Indian River System

India has a rich network of rivers divided mainly into Himalayan rivers and Peninsular (Deccan) rivers.

Himalayan River System

Indian rivers are mainly divided into two categories: Himalayan rivers and peninsular rivers. Himalayan rivers originate from the melting glaciers of the Himalayas. Himalayan rivers, which originate from the Himalayan ranges, have water throughout the year. They are replenished by melting snow and rainfall. The Indus, Ganges, and Brahmaputra are examples of such rivers. The peninsular tributaries that originate from the peninsular plateau and join the Himalayan rivers are the Sone, Chambal, Betwa, Ken, and Sindh. The Sone joins the Ganges. The Chambal, Betwa, Ken, and Sindh join the Yamuna and then fall into the Ganges.

Himalayan River System in India

Indus River System

Our country got its name from this river. One of the longest rivers in the world, the Indus River originates near Mansarovar in the Himalayas. From there, it flows northwest and enters India through the Ladakh district of Kashmir. The state through which the Indus River passes in India is Jammu and Kashmir. The Indus River flows for a total distance of about 3,200 kilometers and falls into the Arabian Sea. The major tributaries of the Indus River in Pakistan, which flows through the Himalayas, Hindu Kush, and Karakoram mountain ranges, are Shyok, Shigar, and Gilgit. The five most important tributaries of the Indus River flowing through India are Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej. The name Punjab means the land of five rivers. The tributaries of the Indus River are Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej. Alexander the Great entered India in the 4th century BC by crossing the Indus River.

Floods: A lot of water flows into the Indus River from tributaries and glaciers. Therefore, this river often floods. Such floods occurred in 1947, 1958, and 2010. The river sometimes changes course during major floods. The annual flow of the Indus, which is also the national river of Pakistan, is twice that of the Nile, the world's longest river. It is three times that of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers combined.

Indus Water Treaty: India and Pakistan have an agreement on sharing the waters of the Indus River. The Indus Water Treaty was signed on 19 September 1960 in Lahore, Pakistan, by former Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and then Pakistani Prime Minister Ayub Khan. The World Bank mediated this agreement. According to the agreement, India got the right to the waters of the Ravi, Beas and Sutlej rivers and Pakistan got the right to the waters of the Indus, Jhelum and Chenab rivers.

Many names: The Indus River is known by many names in many languages. These names are: Indus (English), Sindh (Urdu, Sanskrit), Sindhu (Hindi), Hindu (Persian), Sengena Chu (Tibetan), Yin Du (Chinese), Indotus (Greek), and the first Veda, the Rigveda, mentions this river by the name 'Sindhu'.

Tributaries of the Indus River

The three most important tributaries of the Indus that flow through Pakistan are Shyok, Shigar and Gilgit. The major tributaries of the Indus in India are Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas and Sutlej.

Jhelum: The Jhelum River originates from the Verinag glacier in Kashmir. From there, it flows through Srinagar to the Wular Lake in Kashmir. Wular is the largest freshwater lake in India. The Jhelum then enters Pakistan and joins the Chenab River. The Kishanganga is the most important tributary of the Jhelum River, which is about 725 km long.

Chenab: The word Chenab means "Moon River". The Chenab River originates from the Bara Lacha Pass in Himachal Pradesh as two rivers, Chandra and Bhaga. These two rivers join at Thandi in the Upper Himalayas. The Chenab River is also known as 'Chandra Bhaga' in Himachal Pradesh. The Chenab enters Jammu and Kashmir through Himachal Pradesh and then flows southwest to Pakistan. The Chenab joins the Jhelum River at Trimmu and then falls into the Sutlej River. The total length is about 974 km.

Ravi: The Ravi River originates in Himachal Pradesh. It is about 720 km long. It flows from Himachal Pradesh through the border districts of Gurudaspur and Amritsar in Punjab. The Ravi enters Pakistan. It then joins the Chenab to join the Indus. Lahore, the main city of Pakistan, is located on the banks of the Ravi River.

Sutlej: The Sutlej is the largest tributary of the Indus River. The Sutlej River, which is about 1,500 km long, originates in the Rakshasthal Lake in Tibet and flows through the states of Himachal and Punjab before entering Pakistan. It is joined by the Beas River in Punjab and the Chenab in Pakistan. They then flow as the Panchnad and fall into the Indus.

Beas: The Beas River, which joins the Sutlej and falls into the Indus, originates from the Rohtang Pass in Himachal Pradesh. It then flows southwards through the Kullu Valley and finally joins the Sutlej in Punjab. The total length of this river is 470 km. It is a river that flows entirely through India. In May 2018, a large number of fish in the Beas River died due to chemical pollution. A species of dolphin called the 'Indus dolphin' has been found in this river.

