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Chapter 3: INDIA – DRAINAGE SYSTEM
What is drainage?
By the term ‘drainage’, we mean the river
system of an area. Small streams from
different directions join to form a river. The
river ultimately merges into a larger water
body – a lake, a sea or an ocean. The area
that a single river drains is the drainage
basin of that river.
Sometimes two drainage basins are separated
by upland or a mountain/hill. Such upland or
mountain is called water divide.
Important:
 World’s largest drainage basin is of the
River Nile in Egypt in Africa.
 River Ganga has its largest drainage
basin in India.
Drainage system of a place is largely
determined by its relief features.
There are two types of Drainage System in
India;
(1) Antecedent Drainage System
(2) Super imposed Drainage System
(1) Antecedent drainage system:
Those rivers which have originated prior
to the development of land mass, e.g.
Northern Himalayan rivers were present
before the upliftment of Himalaya like
Indo-Brahma river, Indus, Sutlej, etc.
(2) Super imposed Drainage systems:
These rivers develop after the
development of land masses e.g. Rivers
of peninsular India were developed on
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the Archean basement
Gondwana land.
rocks
of
Drainage Pattern:
Pattern means Orientation or alignment of
rivers at a particular place e.g. Radial
drainage pattern, Herring bone pattern etc.
India as a whole exhibit several kind of
drainage pattern in different regions.
(1) Radial Drainage Pattern
It is a kind of drainage pattern in which
rivers originate from a point & radiates
into different directions like spikes of a
wheel, e.g. Amarkantak plateau region,
Mansarovar lake region, Chhotanagpur
plateau region, Barak river of north-east.
(2) Dendritic Drainage Pattern
When several rivers or streams of a
region look like a tree or its branches, it
is known as Dendritic Drainage Pattern,
e.g. Ganga River System, Godavari River
System.
(3) Inland Drainage Pattern
When rivers of a region are not able to
reach to the ocean, i.e. they deposit their
sediments on the land itself. They form
their delta on a land in the form of Playa
or Rann, e.g. Luni River System,
Ghagghar River in western Part of India.
(4) Trellis Drainage Pattern
Tributary streams meet with the main
stream at 90 degree after cutting or
eroding the mountains or ridges e.g.
rivers in the upper part of Himalaya
regions.
(5) Rectangular Drainage pattern
Tributary streams meet with the main
stream at 90 degree like rivers in the
upper part of Himalaya regions.
India’s drainage system can better be
described two major groups of river system1
of India;
(1) Himalayan River System: In India there
are three major Himalayan River systems
1
River system is a river along with its tributaries.
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2
– the Indus, the Ganga
Brahmaputra river systems.
and
the
(2) Peninsular River System
HIMALAYAN RIVERS vs. PENINSULAR RIVERS
#
1.
Himalayan Rivers
The Himalayan rivers are perennial, i.e. thay flow
throughout the year. Their sources are linked with
glaciers. So, the water supply from melting glaciers
keeps these rivers flowing the whole year. The
quantity of water in these rivers increases twice a
year – once at the time of melting of ice in the
summer and the other on the onset of south-west
monsoon. Examples are the Ganga, the Yamuna, the
Brahmaputra and the rivers of Punjab.
2.
The basins of the Himalayan rivers are often large,
e.g. the Ganga basin, the Indus basin.
The Himalayan rivers are often long because their
sources are far away from the ocean.
Less number of rivers flow into the ocean. Most of
the rivers are tributaries of one or the other large
river.
The Himalayan rivers form deep valleys and gorges
in their source areas.
The Himalayan rivers cover long distances in the
plains. These are navigable.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
The Himalayan rivers form meanders because they
flow through plains where the land is friable, i.e.
soft.
8.
The Himalayan rivers often form deltas at their
mouths.
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INDUS RIVER SYSTEM
The river Indus (Sanskrit name ‘Sindhu’)
has its origin in Tibet (China) near
Mansarovar Lake. At its origin it is
known as ‘Singi Khamban (the lion’s
mouth).
Flowing westwards from its origin, it
enters India in Jammu & Kashmir
(Ladakh district) and form a very
picturesque gorge in this area. Famous
city Leh also lies on banks of the Indus.
It flows through Baltistan and Gilgit
(both in Pakistan) and emerges from the
mountains at Attock (Punjab province of
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Peninsular Rivers
The peninsular rivers are seasonal. They do not
flow throughout the year. These rivers flow once
in a year at the time of south-west monsoon. On
the onset of monsoon their water level increases
because of their dependence on rainwater.
Examples are Narmada, Tapi, Godavari, Krishna
etc. Because the eastern coastal region of Kosi
gets rain in winter from the north-east monsoon.
So, in that season the water level in the lower
regions of Kaveri increases.
The basins of the Peninsular rivers are oftern
small, e.g. the Narmada basin, the Tapi basin etc.
The Peninsular rivers are comparatively smaller.
Most of the rivers flow into the ocean because of
high peninsular slope.
The river valleys are often shallow.
Peninsular rivers are not navigable because of
the waterfalls on their way and the fluctuation of
the quantity of water. They are navigable in the
delta regions.
The Peninsular rivers flow through hard rocky
areas. Several rivers flow through rift valleys
and have straight and linear courses. For
example Narmada and Tapi develop linear
drainage system because they flow through rift
valleys.
The Peninsular rivers often form estuaries or
small deltas at their mounths.
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Pakistan). It is the westernmost of
Himalayan rivers.
On entering Pakistan, it takes southward
turn and runs hundreds of kilometers to
meet Arabian Sea east of Karachi.
The river Indus has a total length of
about 2900 km and it is one of the
longest rivers of the world.
About a third of Indus basin is located in
India in the states of Jammu & Kashmir,
Himachal Pradesh and Punjab.
Tributaries of Indus: Zaskar, Nubra,
Shyok and Gilgit (all enters into the
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Indus in Kashmir region). Sutlej2, Beas3,
Ravi4, Chenab5 and Jhelum6 jointly form
Panchnad to join the Indus near
Mithankot in Pakistan.
Indus Water Treaty:
 The treaty came into effect on 01/04/1960.
 Under the Treaty, the waters of Eastern
Rivers are allocated to India. India is under
obligation to let flow the waters of the
Western Rivers except for the following
uses:
(1) Domestic Use,
(2) Non-consumptive use,
(3) Agricultural use as specified,

(4) Generation of hydro-electric power as
specified
India has been permitted to construct storage
of water on western rivers upto 3.6 MAF for
various purposes. No storage has been
developed so far.
