Major Rivers in India important

Indus River System

Indus 

Ancient name → Sindhu

Origin → Bokharchu Glacier, Near Mansarovar

In Tibet, Called Singi Khamban / Lion’s mouth

Enters In India through Ladakh, flows only in J &K

Enters Pak through the hairpin bend of Nanga Parbat

Finally Discharges in Arabian Sea

Flows approx. ( 709 / 2880 ) Km in India

India uses 20 % of its water by Indo Pak water treaty of 1960

Shyok 

Originates from Rimo Glacier

Known as a river of death

flows through Ladakh in India

A tributary of the Indus River

Jhelum 

Ancient name → Vitasta

Origin → Verinag Spring (Kashmir)

Tributary of Indus, flows only in J &K

Flows Northward to Wular Lake

Cut through gorge in Pir- Panjal range to reach Muzzafarabad (POK)

Chenab

Ancient name → Akshani / Iskmati

Origin → Bara Lacha Pass (Himachal)

Known as chandra-bhaga in Himachal

Chandra River → Water flowing south from the pass

Bhaga River → Water Flowing north from the pass

Flows Northward & parallel to Pir –Panjal Range for some distance

Cut through gorge in Pir – Panjal & Turns southward

Largest tributary of Indus, Flows through Himachal & J & K

Famous Projects → Duhasti, Baglihar & Salal hydroelectric project

Ravi 

Ancient name → Purushni

Origin → Kullu hills near Rohtang Pass (Himachal)

Tributary of Chenab

Smallest of 5 rivers

Flows through Indo – Pak boundary

Flows northward b/w Pir – Panjal & Dhauladhar Ranges

Cut a gorge through Dhauladhar range & flows southward

Beas 

Ancient name → Vipasha

Origin → Beas kund near Rohtang Pass, Himachal

Tributary of Satluj

Only river flowing entirely in India

Runs southward, Cut a deep gorge in Dhauladhar & turns west to meet Satluj near Harike (Punjab)

Famous Project → Pong Dam

Sutluj 

Ancient name → Shatadru

Origin → Rakas lake, Tibet, near Mansarovar

Enter Himachal at Shipki La Pass

Collects water from Ravi, Chenab, Jhelum & Beas to join Indus near Mithalkot (Pak)

Famous Projects → Naptha Jhakri Project & Bhakra Nagal Dam with Govind Sagar Reservoir

Ganga River System

Origin → As Bhagirathi from Gangotri Glacier (Uttarkashi – Uttarakhand)

Alakananda unites with Bhagirathi at Devprayag, Uttarakhand → Henceforth known as Ganga

Passing through Rishikesh, it debounches in plains of Haridwar

From Haridwar, it flows Southward to reach Allahabad where it joins Yamuna

Near Rajmahal Hills, it turns southeast & bifurcates at Farraka into Hoogly (Kolkata) & Padma (BD)

At Bangladesh, Ganga merges with Brahmputra (Known as Jamuna in Bangladesh) at Goalundo Ghats.

Mixture is known as Padma River.

Then it merges with Meghna & finally falls in Bay of Bengal

Meghna → Known as Barack river in India 

Major tributaries → Yamuna, Gomti, Ghaghara, Gandak, Kosi, Son & Punpun

Ghaghara 

Origin → Bharchachungar Glacier (Rakas lake) near Mansarovar

Joins Ganga at Chhapr.

Known as Manchu or Karnali in Nepal.

Known as Saryu or Ghaghra in UP

Perennial river

Major tributaries → Sarda & Rakti 

Gandak 

Origin → Sino – Nepal Boundary (Dhaulagiri range)

Known as Kalyani in Nepal

Major River of Nepal

Joins Ganga at Sonpur, Bihar

Kosi 

Origin → Gosainath peak (Tibet)

Merges with river Ganga at Bhagalpur (Bihar)

Consists of 7 streams & known as Saptakoshi in Nepal

Main stream → Arun, Tamur & Sun Koshi

Formerly Known as Sorrow of Bihar

Major Projects → Kusha Dam

Son 

Origin → Amarkantak Plateau (Near north of origin of Narmada)

Flows through Kaimur Range to meet Ganga at Patna 

Gomti 

Originates from Gomat Taal / Fulhaar jheel – Pilibhit

A tributary of Ganga

Yamuna 

Origin → Yamunotri Glacier (Uttarkashi – Uttarakhand)

Largest Tributary of Ganga

After cutting deep gorge across Shivalik, it enters into plains near Tajewala

Flows southward up to Agra & then turns southeast to meet Ganga at Allahabad

Famous tributaries → Chambal, Sind, Betwa & Ken

Betwa 

Major Tributaries → Tributary of Yamuna, rises from Vindhya range, MP

Major Projects → Matatila dam & Rajghat dam

Ken  

Rises from Kaimur hills in Satna (Madhya Pradesh), a tributary of Yamuna

Famous for its Shajar stone & Raneh waterfalls

Chambal 

Origin → Vindhya Range (Mhow, MP)

