Drainage of India

A drainage system is an integrated system of tributaries and a trunk stream which collects and drains surface water into the sea, lake or some other body of water.

The total area drained by a river and its tributaries is known as a drainage basin.

Drainage System of India:

• The geological makeup of the various regions affects an area's drainage pattern. 
• The drainage systems of India are primarily influenced by the subcontinent's broad relief features.
• On the basis of its geographic distribution, India's drainage system can be roughly split into two main types. 
• They are the rivers of the Peninsula and the Himalayas.

• Indian rivers are divided into Himalayan (perennial) and Peninsular (seasonal) rivers.
• The Indus and Ganga systems drain the north; the Ganga forms a large delta with the Brahmaputra.
• Brahmaputra is called Tsang Po in Tibet, Dihang in India, and joins the Ganga in Bangladesh.
• Peninsular rivers flow east to the Bay of Bengal or west to the Arabian Sea; the Western Ghats form the water divide.
• West-flowing rivers include Narmada, Tapi, Mahi, Sabarmati, and Luni.
• East-flowing rivers include the Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, and Kaveri.
• Godavari is India’s second largest river system; Krishna and Kaveri are important for irrigation.