Himalayan Drainage System – Ganga Brahmaputra River

Tributaries of Ganga River (Right Bank)

Tributary

Origin and course

Significance

1.

Yamuna

• Origin – Originates from Yamunotri glacier from Banderpunch peak in Garhwal region of Uttarakhand at an elevation of about 6000
  m.
• It cuts through Nag Tibba, the Mussoorie and the Shiwalik.
• Emerges out of hilly area and enters Plains here.
• Takes southerly course upto Mathura and then turns South east upto Prayagraj.
• Unites with Ganga near Triveni Sangam Prayagraj.
• Total Length – from origin to Prayagraj is 1376 km.
• Creates highly fertile alluvial plain.

Tributaries of Yamuna –

Non Peninsular

• • • Rishi Ganga
    • Uma
    • Hanuman Ganga
    • Tons
    • Hindon

Peninsular

• • • Chambal
    • Sind
    • Betwa
    • Ken
    • (most of these flows between Agra and Prayagraj)

• Westernmost and longest tributary of Ganga
• Joins Ganga at Prayag.
• Creates highly fertile Alluvial, Yamuna Ganga doab region between itself and Ganga in the Indo gangetic plain.
• Only Himalayan River to join on right Bank of Ganga.

Tributaries of Yamuna

Tons

• Origin – Rises from Banderpunch glacier at an altitude of 3900 m

• Joins Yamuna below Kalsi before Yamuna leaves the hills.

Chambal

• Origin – Rises in highland of Janapav Hills (700m) in Vindhya Range, Mhow, MP.
• Flows through Malwa plateau and afterwards enters the gorge at Chaurasigarh upto Kota.
• Joins Yamuna in Etawah district of Uttar Pradesh.
• River flows much below its Bank due to severe erosion because of poor rainfall and numerous deep ravines have been formed in
  Chambal.
• Total Length – 1050 km

 Dams on Chambal

Gandhi Sagar dam – first of four dams, located on Rajasthan – Madhya Pradesh border.

Rana Pratap Sagar Dam – located 52 km downstream of Gandhi Sagar dam on across the Chambal River near Chittorgarh district in Rajasthan.

Jawahar Sagar Dam – located 29 km upstream of Kota city and 26 km downstream of Rana Pratap Sagar dam.

The Kota Barrage – fourth in series, located about 0.8 km upstream of Kota district.

Water released after power generation at Gandhi Sagar dam, Rana Pratap Sagar dam, Jawahar Sagar dam is diverted by Kota barrage for irrigation in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh by canals.

• Chambal ravines – recent geological uplift poor rainfall and resulting sever erosion have given rise to numerous ravines and Badlands topography in Chambal basin.

Banas

• Origin – Originates in southern part of Aravalli hills.
• Joins Chambal on Rajasthan – Madhya Pradesh border near Sawai Madhopur.
• Total Length –

• Important tributary of Chambal.

Sind

• Origin- Originates in Vidisha Plateau of Madhya Pradesh.
• Total Length – 415 km

• Joins Yamuna.

Betwa

• Origin – Rises in Bhopal district in Vindhya Range at elevation of 470 m.
• Total Length – 590 km
• The Dhasan is its important tributary.

• Joins Yamuna near Hamirpur, UP.

Ken

• Origin – Originates from Barner range of MP.
• Joins Yamuna at Chila.
• Total Length – 360  km

• Joins Yamuna at Chila.

2.

Son

• Origin – Rises in Amarkantak plateau at an elevation of about 600 m.
• Source is close to the origin of Narmada River.
• Flows north from Origin and Passes along Kaimur range in north east direction.
• Joins Ganga at Danapur district of Bihar.
• Total Length – 784 km.
• Important tributaries – Johilla, Gopat, Rihand, Kanhar and North Koel. Almost all joins at right bank.

• After forming series of waterfalls at the edge of Amarkantak plateau, it reaches Arrah west of Patna to join Ganga.

3.

