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Quick recap: the drainage of India on one page

தமிழில் விளக்கம்

Drainage of India · Quick recap · Fact-checked on 8 November 2026 · how we check

Written with AI from the sources listed at the bottom of this page, then fact-checked by a separate AI.

All four parts condensed for quick revision: drainage patterns and the Indus; the Ganga and Brahmaputra; the peninsular rivers; and lakes and the management of river water.

Each idea is explained first in Tamil (தமிழ்), ending with the English and Hindi exam terms, followed by the same point in exam English. UPSC Prelims is in English or Hindi, so understand it in Tamil and revise it in English.

ஆறுகளுக்கு இரண்டு குடும்பங்கள். ஒவ்வோர் ஆற்றுக்கும் ஒரு வடிநிலம், அவற்றுக்கிடையே நீர்ப்பிரிமேடு — வீட்டுக் கூரையின் நடுக்கோடு போல, எந்தப் பக்கம் சரிகிறதோ அங்கே நீர். சிந்து-கங்கை அம்பாலா அருகே பிரிகின்றன, தீபகற்பத்தில் மேற்குத் தொடர்ச்சி மலை. இமயமலை ஆறுகள் பனி, மழையால் ஆண்டு முழுதும்; தீபகற்ப ஆறுகள் மழையால் மட்டும். அமைப்புகள் கீழுள்ள பாறையைப் பொறுத்து: மரக்கிளை போல, வலை போல, அமர்கண்டக்கிலிருந்து வெளியே, லோக்டாக் நோக்கி உள்ளே. (→ English: drainage basin; water divide · हिन्दी: अपवाह द्रोणी; जल विभाजक)

In exam EnglishIndia's rivers form two families. Every river drains a drainage basin, and basins are separated by a water divide: the Indus and Ganga systems part on a barely raised strip of plain near Ambala, and in the Peninsula the Western Ghats are the main divide. The Ganga basin is the largest in India. Himalayan rivers are fed by snow and rain, so they flow all year, cut deep gorges and build large deltas; the Indus, Satluj and Brahmaputra are antecedent, older than the mountains they cross. Peninsular rivers are fed by rain alone, flow in old, graded valleys and seldom change course. Drainage patterns reflect the rock below: dendritic on uniform rock, trellis on folded rock, radial outward from Amarkantak and centripetal inward to Loktak.

Drainage of India at a glance
Part	Core content	Most-tested points
1. Patterns and the Indus	Basins, divides, patterns; Indus and its five tributaries	Antecedent rivers; Chandra + Bhaga = Chenab; Beas wholly in India; eastern rivers to India (1960)
2. Ganga and Brahmaputra	Headstreams, course and tributaries; Tsangpo-Siang-Brahmaputra	Panch Prayag order; Gomti plains-fed; Kosi and Damodar 'sorrows'; Jamuna and Padma in Bangladesh
3. Peninsular rivers	East-flowing deltas, west-flowing estuaries, waterfalls	Plateau tilts east; Narmada and Tapi rift valleys; Pranhita joins the Godavari; Jog on the Sharavati
4. Lakes and management	Lake types and major lakes; interlinking; tribunals; treaties	Wular, Loktak, Sambhar, Lonar, Chilika; Ken-Betwa; Article 262; Ganga and Mahakali treaties (1996)

முதல் பகுதி, சிந்து: திபெத்தில் மானசரோவர் அருகே பிறந்து லடாக் வழியே பாகிஸ்தானுக்கு. துணையாறுகள்: ஜீலம் (வெரிநாக், வுலர்), செனாப் (சந்திரா+பாகா, மிகப்பெரியது), ராவி, பியாஸ் (முழுதும் இந்தியாவில்), சட்லெஜ் (ஷிப்கி லா, பக்ரா). 1960 சிந்து ஒப்பந்தம் — வீட்டின் முன் மூன்று, பின் மூன்று குழாய்களைப் பங்கிட்டது போல: கிழக்கு ஆறுகள் இந்தியாவுக்கு, மேற்கு ஆறுகள் பாகிஸ்தானுக்கு. 2025 ஏப்ரலில் இந்தியா அதை நிறுத்தி வைத்தது. (→ English: Indus Waters Treaty · हिन्दी: सिंधु जल संधि)

In exam EnglishPart 1, the Indus system: the Indus rises in Tibet near Mansarovar, flows through Ladakh between the Ladakh and Zaskar ranges, cuts a gorge near Nanga Parbat and enters Pakistan. Its Punjab tributaries are the Jhelum (from Verinag, through Srinagar and Wular), the Chenab (formed by the Chandra and Bhaga at Tandi, the largest tributary), the Ravi, the Beas (the only one wholly in India, joining the Satluj at Harike) and the Satluj (from near Rakas Tal, entering India at Shipki La, dammed at Bhakra). Under the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960, signed at Karachi with the World Bank's help, the eastern rivers (Ravi, Beas, Satluj) went to India and the western rivers (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab) to Pakistan. India held the treaty in abeyance in April 2025.

