Chapter 3 Geography Class 9th

Drainage
Drainage:The river system of an area is called drainage. The area drained by a single river system is
called the drainage basin.
Drainage Patterns:
Depending on the slope of land, underlying rock structure and climate of an area, the streams in a
drainage basin form certain patters. Different types of drainage pattern are as follows:
a. Dendritic Drainage Pattern: When the river channel follows the slope of the terrain, it
develops dendritic pattern. The stream and its tributaries resemble the branches of a tree.
Hence, it is called dendritic pattern.

b. Trellis Drainage Pattern: When a river is joined by its tributaries at almost right angles, it
develops a trellis pattern. Trellis pattern develops where hard and soft rocks exist parallel to
each other.

c. Rectangular Drainage Pattern: When rocks are strongly joined, then rectangular pattern
develops.

d. Radial Drainage Pattern: When the streams flow in different directions from a central peak or
dome like structure, a radial pattern is developed.
It is important to note that a combination of different patterns may develop in the same drainage
basin.
The drainage systems in India can be divided into two major groups, viz. the Himalayan Rivers and
the Peninsular Rivers.
The Himalayan Rivers: Most of the Himalayan Rivers are perennial, i.e. they have water throughout
the year.
River System: A river alongwith its tributaries forms a river system.
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The Indus River System:

The river Indus originates in Tibet; near Lake Mansarowar. It enters India in the Ladakh
district of Jammu & Kashmir.

Zaskar, Nubra, Shyok and Hunza are the main tributaries which join the Indus in Kashmir
region.

After flowing through Baltistan and Gilgit, the Indus emerges from the mountains at Attock.

Sutlej, Beas, Ravi, Chenab and Jhelum join together and enter the Indus near Mithankot in
Pakistan. After that, the Indus flows southwards and finally reaches the Arabian Sea, east of
Karachi.

Indus is 2900 km long. The Indus plain has a very gentle slope. A little over one-third of the
Indus basin is located in India; in the states of Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and
Punjab. The rest of the portion is in Pakistan.

The Ganga River System

The headwaters of Ganga are called Bhagirathi. It is fed by the Gnagotri Glacier. It is joined
by Alaknanda at Devprayag in Uttarakhand.

Ganga emerges from the mountains on to the plains at Haridwar.

Yamuna, Ghaghra, Gandak and Kosi are the major tributaries of Ganga. Yamuna originates
from the Yamunotri Glacier in the Himalayas. It meets Ganga at Allahabad.

Gaghra, Gandak and Kosi rise in the Nepal Himalaya.

Chambal, Betwa and Son are the major tributaries which come from the peninsular uplands.

After taking waters from various tributaries, Ganga flows towards east till Farakka (West
Bengal). The river bifurcates at Farakka. The Bhagirathi-Hooghly (a distributary) flows
towards south to the Bay of Bengal.

The mainstream flows southwards into Bangladesh; where it is joined by the Brahmaputra. It
is known as Meghan; further downstream.

Finally, the Ganga and the Brahmaputra flow into the Bay of Bengal forming the Sunderban
Delta. The total length of Ganga is 2500 km.

The Brahmaputra River System:

The Brahmaputra rises in Tibet; east of Mansarowar lake. It is a little longer than the Indus.
Most of the course of the Brahmaputra lies outside India. It flows eastwards parallel to the
Himalayas.

After reaching Namcha Barwa, it enters India in Arunachal Pradesh through a gorge. It is
known as Dihang in this region. It is joined by Dibang, Lohit, Kenula and many other
tribuatries and finally forms the Brahmaputra in Assam.

Unlike other north Indian rivers the Brahmaputra gets huge deposits of silt on its bed. This
results in rising of the river bed. It also shifts its channel frequently.

