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READY RECKONER OF INDIAN GEOGRAPHY |14|

A. Himalayan Drainage: 1. The Indus System
• The Himalayan drainage system has evolved through
a long geological history. It mainly includes the Ganga,

the Indus and the Brahmaputra river basins.

• Rivers of this system are perennial. These rivers pass
through the giant gorges carved out by the erosional
activity carried on simultaneously with the uplift of
the Himalayas.

• Course of these rivers is highly tortuous, but over the
plains they display a strong meandering tendency and • One of the largest river basins of the world originates
from Kailash Mountain range. In Tibet, it is known as
shift their courses frequently.
‘SingiKhamban; or Lion‘s mouth.
Ex: River Kosi, also known as the ‘sorrow of Bihar‘, has
been notorious for frequently changing its course. After entering J&K it flows between the Ladakh and

the Zaskar Ranges. The Gilgit, Gartang, Dras, Shiger,
• It is opined that in due course of time Indo– Brahma
Hunza are the other Himalayan tributaries of the
River was dismembered into three main drainage
Indus.
systems,
• The Jhelum, an important tributary of the Indus, rises
(i) The Indus and its five tributaries in the western
from a spring at Verinag situated at the foot of the
part
PirPanjal.It flows through Srinagar and the Wular lake.
(ii) The Ganga and its Himalayan tributaries in the
central part • The Chenab is the largest tributary of the Indus,
(iii) The stretch of the Brahmaputra in Assam and its formed by two streams, the Chandra and the Bhaga,

Himalayan tributaries in the eastern part. which join at Tandi near Keylong in Himachal Pradesh.
Hence, it is also known as Chandrabhaga.
The dismemberment was probably due to the Pleistocene
upheaval in the western Himalayas, including the uplift of • The Ravi has its source in Kullu hills near the Rohtang
the Potwar Plateau (Delhi Ridge), which acted as the Pass in Himachal Pradesh. It drains the area between
water divide between the Indus and Ganga drainage the Pir Panjal and the Dhaola Dhar ranges.
systems.
• The Beas originates near the Rohtang Pass
Likewise, the down- thrusting of the Malda gap area
between the Rajmahal hills and the Meghalaya plateau • The Satluj originates in the Rakas lake near
during the mid-pleistocene period, diverted the Ganga Mansarovar, in Tibet where it is known as
and the Brahmaputra systems to flow towards the Bay of LangchenKhambab. It comes out of a gorge at Rupar.
Bengal. It passes through the Shipki La on the Himalayan
ranges and enters the Punjab plains. It is an
antecedent river.

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