Question

Which are the major water divides of India giving examples.

Which are the major water divides of India? Explain by giving examples.

Answer 1

Any elevated area, such as a mountain or an upland which separates two drainage basins is known as a water divide. The major water divides of India are as follows:

• Western Ghats:
  1. The Western Ghats is a mountain range that runs parallel to the western coast of the Indian peninsula, located entirely in India. It forms a major water divide in the peninsula.
  2. Most of the major rivers of the Peninsula, such as the Godavari, the Krishna, and the Kaveri, flow eastwards and drain into the Bay of Bengal. There are numerous small streams and rivers like Savitri, Terekhol, etc., flowing towards the west of the Western Ghats.
• Aravali Range:
  1. The Aravali Hills lie on the western and north-western margins of the Peninsular Plateau.
  2. River Luni originates along the western slopes of the Aravali range and flows in a somewhat northwest to southwest direction and meets the Gulf of Kutch, while Banas, a tributary of River Chambal, flows in a northeast direction.
  3. In this way, Aravali acts as a water divide of India.
• Vindhya Range: The Vindhya Range divided the Ganga drainage basin and the Narmada River valley.
• Satpuda range: Satpuda range divides the Narmada river valley and the Tapi river valley.
• Himalayas: The Himalayas act as a water divide, as they separate the rivers flowing in the Himalayan system from the rivers flowing in the Trans-Himalayan ranges.