Damodar

• Origin – Rises in the Hills of Chota Nagpur Plateau and flows through rift valley.
• Rich in mineral resources.
• It has numerous tributaries and sub tributaries – Konar, Barakar, Bokaro and Haharo etc.
• Barakar is most important tributary.
• It used to cause devastating flood in Bengal as a result it earned the name of ‘sorrow of Bengal’. Now, the river is tamed by construction of numerous dams.
• First dam on Barakar River, tributary of Damodar.
• It joins Hugli River 48 km below Kolkata.
• Total Length – 541 km.
• Dams used for hydroelectricity, hence, called ‘Ruhr of India’.

• Rich in mineral resources, home to mining and industrial activities.
• Once known as sorrow of Bengal the Damodar River has
  transformed into life giving lifeline of large scale industrial production by Damodar valley corporation multipurpose project.
• Dams are used for hydroelectricity hence now called as Ruhr of India.

Tributaries of Ganga River (Left Bank)

Tributary

Origin and course

Significance

1.

Ramganga

• Origin – Rises in Garhwal district of Uttarakhand
• Enters Ganga plains at Kakagarh.
• The Tributaries are – Gangan, Aril, Kosi, Deoha etc.

• Tributary of Ganga.

2.

Ghaghra

• Origin – Source near Gurla Mandhata peak, south of Mansarovar Peak in Tibet.
• Known as Karnaili in Western Nepal.
• Important Tributaries – Sarda, Sarju and Rapti.
• After reaching plain area, its stream gets divided
  into many branches of which Koriyab and Garwa are important.
• River bed is sandy and sudden bends start occurring in stream.
• River has high flood frequency and has shifted its course several times.
• It joins Ganga at Chhapra in Bihar few Km downstream

• Joins Ganga at Chhapra

3.

Kali

• Origin – Rises in high glaciers of Trans Himalaya.
• Forms the boundary between Nepal and Uttarakhand.
• Known as Sarda after it reaches the plains near
  Tanakpur.

• Tributary of Ganga.

4.

Gandak

• Origin – Originates near Tibet Nepal Border at the height of 7620 m.
• Receives large no. of tributaries in Nepal Himalaya.
• Its important tributaries – Kali, Gandak, Mayangadi, Bari, Trishulli.
• Enters Ganga plains in Champaran district of Bihar.

• Flows in Ganga in Hajipur, Bihar.
• It comprises of two streams namely Kaligandak and Trishulganga.

5.

Burhi Gandak

• Origin– Originates from western Slopes of Sumesar Hills near India Nepal Border.
• Joins Ganga near Monghyr town.

• Tributary of Ganga.

6.

Kosi

• Origin – Originates in the north of Mt. Everest in Tibet.
• Consist of seven streams namely Sut Kosi, Tamba Kosi, Talka, Doodh Kosi, Botia Kosi, Arun and Tambar. It is also popularly known as SuptaKoshi in Nepal.
• These streams flow through eastern Nepal which is known as Sapt Kaushik region.
• The source receives huge rainfall and is covered by snow. Hence huge amount of water flow tremendously.
• Seven streams mingle with each other to form three streams named Tumar, Arun and Sun Kosi.
• Rivers enters Tarai of Nepal after cutting a narrow gorge in Mahabharat range.
• Soon after debouncing into plains the river become sluggish.
• It joins Ganga at

• The river channel is braided and it shift its course frequently.
• This has resulted in frequent devastating flood and has converted large tract of cultivable land into wasteland in Bihar. Thus, the river is named as ‘Sorrow of Bihar’.

7.

Sarda or Saryu

• Origin – Rises in Milan glacier in Nepal Himalaya.

• Forms border between Nepal and Kumaon.
• It is known as Goriganga in Nepal Himalaya. Along Indo Nepal border known as Kali or Chowk where it joins Ghaghra.

8.

Mahananda

• Origin – Rises in Darjeeling Hills

• Joins Ganga as its last left bank tributary in West Bengal.