The Peninsular Rivers: Most of the Peninsular Rivers are seasonal because they depend on rainfall for
water. These rivers have shorter and shallower courses; compared to the Himalayan rivers. Most of
the major rivers of the Peninsula flow eastwards and drain into the Bay of Bengal. These rivers make
deltas at their mouths. The Narmada and Tapi are the only long rivers, which flow westwards and
make estuaries. The drainage basins of the peninsular rivers are smaller in size.
The Narmada Basin: The Narmada rises in the Amarkantak hills in the Madhya Pradesh. The
Narmada basin covers parts of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. All the tributaries of the Narmada are
very short. Most of the tributaries join the Narmada at right angles.
The Tapi Basin: The Tapi rises in the Satpura ranges, in Betul district of Madhya Pradesh. The basin
of Tapi covers parts of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra.
The Godavari Basin: This is the longest Peninsular river. Its drainage basin is also the largest among
the peninsular river basins. The Godavari is about 1500 km long. It originates from the slopes of the
Western Ghats in Nasik district of Maharashtra and drains into the Bay of Bengal. The Godavari basin
covers parts of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa and Andhra Pradesh. Purna, Wardha, Pranhita,
Manjra, Waiganga and Penganga are the main tributaries of Godavari.
The Mahanadi Basin: This river originates in the highlands of Chhattisgarh and drains into the Bay of
Bengal. It is about 860 km long. The Mahanadi basin covers Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand
and Orissa.

The Krishna Basin: The Krishna originates near Mahabaleshwar and drains into the Bay of Bengal. It
is about 1400 km long. Tungbhadra, Koyana, Ghatprabha, Musi and Bhima are some of its tributaries.
The Krishna basin covers Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
The Kaveri Basin: The Kaveri originates in the Brahmagiri range of the Western Ghats and drains into
the Bay of Bengal. It is about 760 km long. Amravati, Bhavani, Hemavati and Kabini are its main
tributaries. The Kavery basin covers Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
LAKES
A large water body which is surrounded by land is called a lake. Most of the lakes are permanent,
while some contain water only during the rainy season. Lakes are formed by the action of glaciers and
ice sheets, by wind, river action and by human activities.
Ox-bow Lake: A lake formed when a meandering river is cut off from the mainstream. The shape of
this lake resembles an ox-bow.
Lagoon: When the lake is formed by spits and bars in coastal areas, it is called a lagoon. Chilika lake,
Pulicat lake, Kolleru lake, etc. are examples of lagoon.
Glacial Lake: A lake formed by melting of glacier is called a glacial lake. Most of the lakes in the
Himalayan region are glacial lakes.
Wular lake (Jammu & Kashmir) is the largest freshwater lake in India. It was formed by tectonic
activity.
Benefits of a Lake: A lake helps in preventing flood by regulating the flow of river. During dry
seasons, a lake helps to maintain an even flow of the river. Lakes can also be used for generating
hydel power.
Role of rivers in the economy: Rivers have been the centre of human civilization since ancient times.
Even today, many big cities are situated on the bank of a river. River water is used for irrigation,
navigation, hydroelectricity, fisheries, etc.
River Pollution: The growing domestic, municipal, industrial and agricultural demand for water from
rivers naturally affects the quality of water. As a result, more and more water is being drained out of
the rivers reducing their volume. On the other hand, a heavy load of untreated sewage and industrial
effluents are emptied into the rivers. This affects not only the quality of water but also the selfcleansing capacity of the river.
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NCERT Solution
Question 1 - Which one of the following describes the drainage patterns resembling the branches of
a tree?
a. Radial
b. Centrifugal
c. Dendritic
d. Trellis
Answer: (c) Dendritic
Question 2 - In which of the following states is the Wular lake located?
a. Rajasthan
b. Punjab
c. Uttar Pradesh
d. Jammu and Kashmir
Answer: (d) Jammu and Kashmir
Question 3 - The river Narmada has its source at
a. Satpura
b. Amarkantak
c. Brahmagiri
d. Slopes of the Western Ghats
Answer: (b) Amarkantak
Question 4 - Which one of the following lakes is a salt water lake?
a. Sambhar
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b. Wular
c. Dal
d. Gobind Sagar
Answer: (a) Sambhar
Question 5 - Which one of the following is the longest river of the Peninsular India?
a. Narmada
b. Godavari
c. Krishna
d. Mahanadi
Answer: (b) Godavari
Question 6 - Which one amongst the following rivers flows through a rift valley?
a. Mahanadi
b. Krishna
c. Tungabhadra
d. Tapi
Answer: (d) Tapi
Question 7 - What is meant by a water divide? Give an example.
Answer: Any elevated area separates two drainage basins. Such upland is called a water divide.
Question 8 - Which is the largest river basin in India?
Answer: The Ganga River Basin
Question 9 - Where do the rivers Indus and Ganga have their origin?