2
‘Satadru’ is the other name of the river Sutlej. It
rises from Mansarovar-Rakas Lake in Tibet. In
Tibet, it is known as Langchen Khambab. Spiti is
the main tributary of the river Sutlej. It crosses
Dhauladhar Range. Sutlej enters India from Tibet
through Shipki La. It is the longest among all
tributaries of the Indus. It enters Pakistani Punjab
from the Indian Punjab near Ferozpur. It is
famous for Bhakhra Nangal project on it.
3
River Beas is also known as ‘Vipasa’. It rises
south of Rohtang Pass in Kullu Hills of Himachal
Pradesh. The river cuts through Dhauladhar
range. It flows through Kullu, Mandi and Kangra.
Finally, it joins Sutlej at Harike in Tarn-Taran
district of Punjab. It is the only river of Indus
system which flows only in India. Pong Dam is
built on this river.
4
The other names of Ravi are ‘Prushni’ or
‘Iravati’. It is the smallest river of Punjab.
Pakistan’s famous city Lahore is on the river Ravi.
It rises near Rohtang Pass in Kullu Hills of
Himachal Pradesh. It runs between the Pir Panjal
Hills and the Dhauladhar Range. Chamba, in
Himachal Pradesh, is on Ravi. Thein Dam (also
known as Ranjit Sagar Dam) is on this river near
border of Punjab in India. It forms Indo-Pak
border.
5
The river Chenab has its other names ‘Asikni’
and ‘Chandrabhaga’. It is the largest Indus
tributary in terms of flow of water. It rises in
Himachal Pradesh. It runs between Great
Himalayas and the Pir Panjal. Known for
controversial Baghlihar Dam.
6
Vitasta is the Sanskrit name of the river Jhelum.
It rises at Verinag, at the foot of Pir Panjal, in
Kashmir and flows through Wular Lake. Its basin
lies between the Great Himalayas and the Pir
Panjal. Forms Indo-Pak border in Jammu &
Kashmir.
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Important River Projects on the five
rivers:
1. Naptha - Jhakri (Himachal Pradesh):
World's largest underground water
project. It is on river Sutlej.
2. Bhakra-Nangal: It is India’s largest
multipurpose river valley project. Two
dams on the Satluj have been built at
Bhakra and Nangal. The Bhakra dam is
the second highest dam in the world. Its
height is 226 m above the river level and
518 m above the sea level. It is India’s
highest gravitational dam. Hydroelectricity is produced from the Bhakra
dam and water for irrigation is supplied
from the Nangal dam. Punjab, Haryana,
Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan are its
beneficiaries. The reservoir behind the
Bhakra dam is named the Gobind Sagar.
It is situated in Himachal Pradesh.
3. The Indira Gnadhi Project or the
Rajasthan Canal: The Indira Gandhi
Canal has been drawn out from the
Harike Barrage situated on he
contfluence of the Beas and the Satluj. It
is the longest canal (468 km) in the
world. Agriculture has been made
possible even in the desert areas of
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4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
Rajasthan with the help of it. The district
of Ganganagar in Rajasthan has become
the area of Green Revolution. The main
stream of this canal has gone up to the
district of Jaisalmer. The secondary
streams of this canal irrigate the district
of Barmer (Rajsthan). There have been
dams on the Ravi and the Beas for water
supply in this canal. The surplus water is
let to flow in the Satluj. The dam on the
Beas has been built at Pong.
The Pong Project: It has been executed
on the Beas. The Pong reservoir is in
Himachal Pradesh.
The Chamera Project: It is a hydel power
project begun in Himachal Pradesh on
the Ravi.
The Thein Project: A dam has been made
on the Ravi north to Madhopur near
Pathankot in Punjab under this project. It
is a combined project of Punjab and
Himachal Pradesh. It is Ranjit Sagar Dam
also.
The Salal Project: This project has been
executed on the Chenab in Jammu and
Kashmir.
The Baglihar Project: This project has
been executed on the Chenab in Jammu
and Jammu and Kashmir.
The Dulhasti Project: This project has
been executed on the Chenab in Jammu
and Kashmir.
The Tulbul Project: This project has been
executed on the Jhelum in Jammu and
Kashmir. It is also known as the Wular
Barrage because of the dam built on the
Wular Lake. The Jhelum flows through
the Wular Lake.
The Uri Project: This project has been
executed on the Jhelum in the district of
Baramula in Jammu and Kashmir.
GANGA AND ITS TRIBUTARIES
The Ganga flows initially in the southern
direction, then in the southeast, and again in
the east. When it reaches West Bengal it gets
divided into two main distributaries called the
Bhagirathi and the Hugli. The main river
goes to Bangladesh where it is firstly called
the Padma and then the Meghna which flows
into the Bay of Bengal. River Damodar
(Sorrow of Bengal) is a tributary of Hooghly.
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A tributary is the river that meets the main river.
Its base level is higher than the main river;
whereas a distributary is a small river that
branches out from the main river and then never
meets it again.
Two streams Bhagirathi and Alknanda
(originating from Gangotri glacier and
Badrinath respectively) merge at Devaprayag
in Uttarakhand to form the river Ganga. One
more stream Mandakini (from Kedarnath)
joins Alkananda at Rudraprayag.
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The mainstream Ganga flows through
mountains till it reaches Haridwar where
it enters into plains. It runs through
Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and
West Bengal states of India.
Ganga river basin covers Himachal
Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya
Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh,
Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and West
Bengal states of India. The catchment
basin of the river Ganga covers about a
fourth of India’s total surface.
River Ganga branches off at Farakka in
West Bengal from where BhagirathiHooghly
(its
distributary)
flows
southwards through the deltaic plains to
the Bay of Bengal and the mainstream
flows southwards into Bangladesh where
it gets the name Padma. Further
downstream, before entering into the Bay
of Bengal, it is called Meghna7.
Both the rivers Bhagirathi-Hooghly and
Ganga-Brahmaputra (Meghna) forms
world’s largest delta named Sunderbans.
Tributaries of Ganga:
Yamuna, Ghaghra, Gandak and Kosi are the
major tributaries of the river Ganga. River
7
River Barak which originates from Manipur Hills
is the headstream of Meghna. Barak in
Bangladesh is joined by a number of small
streams and it gets the name Meghna.