Passes through Kota & Dhaulpur (Rajasthan)

Merge with Yamuna at Etawah (UP)

Forms boundary between Rajasthan & MP

Major tributaries → Kali Sindh, Parvati & Banas

Main Power Projects → Gandhisagar, Rana Pratap Sagar & Jawahar Sagar

Banas  

Originate from eastern slopes of Aravali

Tributary of Chambal

Damodar   

Origin → Eastern part of Chhota Nagpur Plateu

Meets Hoogli at Falta

Power Projects → Talaiya, Maithan, Barakar & Panchet

Brahmaputra River System

Origin → Chemayungdung Glacier (Kailash Range, Tibet)

In Tibet, known as TSANG – PO

In China, known as YARLUNG ZANBO

Forms grand canyon in Tibet

Turns southward near Namcha – Barwa

Enters Arunachal Pradesh as Dihang River at Sadiya, emerging from the mountains

Joined by Dibang river from the north & Lohit river from the south → Known as Brahamputra

Turns at Dhubri to enter into Bangladesh

After joining Teesta, known as Jamuna in BD

Joins Ganga & Megna → Merges to BOB.

Forms many river island of which Majuli is world 2nd largest one

Major tributaries → Dihang, Lohit, Subansiri, Teesta, Meghna (Barack in Assam), Manas 

Teesta 

Major tributary of Brahmaputra

Rises from Sikkim

Known as lifeline of Sikkim

Lohit 

Tributary of Brahmaputra

Flows through Arunachal Pradesh

Along with river Dihang merges into Brahmaputra, at Sadia town (Arunachal Pradesh)

Peninsular Rivers India – Flowing West to East

Mahanadi 

Origin → Dandakaranya Hills, Raipur

Flow Route: Chhattisgarh → Orissa → EGs → BOB

Famous Project : Hirakund Dam

Godavari 

Origin → Triambakeshwar Plateau, Nashik, WGs

Largest Peninsular River

Known as Dakshina / Vriddha Ganga

Flow Route: Nashik → Andhra Pradesh → BOB

Famous Tributaries → Penganga, Sabri, Wardha & Indravati

Famous Projects → Poochampad, Jayakwadi, Polavaram

Penganga 

Rises from Ajanta hills (Maharashtra)

a tributary of River Wardha which finally merges into Godavari

Krishna 

Origin → Mahabaleshwar, Maharashtra, WGs

Flow Route: Maharashtra → Andhra Pradesh → BOB

Famous Projects → Koyna, Tugrabhdra, Srisailam & Nagarjuna Sagar Dam

Tungabhadra 

a major tributary of Krishna

Rises from Western Ghats

Bhima 

Rises from Balaghat range (Maharashtra)

Tributary of Krishna

Kaveri 

Origin → Brahamgiri hills, Karnataka, WGs

Flow Route: Karnataka → Kaveripatnam (TN) BOB

Perrenial River

Forms Shivasundaram Waterfalls

Famous projects → Krishnaraja Sagar & Mettur

Penner  

Rises from Karnataka

Flows b/w Krishna & Kaveri

Drains into BOB

Vaigai 

Rises from Palni hills (TN)

A seasonal river flows through TN

Drains in Gulf of Mannar

Peninsular Rivers India – Flowing East to West

Luni 

Desertic river, also known as the Sagarmati

Rises from the western slopes of the Aravalli Range near Ajmer

Ends in the marshy lands of Rann of Kutch in Gujarat

Inspite of high salinity, it is a major river in region

Serves as a primary source of irrigation

Sabarmati 

Rises from Dhebar lake in Aravalli Range of the Udaipur (Rajasthan)

Flow Route: Udaipur → Gulf of Khambat → Arabian Sea via Estuary

Mahi 

Rises from Vindhya range (MP)

flows through MP, Rajasthan & Gujrat & drains in Gulf of Cambay

Famous Projects → Banswara Dam & Kadana dam

Narmada 

Origin → Amarkantak, Shahdol, MP

Also known as Rewa River

Flows through rift valley of Vindhya & Satpura

Flow Route: MP → Bharuch (Gujrat) → Gulf of Khambat (Gujrat) → Arabian Sea via Estuary

Longest among all east to west flowing rivers

Known as Life line of MP

Forms Duandhar falls at Jabalpur

Only tributary → Hiran River

Aliabet → Largest Island in Estuary

Famous projects →Sardar Sarovar Dam, Maheshwar Dam, Indira Gandhi Sagar Dam

Tawa 

Rises in the Satpura Range of Betul (MP)

Narmada’s longest tributary

Tapi 

Origin → Mahadev hills, Satpura range, Betul district, MP

Flow Route: MP → Maharashtra → Gulf of Khambat or Cambay → Arabian Sea via Estuary

Famous projects → Kakrapar Dam & Ukai Dam

Periyar 

Rises from Western Ghats in Kerala

Flows towards west & drains in Arabian Sea via an estuary