இரண்டாம் பகுதி: பாகீரதியும் அலக்நந்தாவும் தேவப்பிரயாகில் இணைந்து கங்கை — இரண்டு சிறு சாலைகள் சேர்ந்து நெடுஞ்சாலை ஆவது போல. ஹரித்வார், கான்பூர், பிரயாக்ராஜ் (யமுனை சேர்கிறது), வாரணாசி, பாட்னா, பராக்கா, வங்கதேசத்தில் பத்மா. இடக்கரை ராம்கங்கா, கோமதி, காக்ரா, கண்டக், கோசி; வலக்கரை யமுனை, சோன், தாமோதர். பிரம்மபுத்திரா திபெத்தில் த்சாங்போ, அருணாச்சலில் சியாங், அசாமில் மஜூலித் தீவு, வங்கதேசத்தில் ஜமுனா. கங்கை 2008இல் தேசிய நதி. (→ English: Ganga, Brahmaputra · हिन्दी: गंगा, ब्रह्मपुत्र)

In exam EnglishPart 2, the Ganga and Brahmaputra: the Bhagirathi (from Gaumukh at the Gangotri glacier) and the Alaknanda meet at Devprayag to form the Ganga, the Alaknanda having passed Vishnuprayag, Nandprayag, Karnaprayag and Rudraprayag on the way. The Ganga flows past Haridwar, Kanpur, Prayagraj (where the Yamuna joins), Varanasi and Patna to the Farakka barrage and on into Bangladesh as the Padma. Left-bank tributaries include the Ramganga, Gomti, Ghaghara, Gandak and Kosi; right-bank ones include the Yamuna (with the Chambal, Betwa and Ken), the Son and the Damodar. The Brahmaputra rises as the Tsangpo in Tibet, turns at the Great Bend near Namcha Barwa, enters Arunachal Pradesh as the Siang, forms Majuli island in Assam and becomes the Jamuna in Bangladesh. The Ganga became the National River in 2008.

மூன்றாம் பகுதி: பீடபூமி கிழக்கே சரிந்திருப்பதால் கோதாவரி, கிருஷ்ணா, காவிரி மேற்குத் தொடர்ச்சி மலையில் பிறந்தாலும் வங்காள விரிகுடா சேர்ந்து டெல்டா அமைக்கின்றன; மகாநதியும் (ஹிராகுட்). மேசையின் ஒரு பக்கத்தைத் தூக்கினால் நீர் மறுபக்கம் வழிவது போல. நர்மதா, தபதி பிளவுப் பள்ளத்தாக்குகளில் மேற்கே, கழிமுகங்கள். மேற்குத் தொடர்ச்சி மலையின் சிறு ஆறுகள் அருவிகள்: சராவதியில் ஜோக், மாண்டோவியில் தூத்சாகர், இந்திராவதியில் சித்ரகூட், நர்மதாவில் துவாந்தார். (→ English: peninsular rivers · हिन्दी: प्रायद्वीपीय नदियाँ)

In exam EnglishPart 3, the peninsular rivers: because the plateau tilts east, the Godavari (from Trimbakeshwar, the largest peninsular river), the Krishna (from near Mahabaleshwar, with the Tungabhadra and Bhima) and the Kaveri (from Talakaveri in Kodagu, fed by both monsoons) rise in the Western Ghats yet reach the Bay of Bengal and build deltas, as does the Mahanadi with the Hirakud dam. The Narmada (from Amarkantak, between the Vindhya and Satpura) and the Tapi flow west through rift valleys and end in estuaries. The short Western Ghats rivers fall steeply and make waterfalls: Jog on the Sharavati, Dudhsagar on the Mandovi; Chitrakote is on the Indravati and Dhuandhar on the Narmada.

