1. Two Main River Systems of India
Indian rivers are broadly divided into:
- Himalayan Rivers – long, perennial (water throughout the year), snow-fed.
- Peninsular Rivers – shorter, seasonal in many parts, mainly rain-fed.
हिंदी:
Himalayan rivers = बर्फ + बारिश दोनों से पानी, सालभर बहती हैं।
Peninsular rivers = मुख्यतः बारिश पर निर्भर, कई जगह सूखे मौसम में जल कम।
2. Major Himalayan River Systems
Three major Himalayan river systems:
- Indus River System
- Ganga River System
- Brahmaputra River System
2.1 Indus River System
- Origin: near Mansarovar lake in Tibet, near Kailash range.
- Flows through Ladakh (India), then into Pakistan and finally into the Arabian Sea.
- Main tributaries in India: Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, Sutlej.
- These five rivers give Punjab its name – “land of five rivers”.
हिंदी: इंडस + Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, Sutlej = पाँच नदियाँ → Punjab (Pancha + Ab = पाँच पानी)।
2.2 Ganga River System
- Origin of main stream: Bhagirathi from Gangotri glacier in Uttarakhand.
- Alaknanda joins Bhagirathi at Devprayag → from here it is called Ganga.
- Flows through Uttarakhand, UP, Bihar, West Bengal.
- Enters Bangladesh as Padma and forms a large delta with Brahmaputra (Sunderbans).
- From the North (Himalayan side): Yamuna, Ghaghra, Gandak, Kosi.
- From the South (Peninsular side): Son, Chambal, Betwa, Ken (many join Yamuna).
हिंदी:
Gangotri glacier → Bhagirathi; Devprayag पर Alaknanda से मिलने के बाद नाम = Ganga।
Yamuna, Ghaghra, Gandak, Kosi – याद रखें, ये NDA में बार-बार पूछी जाती हैं।
2.3 Brahmaputra River System
- Origin: near Mansarovar region in Tibet (east of Indus source).
- In Tibet – called Tsangpo.
- Enters India in Arunachal Pradesh – called Siang/Dihang, then known as Brahmaputra in Assam.
- Flows into Bangladesh and joins the Ganga to form a huge delta (Ganga–Brahmaputra delta).
- Famous for frequent floods and large amount of silt.
हिंदी:
Tibet = Tsangpo,
Arunachal/Assam = Brahmaputra,
Bangladesh = Jamuna (एक शाखा) → अंत में Ganga से मिलकर बड़ा delta बनाती है।
3. Major Peninsular Rivers
Peninsular rivers are older, with broad, shallow valleys.
They can be divided into:
- Rivers flowing into the Bay of Bengal – Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri, Mahanadi.
- Rivers flowing into the Arabian Sea – Narmada, Tapi, and some smaller west-flowing rivers.
3.1 West-Flowing Rivers (Arabian Sea)
Narmada
- Origin: Amarkantak plateau (Madhya Pradesh).
- Flows westwards through a rift valley between Vindhya and Satpura ranges.
- Empties into the Arabian Sea near Bharuch (Gujarat).
- Origin: Satpura range (Madhya Pradesh).
- Flows westwards, parallel to Narmada, and reaches Arabian Sea near Surat (Gujarat).
हिंदी Trick:
Narmada & Tapi – दोनों पश्चिम की ओर बहती हैं और Arabian Sea में गिरती हैं – यह exam favourite है।
3.2 East-Flowing Rivers (Bay of Bengal)
Godavari
- Origin: near Nasik (Maharashtra).
- Often called “Dakshin Ganga” (Ganga of the South).
- Flows eastwards across Maharashtra, Telangana, AP → Bay of Bengal.
- Origin: near Mahabaleshwar (Maharashtra).
- Flows through Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, AP → Bay of Bengal.
- Origin: Brahmagiri hills (Karnataka).
- Flows through Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
- Forms a fertile delta in Tamil Nadu → Bay of Bengal.
- Origin: Chhattisgarh region.
- Flows through Chhattisgarh and Odisha → Bay of Bengal.
हिंदी Short Summary:
East-flowing & Bay of Bengal में गिरने वाली चार मुख्य Peninsular rivers:
Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri, Mahanadi – इनसे बड़े-बड़े delta बनते हैं।
4. Importance of Rivers to India
- Source of drinking water and irrigation.
- Support agriculture → food security.
- Provide hydroelectric power (dams).
- Used for transport, fishing, tourism.
- Many cities (Delhi, Kolkata, Varanasi, Patna, Guwahati) are located on river banks.
हिंदी: भारत की civilization ही नदियों के किनारे पली-बढ़ी – Indus valley civilization से लेकर आज के बड़े शहरों तक।
📘 Practice Questions (NDA Style)
1. The Ganga originates from which glacier (main stream Bhagirathi)?
a) Siachen b) Gangotri c) Zemu d) Pindari
2. The “Dakshin Ganga” (Ganga of the South) is the:
a) Kaveri b) Godavari c) Krishna d) Mahanadi
3. The river which flows in a rift valley between the Vindhya and Satpura ranges is:
a) Narmada b) Ganga c) Yamuna d) Godavari
4. The Brahmaputra is known as Tsangpo in:
a) India b) Bangladesh c) Tibet d) Myanmar
5. Most of the Himalayan rivers are:
a) Seasonal only b) Perennial (snow and rain fed) c) Desert streams d) Only rain-fed
a) Siachen b) Gangotri c) Zemu d) Pindari
2. The “Dakshin Ganga” (Ganga of the South) is the:
a) Kaveri b) Godavari c) Krishna d) Mahanadi
3. The river which flows in a rift valley between the Vindhya and Satpura ranges is:
a) Narmada b) Ganga c) Yamuna d) Godavari
4. The Brahmaputra is known as Tsangpo in:
a) India b) Bangladesh c) Tibet d) Myanmar
5. Most of the Himalayan rivers are:
a) Seasonal only b) Perennial (snow and rain fed) c) Desert streams d) Only rain-fed
Answers:
1 – b) Gangotri
2 – b) Godavari
3 – a) Narmada
4 – c) Tibet
5 – b) Perennial (snow and rain fed)
1 – b) Gangotri
2 – b) Godavari
3 – a) Narmada
4 – c) Tibet
5 – b) Perennial (snow and rain fed)
Quick Recap | सार
Now you should be able to:
- Recall the most important ideas of this topic.
- Solve typical NDA-style questions from this chapter.
- Spot and avoid common traps used in competitive exams.
Self-check: 3–4 random questions उठा कर देखिए – अगर आसानी से हो रहे हैं, तो chapter strong है।
Common Exam Mistakes | आम गलतियाँ
- Concept ठीक से clear न करना और सीधे रटने की कोशिश करना।
- Question पूरी तरह पढ़े बिना answer mark कर देना।
- Figures, dates, या formulas को last step में verify न करना।
NDA में smart strategy यह है कि आसान वाले सवाल पहले, doubtful बाद में – और silly mistakes से बचना सबसे ज़रूरी है।