoga district and flows in Shimoga and North Canara districts. The river flows in a westerly direction and joins the Arabian sea near Honnavara. The Sharavathi is famous for the magnificent ‘Jog falls’ (275m) and production of hydro-electricity. The Mahatma Gandhi hydel power station and the Linganamakki dam arein this river.

The Netravati:
is an important river in South Canara district. It rises in the Kudremukhg ranges, flows towards west and joins the Arabian Sea near Mangalore.

The Periyar:
It is the largest river in Kerala. It rises in the Sivagiri forests, flows in western direction and joins the Arbian Sea near Pallipuram. The Periyar project is constructed on this river.

Question 8.
Compare the North Indian rivers with South Indian rivers.
Answer:
Comparison between North and South Indian rivers:

North indian rivers	South indian rivers
1. The north indian rivers are perennial as they flow by melting of icein the summer and rain water during rainy season.	The south indian rivers are nonperennial, as they flow with monsoon rain.
2. They have long and broad valleys.	They have short, narrow and deep valleys.
3. They flow slowly through gentle slope valleys.	They are swift rivers, flow through mugged topography make rapids and waterfalls.
4. The rivers have been used mainly for agriculture and other allied activities.	The rivers have been harnessed mainly for generation of hydroelectricity.
5. They make vast plains and deltas.	They make deep valleys and estuaries.
6. They rise in the Himalayan Mountains.	The rise in the Peninsular plateau.
7. They are suitable for navigation.	They are generally not navigable,
8. They make numerous sharp meanders and ox-bow lakes	They make shallow meanders.
9. They transport huge quantities of sediments.	These have tow carrying capacity
10. The rivers are much younger compared to Peninsular rivers.	The rivers are much older.
11. River capturing is a regular phenomenon.	There is no river capturing.

Question 9.
Why does River water dispute arise? Mention the important disputes and proposed measures.
Answer:
Water, being the most precious resource is required for domestic, irrigation and industrial purposes. Most of the Indian rivers flow across more then one state. Each of the state of the river tries to obtain the maximum quantity of water. This has resulted in many water disputes in the country.

In the recent years the rivers flowing across more than two countries are also creating trouble between the neighboring countries. At present river water dispute has become a global phenomenon. India is a country with inadequate water resources. Many rivers are non-perennial and seasonal.

The states are utilizing the river water for maximum purposes. In the Indian constitution (1950) water is a state subject. Under the water dispute act 1956, a tribunal of three sitting judges of the Supreme Court has to be constituted by the central government for the settlement of an inter-state water dispute when a request is received from a state government.

Some of the important inter-State water disputes in India are:

1. Kaveri water dispute between Karnataka, Tamilnadu, Pondicherry and Kerala.
2. The Tungabadra water dispute between Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
3. The Krishna water dispute between Karnataka, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh
4. The Mandovi water dispute between Karnataka and Goa.
5. The Narmada water dispute between Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan.
6. The Yamuna dispute between Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.
7. The Godavari water dispute between Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
8. The Ravi and Beas water dispute between punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Jammu and Kashmir.
9. TheMuUa Periyar water dispute between Kerala and Tamilnadu etc.

In the same way a few international water disputes are also found in the international borders of India eg.,

• The Jhelum and the Chenab water dispute between India and Pakistan.
• The Brahmaputra Water dispute between India and China.
• The Tista water dispute between India and Bangladesh.
• The Barak water dispute between India and Bangladesh.
• The Indus water dispute between India and Pakistan etc.,

In the developing countries like India the inter-state water dispute must be resolved quickly so that water resources could be utilized and harnessed properly for basic need and economic development.

One of the measures could be to declare all the major rivers as national property and national schemes under Central assistance should be launched for the development of total command area of the concerned states. The establishment of separate corporations, river diversion and linking projects may be useful in this direction.

Question 10.
Briefly explain the importance of inter-linking of Rivers in India.
Answer:
Inter – linking of rivers:
The distribution of rainfall in India is highly uneven and seasonal. The Himalayan Rivers are perennial while the peninsular rivers are seasonal. During rainy season, much of the water is lost in floods and wasteful flow into the sea. But in other seasons there is scarcity of water.

Even in India some parts get more rainfall and some other parts get very low rainfall. Consequently, there are floods in one region and drought and famine in other regions in the country. The problems of floods and drought can be minimized through the inter¬river linkages or through national water grid, under which water from one river basin can be transferred to another river basin for optimum utilization.

The Indian Rivers Inter-link is a large-scale civil engineering project that aims to join the majority of India’s rivers by canals and so reduce persistent water shortages in parts of India. In 1972 the Ministry for Irrigation proposed a 2640 kilometer long link between the Ganga and Kaveri rivers.

In 1974 plans were proposed for the ‘Garland Canal’. In 1982 the National Water Development Agency was set up to carry out surveys of the links and prepare feasibility studies. The Inter-link would consist of two parts, a northern Himalayan River Development component and a southern Peninsular River Development component.

The northern componet would consist of a series of dams built along the Ganga and Brahmaputra rivers in India, for the purposes of storage. Canals would be built to transfer surplus water from the eastern tributaries of the Ganga to the west. The Brahmaputra and its tributaries would be linked with the Ganga and the Ganga with the Mahanadi river.

This part of the project would provide additional irrigation and generate electricity. In theory it would provide extra flood control in the Ganga and Brahmaputra river basins. The main part of the project would be to send water from the eastern part of India to the south and west. The southern development project would consist of four main parts.

First, the Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri rivers would all be linked by canals. Extra water storage bams would be built along the course of these rivers. The purpose of this would be to transfer surplus water from the Mahandi and Godavari rivers to the south of India.

The Ken and Chambal rivers would be linked in order to provide better water facilities for Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. Anumber of west-flowing rivers along the western Ghats simply discharge into the Arabian Sea. As many of these as possible would be diverted for irrigation and generation of hydroelectricity purposes.