Class IX Ch 3-Drainage

Geography Notes
Answer the following questions.
1) What is meant by a water divide? Give an example.
Any elevated area that are separated by two drainage basins such upland is called a water divide. (eg) Ambala
(Indus & Ganga)
2) Which is the largest river basin in India?
The Ganga River Basin
3) Where do the rivers Indus and Ganga have their origin?
In the Himalayas
4) Name the two headstreams of the Ganga. Where do they meet to form the Ganga?
Bhagirathi and Alaknanda are the two headstreams of Ganga. They meet at Devprayag to form the Ganga.
5) Why does the Brahmaputra in its Tibetan part have less silt, despite a longer course?
Since Tibet is a cold and dry area, so Brahmaputra in this part carries less silt despite having a longer course.
6) Which two peninsular rivers flow through trough?
Narmada and Tapi
7) State some economic benefits of rivers and lakes.
Lake can be used for generating hydroelectricity. A lake can be a good tourist attraction. Rivers have been the
centre of human civilization since ancient times. Even today, many big cities are situated on the bank of
a river. River water is used for irrigation, navigation, hydroelectricity, fisheries, etc.
8) List some natural and manmade lakes of India.
Natur Q'sal Lakes: Wular, Dal, Bhimtal, Loktak, Barapani, Chilika, Sambhar, Pulicat
Man-made Lakes: Gobind Sagar, Rana Pratap Sagar, Nizam Sagar, Nagarjuna Sagar, Hirakud
9) Differentiate between the Himalayan and the Peninsular Rivers.

S.No Himalayan Rivers Peninsular Rivers

1 Originate from the Himalayas Originate in the mountains of Deccan Plateau

2 Most of the rivers have long course Most of the rivers have shorter course

3 Rivers are perennial Rivers are rain fed and dry up during summer

4 Have larger basins Have smaller basins

5 (eg) Ganga, Yamuna, Brahmaputra (eg) Narmada, Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri

10) Compare the east flowing and the west flowing rivers of the peninsular plateau.
The east flowing rivers of the peninsular part drain into Bay of Bengal and form deltas at their
 mouths. The west flowing rivers drain into Arabian Sea and form estuaries. Most of the east
flowing rivers are longer, compared to the west flowing rivers.
11) Why are rivers important for the country’s economy?
Rivers are the major source of water for irrigation and hence are important for a country where farming is still
the occupation of the largest portion of population. Many major rivers serve as important channels for
transporting goods and people and thus play important role in the supply chain. Many multipurpose
projects have been built on most of the major rivers in India. Rivers are important source of fish to a
large population.
12) Explain the various Drainage Patterns. (Draw the diagram from the book Pg18)
Depending on the slope of land, underlying rock structure and climate of an area, the streams in a drainage
basin form certain patters. Different types of drainage pattern are as follows:
a. Dendritic Drainage Pattern: When the river channel follows the slope of the terrain, it develops
dendritic pattern. The stream and its tributaries resemble the branches of a tree. Hence, it is called
dendritic pattern.
b. Trellis Drainage Pattern: When a river is joined by its tributaries at almost right angles, it develops a
trellis pattern. Trellis pattern develops where hard and soft rocks exist parallel to each other.
c. Rectangular Drainage Pattern: When rocks are strongly joined, then rectangular pattern develops.
d. Radial Drainage Pattern: When the streams flow in different directions from a central peak or dome
like structure, a radial pattern is developed.

13) Give the short notes for the following.

