Drainage System and other water forms

The Galwan valley is the land that sits between steep mountains that buffet the Galwan River. The river has its source in Aksai Chin, on China’s side of the LAC, and it flows from the east to Ladakh, where it meets the Shyok River on India’s side of the LAC.

Statement 1 is incorrect. Kosi River drains the northern slopes of the Himalayas in the Tibet Autonomous Region and the southern slopes in Nepal before entering India.
It is also known as Saptakoshi for its seven upper tributaries. These include the Tamur Koshi, Arun River and Sun Koshi. The Sun Koshi’s tributaries from east to west are Dudh Koshi, Bhote Koshi, Tamba Koshi and Indravati Koshi.
Statement 2 is correct. The Saptakoshi crosses into northern Bihar where it branches into distributaries before joining the Ganges near Kursela in Katihar district.

Mekedatu Balancing Reservoir is a proposed gravity dam across Cauvery River in Karnataka. It aims to store 67 tmc water, a part of which will be pumped to Bengaluru and Kanakapura.
The project is estimated to submerge parts of Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary and adjoining reserve forests.
Tamil Nadu has been opposing the project claiming that it violates the decisions of the Supreme Court and the Cauvery Tribunal.

The Luhri Stage Hydro Electric Project is located on river Satluj in Shimla & Kullu districts of Himachal Pradesh.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by Prime Minister has approved the investment of Rs.1810.56 crore for 210 MW Luhri Stage-I Hydro Electric Project. This project will generate 758.20 million units of electricity annually.
This project is being implemented by Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (SJVNL) on Build-Own-Operate-Maintain (BOOM) basis with active support from Government of India and State Government.

Himachal Pradesh topography provides water to both the Indus and Ganges basins. The drainage systems of the region include the Chenab, the Ravi, the Beas, the Sutlej and the Yamuna River. These rivers are perennial and are fed by snow and rainfall.

Both statements are incorrect.
The Teesta River originates from the Pahunri (or Teesta Kangse) glacier above 7,068 m, and flows southward through gorges and rapids in the Sikkim Himalaya.
The river then flows past the town of Rangpo where the Rangpo River joins, and where it forms the border between Sikkim and West Bengal up to Teesta Bazaar. Just before the Teesta Bridge, where the roads from Kalimpong and Darjeeling join, the river is met by its main tributary, the Rangeet River.
Teesta River ultimately drains into Brahmaputra (Jamuna) at Teestamukh Ghat in Kamarjani- Bahadurabad in Rangpur district of Bangladesh.

Option 1 is correctly matched. The Srisailam Dam is constructed across the Krishna River in Kurnool district, Andhra Pradesh
Option 2 is correctly matched. The Jawahar Sagar Dam is the third dam (after Gandhi Sagar Dam and Rana Pratap Sagar Dam) in the series of Chambal Valley Projects on the Chambal River,
Option 3 is incorrectly matched. The Salal Dam is a run-of-the-river hydropower project on the Chenab River in the Reasi district of the Jammu and Kashmir. It was the first hydropower project built by India in Jammu and Kashmir under the Indus Water Treaty regime.

The Brahmaputra River; Bengali Jamuna, Tibetan Tsangpo, Chinese Yarlung Zangbo Jianga; along its course passes through the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, the Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, and Bangladesh.

# China’s media reported recently that authorities have given the go ­ahead for a Chi­nese hydropower company to construct the first down­stream dam on the lower reaches of the Brahmaputra river.

The Yamuna River originates from the Yamunotri Glacier near Banderpoonch peaks in the Mussourie range of the lower Himalayas at an elevation of about 6,387 meters above the mean sea level in district Uttarkashi (Uttarakhand).
The important tributaries of the Yamuna River are the Tons, the Chambal, the Hindon, the Sarda, the Betwa and the Ken. Smaller tributaries of the Yamuna River include Rishiganga, the Uma, the Hanuman Ganga, the Giri, the Karan, the Sagar and the Rind.
The main Yamuna and Tons are fed by glaciers, viz., the Bandar Punch Glacier and its branches and originate from the Great Himalayan range.
# CPCB monitors water quality of River Yamuna and drains discharging into the River.
CPCB has issued directions to Delhi Jal Board to submit time bound action plan to ensure compliance to norms by STPs and that no untreated sewage is discharged to these drains.

