Rivers in India

The rivers play important role in the economic development of any country. In India, rivers play an important role in irrigation, transportation, fishing. Due to this, the rivers in India are tightly bound to Indian tradition and culture. Since ancient times, rivers are worshipped as God/Goddess since they are considered very sacred. India has a rich resource of rivers and in almost every part of India, there is a nearby river.

Classification of Rivers of India

1. Perennial and Non- Perennial River: If a river is originating from mountains or they get water throughout the year then they are considered as Perennial River. On the other hand, rivers originating from plateau region are called as Non- Perennial Rivers. Non- Perennial Rivers do not have enough waters for the whole year. Perennial rivers of India includes Ganga, Yamuna, Indus, Brahmaputra, Narmada, Mahanadi, Tapti, Ghagra(Saraswati), Sutlej and Thamiraparani(only perennial river from the south).
2. (Peninsular Rivers ) East flowing & West Flowing Rivers: The Peninsular Rivers originate in the Western Ghats. They have a large seasonal fluc­tuation in volume as they are solely fed from rain­fall. These rivers flow in valleys with steep gradi­ents. Major rivers of the Peninsula such as Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, Cauvery flow eastwards on the plateau and drain into the Bay of Bengal. The rivers which end in the Bay of Bengal are called “East flowing” rivers. If the river empties into the Arabian Sea, it is called “West Flowing” rivers. In India, all major rivers are “east-flowing” rivers. The west flowing rivers of India includes Narmada River, Tapti River, Mahi River and Sabarmati River.
3. Inland Drainage River: The river which does not empty itself into any sea, and ends with any lake or any other water body is known as Inland Drainage River. The best example of Inland Drainage River in India is Luni River which does not fall into the Arabian Sea but ends up in Rann of Kutch.
4. On the basis of their origin.
   1. The Himalayan mountain range.
   2. From Satpura and Vindhya range.
   3. From Western Ghats region.
   4. The Indus River System

List of Major Rivers in India

State-Wise Rivers

State-Wise details of Rivers Covered

Peninsular Rivers India – Flowing East to West

Peninsular Rivers India – Flowing West to East

The Ganga River System

The Ganga River System includes the following rivers (10 major rivers plus Damodar river and Hugli river):

Although Hugli and Damodar rivers are not considered the most important rivers of the Ganga river system.

The Indus River System

The Indus River System includes the following 6 major rivers: 

Western Ghats Rivers

Western Ghats Rivers: 

Vindhya and Satpura Ranges rivers

Vindhya and Satpura Ranges rivers:

Other Important Notes on Indian rivers to remember:

• River Saraswati was considered to be a mythical river and is part of the Hindu Triveni Sangam mythology of the confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati rivers. Recent studies have shown that the Saraswati river was flowing under the ground and meeting Ganga and Yamuna at the Kumbh Mela spot.
• Meghna a major river in Bangladesh is a tributary if Indian Brahmaputra river and also empties into the Bay of Bengal.

Related

• Vidya Kendra – Yamuna Vihar
• Year 2011 Compulsory English Paper UPSC
• Current Affairs – 3rd March 2017
• Year 1999 Compulsory English Paper UPSC
• Namami Gange Programme