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Yamuna8 and river Sone9 are the right bank
tributaries of Ganga. River Damodar10 is a
right bank tributary of the river BhagirathiHooghly (a distributary of Ganga). Gomti11,
Ghaghra12, Gandak13 and Kosi are the left
bank tributaries of Ganga. Gandak, Ghagra
and Kosi14 rivers rise in Nepal Himalayas and
have much amount of water in them. These
river flooded parts of northern plains every
year causing damage to property and lives
but enriching the soil for extensive
agriculture.
The river Ganga is over 2500 km long.
Ambala (Haryana) is located on water divide
between the Indus and the Ganga river
systems.
Sunderbans Delta:
 Sunderbans delta is the largest river delta
of the world which consists of mangrove
forests15.
 Sunderbans delta derived its name from
Sundari tree which grows well in the
marshlands.
 It is the world’s largest and fastest
growing delta – also the home of Royal
Bengal Tiger.

8
River Yamuna originates from Yamnotri glacier
in Uttarakhand. It runs through Uttarakhand,
Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi and Uttar
Pradesh before joining Ganga at Allahabad. It is
called Thames of India. Yamuna forms the border
between Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Important
Sikh pilgrimage site Paonta Sahib (in Himachal
Pradesh) is on the bank of Yamuna. Other
important cities on Yamuna are Delhi, Mathura
and Agra. Tributaries of Yamuna are Chambal,
Sind, Betwa and Ken. Tons is its largest tributary.
9
River Sone rises from Amarkantak Plateau. It
flows northwards to join Ganga at a point west of
Patna.
10
River Damodar is called the “sorrow of
Bengal”.
11
Lucknow is on river Gomti. Kanpur, Allahabad,
Varanasi and Patna are important cities on the
river Ganga. Kolkata is on river BhagirathiHooghly.
12
It has its origin in Nepal. So, it has its
catchment area in both Nepal and India. It is
known as Karnaili in Nepal. The river abounds in
silt and so is forced to often shift its course. River
Sarda, which is known as Kali in its origin in
Nepal, joins Ghagra before it enters into Ganga at
Chhapra in Bihar.
13
River Gandak rises near Tibet-Nepal border. It
enters India at Champaran district in Bihar and
meets Ganga at Sonepur in Bihar.
14
River Kosi is called the “sorrow of Bihar”. Kosi
rises in Tibet. ‘Arun’ is the main stream of Kosi.
Further, it is joined by Son Kosi from the West
and Tamur Kosi from the East to form Sapta Kosi.
Kosi joins Ganga near Bhagalpur.
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The Chambal originates from a place
near ‘Mhow’ situated on the Malwa
plateau in Madhya Pradesh. Initially it
flows through a gorge in the northern
direction up to Kota in Rajasthan. Then,
after passing through Bundi, Sawai
Madhopur and Dholpur, it joins the
Yamuna at last. It is famous for its
badland topography. Here, the badland
topography is called ravines. The rivers
Banas, Kalisind and Parvati are the
tributaries of the Chambal.
The river Ken originates from the
Kaimur Hills situated in the district of
Satna in Madhya Pradesh. It joins the
Yamuna near Banda.
The Son is a main righ-bank tributary of
the Ganga. There are particles of gold in
its sand, so it is called the gold river
(swarna nadi). It originates from the hills
of Amarkantak in Madhya Pradesh and
joins the Ganga west to Patna. The rivers
Rihand and Koel are its main tributaries.
River Damodar flows in the eastern part
of the Chotanagpur plateau in Jharkhand.
This river passes through a rift valley.
The river Barakar is its main tributary. It
joins the Hugli near Fulta. Dhanbad and
Durgapur are main towns on its banks.
The river Ramganga originates from near
Nainital. It joins the Ganga near Kannauj.
The river Gomati originates from the
district of Pilbhit in U.P. It joins the
Ganga near Ghazipur. Lucknow and
Jaunpur are the two important towns on
its banks.
15
Mangrove forests consist of various types of
trees up to medium height and shrubs that grow
in saline coastal sediment habitats in the tropics
and sub-tropics mainly between 25ºN-25ºS
latitudes.
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Place
Devaprayag
Rudraprayag
Karnaprayag
Vishnuprayag
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Confluence of Rivers
Bhagirathi + Alkananda
Mandakini + Alkananda
Pindar + Alkananda
Dhauliganga + Alkananda
The Tehri Project: The Tehri dam has
been constructed at Tehri at the
confluence of the rivers Bhilangana and
Bhagirathi. This project is being
seriously opposed because of the
construction of high dam in an
earthquake prone area (Zone V) and
deforestation on a large landmass.
The Ramganga Project: It is on the river
Ramganga, a tributary of the Ganga.
The Tanakpur Project: It has been
executed at Tanakpur (Uttarakhand) on
the river Kali that flows on the IndoNepal border.
The Gandak Project: It is a joint project
of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Nepal.
Hydro-electricity
is
produced
at
Suratpura (Nepal) on the river Gandak.
The dam has been built at Bhaisalotan
(Valmikinagar) in Bihar.
The Kosi Project: It is a joint project of
Bihar and Nepal. The main objectives of
this project are flood control, hydroelectricity production and irrigation.
Hydro-electricity is being produced at
Kataiya in Nepal. The main canal in
Bihar has been drawn out from the
Hanuman Nagar Barrage.
The Rihand Project: It is mainly of Uttar
Pradesh but Bihar and Madhya Pradesh
also get benefit of it. Bihar gets water
which reaches the Son Canal through the
Son river. This project has been executed
at Pipri (Sonebhadra district, UP) on the
river Rihand, a tributary of the Son. The
reservoir named Govind Ballabh Pant
Sagar has been constructed on the border
of Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.
The Bansagar Project: It is a joint project
of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and
Bihar on the Son. The Bansagar dam has
been built on the Son in the district of
Shahdol in Madhya Pradesh.
The Matatila Project: It is joint project of
Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh on
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the river Betwa. The dam has been built
in Uttar Pradesh.
The Chambal Project: It is a joint project
of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. Three
dams have been buit on Chambal. One of
them has been built at on Madhya
Pradesh & Rajasthan border. The
reservoir behind it has been named
Gandhi Sagar. The other two dams have
been built in Rawatbhata and Kota in
Rajasthan. The reservoir in Rawatbhata is
named Maharana Pratap Sagar and that in
Kota is named Jawahar Sagar.