Ancient and Greek names

■ Sutlej - Shatadru - Hesedros

■ Jhelum - Vitasta - Hydaspes

■ Chenab - Askini - Essayes

■ Beas - Vipassa - Hyphasis

■ Ravi - Parushni/Airavati - Hydrotis

Ganga River System

The Ganges is the national river of India. According to Indian belief, the Ganges is a holy river and a goddess. The Ganges originates from the famous Gaimukh cave (Uttarakhand) in the "Gangotri" glacier in the Himalayas. The Ganges is formed by the union of two rivers, the Alaknanda, which originates from Badrinath, and the Bhagirathi, which originates from Gangotri. These rivers merge to form the Ganges at Devprayag in Uttarakhand. The Ganges flows for kilometers through the Himalayas and reaches the Gangetic plains through the pilgrimage center of Haridwar before flowing through Bangladesh and emptying into the Bay of Bengal. The Ganges is the Indian river with the most tributaries. The tributaries are divided into left and right tributaries. The Son, Yamuna, and Damodar are the main tributaries on the right bank of the Ganges. The tributaries on the left bank of the Ganges are Ramganga, Gomati, Gaghra, Gandaki, Kosi, Mahananda, and Rapti.

Tributaries of Ganga River

The Ganges is the Indian river with the most tributaries. The major tributaries are the Bhagirathi, Alaknanda, Mandakini, Dhauliganga, Pindar, Yamuna, Damodar, Ramganga, Gomati, Mahananda, Rapti, Sone, Ghaghra, Kosi, and Gandhak. The tributaries are divided into left and right tributaries. The places where the five rivers join the Alaknanda are known as Panch Prayag. The last of these, Devprayag, is where the Bhagirathi and Alaknanda join to form the Ganges.

Right tributaries of the Ganges

Yamuna: The Yamuna is a holy river, known as Kalindi in the Puranas. This river originates from Yamunotri in Uttarakhand and joins the Ganges at the Triveni Sangam in Allahabad. The three main tributaries of the Yamuna are the Chambal, Betwa and Sindh. All three originate in Madhya Pradesh. The length of the Yamuna River is 1376 km.

Sone: Sone River originates from the Amarkantak Plateau in Madhya Pradesh. This 784 km long river joins the Ganges near Patna in Bihar. There is also a beautiful waterfall on this river above the Amarkantak Plateau.

Damodar: Damodar is a river known as the 'sorrow of Bengal'. This epithet is due to the fact that it has caused many floods. This river originates from the Chotanagpur Plateau in Jharkhand. From there, the Damodar flows into West Bengal and joins the Hooghly River. The length of this river is 592 km.

Left tributaries of the Ganges

Ramganga: Ramganga is a river originating from Garhwal in Uttarakhand. This river flows through the states of Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh and is 596 km long. The Ramganga River joins the Ganges near Kanauj in Uttar Pradesh. The Ramganga Dam is located in Uttarakhand.

Gomati: Originating in northern Uttar Pradesh, the Gomati is a river that flows only through Uttar Pradesh. The city of Lucknow is located on the banks of this river. The 900 km long Gomati joins the Ganges near Varanasi.

Ghaghra: The name Ghaghra means 'holy water flowing from the holy mountain'. The 1080 km long Ghaghra originates in Tibet and reaches Uttar Pradesh via Nepal. This river, which flows through Brahmaghat in Uttar Pradesh and joins the Sharda River, joins the Ganges in Bihar.

Mahananda: The Mahananda is a river that originates from Darjeeling in West Bengal. It joins the Ganges in Bangladesh.

Gandanak: The Gandanak is a river that is older than the Himalayas. This 630 km long river originates in Tibet near the Nepal border. It is also known as Narayani and Ganduki. The Gandanak, which reaches India from Nepal through the Himalayas, joins the Ganges in Bihar.

Kosi: The Kosi River is known as the 'Sorrow of Bihar'. The Kosi, which originates in Tibet, is also known as Saptakoshi in some places. This 729 km long river flows through northern Bihar and joins the Ganges.

Rapti: The Rapti is a river that originates in Nepal. The river flows through the Awadh and Purvanchal regions of Uttar Pradesh and merges with the Ghaghra River.

Brahmaputra River System

The Brahmaputra is one of the largest rivers in Asia. This river flows through three countries - China, India, and Bangladesh. It originates near Lake Mansarovar in Tibet. Flowing along the slopes of the Himalayas, passing through Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, the Brahmaputra flows westward to Bangladesh. There, it merges with the Padma (Ganga) river and finally merges with the Meghna river and flows into the Bay of Bengal. Of the approximately 2,900 km long Brahmaputra, only 916 km flows through India. The Brahmaputra has many large and small tributaries. The major tributaries of the Brahmaputra are Lohit, Dibang, Kamong, Dhanushri, Teesta, Manas, and Subansiri. The Brahmaputra has a different name in each country. It is known as 'Tsangpo' in Tibet, 'Dihang' and 'Siang' in Arunachal Pradesh. It gets the name Brahmaputra when it reaches Assam. In Bangladesh, the Brahmaputra is known as Jamuna.

