Peninsular Rivers, Lakes, Waterfalls and Multipurpose River Projects

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How peninsular rivers differ

The peninsular rivers are older, flow in broad, shallow valleys along fixed courses, and are mostly rain-fed, so many shrink in the dry season. The Western Ghats form the main water divide. Most rivers rise there and flow east into the Bay of Bengal, building deltas, while a few flow west into the Arabian Sea through rift valleys or short, steep courses and end in estuaries instead of deltas. The Kaveri flows more evenly than the others because its basin gets rain from both the south-west and the north-east monsoons.

East-flowing rivers

The Mahanadi (about 851 km) rises near Sihawa in Chhattisgarh, flows through Odisha past Sambalpur and Cuttack and forms a delta; the Hirakud dam stands on it. The Godavari (about 1,465 km), the largest peninsular river and called the Dakshin Ganga, rises at Trimbakeshwar near Nashik in Maharashtra and flows through Telangana and Andhra Pradesh; its tributaries include the Purna, the Pranhita (which gathers the Wainganga, Wardha and Penganga), the Indravati and the Manjra. The Krishna (about 1,401 km) rises near Mahabaleshwar in the Sahyadri and flows through Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh to its delta below Vijayawada; the Koyna, Bhima, Tungabhadra and Musi (Hyderabad) are its tributaries. The Kaveri (about 800 km) rises at Talakaveri in the Brahmagiri hills of Kodagu, Karnataka, and flows through Tamil Nadu to its delta around Thanjavur, the rice bowl of Tamil Nadu; the Kabini, Hemavati, Bhavani and Amaravati join it, and Tiruchirappalli stands on it. Smaller east-flowing rivers include the Subarnarekha, Brahmani, Baitarani, Penneru and Vaigai (Madurai).

West-flowing rivers

The Narmada (about 1,312 km), the largest west-flowing river, rises at Amarkantak in Madhya Pradesh and flows west in a rift valley between the Vindhya and Satpura ranges; near Jabalpur it cuts the Marble Rocks gorge at Bhedaghat and drops over the Dhuandhar falls, and it reaches the Gulf of Khambhat through an estuary near Bharuch. The Tapi (about 724 km) rises at Multai in Betul district of Madhya Pradesh, flows in a parallel rift valley south of the Satpuras and reaches the sea near Surat. The Sabarmati (Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar) and the Mahi, which crosses the Tropic of Cancer twice, also enter the Gulf of Khambhat. Short, swift west-flowing rivers include the Mandovi and Zuari in Goa, the Sharavathi in Karnataka and the Periyar in Kerala.

Lakes

Wular in Jammu and Kashmir, on the Jhelum and formed partly by tectonic activity, is the largest freshwater lake of India; Dal lake is in Srinagar. Chilika in Odisha is the largest brackish-water lagoon, and Pulicat, on the Andhra Pradesh-Tamil Nadu border, is the second largest, with Sriharikota island between it and the sea. Kolleru is a freshwater lake between the Godavari and Krishna deltas. Vembanad in Kerala is the longest lake of India, and Sambhar in Rajasthan the largest inland salt lake. Loktak in Manipur has floating islands of vegetation called phumdis, on which Keibul Lamjao, the only floating national park, protects the Sangai deer. Lonar in Maharashtra is a crater lake made by a meteorite striking basalt.

Waterfalls

Jog (Gersoppa) falls is on the Sharavathi in Karnataka; Shivasamudram (Karnataka) and Hogenakkal (Tamil Nadu) are on the Kaveri; Dudhsagar is on the Mandovi on the Goa-Karnataka border; Chitrakote, the widest fall in India and called the Niagara of India, is on the Indravati in Bastar, Chhattisgarh; Dhuandhar is on the Narmada near Jabalpur; and Hundru is on the Subarnarekha near Ranchi.