Brahmaputa River originates from Kailash ranges of Himalayas at an elevation of about 5150 m and flows for about 2900 km through Tibet (China), India and Bangladesh and joins the Ganga. The river Brahmaputra receives a number of tributaries at its north and south banks, in the catchment area in India.

# China has announced that it is planning to build a major hydropower project as a part of its 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25), on the Yarlung Zangbo River (upper stream of the Brahmputra) in Tibet.

The Kushiyara River is a distributary river in Bangladesh and Assam, India. It forms on the India-Bangladesh border as a branch of the Barak River, when the Barak separates into the Kushiyara and Surma. The Kushiyara flows westward forming the boundary between Assam, India, and the Sylhet District of Bangladesh.
At the India-Bangladesh Virtual Summit Bangladesh requested India to inform its border authorities to allow excavation work of the remaining portion of the Rahimpur Khal for utilization of Kushiyara River waters for irrigation purposes. India was also requested to provide early concurrence on the proposed MoU to be signed between the two countries for monitoring the withdrawal of water from the Kushiyara River by both the sides, pending signing of the Treaty/Agreement regarding sharing of water of the Kushiyara River.

Turkey is bounded on the north by the Black Sea, on the northeast by Georgia and Armenia, on the east by Azerbaijan and Iran, on the southeast by Iraq and Syria, on the southwest and west by the Mediterranean Sea and the Aegean Sea, and on the northwest by Greece and Bulgaria.

The Rajasthan Bagar region (Bagar refers to the semi-desert area which is

west of Aravallis. Bagar has a thin layer of sand. It is drained by Luni in the south whereas

the northern section has a number of salt lakes) have a number of short seasonal streams

which originate from the Aravallis. These streams support agriculture in some fertile

patches called Rohi.

Tripura is a north-eastern state of India. It has many rivers. The name of the

main 11 rivers of Tripura are: Bijay, Deo, Dhalai, Feni, Gumti, Haora, Juri , Khowai,

Longai, Manu, Muhuri.

• All rivers are originated from hill ranges of Tripura and they are totally rain fed.

Truly speaking all rivers of Tripura is ephemeral.

• They are not comfortable for boat. They generate an annual flow of almost 793

million cubic meter of water. Fenni and Langai are shared by two Indian states,

Tripura and Mizoram.

• Agartala , the capital of Tripura is on the bank of the river Haora. Almost all rivers of

Tripura flow into Bangladesh. The Khowai, Dhalai, Manu, Juri and Longai flow

towards the north.

• The Gumti, Howra flow towards the west. The Muhuri and Feni flow towards the

south west.

The World Records has declared Majuli in Assam as the largest river island in

the world. It has toppled Marajo in Brazil to clinch the record. The beautiful river island is

situated on the Brahmaputra River.

Here is all that you should know about Majuli:

1. It is formed by Brahmaputra River in the south and Kherkutia Xuti, an anabranch of the

Brahmaputra, joined by the Subansiri River in the north.

2. The island is inhabited by Mising tribes, Deori and Sonowal Kachri tribes.
3. The people of the island speak Mising, Assamese and Deori language.
4. It covers an area of around 880 sq km.
5. It is one of the important tourist destinations of Assam.
6. Due to the frequent flooding of the Brahmaputra River, Majuli suffers heavy erosion. In

the last 30-40 years it is estimated that it has lost about one third of its area.