நான்காம் பகுதி: வுலர் மிகப்பெரிய நன்னீர் ஏரி, லோக்டாக் வடகிழக்கில் பெரியது (மிதக்கும் பூங்கா), சாம்பார் உப்பு ஏரி, லோனார் எரிகல் பள்ளம், சிலிகா மிகப்பெரிய உவர்நீர்க் காயல். நதிகள் இணைப்பு 1980 திட்டம், முதலாவது கென்-பெட்வா. மாநிலச் சண்டைகள் பிரிவு 262இன் கீழ் தீர்ப்பாயம் — ஊர்ப் பஞ்சாயத்து போல; காவிரி 2018இல் உச்ச நீதிமன்றத்தில் முடிந்தது. வங்கதேசத்துடன் கங்கை, நேபாளத்துடன் மகாகாளி ஒப்பந்தங்கள் (1996). (→ English: lagoon; tribunal · हिन्दी: लैगून; अधिकरण)

In exam EnglishPart 4, lakes and water management: Wular is the largest freshwater lake in India, Loktak (with its phumdis and the floating Keibul Lamjao park) the largest in the north-east, Sambhar the largest inland salt lake, Lonar a meteorite crater lake, and Chilika the largest brackish-water lagoon. River interlinking follows the National Perspective Plan of 1980, and the Ken-Betwa link in Bundelkhand is its first project, with the Panna Tiger Reserve as the main concern. Disputes between states go to a tribunal under Article 262 and the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956; the Kaveri case ended in a Supreme Court judgment in February 2018. India shares the Ganga with Bangladesh under the 1996 treaty and the Mahakali with Nepal under the 1996 treaty.

Exam traps

The Indus-Ganga water divide is a barely raised strip of plain near Ambala, not a mountain range; in the Peninsula the main divide is the Western Ghats.
Under the Indus Waters Treaty the EASTERN rivers (Ravi, Beas, Satluj) went to India and the WESTERN rivers (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab) to Pakistan; the Chenab is western even though it rises in India.
The Alaknanda, not the Bhagirathi, passes four of the five prayags; the river is called the Ganga only below Devprayag.
Kosi = 'sorrow of Bihar'; Damodar = 'sorrow of Bengal'. In Bangladesh the Brahmaputra is the Jamuna and the Ganga is the Padma.
The Narmada and the Tapi flow west through rift valleys and end in estuaries, not deltas; the Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri rise in the Western Ghats yet flow east.
Wular, not Dal, is India's largest freshwater lake; Lonar is a meteorite crater lake, not a volcanic one; Kolleru is freshwater, not a lagoon.
Article 262 lets Parliament keep courts out of inter-state water disputes, yet the Supreme Court heard appeals in the Kaveri case and ruled in February 2018.

Recap

Basins and divides: Indus-Ganga divide near Ambala; Western Ghats in the Peninsula; Ganga basin largest.
Himalayan rivers: snow- and rain-fed, perennial, gorges, deltas; Indus, Satluj, Brahmaputra antecedent. Peninsular rivers: rain-fed, graded valleys.
Indus system: Jhelum (Wular), Chenab (Chandra + Bhaga), Ravi, Beas (wholly in India), Satluj (Shipki La, Bhakra); Indus Waters Treaty 1960, in abeyance since April 2025.
Ganga: Bhagirathi + Alaknanda at Devprayag; Yamuna at Prayagraj; Farakka; Padma. Brahmaputra: Tsangpo, Siang, Majuli, Jamuna.
Peninsula: Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri, Mahanadi flow east to deltas; Narmada and Tapi flow west through rift valleys to estuaries; Jog on the Sharavati.
Lakes: Wular, Loktak (Keibul Lamjao), Sambhar, Lonar, Chilika, Pulicat, Kolleru, Vembanad.
Management: National Perspective Plan 1980, Ken-Betwa first link; Article 262 and the 1956 Act; Kaveri judgment February 2018; Ganga (Bangladesh) and Mahakali (Nepal) treaties 1996.

Practice questions

Q1. Which of the following rivers is/are antecedent, that is, older than the Himalaya they cross?
1. Indus
2. Satluj
3. Gomti
Select the correct answer using the code given below.

1 only
1 and 2 only
2 and 3 only
1, 2 and 3

Show answer

Answer: B. 1 and 2 only

The Indus and the Satluj are antecedent rivers that cut gorges as the Himalaya rose. The Gomti rises in the plains of Pilibhit district and does not cross the Himalaya, so options with 3 are wrong, and '1 only' leaves out the Satluj.

