The rivers play important role in the economic development of any country. In India, rivers play an important role in irrigation, transportation, fishing. Due to this, the rivers in India are tightly bound to Indian tradition and culture. Since ancient times, rivers are worshipped as God/Goddess since they are considered very sacred. India has a rich resource of rivers and in almost every part of India, there is a nearby river.
Classification of Rivers of India
Perennial and Non- Perennial River: If a river is originating from mountains or they get water throughout the year then they are considered as Perennial River. On the other hand, rivers originating from plateau region are called as Non- Perennial Rivers. Non- Perennial Rivers do not have enough waters for the whole year. Perennial rivers of India includes Ganga, Yamuna, Indus, Brahmaputra, Narmada, Mahanadi, Tapti, Ghagra(Saraswati), Sutlej and Thamiraparani(only perennial river from the south).
(Peninsular Rivers ) East flowing & West Flowing Rivers: The Peninsular Rivers originate in the Western Ghats. They have a large seasonal fluctuation in volume as they are solely fed from rainfall. These rivers flow in valleys with steep gradients. Major rivers of the Peninsula such as Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, Cauvery flow eastwards on the plateau and drain into the Bay of Bengal. The rivers which end in the Bay of Bengal are called “East flowing” rivers. If the river empties into the Arabian Sea, it is called “West Flowing” rivers. In India, all major rivers are “east-flowing” rivers. The west flowing rivers of India includes Narmada River, Tapti River, Mahi River and Sabarmati River.
Inland Drainage River: The river which does not empty itself into any sea, and ends with any lake or any other water body is known as Inland Drainage River. The best example of Inland Drainage River in India is Luni River which does not fall into the Arabian Sea but ends up in Rann of Kutch.
On the basis of their origin.
The Himalayan mountain range.
From Satpura and Vindhya range.
From Western Ghats region.
The Indus River System
List of Major Rivers in India
Sl. No.
River
Length (km)
Origin
End
1.
Indus
2,900
Originates in Tibetan plateau, Enters India in J&K
Merges into Arabian sea near Sindh
2.
Brahmaputra
2,900
Himalayan Glacier in Tibet, but enters India in Arunachal Pradesh
Merges with Ganga and ends in the Bay of Bengal
3.
Ganga
2,510
Gangotri Glacier (Bhagirathi), Uttarakhand
Bay of Bengal
4.
Godavari
1,450
Starts in Maharashtra and passes through 7 Indian states
Empties in the Bay of Bengal
5.
Narmada
1,290
Starts from Amarkantak, Madhya Pradesh
Drains into Arabian sea via Gulf of Cambay
6.
Krishna
1,290
Originates in the Western Ghats near Mahabaleshwar in Maharashtra
Ends in the Bay of Bengal near Andhra Pradesh
7.
Mahanadi
890
Originates from Dhamtri, Chhattisgarh
Ends in the Bay of Bengal in Odisha
8.
Kaveri
760
Talakaveri in the Western Ghats in Karnataka
Ends in the Bay of Bengal
State-Wise Rivers
State-Wise details of Rivers Covered
S. No.
State
River
1
Andhra Pradesh
Godavari & Musi
2
Bihar
Ganga
3
Delhi
Yamuna
4
Goa
Mandovi
5
Gujarat
Sabarmati
6
Haryana
Yamuna
7
Jharkhand
Damodar, Ganga & Subarnarekha
8
Karnataka
Bhadra, Tungabhadra,Cauvery, Tunga & Pennar
9
Kerala
Pamba
10
Madhya Pradesh
Betwa, Tapti, Wainganga, Khan, Narmada, Kshipra, Beehar, Chambal & Mandakini.