The Damodar Valley Project: It is a
project of undivided Bihar (now
Jharkhand) and West Bengal. It is India's
first (1948) multipurpose river valley
project. The model of this project is
based on Tennessee River Valley
Corporation (TVC) of the USA. It is such
a multipurpose river valley project in
which thermal electricity is produced
more than hydro electricity. There are
thermal power stations in Bokaro,
Dugapur and Chandrapura.
The main dam on the Damodar has been
built on Panchet hill. Dams have also
been built at Ayer, Bermo and Tenughat.
There has been the planning of
production of hydro-electricity on the
river Konar which is a tributary of the
Damodar.
The river Barkar is the most prominent
tributary of the Damodar. Dams at
Tilaiya, Balpahari and Maithon have
been built on it and hydro electricity is
being produced.
A canal has been constructed by
constructing a barrage on the Damodar in
Durgapur. It is used for irrigation. The
Damodar river was called the ‘Sorrow of
Bengal’ because of the havoc caused by
the flood. The main objective of this
project was flood control.
The Mayurakshi Project: It is a joint
project of undivided Bihar (now
Hharkhand) and West Benalg. A Dam
has been built on the river Mayurakshi at
Masanjor in Dumka district of Jharkhand.
It is also known as the ‘Canada Dam’.
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THE RIVER VALLEY PROJECTS ON
RIVER BRAHMAPUTRA
 The source of the river Brahmaputra16 is
very close to the source of the rivers
Indus and Sutlej. Brahmaputra originates,
in Tibet (China) east of Mansarovar
Lake, from Chemayungdung glacier.
 From its origin to its end it is recognized
under different names called Tsang Po
(in Tibet), Dihang (in Arunachal
Pradesh), Brahmaputra (in Assam),
Jamuna (on entering Bangladesh),
Meghna (before it merges into the Bay of
Bengal).
 It is slightly longer than Indus and the
most of its course lies outside India.
 From its origin it flow eastwards parallel
to the Himalayas; at Namcha Barwa
(7757 mts high peak in Tibet) it takes a
‘U-turn’ to enter into India through
Arunachal Pradesh.
 In Tibet (China), Brahmaputra carries a
small volume of water and less silt as
Tibet is a cold and dry area. In India,
Brahmaputra passes though a region of
high rainfall, so here it carries a large
volume of water and considerable
amount of silt.
 In Assam, Brahmaputra forms many
riverine islands. World’s largest riverine
island formed by Brahmaputra (Majuli
Island) is also in the State of Assam.
 Brahmaputra shifts its course frequently.
Tributaries of Brahmaputra:
Dibang, Lohit and Dhansiri rivers are its left
bank tributaries. Subansiri, Manas and Teesta
are the right bank tributaries of Brahmaputra.
(See the map given below)
 Brahmaputra enters Bangaldesh near
Dhubri.
 Part of the river in Assam is navigable.
National Waterway #2, from Sadiya to
Dhubri, is on river Brahmaputra.
 Brahmaputra is also known as ‘Red
River’ because of the red colour given to
its water by the silt.
16
Brahmaputra is known as Yarlung Zangbo in
Chinese.
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
Brahmaputra flows through only two
states of India, i.e. Arunachal Pradesh
and Assam.
The following are the important river valley
projects on the River Brahmaputra and other
projects of North-East;
Project
Ranga River
Power Project
Papum Pap
Power Project
Dhinkrong
Power Project
Paki Hydel
Project
Upper Lohit
Power Project
AKmeng Hydel
Project
Damway Hydel
Project
Kopli Hydel
Project
Doyang Hydel
Project
Loktak Hydel
Project
Tipaimukh
Power Project
Hydel
Where located
Arunachal Pradesh
Hydel
Arunachal Pradesh
Hydel
Arunachal Pradesh
Power
Arunachal Pradesh
Hydel
Arunachal Pradesh
Power
Arunachal Pradesh
Power
Arunachal Pradesh
Power
Assam
Power
Nagaland
Power
Manipur
Hydel
Manipur – built on the
confluence of Brakak
and Tuibai in the
district
of
Churachandpur
in
Manipur. It is a
disputed
project
because
of
its
opposition
by
Bangladesh
Mizoram
Dhaleshwari
Hydel
Power Project
Tuirial Hydel Power
Project
Tuibai Hydel Power
Project
Rangit Hydel Power
Project
Mizoram
Mizoram
Sikkim
DELTA
When a river flows into an ocean or lake, the
silt begins to deposit on its mouth because of
very low gradient. A special kind of land
form begins taking shape there which is
known as a delta.
Conditions for Delta formation:
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The following are the ideal conditions for the
formation of delta;
1. Suitable place in the form of shallow sea
and lake shores;
2. Long courses of the river (i.e. long rivers
so that they bring enough amount of
sediments);
3. Medium size of sediments (because if the
sediments are very small, they would be
carried into the sea in suspension and if
they are very coarse, they would soon
settle down at the river bottom, and
hence no delta would be formed);
4. Relatively calm or sheltered sea at the
mouths of the rivers (so that ocean
currents, strong waves or high tidal
waves do not interfere with the natural
process of gradual sedimention and delta
formation),
5. Large amount of sediment supply;
6. Accelerated rate of erosion in the
catchment area of the concerned river;
7. Almost stable condition of sea coast
subjected to frequent emergence of
submergence
caused
by
tectonic
movements does not allow regular
sedimentation and thus disfavours delta
formation) etc.
THE PENINSULAR RIVER SYSTEM
The Peninsular River system consists of
Narmada, Tapti, Mahanadi, Godavari,
Krishna and Cauvery rivers.
Of these Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and
Cauvery are east flowing rivers and form
deltas before entering into the Bay of Bengal.
Narmada and Tapti (Tapi) are the only long
rivers which are west flowing and they form
estuaries17 before entering into the Arabian
Sea through the Gulf of Khambat. The
drainage basins of Peninsular rivers are
comparatively smaller in size.
Western Ghats forms the main ‘water divide’
in peninsular India as there are numerous
surrounding them are places of transition from
land to sea and fresh water to salt water.
17
An estuary is a partially enclosed body of
water along the coast where fresh water from
rivers and streams meets and mixes with salt
water from the ocean. Estuaries and the lands
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rivers that flow west of Western Ghats and
some rivers flow east of Western Ghats.



