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Himalayan River System

Drainage Pattern

Drainage pattern refers to the system of flow of surface water mainly through rivers and basins.

Depends on slope of land, geological structure, water volume, and velocity.

Different Drainage Patterns

• Dendritic: Resembles a tree's branching roots. Tributaries join at acute angles. E.g., Indus, Ganga, Brahmaputra.
• Trellis: Primary tributaries parallel, secondary at right angles. E.g., Upper Himalayan rivers.
• Radial: Radiates from a central high point. E.g., Narmada, Son, Mahanadi.
• Centripetal: Flows toward a central depression. E.g., Loktak Lake.

Indian Drainage System

Classified as: Himalayan and Peninsular River Systems.

Himalayan River System

Perennial, from Himalayan glaciers, long courses. E.g., Indus, Ganga, Brahmaputra.

Peninsular River System

Ephemeral, shorter courses. E.g., Narmada, Tapi, Godavari, Krishna.

Indus River System

Map 1: Indus River System

Length: 2,880 km (1,114 km in India)

Origin: Bokhar Chu Glacier (Tibet), Kailash range, enters India at Demchok (Ladakh).

Flows through: China → India → Pakistan

Drains into: Arabian Sea

In Tibet: Known as 'Singi Khamban' (Lion's mouth).

Tributaries:

• Left Bank: Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, Sutlej
• Right Bank: Shyok, Gilgit, Hunza
• Leh on Indus banks.

Indus Water Treaty (1960)

Signed India-Pakistan, suspended 2025. Allocates Western Rivers (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab) to Pakistan, Eastern (Ravi, Beas, Sutlej) to India.

Ganga River System

Map 2: Ganga River System

Length: 2,525 km, largest basin.

Origin: Gangotri Glacier (Uttarakhand)

Drains into: Bay of Bengal (National river since 2008).

Antecedent rivers: Sutlej, Kosi, Indus, Ganga.

Tributaries:

• Jhelum: Origin Verinag, Srinagar, Wular Lake.
• Chenab: Chandra + Bhaga, Origin Baralacha La, largest tributary.
• Ravi: Origin Rohtang Pass, transboundary.
• Beas: Origin Rohtang, joins near Harike.
• Sutlej: Origin Rakshastal, enters via Shipki La, longest tributary.

Brahmaputra River System

Map 3: Brahmaputra River System

Length: 2,900 km

Origin: Angsi Glacier (Tibet), Mhow Plateau.

Badland topography, Tributaries: Banas, Shipra, Kalisindh, Parvati.

Passes through: Uttarakhand, UP, West Bengal (Kanpur → Patna).

Prayags

• Devprayag: Alaknanda + Bhagirathi
• Rudraprayag: Alaknanda + Mandakini
• Karnaprayag: Alaknanda + Pindar
• Nandaprayag: Alaknanda + Nandakini
• Vishnuprayag: Alaknanda + Dhauliganga

Ganga splits into Padma and Bhagirathi-Hugli, meets Brahmaputra to form Meghna.

Farakka Agreement (1996)

Treaty India-Bangladesh, shares Ganges at Farakka Barrage. Tributaries: Mayurkashi, Kangsabati.

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