The implications of river regimes of himalayan and peninsular rivers on the irrigation system of the country. Insightsoindia
Answers
Difference between Peninsular River regime and the Himalayan River regime
Basis of differences
Reason
Origin
The Peninsular rivers rise at much lower heights in the Western Ghats whereas the Himalayan river originates at high elevations.
Source
The Peninsular rivers are non-perennial which means they receive water from glacier and rainfall whereas Himalayan rivers are perennial which means they are seasonal-dependent on monsoon.
Catchment Area
The Peninsular river have narrow catchment area whereas the Himalayan rivers have large catchment area. Larger catchment area ensures maximum flow of water.
Variations
The Peninsular rivers have huge variations due to uneven rainfall in the Plateau region whereas all the Himalayan rivers maintain a sizeable flow.
Gradual increase/decrease in flow
The Himalayan rivers has a minimum flow during Jan-June and maximum flow during August /September and gradual steady fall afterwards, whereas the Peninsular rivers has very low flow from January-July and a sharp rise in August and again a sudden fall in October.
Supply of ground water
The Peninsular river flows from the rocks of peninsular region which are hard and impermeable, where supply of ground water is limited whereas Himalayan rivers pass through plains whose alluvial soils act as a huge reservoir of ground water.
Above write-up briefly explains the variability of river water discharge throughout the course of a year in response to precipitation, temperature, evapotranspiration, and drainage basin characteristics.