THE NARMADA BASIN
 River Narmada rises in Amarkantak hills
in Madhya Pradesh. Narmada has another
name ‘Rewa’.
 Narmada is a west flowing river which
flows through the rift valley in faulting
zone of Vidhyan and Satpura hills. It is
the largest among all west flowing rivers
of the peninsula.
 Notable locations on river Narmada are
‘Marble Rocks’ near Jabalpur where it
runs through a deep gorge and
‘Dhuandhar Falls’. There are Kapildhara
Falls also on river Narmada.
 Narmada, after Godavari and Krishna, is
third longest river that flows entirely in
India.
 Narmada, roughly, divides India into
northern India and southern India.
Narmada is one of the five holy rivers of
India. The other four are – Ganga,
Yamuna, Godavari and Cauvery.
The controversial dam of India ‘Sardar
Sarovar Dam is built on the river
Narmada in Gujarat.
Narmada empties into the Arabian Sea
through the Gulf of Khambat near
Bharuch in Gujarat. Aliabet Island is in
the mouth of Narmada in the Gulf of
Khambat.
THE TAPI BASIN
 Tapi originates in the Satpura range of
hills in Betul district of Madhya Pradesh.
 Shorter than Narmada in length, the river
runs parallel to the river Narmada.
 Basin of river Tapi covers three State of
Madhya
Pradesh,
Gujarat
and
Maharashtra.

River Tapi empties into the Gulf of
Khambat, just south of river Narmada,
near Surat in Gujarat.
Ukai dam in Gujarat is on river Tapi.
River Purna is its major tributary.
Tapi is the second largest west flowing
river of Indian peninsula. It is known as
the ‘twin’ or the ‘handmaid’ of the
Narmada.
Tributaries of Narmada:
Burhner, Dudhi and Tawa are left bank
tributaries whereas Hiran, Barna and Uri are
right bank tributaries of river Narmada.




THE MAHANADI BASIN
 The river rises in the highlands of
Chhattisgarh (in Raipur district) and
flows through Orissa to join the Bay of
Bengal.
 The drainage basin of the river Mahanadi
covers the States of Maharashtra,
Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Orissa.

It flows south of the Tropic of Cancer
through Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra
and Gujarat.
Narmada basin consists of three States
namely Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and
Maharashtra.
Dhupgarh,
near
Panchmarhi, is the highest point of the
Narmada basin.
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Tributaries of Mahanadi:
River
Seonath
which
rises
in
Chhattisgarh is a major left bank
tributary of the river Mahanadi. Other left
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bank tributaries of the river are Ib, Mand
and Hasdo.Ong and Tel are its right bank
tributaries.



Hirakud reservoir is built on the river
Mahanadi.
Mahanadi is a large river near Sambalpur
below which it enters in to Eastern
Ghatsand forms many distributaries near
Cuttack before entering into the Bay of
Bengal.
THE GODAVARI BASIN
 Godavari is the largest peninsular river.
 The river Godavari rises in the slopes of
the Western Ghats in Nasik district of
Maharashtra.
 This 1500 km long river is an east
flowing river which joins the Bay of
Bengal after flowing through the States
of Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.
 Its drainage basin covers the States of
Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa,
Chhattisgarh, Karnataka and Andhra
Pradesh. The drainage basin of Godavari
is the largest among the peninsular rivers.
About 50% of its basin lies in
Maharashtra. Its catchment area covers
about 10% of the total area of India.
 Because of its large drainage basin, this
river is also known as ‘Dakshin Ganga’.
‘Vridha Ganga’ is another name of this
river.
Tributaries of Godavari:
Purna, Wardha, Pranhita, Manjra, Wainganga
and Penganga are the major tributaries of
Godavari. Of these, the rivers Manjra,
Wainganga and Penganga are very large.
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Below Rajahmundry, the Godavari
divides itself into two main streams – the
Gautami Godavari on the east and the
Vashishta Godavari on the west.
Near it end point, the river Godavari
forms a large delta.
Famous Sikh pilgrimage Nanded Sahib is
located on the banks of Godavari.
THE KRISHNA BASIN
 After originating from a spring near
Mahabaleshwar in eastern side of
Western Ghats in Maharashtra, it flows
1400 km through Karnataka and Andhra
Pradesh to join the Bay of Bengal.
 Krishna is the second largest east flowing
river of peninsular India.
 Its drainage basin is shared by the States
of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra
Pradesh.
Ttributaries of Krishna:
Tungabhadra, Koyna, Ghatprabha, Musi,
Panchganga, Dudhganga and Bhima are its
major tributaries. The capital city of Andhra
Pradesh is on river Musi.
Tungabhadra, form of two streams ‘Tunga’
and ‘Bhadra’ is the largest tributary of the
river Krishna. Tungabhadra has its origin in
Karnataka. Tungabhadra joins Krishna near
Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh.
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distributary of Cauvery as the river divides
itself into two channels at Srirangam.
 Cauvery makes the second biggest
waterfall in India. It is known as
Sivasamudram. Sivasamudram Falls
supply hydroelectric power to Mysore,
Bangalore and Kolar Gold Mines in
Karnataka.
India’s highest waterfalls are Gersoppa
Falls, also known as Jog Falls in Shimoga
district of Karnataka on the river Shravathi.

Before entering into the Bay of Bengal,
river Krishna forms delta a little below
Vijaywada in Andhra Pradesh.
THE CAUVERY BASIN
 The river Cauvery has its origin in
Karnataka in the Brahmagiri range of
Western Ghats.
 After flowing through the State of Tamil
Nadu, the Cauvery joins the Bay of
Bengal in south of Cuddalore.


The river drains the Mysore plateau
before it flows into the plains.
Cauvery basin drains parts of Karnataka,
Kerala and Tamil Nadu. 55% of Cauvery
basin lies in Tamil Nadu, 41% in
Karnataka and 3% in Kerala. The
Cauvery basin is one of the most
developed regions of India from the point
of view of power and irrigation. It is the
most harnessed rive of India even. About
90-95% of the total potential of the river
Cauvery in power and irrigation has
already been exploited. So, it is
designated as ‘Ganga of the South’ also.
Tributaries of Cauvery:
Amravati, Bhavani, Hemavati and Kabini are
the tributaries of Cauvery. Kollidam is a
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Unlike the other peninsular river of India,
the water in river Cauvery flows almost
throughout the year. Its upper catchment
area receives rainfall during summer
from the south-west monsoon and its
lower catchment area receives rainfall
during winter season from the retreating
north-east monsoon.
