Important rivers and their tributaries in India. There are many important Rivers in India that are the lifelines of Indians. Some of these rivers are perennial and others are seasonal rivers. Some are East-flowing rivers and others are West-flowing rivers. Many important rivers start from the Himalayan region and many other rivers start from the Vindhyas-Satpura range. We will get the information about some important rivers in India.
Types of Rivers in India
There are 4 types of rivers in India. These are either west-flowing or west-flowing rivers.
1. Himalayan rivers
2. Deccan rivers
3. Coastal rivers
4. Rivers of the inland drainage basin
Himalayan Rivers
> Formed by melting snow and glaciers.
> These rivers form large basins.
> Perennial rivers. (flowing throughout the year)
> Water level significantly increases during the Monsoons.
> Main River Systems – Ganga, Brahmaputra, Indus.
Deccan Rivers
> Formed by rainwaters during the Monsoons.
> Mostly non-perennial or seasonal rivers.
> Water volume decreases during the Summers.
> Main River System – Narmada, Tapi (Tapti), Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri, and Mahanadi.
Coastal Rivers
> Short in length with limited catchment area.
> Mostly non-perennial or seasonal rivers.
Inland Drainage Basin Rivers
> Mostly ephemeral rivers.
> They last only for few days.
> Generally flow in the western part of India.
#Important Rivers and Their Tributaries in India
Important Rivers and Their Tributaries in India
Ganga River
| Total Length | ~2525 km |
| Length in India | ~2304 km |
| Origin | Gangotri Glacier, Gomukh, Uttarakhand |
| States | Uttrakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal |
| Destination | Bay of Bengal |
| Tributaries | Yamuna, Ramganga, Gomti, Ghagra, Gandak, Son, Kosi, Mahananda |
| Important Cities | Haridwar, Kanpur, Prayagraj, Varanasi, Patna |
| Others | Known as Padma in Bangladesh |
Godavari River
| Total Length | 1464 km |
| Origin | Triambakeshwar, Nasik, Maharashtra |
| States | Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh |
| Destination | Bay of Bengal |
| Tributaries | Pravara, Purna, Manjra, Penganga, Wardha, Wainganga, Pranhita, Indravati, Maner, Sabri |
| Important Cities | Nashik, Nagpur, Rajamundry |
Yamuna River
| Total Length | 1376 km |
| Origin | Yamunortri Glacier, Uttarakhand |
| States | Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh |
| Destination | Ganga River at Prayagraj |
| Tributaries | Chambal, Tons, Hindon, Betwa, Ken, Giri, Sind, Uttangan, Sengar, Rind |
| Important Cities | New Delhi, Mathura, Agra |
Narmada River
Important rivers and their tributaries in India
| Total Length | 1312 km |
| Origin | Amarkantak, Maikal Range, Madhya Pradesh |
| States | Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat |
| Destination | Arabian Sea |
| Tributaries | Burhner, Halon, Heran, Banjar, Dudhi, Shakkar, Tawa, Barna, Kolar, Ganjal, Beda, Goi, Orsang. |
| Important Cities | Jabalpur, Vadodara |
Krishna River
| Total Length | 1300 km |
| Origin | Mahabaleshwar, Western Ghat, Maharashtra |
| States | Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh |
| Destination | Bay of Bengal |
| Tributaries | Ghataprabha, Malaprabha, Bhima and Tungabhadra |
| Important Cities | Sangli, Vijayawada |
Indus River
| Total Length | 3180 km |
| Length in India | 1114 km |
| Origin | Mansarovar, Tibet |
| States | UT of Ladakh |
| Destination | Arabian Sea |
| Tributaries | Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, Satluj, Kabul |
| Important Cities | Leh |
Chambal River
| Total Length | 1024 km |
| Origin | Janpav Hills, Vindhya Range, Madhya Pradesh |
| States | Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh |
| Destination | Ganga River at Prayagraj |
| Tributaries | Shipra, Choti Kalisindh, Sivanna, Retam, Ansar, Kalisindh, Banas, Parbati, Seep, Kuwari, Kuno, Alnia, Mej, Chakan, Parwati, Chamla, Gambhir, Lakhunder, Khan, Bangeri, Kedel and Teelar |
| Important Cities | Kota |
Mahanadi River
| Total Length | 890 km |
| Origin | Sihava Mountains, Chhattisgarh |
| States | Chhattisgarh, Odisha |
| Destination | Bay of Bengal |
| Tributaries | Seonath, Jonk, Hasdeo, Mand, ib, Ong, Tel |
| Important Cities | Raipur, Bilaspur, Sambhalpur |
Kaveri (Cauvery) River
Important rivers and their tributaries in India
| Total Length | 805 km |
| Origin | Western Ghats, Kodagu District, Karnataka |
| States | Karanataka, Tamil Nadu |
| Destination | Bay of Bengal |
| Tributaries | Harangi, Hemavati, Kabini, Suvarnavathi, Bhavani. |
| Important Cities | Srirangapatanam, Trichy, Thanjavur |
Tapti River
| Total Length | 724 km |
| Origin | Satpura Range, Madhya Pradesh |
| States | Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat |
| Destination | Arabian Sea |
| Tributaries | Vaki, Gomai, Arunavati, Aner, Nesu, Arunavati, Buray, Panjhra, Bori, Girna, Vaghur, Purna, Mona, Sipna |
| Important Cities | Bhusawal, Surat |
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