📑 Topics on this page (Jump to Topic):
📌 1. Himalayan Rivers
- Perennial (glacier + rain), deep gorges, meanders, deltas; antecedent drainage — Indus, Sutlej, Brahmaputra are older than the Himalayas.
| River | Source | Key facts |
|---|---|---|
| Indus | Bokhar Chu near Mansarovar (Tibet) | Tributaries: Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, Sutlej; Indus Waters Treaty 1960; Arabian Sea |
| Jhelum | Verinag spring (Kashmir) | Flows through Wular Lake; Srinagar on it |
| Sutlej | Rakas Tal (Tibet) | Enters at Shipki La; Bhakra-Nangal dam (Gobind Sagar) |
| Ganga | Gangotri glacier (Gaumukh) — Bhagirathi; joins Alaknanda at Devprayag to become "Ganga" | India's longest river (≈ 2,525 km); National River (2008); called Padma in Bangladesh |
| Yamuna | Yamunotri glacier | Longest tributary of Ganga; meets at Prayagraj; tributaries Chambal, Betwa, Ken, Sindh |
| Brahmaputra | Chemayungdung glacier (near Mansarovar) | Tsangpo in Tibet, Dihang/Siang in Arunachal, Jamuna in Bangladesh; Majuli — largest river island (Assam) |
- Ganga tributaries — left: Ramganga, Gomti, Ghaghara, Gandak, Kosi ("Sorrow of Bihar"), Mahananda; right: Yamuna, Son (from Amarkantak).
- Panch Prayag (on Alaknanda): Vishnuprayag (Dhauliganga), Nandprayag (Nandakini), Karnaprayag (Pindar), Rudraprayag (Mandakini), Devprayag (Bhagirathi).
📌 2. Peninsular Rivers
| River | Source | Key facts |
|---|---|---|
| Godavari | Trimbakeshwar, Nashik (Maharashtra) | Longest peninsular river (≈ 1,465 km) — "Dakshin Ganga"; tributaries Pranhita, Indravati, Manjira |
| Krishna | Mahabaleshwar (Maharashtra) | Tributaries Tungabhadra, Bhima, Koyna; Nagarjuna Sagar, Srisailam, Almatti dams |
| Kaveri | Brahmagiri, Talakaveri (Karnataka) | "Ganga of the South"; Shivasamudram falls; Srirangapatna, Srirangam islands; KRS & Mettur dams |
| Mahanadi | Sihawa, Dhamtari (Chhattisgarh) | Hirakud Dam (Odisha) — among India's longest dams |
| Narmada | Amarkantak (MP) | Flows west through a rift valley forming an estuary; Dhuandhar falls (Jabalpur), Sardar Sarovar dam |
| Tapi | Multai, Betul (MP) | Flows west into Gulf of Khambhat; Surat on it |
- East-flowing rivers (Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri, Mahanadi) form deltas in the Bay of Bengal; west-flowing (Narmada, Tapi, Mahi, Sabarmati) form estuaries in the Arabian Sea.
- The Mahi crosses the Tropic of Cancer twice.
📌 3. Major Dams
| Dam | River | State |
|---|---|---|
| Tehri (tallest, ≈ 260 m) | Bhagirathi | Uttarakhand |
| Bhakra-Nangal | Sutlej | HP-Punjab |
| Hirakud (among longest) | Mahanadi | Odisha |
| Sardar Sarovar | Narmada | Gujarat |
| Indira Sagar (largest reservoir) | Narmada | MP |
| Nagarjuna Sagar | Krishna | Telangana-AP |
| Mettur (Stanley reservoir) | Kaveri | Tamil Nadu |
| Rihand (G.B. Pant Sagar) | Rihand (Son tributary) | UP |
| Tungabhadra | Tungabhadra | Karnataka |
📌 4. Lakes, Waterfalls & Riverside Cities
- Lakes: largest freshwater — Wular (J&K, Jhelum); largest inland salt — Sambhar (Rajasthan); Loktak (Manipur — floating "phumdis", Keibul Lamjao, the only floating national park); Lonar (Maharashtra — meteorite crater); Dal (Srinagar); Vembanad (Kerala, longest).
- Waterfalls: highest — Kunchikal (Karnataka, Varahi); famous — Jog/Gersoppa (Sharavati, Karnataka), Dudhsagar (Mandovi, Goa), Chitrakote (Indravati, Chhattisgarh — "Niagara of India"), Shivasamudram (Kaveri), Hundru (Subarnarekha, Jharkhand), Dhuandhar (Narmada).
| City | River |
|---|---|
| Delhi, Agra, Mathura | Yamuna |
| Varanasi, Patna, Kanpur, Haridwar | Ganga |
| Lucknow | Gomti |
| Kolkata | Hooghly |
| Ahmedabad | Sabarmati |
| Jabalpur | Narmada |
| Hyderabad | Musi |
| Guwahati, Dibrugarh | Brahmaputra |
| Cuttack | Mahanadi |
| Pune | Mula-Mutha |
| Nashik, Nanded, Rajahmundry | Godavari |
| Ujjain | Shipra |
⚠️ Exam Traps:
- India's longest river is the Ganga; the longest peninsular river is the Godavari.
