Question

Comparative study of peninsular river under origin source tributaries mouth drainage basin

Answer 1

The Peninsular Rivers
The Western Ghats, which runs from north to south close to the western coast, forms the main water divide in Peninsular India. The major rivers of the Peninsula which flow into the Bay of Bengal include the Mahanadi, the Godavari, the Krishna and the Kaveri. The Narmada and the Tapi are the only long rivers which flow west and make estuaries.

The Tapi Basin
The Tapi rises in the Satpura ranges, in the Betul district of Madhya Pradesh. Its basin covers parts of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra. the main west rivers flowing west are Sabarmati, Mahi, Bharathpuzha and Periyar.

The Narmada Basin
The Narmada river rises in the Amarkaantak hills in Madhya Pradesh. It flows towards the west in a rift valley. On its way to the sea, it forms many picturesque locations like the ‘Marble rocks’ and the ‘Dhuadhar falls’.The tributaries of the Narmada are very short. This basin covers parts of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat.

The Godavari Basin
The Godavari is the largest Peninsular river. It rises from the slopes of the Western Ghats in the Nasik district of Maharashtra. The length of the river Godavari is about 1500 km. It drains into the Bay of Bengal. It also has the largest drainage basin. The basin covers parts of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. The tributaries that join the Godavari are the Purna, the Wardha, the Pranhita, the Manjra, the Wainganga and the Penganga.

The Mahanadi Basin
The Mahanadi rises in the highlands of Chhattisgarh. It reaches the Bay of Bengal after flowing through Odisha. The length of Mahanadi river is 860 km. It covers parts of Maharashtra, Chhatisgarh, Jharkhand and Odisha.

The Krishna Basin
The Krishna river rises from a spring near Mahabaleshwar and flows for 1400 km. It reaches the Bay of Bengal.The tributaries of Krishna river are the Tungabhadra, the Koyana, the Ghatprabha, the Musi and the Bhima. Its drainage system covers parts of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

The Kaveri Basin
The Kaveri rises in the Brahmagri range of the Western Ghats and reaches the Bay of Bengal in the south of Cuddalore, in Tamil Nadu. The total length of Kaveri river is 760 km. The main tributaries of Kaveri river are Amravati, Bhavani, Hemavati and Kabini. It covers parts of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.