7. It is home to about 1,60,000 people
8. It is the hub of Assamese neo-Vaishnavite culture.
9. It was recently declared a district and was earlier a subdivision under Jorhat district.
10. It has been included in the tentative list of World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Stanley Reservoir: Stanley Reservoir is one of largest fishing reservoirs in South India. Its

main source of water is the River Kaveri. Three minor tributaries – Palar, Chennar and

Thoppar – enter the Kaveri on her course above Stanley Reservoir. The water is retained by

the Mettur Dam, Tamil Nadu.

Linganamakki Sagar: Water from the Linganamakki reservoir in Karnataka’s Sagar taluk is

being released into the Sharavathi River as the level is nearing it maximum capacity.

• The reservoir is the source for the Sharavathi hydel power project that has an

installed capacity to generate 1,469 MWpower that includes 1,035 MW from the

Sharavathi Generating Station, 240 MW from the Gerusoppa Power Station, 139 MW

from the Mahatma Gandhi Power House and 55 MW from the Linganamakki Dam

Power House.

• The Jog Falls, located downstream of Linganamakki reservoir where Sharavathi river

takes the plunge from a height of 830 ft, has regained its glory, owing to the

discharge of water.

Tso Moriri: Tso Moriri or Lake Moriri or “Mountain Lake”, is a lake in the Changthang

Plateau in Ladakh in Northern India. The lake and surrounding area are protected as the

Tso Moriri Wetland Conservation Reserve. The lake is at an altitude of 4,522 m.

Important waterfalls in India.

• Agaya Gangai Waterfall: Located in the Kolli Hills (Eastern Ghats, Tamil Nadu). It

provides serene solitude, and is a great attraction in the Tamil Nadu tourism. The

approach is, however, tortuous.

• Ayyanar Waterfall: It is situated in the Virudhunagar District of Tamil Nadu in the

Western Ghats. It gets water mainly during the retreating monsoon rain. The water

from the falls is mainly used for drinking purposes by the people of Rajapalayam. It

is a famous tourist spot for the people of neighbouring districts.

• Barakana Falls: Situated in the Shimoga District of Karnataka, Barakana is one of

the highest waterfalls of the country. Currently, Barkamna Falls are the prime

source of one of the hydro-electric projects of Karnataka.

• Dudhsagar (Goa): Dudhsagar (The Sea of Milk) is a tiered water fall located in the

upper reaches of Mandovi River in the state of Goa. It is a great attraction for the

national and international tourists.

• Duduma Waterfall (158 m): Situated about 92 km from Koraput, it lies on the

Machhkund River in Orissa. A large hydro-electric project has been constructed at

this waterfall. Machhkund is an important place for pilgrimage.

• Gokak Falls (53 m): They are located in the upper reaches of the Ghataprabha (a

tributary of the Krishna) in Belgaum District of Karnataka. The waterfall is about six

1. away from Gokak, a nearby town. It resembles to Niagra Falls. It is a great

attraction for the domestic and international tourists.

• Jog Falls (253 m): Located on the Sharavathi River in the Shimoga District of Karn’

ataka, they are the highest untiered waterfalls in India. Jog falls is one of the major

attractions in Karnataka tourism. It is also called by alternative names of Gerusoppe

Falls, Gersoppa Falls and Jogada Gundi.

• Kiliyur Falls: Kiliyur are the waterfalls in the Servary Hill of Eastern Ghats (Tamil

Nadu). Having an elevation of about 100 m, it is a great attraction in the tourism of

Tamil Nadu. Drainage 3.45.

• Kurtalam Falls Situated in the Tirunelveli District, Tamil Nadu, the Kurtalam

waterfalls is a great attraction for the domestic and international tourists.

• Lodh Waterfalls (also known as Buddha Ghagh Falls) :The Lodh Waterfalls are

located on the Budh River about 40 km from Ranchi (Jharkhand). The falls, named

Gautam Budha, also have a Buddha Temple there.

• Shivasamudram Waterfall: Shivasamudram Falls formerly known as the Cauvery

Falls are the second highest waterfall in India. It is located 80 km from Mysore and

120 km from Bangalore. It is a major attraction in Karnataka tourism.

