Question

Describe the major peninsular rivers of India.

Answer 1

The major peninsular rivers are the Mahanadi, the Godavari, the Krishna and the Kaveri. These rivers flow eastwards and drain into the Bay of Bengal. They make deltas at their mouths.
(i) The Godavari Basin: The Godavari is the largest peninsular river. It rises from the slopes of the Western Ghats in the Nasik district of Maharashtra. Its length is about 1500 km. It is joined by a number of tributaries such as the Puma, the Wardha, the Pranhita, the Manjra, the Wainganga and the Penganga. The last three tributaries are very large and collectively called the 'Dakshin Ganga'.
(ii) The Mahanadi Basin: It rises in the high lands of Chhattisgarh. It flows through Orissa to reach the Bay of Bengal. The length of the river is about 860 km. Its drainage basin is shared by Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Orissa.
(iii) The Krishna Basin: It rises from a spring near Mahabaleshwar. It flows for about 1400 km and reaches the Bay of Bengal. The Tungabhadra, the Koyana, the Ghatprabha, the Musi and the Bhima are some of its tributaries. Its drainage basin is shared by Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
(iv) The Hayed Basin: It rises in the Brahmagiri range of the Western Ghats and it reaches the Bay of Bengal in south of Cuddalore, in Tamil Nadu. Total length of this river is about 760 km. Its main tributaries are Amravati, Bhavani, Hemavati and Kabini. Its basin drains part of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.