- "Sorrow of Bihar" = Kosi; "Sorrow of Bengal" = Damodar.
- Narmada and Tapi flow west — they form estuaries, not deltas.
- The name "Ganga" begins at Devprayag (Bhagirathi + Alaknanda).
📌 5. Practice MCQs
📝 Practice MCQs (prepared by SF Prep — not PYQs)
Q1. Which is the longest river of India? Practice
Correct answer: (B)
The Ganga is ≈ 2,525 km long.
The Ganga is ≈ 2,525 km long.
Q2. Where do the Bhagirathi and Alaknanda join to form the Ganga? Practice
Correct answer: (C)
Devprayag (Uttarakhand) is the last of the Panch Prayag.
Devprayag (Uttarakhand) is the last of the Panch Prayag.
Q3. Which river is called "Dakshin Ganga"? Practice
Correct answer: (D)
The Godavari is the longest peninsular river.
The Godavari is the longest peninsular river.
Q4. Which river is called the "Sorrow of Bihar"? Practice
Correct answer: (A)
The Kosi often shifts course and causes devastating floods.
The Kosi often shifts course and causes devastating floods.
Q5. Which river flows west through a rift valley? Practice
Correct answer: (B)
The Narmada flows in a rift between Vindhya and Satpura.
The Narmada flows in a rift between Vindhya and Satpura.
Q6. The Brahmaputra is known in Tibet as — Practice
Correct answer: (C)
Tsangpo in Tibet, Jamuna in Bangladesh.
Tsangpo in Tibet, Jamuna in Bangladesh.
Q7. Majuli, the largest river island, is in which river? Practice
Correct answer: (D)
Majuli lies in the Brahmaputra in Assam; India's first island district.
Majuli lies in the Brahmaputra in Assam; India's first island district.
Q8. India's tallest dam, Tehri, is on — Practice
Correct answer: (A)
Tehri Dam (≈ 260 m) is on the Bhagirathi in Uttarakhand.
Tehri Dam (≈ 260 m) is on the Bhagirathi in Uttarakhand.
Q9. Hirakud Dam is built on — Practice
Correct answer: (B)
Hirakud (Odisha) is on the Mahanadi.
Hirakud (Odisha) is on the Mahanadi.
Q10. Bhakra-Nangal Dam is on — Practice
Correct answer: (C)
On the Sutlej; reservoir Gobind Sagar.
On the Sutlej; reservoir Gobind Sagar.
Q11. Nagarjuna Sagar dam is on — Practice
Correct answer: (D)
On the Krishna at the Telangana-AP border.
On the Krishna at the Telangana-AP border.
Q12. India's largest freshwater lake is — Practice
Correct answer: (A)
Wular Lake (J&K) is fed by the Jhelum.
Wular Lake (J&K) is fed by the Jhelum.
Q13. Keibul Lamjao, the only floating national park, is on — Practice
Correct answer: (B)
Loktak (Manipur) has floating phumdis; home of the Sangai deer.
Loktak (Manipur) has floating phumdis; home of the Sangai deer.
Q14. Which waterfall is called the "Niagara of India"? Practice
Correct answer: (C)
Chitrakote (Indravati, Bastar, Chhattisgarh), for its width.
Chitrakote (Indravati, Bastar, Chhattisgarh), for its width.
Q15. Jog (Gersoppa) Falls is on — Practice
Correct answer: (D)
Jog Falls is on the Sharavati in Karnataka.
Jog Falls is on the Sharavati in Karnataka.
Q16. The longest tributary of the Ganga is — Practice
Correct answer: (A)
The Yamuna (≈ 1,376 km) joins the Ganga at Prayagraj.
The Yamuna (≈ 1,376 km) joins the Ganga at Prayagraj.
Q17. Which river crosses the Tropic of Cancer twice? Practice
Correct answer: (B)
The Mahi rises in MP, loops through Rajasthan and enters the Gulf of Khambhat in Gujarat.
The Mahi rises in MP, loops through Rajasthan and enters the Gulf of Khambhat in Gujarat.
Q18. East-flowing peninsular rivers generally form at their mouths — Practice
Correct answer: (C)
Slow flow and wide coastal plains deposit silt into deltas.
Slow flow and wide coastal plains deposit silt into deltas.
Q19. The Jhelum originates from — Practice
Correct answer: (D)
Verinag (Anantnag, Kashmir) is the source of the Jhelum.
Verinag (Anantnag, Kashmir) is the source of the Jhelum.
Q20. Hyderabad is on the banks of — Practice
Correct answer: (A)
The Musi is a tributary of the Krishna.
The Musi is a tributary of the Krishna.