The drainage pattern was already present before a period of uplift and folding that formed the present structure

• As the uplift took place, the rivers were able to cut down at approximately the same rate and so maintain their courses.

 This process is called antecedence and the drainage system thus developed is called antecedent drainage.

 Many of the Himalayan Rivers have antecedent origin i.e. these rivers existed even before the Himalayan ranges were uplifted.

 These rivers originate in the Tibetan side beyond the mountain ranges of Himalayas. The Indus, Satluj, Alaknanda, Gandak, Kosi, Brahmaputra all has an antecedent origin.

 Since these rivers are antecedent, they run transverse to the mountain ranges cutting deep V-shaped, steep-sided valleys (deep gorges).

Jog Falls, also called Gersoppa Falls, cataract of the Sharavati River, western Karnataka state, southwestern India. The Jog Falls are located 18 miles (29 km) upstream from Honavar at the river’s mouth on the Arabian Sea.

Rivers and their adjacent towns.

The Feni River, which forms part of the India-Bangladesh border, originates in the South Tripura district, passes through Sabroom town on the Indian side, and meets the Bay of Bengal after it flows into Bangladesh.

In November 2019 the Union Cabinet approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Bangladesh on the withdrawal of 1.82 cusecs (cubic feet per second) of water from the Feni River by India for a drinking water supply scheme for Sabroom town in Tripura.

The west flowing rivers of southern basin between Tadri to Kanyakumari extends over states of Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Union Territory of Puducherry having an area of 54,825 Sq. km, which is 1.66% of total geographical area of the country.

 The basin is bounded by Sahyadri hills on the north, by the Western Ghats on the east, by Indian Ocean on the south and by the Arabian Sea on the west.

 The basin is comprised of three sub-basins; Netravati and associated sub basin, Periyar and associated sub basin and Varrar and associated sub basin.

 The major independent rivers in the basin are Varahi, Netravati, Payaswani, Valapattanam, Chaliyar, Kadalundi, Bharathapuzha, Periyar, Muvattupula, Minachil, Pamba, Achankovil, Kallada and Vamanapuram.

Union Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the Sisseri River Bridge at Lower Dibang Valley in Arunachal Pradesh and called for bolstering the border infrastructure, saying that national security is the topmost priority of the government.
The 200-metre long bridge between Jonai-Pasighat-Ranaghat-Roing roads will provide connectivity between Dibang Valley and Siang to meet the long-pending demand of the people of Arunachal Pradesh as it would cut down the travel time from Pasighat to Roing by about five hours.

The Union Water Ministry has excavated an old, dried-up river in Prayagraj (formerly Allahabad) that linked the Ganga and Yamuna rivers.

•The “ancient buried river” as it was described at a conference organised by the Ministry, is around 4 km wide, 45 km long and consisted of a 15-metre-thick layer buried under soil.
• These paleochannels reveal the course of rivers that have ceased to exist.
• The aim is to develop it as a potential groundwater recharge source, according to officials at the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), a body under the Union Jal Shakti Ministry that coordinates the cleaning of the Ganga.

The National Green Tribunal has issued an order restraining Andhra Pradesh from proceeding further with the Godavari-Krishna-Penna river-linking project till the requisite environmental clearances and other permissions are taken under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
• The river valley projects require environmental clearance and also consent under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.
• The project could not be allowed till the requisite environmental requirements were met.

The Peninsular drainage system is older than the Himalayan one. This is evident from the broad, largely-graded shallow valleys, and the maturity of the rivers.
• The Western Ghats running close to the western coast act as the water divide between the major Peninsular Rivers, discharging their water in the Bay of Bengal and as small rivulets joining the Arabian Sea.
• Most of the major Peninsular Rivers except Narmada and Tapi flow from west to east. The Chambal, the Sind, the Betwa, the Ken, the Son, originating in the northern part of the Peninsula belong to the Ganga river system.
• The other major river systems of the peninsular drainage are – the Mahanadi the Godavari, the Krishna and the Kaveri. Peninsular rivers are characterised by fixed course, absence of meanders and non-perennial flow of water.
• The Narmada and the Tapi which flow through the rift valley are, however, exceptions.