Yamuna River System

The Yamuna is a holy river known as Kalindi in mythology. This river, also known as Jamuna, originates from Yamunotri in Uttar Kashi, Uttarakhand. The Yamuna joins the Ganges at the Triveni Sangam in Allahabad. This area is known as Prayag. The Yamuna, which passes through North Indian cities such as Delhi, Mathura, and Agra, is the longest Indian river that does not directly flow into the sea. The Yamuna is 1376 km long.

Tributaries of Yamuna

The three main tributaries of Yamuna are the Chambal, Sindh and Betawa or Betravati. All three originate in Madhya Pradesh. The longest tributary, the Chambal, joins the Yamuna in Uttar Pradesh. The Sindh joins the Yamuna at Etawah in Uttar Pradesh. The Ken River is another major tributary of Yamuna. It joins the Yamuna at Fatehpur in Uttar Pradesh.

Peninsular River System of India

Peninsular rivers originate in the peninsular regions of India, such as the Vindhya-Satpura ranges, the Chota Nagpur Plateau, and the Western Ghats. The major peninsular rivers of India are the Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri, Narmada, Tapti, and Luni. Formed earlier than the Himalayan rivers, these rivers have abundant water resources during the rainy season. Since the flow of these rivers is completely dependent on rainfall, the water is very low in the summer. Except for the Narmada, Tapti, and Luni, all the major peninsular rivers falls in the Bay of Bengal in the east. The Narmada and Tapti rivers flow to the Arabian Sea in the west. The Narmada and Tapti rivers flow westward due to the slope formed when the northern part of the peninsular plateau was lowered from the Himalayan plateau. The other major rivers of the peninsular plateau flow eastwards along the northwest to southwest slope. The Bharatapuzha, Sabarmati, Dhandhar, Mahi, Palar, Vaigai, Sharavati, Kali Nadi, Thamirabarani, Netravati, Penna, Brahmani, Baitarani, Subarnarekha etc. are other important rivers of the peninsula.

Godavari River System

The Godavari is the largest of the peninsular rivers and the second longest river in India. This 1465 km long river is also known as the 'Dakshina Ganga' and the Vriddha Ganga. The Godavari originates in the Nashik district of Maharashtra and flows through the states of Maharashtra, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh before falling into the Bay of Bengal.

Tributaries of the Godavari River

Wardha: The Wardha River, which originates from the foothills of the Mahadeo Hills south of the Satpura Range, flows into the main tributary of the Godavari, the Wainganga.

Purna: The Purna originates from the Ajanta Hills in Maharashtra. This 373 km long river joins the Godavari at Nanded.

Penganga and Manair: The Penganga is a river that originates from the Ajanta Hills and flows through the eastern region of Maharashtra before joining the Wardha River. Another river that originates from the Ajanta Hills is the Manair, which is also a tributary of the Godavari.

Wainganga: The Wainganga River, which originates in Madhya Pradesh, is another major tributary of the Godavari. It joins the Wardha River and flows south along the Maharashtra-Telangana border before joining the Godavari. After joining the Wainganga, Wardha is known as Pranahita.

Indravati: The Indravati river originates in Odisha. Flowing west from Odisha and passing through Chhattisgarh, the Indravati joins the Godavari at the Telangana-Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh borders. The Indravati river is known as the 'oxygen belt' of the Bastar district of Chhattisgarh.

Sabari: The Sabari is a river that originates in Odisha, flows along the Odisha-Chhattisgarh border and joins the Godavari in Andhra Pradesh. The Sileru river, which originates in Andhra Pradesh, is the main tributary of the Sabari.

Manjeera: The Manjeera is the most important tributary of the Godavari river flowing from the right bank. This river, which originates in Maharashtra and flows in a southeasterly direction, turns northwards as it reaches Telangana and joins the Godavari at Karimnagar, on the Maharashtra-Telangana border.

Krishna River System

The Krishna River is the main water source of the states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. This river originates from the Mahabaleshwar near the Sahya Parvat in Maharashtra. The second largest peninsular river, Krishna, is about 1300 km long. The main tributaries are Dutaganga, Panchganga, Varna, Koyna, Bhima and Musi. The famous Nagarjunasagar Dam is built on the Krishna River, also known as Krishnaveni.

Dutaganga: Dutaganga, which originates from Sindhudurg in Maharashtra, flows through Kolhapur and Belgaum districts of Karnataka and reaches Krishna.