At its merger into the Bay of Bengal, the
river Cauvery forms a big delta in
quadrilateral shape.
Other east flowing rivers in India are
 Damodar (tributary of BhagirathiHooghly):
The
river
rises
in
Chhotanagpur Plateau in Jharkhand. It
joins Hooghly at Falta, a few kilometers
below Kolkata. This river is known as
‘Sorrow of Bengal’.
 Brahmani: River Brahmani is formed by
the confluence of two streams Koel and
Sankh near Rourkela in Orissa. River
Baitarni meets Brahmani just before it
falls into the Bay of Bengal.
Subarnrekha: It originates from Ranchi
Plateau. The river forms boundary between
the West Bengal and Orissa. It flows through
Singhbhum, Mayurbhanj and Midnapore.
Other river of India
 The Luni: Luni originates from
Annasagar, west of Ajmer, in the
Aravallis. Sasruti, which originates from
the Pushkar Lake at Ajmer, is its
tributary. River Jowai ia another tributary
of the Luni. It is known as Sagarmati in
is upper course. It got the name Luni
after Sasruti joins it. Finally, it ends in
the Rann of Kachchh.
 The Sabarmati: Sabarmati has its origin
in Udaipur district of Rajasthan. Sabar
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
and Hathmati are its tributaries. It ends in
the Gulf of Khambat.
The Mahi: It rises in the western
Vindhyan Range. Before it enters
Rajasthan, it flows northwards through
Madhya Pradesh. Then it turns southwest to flow through Gujarat. It ends in
the Gulf of Khambat.
LAKES OF INDIA
A lake can be defined as a water-filled
depression of considerable size. Lakes of
larger extent are called sea also, e.g. Caspian
Sea, Dead Sea, Aral Sea.
There are many lakes in India. Lakes in India
are different from each other in size and other
characteristics. Most lakes are permanent
while some lakes contain water only during
the rainy season like the lakes in the basins of
inland drainage of semi-arid regions. Some
lakes are the results of glaciers and icesheets, while others have been formed by
wind, river action and human activities.
A meandering river across a flood plain
forms cut-offs that later develop into ox-bow
lakes. Spits and bars form lagoons in the
coastal areas, e.g. Chilka Lake, Pulicat Lake,
Kolleru Lake. Lakes in the regions of inland
drainage are sometimes seasonal. Example:
Sambhar Lake in Rajasthan which is a salt
water lake and is used for producing salt.
In Himalayan region there are many fresh
water lakes. These fresh water lakes are of
glacial origin. Wular Lake in Jammu &
Kashmir, the largest fresh water lake in India,
is of tectonic origin. The Dal Lake in Jammu
& Kashmir, Bhimtal and Nainital in
Uttarakhand, Loktak Lake of Manipur and
Barapani Lake (Umiam Lake) in Meghalaya
are all fresh water lakes.
Apart from natural lakes, the damming of the
rivers for the generation of hydel power has
also led to the formation of lakes such as
Gobind Sagar Lake (a part of Bhakra-Nangal
Project).
Importance of Lakes
1. Lakes help to regulate the flow of a river.
During heavy rainfall, lakes prevent flooding.
During the dry season, lakes help to maintain
even flow of water in the rivers.
2. Lakes can be used for developing hydropower.
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3. Lakes moderate the climate of the
surrounding.
4. Lakes maintain aquatic ecosystem and
enhance natural beauty. Thus helping develop
tourism and providing of recreation.
Important Lakes of India:
Lake
State
Ablout Lake
Ashtamudi
Kerala
Bhim Tal
Uttarakhand
Also called ‘gateway to
the
backwaters
of
Kerala’. Munroe Island
is in Ashtamudi Lake.
A perennial lake
Chilka
Orissa
Dal Lake
Jammu
Kashmir
Kolleru
Andhra
Pradesh
Loktak
Manipur
&
A
brackish
water
lagoon. It is the largest
coastal lagoon in India.
Famous for migratory
birds. In 1981, Chilka
was designated the first
Indian
wetland
of
international
importance
under
Ramsar Convention.
Located in Srinagar. It
is the second largest
lake in the State. Sona
Lank and Rupa Lank
are two islands in this
lake.
Located
between
Krishan and Godavari.
Many birds migrate
here in winter. The lake
was declared a wildlife
sanctuary in 1999 and
was
designated
a
wetland of international
importance in 2002
under the international
Ramsar Convention.
It
is
the
largest
freshwater
lake
in
north-east India. The
lake is also known as
‘Floating Lake’. Keibul
Lamjao National Park
is also located here. It is
fed by the Manipur
river. The lake has been
declared a site of
international
importance under the
Ramsar Convention.
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Lonar
Nakki
Maharashtra
Rajasthan
Naini Tal
Uttarakhand
Nizam
Sagar
Andhra
Pradesh
Parshuram
Kund
Arunachal
Pradesh
Pongong
Tso
Jammu
Kashmir
&
Pulicat
Andhra
Pradesh
Pushkar
Rajasthan
Salt Lake
West Bengal
(Kolkata)
Rajasthan
Sambhar
It is a saline lake
created by the meteor
impact.
Located in Mount Abu
in the Aravallis range.
Mahatma
Gandhi’s
ashes were immersed in
this holy lake in 1948
and Gandhi Ghat was
constructed.
It
is
a
natural
freshwater body of
tectonic origin.
It is a reservoir
constructed
across
Manjira River – a
tributary of Godavari.
Water
from
this
reservoir is sent to meet
the drinking needs of
Hyderabad
and
Secunderabad.
It is near Tezu, the
district headquarters of
Lohit district. It is
famous for Parsuram
Mela held in January
here.
It is salt water lake
which is completely
frozen in winter. Lies in
both Tibet and India.
It is the second largest
brackish water lake in
India on border of
Andhra Pradesh and
Tamil
Nadu
on
Coromandal Coast.
It is a sacred lake of
Hindus. The lake is
located in Pushkar town
in Ajmer district of
Rajasthan. Pushkar fair
is held on KartikPoornima in the months
of October-November.
It is an artificial lake
fed by Luni River.
Sambhar
Lake
is
India’s largest inland
salt lake. It is place of
international
importance
under
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Ramsar Convention.