A contentious decision of the Udaipur Urban Improvement Trust to redefine and protect the boundaries of the famous Pichola and Fateh Sagar lakes at their “full tank level” has led to 30% shrinkage in their size and reduced their submergence area to 4.5 sq. km and 2.5 sq. km, respectively.

 The subsequent construction activities on the lakefront land have changed their ecological character of the once beautiful lakes.

 The increasing threat to the lake ecosystem in the City of Lakes, which is a globally renowned tourist destination.

• The entire lake system , comprising Pichola, Fateh Sagar, Swaroop Sagar, Badi and Udai Sagar, should be restored to the “maximum water level” with the erection of pillars and the lakefront be left undisturbed for nesting and breeding activities of local and migratory birds.

Originating at village Koom Kalan of Ludhiana (Punjab) and running for 47 kms till Walipur Kalan where it merges with River Sutlej, this stream carrying fresh water was earlier known as ‘Buddha Dariya’.

 Over the years, the name got changed to Buddha Nullah (drain) owing to the sewage, industrial and domestic waste that is dumped into it in the 14-km stretch within Ludhiana city municipal corporation limits beginning from Tajpur road.

 There are three major sources polluting Buddha Nullah – untreated sewage waste from Ludhiana city Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs), untreated industrial effluents from 228 dyeing units, and 16 ‘outlets’, which are directly releasing sewage and industrial waste into the stream. Of these 16 outlets, 11 are “MC disposal points” through which the civic body is directly releasing untreated sewage waste into the stream.

Two-thirds of Himalayan glaciers, the world’s “Third Pole”, could melt by 2100 if global emissions are not reduced, scientists warned in a major new study issued in 2019.

 And even if the “most ambitious” Paris Agreement goal of limiting global warming to 1.5° C is achieved, one-third of the glaciers would go, according to the Hindu Kush Himalaya Assessment.

 Glaciers in the Hindu Kush-Himalaya (HKH) region are a critical water source for some 250 million people in the mountains as well as to 1.65 billion others in the river valleys below, the report said.

 The glaciers feed 10 of the world’s most important river systems, including the Indus, Ganges, Brahmaputra, Irrawaddy, Salween, Mekong, Yangtze, Yellow, Amu Darya and Tarim.

 And directly or indirectly supply billions of people with food, energy, clean air and income.

Chambal, Betwa, Ken and Son are the northward flowing rivers. Kosi originates in Tibet and flows southwards to merge in Ganga

The northern plains are formed by the alluvial deposits brought by the rivers – theIndus, the Ganga and the Brahmaputra.

 These plains extend approximately 3,200 km from the east to the west. The average width of these plains varies between 150-300 km.

 The maximum depth of alluvium deposits varies between 1,000-2,000 m. From the north to the south, these can be divided into three major zones: the Bhabar, the Tarai and the alluvial plains. The alluvial plains can be further divided into the Khadar and the Bhangar.

 Bhabar is a narrow belt ranging between 8-10 km parallel to the Shiwalik foothills at the break-up of the slope.

 As a result of this, the streams and rivers coming from the mountains deposit heavy materials of rocks and boulders, and at times, disappear in this zone.

 South of the Bhabar is the Tarai belt, with an approximate width of 10-20 km where most of the streams and rivers re-emerge without having any properly demarcated channel, thereby, creating marshy and swampy conditions known as the Tarai.

 This has a luxurious growth of natural vegetation and houses a varied wildlife.

The south of Tarai is a belt consisting of old and new alluvial deposits known as the Bhangar and Khadar respectively.

 These plains have characteristic features of mature stage of fluvial erosional and depositional landforms such as sand bars, meanders, oxbow lakes and braided channels.

 The Brahmaputra plains are known for their riverine islands and sand bars. Most of these areas are subjected to periodic floods and shifting river courses forming braided streams.