Panchganga: Panchganga river in Maharashtra is the confluence of Kasari, Kumbi, Tulsi and Bhogavati rivers. It joins Krishna in Maharashtra.

Koyna River: Koyna is a river known as the "lifeline" of Maharashtra. This river originates in Satara district of Maharashtra and flows southwards to Karnataka. It joins the Krishna near the Maharashtra-Karnataka border. India's largest hydroelectric project, the 'Koyna Hydroelectric Project', is located on this river.

Bhima: The 861 km long Bhima River originates from Bhimashankar near Pune in Maharashtra. Bhima flows in a northeasterly direction through the states of Karnataka and Telangana before merging with the Krishna River.

Musi: Musi is a major tributary of the Krishna. The city of Hyderabad is located on its banks. Musi joins the Krishna in Andhra Pradesh. The artificial lakes Himayat Sagar and Osman Sagar are built with the water of this river.

Malaprabha and Tungabhadra: Malaprabha and Tungabhadra are the major tributaries on the right bank of the Krishna River. The Malaprabha River originates in Belgaum district of Karnataka. From there it flows eastwards and joins the Krishna River in Bagalkot district. The Tungabhadra River originates from two rivers, the Tunga and the Bhadra. Together they flow eastwards and join the Krishna River in Andhra Pradesh.

Kaveri River System

The source of Kaveri river is the Talakaveri on the Brahmagiri hills in Kodagu district of Karnataka. The Kaveri, which flows through the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and reaches the Bay of Bengal, is a major source of water for agriculture in these areas. The 765 km long Kaveri, unlike other peninsular rivers, is a river with abundant water throughout the year. This is because the upper reaches of the river receive rainfall during the summer due to the southwest monsoon and the lower reaches receive rainfall during the rest of the year due to the northeast monsoon. The famous Hogenakkal waterfall and Krishnasagar Dam are located on the Cauvery. The major tributaries of the Kaveri River are Kabani, Bhavani, Amaravati, Pambar, Lakshmanatheertham, Arkavati, and Noyyal.

Mahanadi River System

The Mahanadi River originates in the Sihawa Hills of Raipur district of Chhattisgarh. It flows for 857 km through the states of Chhattisgarh and Odisha before falling into the Bay of Bengal. The Mahanadi was once notorious for its floods. This situation changed with the construction of the Hirakud Dam on this river. It is the largest earthen dam in the world. The major tributaries of the Mahanadi are the Seonath, Hasdeo, Ib and Tel. The city of Cuttack in Odisha is located on this river. Upon reaching Cuttack, the Mahanadi turns into another tributary called the Kathajodi. This again divides into several parts and finally falls into the Bay of Bengal. The delta formed by the confluence of the Mahanadi, Baitarani and Brahmani rivers at the False Point near Cuttack is one of the largest deltas in India.

Narmada River System

Narmada is the third longest river in India. Originating from the Amarkantak Plateau in Madhya Pradesh, the Narmada flows westwards, crosses Maharashtra and Gujarat, and falls into the Gulf of Khambhat, a part of the Arabian Sea. The Narmada, which is about 1312 km long, is called the lifeline of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. The Sardar Sarovar Dam, famous for the environmental campaign launched by Medha Patkar, is located on the Narmada. The important tributaries of the Narmada are Sher, Shakkar, Dudhi, Tawa, Ganjal, Hiran, Burhner, Koral, and Uri.

Narmada Bachao Andolan

Narmada Bachao Andolan is the largest non-political organization with people's participation in the country. It was an organization formed by Medha Patkar against the Sardar Sarovar project in Gujarat. Medha first visited the Narmada Valley in 1985. Medha had been campaigning since 1987 for the rehabilitation of those who would lose their homes and livelihoods during the implementation of the Sardar Sarovar project. Patkar went on a 22-day hunger strike and the issue gained global attention. In 1989, she formed the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) to oppose the construction of the dam. As a result, the state and central governments adopted a clear policy that the same amount of land would be given to the project victims as compensation for the land acquired by the government for the project. In 1991, NBA received the 'Right to Livelihood' award.

Tapti River System

The Tapti River originates from the Multai region of Madhya Pradesh. The Tapti River is also known as Tapi. The name of the river is derived from the word "tapam" meaning heat. The 724 km long Tapti flows westwards from Madhya Pradesh, crosses the states of Maharashtra and Gujarat and falls into the Arabian Sea. The main tributaries of the Tapti are the Amravati, Purna, Suki, Girna, Aner, Betal, Patki, Bori and Panjhara.

Luni River System

The Luni is the largest river in Rajasthan. This river originates near the Pushkar Lake near Ajmer in Rajasthan. This river, which is also known as the Sagarmati, merges with the Saraswati River at Govindgarh in Rajasthan to become the Luni. This river flows into the Rann of Kutch in Gujarat.