11
Mahrashtra
Krishna, Godavari, Tapi and Panchganga
12
Nagaland
Diphu & Dhansiri
13
Orissa
Brahmini & Mahanadi
14
Punjab
Satluj
15
Rajasthan
Chambal
16
Sikkim
Rani Chu
17
Tamil Nadu
Cauvery, Adyar, Cooum, Vennar, Vaigai & Tambarani
18
Uttar Pradesh
Yamuna, Ganga & Gomti
19
Uttranchal
Ganga
20
West Bengal
Ganga, Damodar & Mahananda
Peninsular Rivers India – Flowing East to West
Rivers
Length (KM)
Details
Luni
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
Sabarmati
Rises from Dhebar lake in Aravalli Range of the Udaipur (Rajasthan)
Ends in the Arabian Sea via Estuary
Mahi
Rises from Vindhya range (MP)
Drains in Gulf of Cambay
Narmada
Origin: Amarkantak, Shahdol, MP
Ends: The Arabian Sea via Estuary
Flow Route: MP – Bharuch (Gujrat) – Gulf of Khambat (Gujrat) – The Arabian Sea via Estuary
Famous projects: S →Sardar Sarovar Dam, Maheshwar Dam, Indira Gandhi Sagar Dam
Important Facts:
Longest among all east to west flowing rivers
Known as Lifeline of MP
Forms Duandhar falls at Jabalpur
Only tributary → Hiran River
Aliabet is the Largest Island in Estuary
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
Peninsular Rivers India – Flowing West to East
Rivers
Length (KM)
Details
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 the 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 West to East
The Ganga River System
The Ganga River System includes the following rivers (10 major rivers plus Damodar river and Hugli river):
Rivers
Length (KM)
Origin
End
Ganga
2,525
Gangotri Glacier (Bhagirathi), Uttarakhand
Bay of Bengal
Yamuna
1,376
Yamunotri Glacier, Uttarakhand
Merges with Ganga at Allahabad (Triveni Sangam – Kumbh Mela spot
Brahmaputra
1,800
Himalayan Glacier in Tibet, but enters India in Arunachal Pradesh
Merges with Ganga and ends in Bay of Bengal
Chambal
960
Tributary of Yamuna river, starting at Madhya Pradesh
Joins Yamuna river in UP
Son
784
Tributary of Ganga, starting at Amarkantak, Madhya Pradesh
Joins Ganga just above Patna – also considered part of Vindhya river system
Gandak
630
Nepal; Ganges tributary at Indo-Nepal border (Triveni Sangam)
Joins Ganga near Patna
Kosi
720
Starts from Bihar near Indo-Nepal border
Joins Ganga near Katihar district of Bihar
Betwa
590
Tributary of Yamuna, rises at Vindhya region, MP
Joins Yamuna at Hamirpur in UP
Gomti
900
Tributary of Ganga, starting at Gomat Taal, UP
Joins Ganga in Varanasi district
Ghaghra
1080
Himalayan Glacier in tibet, tributary of Ganga
Joins Ganga in Bihar
Hugli (Hooghly)
260
Tributary of Ganga near West Bengal
Merges with Ganga at the Bay of Bengal
Damodar
592
Tributary of Hugli near Chandwar, Jharkhand
Merges with Hugli in West Bengal
The Ganga River System
Although Hugli and Damodar rivers are not considered the most important rivers of the Ganga river system.
The Indus River System
The Indus River System includes the following 6 major rivers:
Rivers
Length (KM)
Origin
End
Indus
3180
Originates in Tibetan plateau, Enters India in J&K
Merges into Arabian sea near Sindh
Chenab
960
Upper Himalayas in the Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh
Merges with Indus
Jhelum
725
Tributary of Chenub river, Punjab
Merges with Chenab at Jhang (Pakistan)
Ravi
720
Starts from Bara Bhangal, Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh
Joins Chenab in Pakistan
Sutlej
1500
Tributary of Indus river, originates at Rakshastal, Tibet
Meets Beas river in Pakistan and ends at Arabian sea
Beas
470
Rises at Himalayas in central Himachal Pradesh
Joins Sutlej river in Punjab, India
The Indus River System includes the following 6 major rivers
Western Ghats Rivers
Western Ghats Rivers:
Rivers
Length (KM)
Origin
End
Kaveri
765
Talakaveri in the Western Ghats in Karnataka
Ends in the Bay of Bengal
Krishna
1400
Originates in the Western Ghats near Mahabaleshwar in Maharashtra
Ends in the Bay of Bengal near Andhra Pradesh
Godavari
1465
Starts in Maharashtra and passes through 7 Indian states
Empties in the Bay of Bengal
Tungabhadra
531
Tributary of Krishna river staring at Karnataka
Joins Krishna river along the border of Telangana and Andhra Prades
Western Ghats Rivers
Vindhya and Satpura Ranges rivers
Vindhya and Satpura Ranges rivers:
Rivers
Length (KM)
Origin
End
Tapti
724
Rises in Eastern Satpura Ranges, Madhya Pradesh
Empties into Gulf of Khambat, Gujarat
Mahi
580
Rises in Madhya Pradesh
Flows into Arabian sea from Gujarat
Narmada
1315
Starts from Amarkantak, Madhya Pradesh
Vindhya and Satpura Ranges rivers
Other Important Notes on Indian rivers to remember:
River Saraswati was considered to be a mythical river and is part of the Hindu Triveni Sangam mythology of the confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati rivers. Recent studies have shown that the Saraswati river was flowing under the ground and meeting Ganga and Yamuna at the Kumbh Mela spot.
Meghna a major river in Bangladesh is a tributary if Indian Brahmaputra river and also empties into the Bay of Bengal.