Sukhna
Chandigarh
Tsomoriri
Jammu
Kashmir
Udaipur
Rajasthan
Vembanad
Kayal
Kerala
Wular
Jammu
Kashmir
&
&
It is an artificial lake at
the
foothills
of
Himalayas.
Largest of the high
altitude lakes in transHimalayan
biogeographic region.
Udaipur in Rajasthan is
called city of lakes.
Longest lake in India
and the largest one in
Kerala. The celebrated
Nehru Trophy Boat
Race is conducted here.
India’s
largest
freshwater lake of
tectonic activity. The
lake is fed by the river
Jhelum. It has been
designated as a Ramsar
site. Tulbul project –
the navigation lockcum-control structure
has been constructed on
Wular lake.
MULTIPURPOSE
RIVER VALLEY PROJECTS
1.
2.
3.
ALAMATTI DAM
It is on the river Krishna.
BASPA HYDRO-ELECTRIC PROJECT
The 300 MW project is located in Kinnaur
district of Himachal Pradesh. It is the largest
private hydro-electric project and has been
built by Jaypee group. It is located on Baspa
river, a tributary of Satluj.
BEAS PROJECT
It is a joint venture of the governments of
Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan. It consists of
two units: (i) Beas-Sutlej Link and (ii) Beas
Dam at Pong. The project links the Beas and
the Sutlej rivers in Punjab through 38.4 km of
hills and valleys. The waters of the Beas were
poured into the mighty Sutlej river on July
10, 1977 at the first-ever man-made
confluence of the two major rivers at Slapper
in Himachal in a mighty bid to augment the
water resources of the Gobind Sagar Lake of
the Bhakra-complex. This completed the Rs
380- crore dream which was realised in a
period of only 12 years.
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4.
BHADRA RESERVOIR PROJECT
Bhadra Reservoir Project across the river
Bhadra is in Karnataka.
5. BHAKRA-NANGAL
PROJECT
(HIMACHAL
PRADESH)
Largest multipurpose project in India and the
highest straight gravity dam in the world
(225.5 m high) on the river Sutlej.
6. CHAMBAL PROJECT
It is a joint undertaking by the Rajasthan and
Madhya Pradesh governments. The Rana
Pratap Dam at Bhata, 48 km from Kotah, was
inaugurated on Feb 9, 1970. The project
comprises construction of two other dams:
Gandhi Sagar Dam in Madhya Pradesh and
Jawahar Sagar (Kotah) Dam in Rajasthan.
7. CHAMERA HYDRO-ELECTRIC
PROJECT
The 540 MW Chamera hydro-electric project
on the Ravi river in Himachal Pradesh was
implemented with Canadian credit offer of
about Rs 335 crore.
8. CHUKHA PROJECT
The 336 MW project is the most prestigious
and largest in Bhutan. It has been completely
built by India. The dam has been constructed
on Wang Chu river. The project costed Rs
244 crore.
9. DAMODAR VALLEY PROJECT (WEST
BENGAL AND BIHAR)
Principal object of this multipurpose scheme
is to control the flowing of the Damodar
which is notorious for its vagaries and
destructiveness. It is designed on the lines of
the Tennessee Valley Authority (T.V.A.) in
U.S.A.
10. DUL-HASTI HYDRO-ELECTRIC
PROJECT
The Rs. 1263 crore project is being built on
river Chenab in Jammu and Kashmir. The
foundation of the project was laid in
September 1984. The project will consist of a
power plant of 390 MW capacity. The power
house will be located underground.
11. DHAULIGANGA PROJECT
The Rs. 600 crore, 280 MW project is to be
located on Dhauliganga river in Uttaranchal.
12. FARAKKA BARRAGE
The basic aim of the Farakka Barrage is to
preserve and maintain Calcutta port and to
improve the navigability of the Hooghly
river. It consists of a barrage across the
Ganga at Farakka, another barrage at
Jangipur across the Bhagirthi, a 39-km long
feeder canal taking off from the right bank of
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14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
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the Ganga at Farakka and tailing into the
Bhagirathi below the Jangipur barrage, and a
road-cum-rail bridge have already been
completed. Specially, the object of Farakka is
to use about 40,000 cusecs of water out of the
water stored in the dam to flush the Calcutta
port which is getting silted up.
GANDAK PROJECT (BIHAR AND U.P)
This is a joint venture of India and Nepal as
per agreement signed between the two
governments on Dec 4, 1959. Bihar and Uttar
Pradesh are the participating Indian States.
Nepal would also derive irrigation and power
benefits from this project.
HIRAKUD PROJECT (ORISSA)
It is the first of a chain of three Dams planned
for harnessing the Mahanadi.
IDUKKI HYDRO-ELECTRIC PROJECT
It is a giant hydro-electric project of Kerala
and one of the biggest in the country,
constructed with Canadian assistance with an
installed capacity of 390 MW in the first
stage and 780 MW in the second stage. The
project envisages to harness Periyar waters,
has three major dams, the 169 m high Idukki
arch dam across Periyar river, 138 m high
Cheruthoni Dam across the tributary of
Cheruthoni river and 99.9 m high Kulamavu
Dam.
JAYAKWADI DAM (MAHARASHTRA)
The 10-km-long Jayakwadi dam on the
Godavari is Maharashtra’s largest irrigation
project located near Paithan.
KALPONG HYDRO-ELECTRIC
PROJECT
This is the first hydel power plant of
Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The 5.25 MW
project was commissioned on July 1, 2001. It
is located near Kalara village of Diglipur
Tehsil in North Andaman and has been built
by National Hydel Power Corporation.
KAKRAPARA PROJECT
It is situated on the Tapti near Kakrapara, 80
km upstream of Surat. The project is financed
by the Gujarat Government.
KOEL KARO PROJECT
The project envisages construction of earthen
dam across river south Koel at Basia in Bihar
and another dam over north Karo at Lohajimi.
The capacity will be 710 MW.
KOL PROJECT
The 600 MW project is to be located on the
Satluj, 6 km upstream of the Dehar Power
House on the Beas-Satluj link project in
Mandi district, Himachal Pradesh. Besides
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21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
generating power, the dam will also serve as
a check dam for the 1,050-MW Bhakra Dam
and prolong its life by at least 10 years.
KOSI PROJECT
This project will serve Bihar and Nepal. The
Kosi rises in Nepal, passes through Bihar and
joins the Ganges. The river is subject to
heavy floods. Two dams are to be built across
it.