Answer: In the Himalayas

Question 10 - Name the two headstreams of the Ganga. Where do they meet to form the Ganga?
Answer: Bhagirathi and Alaknanda are the two headstreams of Ganga. They meet at Devprayag to
form the Ganga.
Question 11 - Why does the Brahmaputra in its Tibetan part have less silt, despite a longer course?
Answer: Since Tibet is a cold and dry area, so Brahmaputra in this part carries less silt despite having
a longer course.
Question 12 - Which two Peninsular rivers flow through trough?
Answer: Narmada and Tapi
Question 13 - State some economic benefits of rivers and lakes.
Answer: Lake can be used for generating hydroelectricity. A lake can be a good tourist attraction.
Rivers have been the centre of human civilization since ancient times. Even today, many big cities are
situated on the bank of a river. River water is used for irrigation, navigation, hydroelectricity,
fisheries, etc.
Question 14 - Below are given names of a few lakes of India. Group them under two categories
natural and created by human beings.
(a)Wular (b) Dal (c) Nainital (d) Bhimtal (e) Gobind Sagar (f) Loktak (g) Barapani (h) Chilika (i)
Sambhar (j) Rana Pratap Sagar (k) Nizam Sagar (l) Pulicat (m) Nagarjuna Sagar (n) Hirakund
Answer: Natural Lakes: Wular, Dal, Bhimtal, Loktak, Barapani, Chilika, Sambhar, Pulicat
Man-made Lakes: Gobind Sagar, Rana Pratap Sagar, Nizam Sagar, Nagarjuna Sagar, Hirakund
Question 15 - Discuss the significant difference between the Himalayan and the Peninsular rivers.
Answer:

Question 16 - Compare the east flowing and the west flowing rivers of the Peninsular plateau.
Answer: The east flowing rivers of the Peninsular part drain into Bay of Bengal and form deltas at
their mouths. The west flowing rivers drain into the Arabian Sea and form estuaries. Most of the east
flowing rivers are longer, compared to most of the west flowing rivers.
Question 17 - Why are rivers important for the countrys economy?
Answer: Rivers are the major source of water for irrigation and hence are important for a country
where farming is still the occupation of the largest portion of population. Many major rivers serve as
important channels for transporting goods and people and thus play important role in the supply chain.
Many multipurpose projects have been built on most of the major rivers in India. Rivers are important
source of fish to a large population.
Question 1 - Nagarjuna Sagar is a river valley project. Name the river?
Answer: Krishna
Question 2 - The longest river of India.
Answer: Ganga
Question 3 - The river which originates from a place known as Beas Kund.
Answer: Beas
Question 4 - The river which rises in the Betul district of MP and flows westwards.
Answer: Tapi
Question 5 - The river which was known as the Sorrow of West Bengal.
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Answer: Damodar
Question 6 - The river on which the reservoir for India Gandhi canal has been built.
Answer: Sutlej
Question 7 - The river whose source lies near Rohtang Pass.
Answer: Ravi
Question 8 - The longest river of Peninsular India?
Answer: Godavari
Down
Question 9 - A tributary of Indus originating from Himachal Pradesh.
Answer: Chenab
Question 10 - The river flowing through fault, drains into the Arabian Sea.
Answer: Narmada
Question 11 - A river of south India, which receives rain water both in summer and winter.
Answer: Kaveri
Question 12 - A river which flows through Ladakh, Gilgit and Pakistan.
Answer: Indus
Question 13 - An important river of the Indian desert.
Answer: Luni
Question 14 - The river which joins Chenab in Pakistan.
Answer: Jhelum
Question 15 - A river which rises at Yamunotri glacier.

Answer: Yamuna

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