Multipurpose projects

Jawaharlal Nehru called dams the temples of modern India because one project can give irrigation, hydropower, flood control and drinking water together. The Damodar Valley Corporation (1948), modelled on the Tennessee Valley Authority of the USA, was the first multipurpose river valley project of independent India, with dams such as Tilaiya, Konar, Maithon and Panchet. Learn these pairs: Bhakra Nangal on the Sutlej (Himachal Pradesh-Punjab, Gobind Sagar lake); Tehri on the Bhagirathi (Uttarakhand), the tallest dam of India; Hirakud on the Mahanadi (Odisha), one of the longest dams in the world; Sardar Sarovar (Gujarat) and Indira Sagar (Madhya Pradesh) on the Narmada; Ukai on the Tapi (Gujarat); Nagarjuna Sagar and Srisailam on the Krishna (Telangana-Andhra Pradesh); Tungabhadra on the Tungabhadra (Karnataka); Krishnaraja Sagar (Karnataka) and Mettur (Tamil Nadu) on the Kaveri; Gandhi Sagar, Rana Pratap Sagar and Jawahar Sagar on the Chambal; Rihand on the Rihand, a tributary of the Son (Govind Ballabh Pant Sagar, Uttar Pradesh); and Idukki on the Periyar (Kerala). The Farakka barrage on the Ganga in West Bengal sends water into the Hugli to keep Kolkata port navigable.

Key facts

East-flowing rivers make deltas: Mahanadi (Sihawa, Chhattisgarh; about 851 km), Godavari (Trimbakeshwar; about 1,465 km, Dakshin Ganga), Krishna (Mahabaleshwar; about 1,401 km), Kaveri (Talakaveri; about 800 km).
West-flowing rivers make estuaries: Narmada (Amarkantak; about 1,312 km, rift valley between Vindhya and Satpura) and Tapi (Multai, Betul; about 724 km); both reach the Gulf of Khambhat.
Tributaries: Godavari - Pranhita, Indravati, Manjra, Purna; Krishna - Koyna, Bhima, Tungabhadra, Musi; Kaveri - Kabini, Hemavati, Bhavani, Amaravati.
Lakes: Wular (largest freshwater, J and K), Chilika (largest lagoon, Odisha), Pulicat (Andhra-Tamil Nadu), Kolleru (Andhra), Vembanad (longest, Kerala), Sambhar (salt, Rajasthan), Loktak (phumdis, Manipur), Lonar (crater, Maharashtra).
Falls-river pairs: Jog-Sharavathi, Shivasamudram and Hogenakkal-Kaveri, Dudhsagar-Mandovi, Chitrakote-Indravati, Dhuandhar-Narmada, Hundru-Subarnarekha.
Dam-river pairs: Bhakra-Sutlej, Tehri-Bhagirathi, Hirakud-Mahanadi, Sardar Sarovar and Indira Sagar-Narmada, Ukai-Tapi, Nagarjuna Sagar and Srisailam-Krishna, Mettur and Krishnaraja Sagar-Kaveri, Idukki-Periyar.
Damodar Valley Corporation (1948), modelled on the Tennessee Valley Authority, was the first multipurpose project of independent India; Tehri is India's tallest dam.
Chambal dams: Gandhi Sagar (MP), Rana Pratap Sagar and Jawahar Sagar (Rajasthan); Rihand dam forms Govind Ballabh Pant Sagar (UP); Farakka barrage feeds the Hugli.

Quick revision

Peninsular rivers old, rain-fed, fixed courses; east-flowing Mahanadi, Godavari (largest, about 1,465 km, Dakshin Ganga), Krishna, Kaveri form deltas; west-flowing Narmada and Tapi flow in rift valleys and form estuaries; Wular largest freshwater lake, Chilika largest lagoon, Sambhar salt lake, Loktak phumdis; Jog on Sharavathi, Chitrakote on Indravati; DVC 1948 first multipurpose project; Bhakra-Sutlej, Hirakud-Mahanadi, Tehri tallest dam.

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