a) The Indus River System:
● The river Indus originates in Tibet, near Lake Mansarowar. It enters India in the Ladakh district of
Jammu & Kashmir.
● Zaskar, Nubra, Shyok and Hunza are the main tributaries which join the Indus in Kashmir region.
● After flowing through Baltistan and Gilgit, the Indus emerges from the mountains at Attock.
● Sutlej, Beas, Ravi, Chenab and Jhelum join together and enter the Indus near Mithankot in Pakistan.
After that, the Indus flows southwards and finally reaches the Arabian Sea, east of Karachi.
● Indus is 2900 km long. The Indus plain has a very gentle slope. One-third of the Indus basin is located
in India; in the states of Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab. The rest of the portion is in
Pakistan.
b) The Ganga River System
● The headwaters of Ganga are called Bhagirathi. It is fed by the Gangotri Glacier. It is joined by
Alaknanda at Devprayag in Uttarakhand.
● Ganga emerges from the mountains on to the plains at Haridwar.
● Yamuna, Ghaghra, Gandak and Kosi are the major tributaries of Ganga. Yamuna originates from the
Yamunotri Glacier in the Himalayas. It meets Ganga at Allahabad.
● Gaghra, Gandak and Kosi rise in the Nepal Himalaya.
● Chambal, Betwa and Son are the major tributaries which come from the peninsular uplands.
● After taking waters from various tributaries, Ganga flows towards east till Farakka (West Bengal). The
river bifurcates at Farakka. The Bhagirathi-Hooghly (a distributary) flows towards south to the Bay of
Bengal.
● The mainstream flows southwards into Bangladesh; where it is joined by the Brahmaputra. It is known
as Meghna; further downstream.
● Finally, the Ganga and the Brahmaputra flows into the Bay of Bengal forming the Sunder ban Delta.
The total length of Ganga is 2500 km.
c) The Brahmaputra River System
 ● The Brahmaputra rises in Tibet; east of Mansarowar lake. It is a little longer than the Indus. Most of the
course of the Brahmaputra lies outside India. It flows eastwards parallel to the Himalayas.
● After reaching Namcha Barwa, it enters India in Arunachal Pradesh through a gorge. It is known as
Dihang in this region. It is joined by Dibang, Lohit, Kenula and many other tribuatries and finally
forms the Brahmaputra in Assam.
● Unlike other north Indian rivers the Brahmaputra gets huge deposits of silt on its bed. This results in
rising of the river bed. It also shifts its channel frequently.
d) The Narmada Basin
The Narmada rises in the Amarkantak hills in the Madhya Pradesh. The Narmada basin covers parts of
Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. All the tributaries of the Narmada are very short. Most of the tributaries
join the Narmada at right angles.
e) The Tapi Basin
The Tapi rises in the Satpura ranges, in Betul district of Madhya Pradesh. The basin of Tapi covers parts of
Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra.
f) The Godavari Basin
This is the longest Peninsular river. Its drainage basin is also the largest among the peninsular river basins.
The Godavari is about 1500 km long. It originates from the slopes of the Western Ghats in Nasik
district of Maharashtra and drains into the Bay of Bengal. The Godavari basin covers parts of
Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa and Andhra Pradesh. Purna, Wardha, Pranhita, Manjra,
Waiganga and Penganga are the main tributaries of Godavari.
g) The Mahanadi Basin
This river originates in the highlands of Chhattisgarh and drains into the Bay of Bengal. It is about 860 km
long. The Mahanadi basin covers Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Orissa.
h) The Krishna Basin
The Krishna originates near Mahabaleshwar and drains into the Bay of Bengal. It is about 1400 km long.
Tungbhadra, Koyana, Ghatprabha, Musi and Bhima are some of its tributaries. The Krishna basin
covers Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
i) The Kaveri Basin
The Kaveri originates in the Brahmagiri range of the Western Ghats and drains into the Bay of Bengal. It is
about 760 km long. Amravati, Bhavani, Hemavati and Kabini are its main tributaries. The Kavery basin
covers Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
14) What are lakes and write down the types & the importance of lakes.
A large water body which is surrounded by land is called a lake. Most of the lakes are permanent, while some
contain water only during the rainy season. Lakes are formed by the action of glaciers and ice sheets, by
wind, river action and by human activities.
Ox-bow Lake: A lake formed when a meandering river is cut off from the mainstream. The shape of this lake
resembles an ox-bow.
Lagoon: When the lake is formed by spits and bars in coastal areas, it is called a lagoon. Chilika lake, Pulicat
lake, Kolleru lake, etc. are examples of lagoon.
Glacial Lake: A lake formed by melting of glacier is called a glacial lake. Most of the lakes in the Himalayan
region are glacial lakes. (eg) Wular lake (Jammu & Kashmir) is the largest freshwater lake in India. It
was formed by tectonic activity.
Benefits of a Lake: A lake helps in preventing flood by regulating the flow of river. During dry seasons, a lake
helps to maintain an even flow of the river. Lakes can also be used for generating hydel power.
15) Differentiate between Delta & Estuary.

S.No Delta Estuary

 1 Triangular deposits at the mouth of the river.Sharp edged mouth of rivers devoid of any deposits.

2 Formed in the regions of low tides. Formed in the regions of high tides.

3 Make the land very fertile Does not make the land fertile.

4 Eg-Ganga, Brahmaputra, Kaveri etc Eg- Narmada, Tapi

16) Why water has become scarce and how it is contaminated?

71% of the world’s surface is covered with water, but 97% of that is salt water. Only 3% of fresh water is
available on the earth and three quarters of it is trapped as ice. The growing domestic, municipal,
industrial and agricultural demand for water from rivers naturally affects the quality of water. As a result,
more and more water is drained out of the rivers reducing their volume. On the other hand, a heavy load
of untreated sewage & industrial effluents are emptied into the rivers. This affects not only the quality of
the water but also the self cleansing capacity of the river. Moreover the polluted river water affects our
health and the animals that live in water.