Himalayan Rivers and Peninsular Rivers
In India, the rivers are broadly classified as Himalayan Rivers and Peninsular Rivers. Himalayan rivers are the watercourses that arise from Himalayan ranges and are perennial in nature. On the contrary, Peninsular rivers are the ones that originate from the Western Ghats and are non-perennial.
Perennial river:
- A stream or a river that flows continuously through its river bed for a year is known as a perennial river.
- They have water in their river bed for the whole year.
- Examples of perennial rivers are, the Brahmaputra, Ganges, Indus, etc.
Non-perennial river:
- Rivers or streams that do not flow continuously for the whole year are known as non-perennial rivers.
- They don’t flow for at least a part of the year.
- The Pennar river, Mahanadi, Krishna river, Narmada river are, etc, some examples of non-perennial rivers.
The difference between Himalayan rivers and Peninsular rivers are tabulated below:
| HIMALAYAN RIVERS | PENINSULAR RIVERS |
|---|---|
| The Main source of water is glaciers from the Himalayan range. | The Main source is the peninsular plateau and the central highland. |
| They have water throughout the year. | These rivers are seasonal. |
| These rivers obtain water from rain as well as from melted snow from high mountains. | The flow of these rivers is based on rainfall. |
| Perennial in nature. | Non-perennial in nature. |
| It forms a delta in the mouth. | Generally, it forms an estuary on the mouth. |
| The rivers are mainly running in their youth stage. | These rivers are considered as old rivers. |
| Meandering shape. | Straight shape. |
| Bed rocks are soft, sedimentary and easily erodible | Bed rocks are hard, resistant and not easily erodible |
| The drainage basin is large. | The drainage basin is Small. |
| The Himalayan rivers run through gorges, which are deep V-shaped valleys. | The rivers of the Peninsular travel through rather shallow valleys. |
| The Himalayan rivers have long duration courses from their source to the sea. | These rivers have shorter and shallower courses as compared to Himalayan rivers. |
Also refer:
- भारत की नदियाँ
- Previous Year Questions Of UPSC On Oceanography And Climatology
- Important MCQs Based On World Physical Features From UPSC Prelims
- Types of Precipitation