NAGARJUNASAGAR PROJECT
This Project is a venture of Andhra Pradesh
for utilizing water of the Krishna river. The
Nagarjunasagar Dam was inaugurated on
Aug 4, 1967. It is situated near Nandikonda
village in Miryalguda Taluk of Nalgonda
district.
NATHPA-JHAKRI HYDRO-ELECTRIC
PROJECT
India’s largest hydro-electric project, it is
located at Nathpa Jhakri in Himachal
Pradesh. It is built on Satluj river. The first of
the six 250 MW units was commissioned on
December 30, 2002. The project is being
executed by Satluj Jal Nigam (formerly
Nathpa Jhakri Power Corporation).
PARAMBIKULAM ALIYAR PROJECT
It is a joint venture of Tamil Nadu and Kerala
States. It envisages construction of seven
inter-connected reservoirs by harnessing
rivers including two major rivers viz.,
Parambikulam on the western slopes of
Annamalai Hills and Aliyar on the eastern
slopes.
PARAPPALAR DAM
The Rs 1-crore Parappalar Dam with a
storage capacity of 167 million cubic feet
near Oddenchatram, about 75 km from
Madurai in Palni taluk (Tamil Nadu), was
inaugurated on August 30, 1976.
PARVATI VALLEY PROJECT
It is the first inter-State hydel power project
of India. Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana and
Delhi have joined hands with Himachal
Pradesh to set up the project. The 2050 MW
project will be built near Kullu, on Parvati
river, a tributary of Beas.
PERIYAR
VALLEY
SCHEME
(KERALA)
The scheme envisages the construction of a
masonry barrage 210.92 metres long across
the river Periyar near Alwaye, in Ernakulam
district.
PONG DAM
It is also called the Beas Dam on the river
Beas, near Talwara in Himachal Pradesh, is
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29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
the highest (132 m high) rock-fill dam in the
country. The project is a joint venture of
Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana. The dam has
been designed to store 6.6 million acre feet of
water. Although the dam is meant primarily
to meet the irrigation needs, it also produces
power.
RAJASTHAN CANAL PROJECT
It is a bold venture of bringing irrigation to a
desert area. The project, which uses water
from the Pong dam, consists of 215-km long
Rajasthan feeder canal (with the first 178 km
in Punjab and Haryana and the remaining 37
km in Rajasthan) and the 467-km long
Rajasthan main canal lying entirely in
Rajasthan.
RAMGANGA RIVER PROJECT
This Project in Uttaranchal envisages
construction of a dam across the river
Ramganga, one of the major tributaries of the
Ganga at 3.2 km upstream of Kalagarh in
Garhwal district. RANJIT SAGAR DAM
PROJECT Formerly known as Thein dam, it
was dedicated to the nation on March 4,
2001. It is built on Ravi river near Thein
village in Punjab. Total installed capacity is
600 MW.
RIHAND
PROJECT
(MIRZAPUR
DISTRICT-U.P.)
This project has been completed by the U.P.
Government and comprises construction of a
concrete gravity dam across the Rihand river
in Mirzapur District (U.P.) and a Power
House at Pipri and necessary transmission
lines. Gobind Ballabh Pant Sagar is a part of
this project.
RONGTONG
PROJECT
WORLD’S
HIGHEST HYDRO POWER PROJECT
Rongtong project is situated in Kaza in the
Spiti Valley in Himachal Pradesh. The
project has helped transform the entire cold
mountain desert into a lush green belt.
SALAL PROJECT
It has been built on River Chenab in Jammu
and Kashmir. The first stage was completed
on February 9, 1989 and marked the
beginning of the harnessing of hydro power
potential of river Chenab. At present the
capacity of the powerhouse is 345 MW. With
completion of second stage the capacity will
double.
SANKOSH HYDEL-POWER PROJECT
India and Bhutan have signed an agreement
for building of a gigantic Sankosh hydel
power project. It will be one among the ten
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16
35.
36.
37.
38.
largest projects in Asia. The project is to be
constructed near Kerabari in Gaylegphug
district of Bhutan on Sankosh river. It will
include a 600 metre-long and 239 metre high
dam and a reservoir with a catchment area of
10,525 sq km. It is estimated to cost around
Rs 2000 crore. Once completed, the project
will generate 1,525 MW of power and help
irrigate eight lakh hectares of land.
SANJAY VIDYUT (HYDEL) PROJECT
It is Asia’s first fully underground Hydel
Project. The 120 MW project is located near
Bhaba Nagar in Kinnaur district of Himachal
Pradesh. It harnesses the water of the Bhaba
Khud, a tributary of Satluj.
SARDAR SAROVAR PROJECT
This is one of the largest river valley schemes
in the country. The project envisages
construction of 163-metre-high cement
concrete dam at Navagam in Gujarat. This
will create irrigation potential of 1.79 million
hectares and generate 1450 MW of power.
SAWALKOTE HYDRO PROJECT
The 600 MW project in Jammu & Kashmir is
being built by a Norwegian consortium.
SHARAVATI PROJECT (KARNATAKA)
Located about 400 km from Bangalore near
the Gersoppa falls, the Sharavati Project is
one of the world’s major power projects, built
by Indian engineers with American
collaboration.
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39. SRISAILARN PROJECT
It is a massive power project, 110 km away
from Nagarjunasagar in the upper reaches of
the river Krishna.
40. SUBARNAREKHA PROJECT
It is Rs 130-crore multipurpose project which
would, when completed, provide assured
irrigation to 7,06,000 acres to the chronically
drought-prone areas of Orissa and Bihar.
41. TEHRI DAM PROJECT
World’s fifth and Asia’s largest hydroelectric project has been constructed on river
Bhagirithi, a tributary of Ganga in Tehri
district of Uttaranchal. The height of the earth
and rockfill dam is 260.5 m, making it the
highest dam in the country. Once fully
operational, the project will produce 1000
MW electricity.
42. TUNGABHADRA PROJECT (ANDHRA
AND KARNATAKA)
It is a joint undertaking by the governments
of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. The
project comprises a dam across the
Tungabhadra river near Mallapuram.
43. UKAI PROJECT
The Ukai power project of Gujarat equipped
with power generating sets manufactured by
Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited was
inaugurated on October 12, 1977. It has
added 540,000 KW of installed capacity to
the State’s existing power network.
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