Q2. Consider the following statements about the Indus Waters Treaty, 1960:
1. The Ravi, Beas and Satluj were allotted to India.
2. The Chenab, because it rises in India, was allotted to India.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1 only
2 only
Both 1 and 2
Neither 1 nor 2

Show answer

Answer: A. 1 only

Statement 1 is correct: the eastern rivers went to India. Statement 2 is wrong: the Chenab is a western river allotted to Pakistan, with limited Indian use. So '2 only' and 'Both' are wrong, and 'Neither' rejects the true first statement.

Q3. At which of the following places do the Bhagirathi and the Alaknanda meet to form the Ganga?

Rudraprayag
Karnaprayag
Devprayag
Vishnuprayag

Show answer

Answer: C. Devprayag

The Bhagirathi joins the Alaknanda at Devprayag, the last of the five prayags. Rudraprayag is where the Mandakini joins, Karnaprayag where the Pindar joins and Vishnuprayag where the Dhauliganga joins.

Q4. Match List I (river) with List II (name or description):
A. Kosi
B. Damodar
C. Brahmaputra in Bangladesh
D. Ganga in Bangladesh
1. Padma
2. Jamuna
3. Sorrow of Bengal
4. Sorrow of Bihar
Select the correct answer using the code given below.

A-4, B-3, C-2, D-1
A-3, B-4, C-2, D-1
A-4, B-3, C-1, D-2
A-3, B-4, C-1, D-2

Show answer

Answer: A. A-4, B-3, C-2, D-1

The Kosi is the sorrow of Bihar, the Damodar the sorrow of Bengal; in Bangladesh the Brahmaputra is the Jamuna and the Ganga the Padma. The second code swaps the two sorrows; the third swaps Jamuna and Padma; the fourth swaps both pairs.

Q5. Consider the following statements:
1. The Narmada and the Tapi flow west through rift valleys and form estuaries.
2. The Godavari rises in the Eastern Ghats and is the largest peninsular river.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1 only
2 only
Both 1 and 2
Neither 1 nor 2

Show answer

Answer: A. 1 only

Statement 1 is correct. Statement 2 is wrong: the Godavari is the largest peninsular river but rises at Trimbakeshwar in the Western Ghats. So '2 only' and 'Both' are wrong, and 'Neither' rejects the true first statement.

Q6. Jog Falls, one of India's best-known waterfalls, is on which river?

Mandovi
Indravati
Sharavati
Narmada

Show answer

Answer: C. Sharavati

Jog Falls is on the Sharavati in Karnataka. The Mandovi has Dudhsagar, the Indravati has Chitrakote and the Narmada has Dhuandhar.

Q7. Consider the following pairs:
1. Lonar — meteorite crater lake
2. Kolleru — brackish-water lagoon
3. Loktak — phumdis
Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?

1 and 2 only
1 and 3 only
2 and 3 only
1, 2 and 3

Show answer

Answer: B. 1 and 3 only

Pairs 1 and 3 are correct. Pair 2 is wrong: Kolleru is a freshwater lake between the Godavari and Krishna deltas; Chilika and Pulicat are the lagoons. So every option containing pair 2 is wrong.

Q8. Consider the following statements:
1. The Ken-Betwa link is the first project under the National Perspective Plan to be taken up for construction.
2. Inter-state river water disputes are settled by tribunals set up under the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1 only
2 only
Both 1 and 2
Neither 1 nor 2

Show answer

Answer: C. Both 1 and 2

Both statements are correct, so '1 only' and '2 only' each leave out a true statement and 'Neither' rejects both.

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Sources

Central Water Commission, Ministry of Jal Shakti, and India-WRIS: river basin atlas of India and basin reports of the Himalayan and peninsular rivers — https://cwc.gov.in
Survey of India, Department of Science and Technology: physical map of India showing rivers and lakes — https://surveyofindia.gov.in
The Indus Waters Treaty, 1960, between India and Pakistan (signed at Karachi, 19 September 1960) — https://www.mea.gov.in
Ministry of External Affairs: decision of 23 April 2025 to hold the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance; Ganga Water Treaty (1996) and Mahakali Treaty (1996) — https://www.mea.gov.in
National Mission for Clean Ganga, Ministry of Jal Shakti: the Ganga as National River (2008) and the Namami Gange programme — https://nmcg.nic.in
National Water Development Agency, Ministry of Jal Shakti: the National Perspective Plan (1980) and the Ken-Betwa link — https://nwda.gov.in
Constitution of India, Article 262 — https://legislative.gov.in/constitution-of-india/
Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956; Supreme Court of India, State of Karnataka v. State of Tamil Nadu (16 February 2018) — https://jalshakti-dowr.gov.in
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change: India's Ramsar sites and Keibul Lamjao National Park — https://moef.gov.in