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India is endowed with a vast and diverse river system, which forms the backbone of its agricultural economy, drinking water supply, hydropower generation, and cultural life. Broadly, Indian rivers can be classified into Himalayan Rivers and Peninsular Rivers, based on their origin, flow pattern, and seasonal behavior.

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I. Himalayan Rivers

These rivers originate in the Himalayas and are primarily perennial in nature, fed by glacial melt and rainfall, making them vital for year-round water supply.

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1. Indus River System

• Origin: Near Lake Mansarovar, Tibet.
• Enters India: Ladakh (Union Territory of Ladakh).
• Flows through: India, then into Pakistan.
• Empties into: Arabian Sea.

Major Tributaries (in India):

• Jhelum
• Chenab
• Ravi
• Beas
• Sutlej

Major Dams on Indus Tributaries:

River	Major Dams	Location	Purpose
Jhelum	Uri Hydroelectric Project	Jammu & Kashmir	Power
Chenab	Baglihar Dam, Dul Hasti Dam, Salal Dam	Jammu & Kashmir	Power & Irrigation
Ravi	Ranjit Sagar Dam (Thein Dam)	Punjab	Irrigation & Power
Beas	Pong Dam (Beas Dam), Pandoh Dam	Himachal Pradesh	Irrigation & Power
Sutlej	Bhakra Nangal Dam, Karcham Wangtoo Dam, Nathpa Jhakri	Himachal Pradesh	Power, Storage

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2. Ganga River System

• Origin: Gangotri Glacier (as Bhagirathi), Uttarakhand.
• Confluence: With Alaknanda at Devprayag to form Ganga.
• Empties into: Bay of Bengal (via Bangladesh as Padma).

Major Tributaries:

• Yamuna, Ghaghara, Gandak, Kosi, Ramganga, Son, Chambal

Major Dams:

River	Major Dams	State	Purpose
Bhagirathi	Tehri Dam	Uttarakhand	Power, Water Supply
Ramganga	Ramganga Dam (Kalagarh)	Uttarakhand	Irrigation, Flood Control
Yamuna	Hathni Kund Barrage, Okhla Barrage	Haryana, Delhi	Water Supply
Son	Bansagar Dam	Madhya Pradesh	Irrigation
Kosi	Kosi Barrage	Bihar	Irrigation, Flood Management
Gandak	Gandak Barrage	Bihar	Irrigation

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3. Brahmaputra River System

• Origin: Angsi Glacier, Tibet (as Yarlung Tsangpo).
• Enters India: Arunachal Pradesh (as Siang/Dihang).
• Flows through: Assam, into Bangladesh.

Major Tributaries:

• Subansiri, Dibang, Lohit, Kameng, Manas, Tista

Major Dams:

River	Dam/Project	State	Status
Subansiri	Lower Subansiri Hydroelectric Project	Arunachal Pradesh/Assam border	Under Construction
Ranganadi	Ranganadi Dam	Arunachal Pradesh	Operational
Teesta	Teesta Barrage, Teesta Stage III HEP	Sikkim, West Bengal	Operational

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II. Peninsular Rivers

These rivers originate in the Western Ghats, Vindhyas, or Satpura ranges. They are mostly rain-fed and show marked seasonal variation, with peak flows during the monsoon.

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1. Godavari River System

• Origin: Trimbakeshwar, Maharashtra.
• Length: 1,465 km (India’s second longest river).
• Empties into: Bay of Bengal.

Tributaries:

• Manjira, Pranhita, Indravati, Sabari

Major Dams:

Dam	State	River	Purpose
Jayakwadi Dam	Maharashtra	Godavari	Irrigation
Sriram Sagar Dam	Telangana	Godavari	Irrigation
Polavaram Project	Andhra Pradesh	Godavari	Multipurpose
Upper Indravati Dam	Odisha	Indravati	Power

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2. Krishna River System

• Origin: Mahabaleshwar, Maharashtra.
• Length: 1,400 km.
• Empties into: Bay of Bengal.

Tributaries:

• Bhima, Tungabhadra, Musi, Ghataprabha, Malaprabha

Major Dams:

Dam	State	River	Purpose
Almatti Dam	Karnataka	Krishna	Irrigation & Power
Nagarjuna Sagar Dam	Telangana	Krishna	Irrigation
Srisailam Dam	Andhra Pradesh	Krishna	Power
Tungabhadra Dam	Karnataka	Tungabhadra	Irrigation

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3. Cauvery (Kaveri) River System

• Origin: Talakaveri, Western Ghats, Karnataka.
• Length: 800 km.
• Empties into: Bay of Bengal.

Tributaries:

• Hemavati, Kabini, Bhavani, Amravati

Major Dams:

Dam	State	River	Purpose
Krishnarajasagara Dam	Karnataka	Kaveri	Irrigation
Mettur Dam	Tamil Nadu	Kaveri	Irrigation
Kabini Dam	Karnataka	Kabini	Water Supply
Amaravathi Dam	Tamil Nadu	Amravati	Irrigation

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4. Mahanadi River System

• Origin: Sihawa Hills, Chhattisgarh.
• Empties into: Bay of Bengal.

Tributaries:

• Seonath, Hasdeo, Tel, Mand

Major Dams:

Dam	State	River	Purpose
Hirakud Dam	Odisha	Mahanadi	Irrigation, Flood Control, Power
Ravishankar Sagar Dam	Chhattisgarh	Mahanadi	Irrigation

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5. Narmada River System

• Origin: Amarkantak Plateau, Madhya Pradesh.
• Length: 1,312 km.
• Empties into: Arabian Sea.
• West-flowing river.

Tributaries:

• Tawa, Hiran, Shakkar

Major Dams:

Dam	State	Purpose
Sardar Sarovar Dam	Gujarat	Irrigation, Drinking Water, Power
Indira Sagar Dam	Madhya Pradesh	Power
Bargi Dam	Madhya Pradesh	Irrigation

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6. Tapi (Tapti) River System

• Origin: Satpura range, Madhya Pradesh.
• Empties into: Arabian Sea.

Tributaries:

• Purna, Girna, Panjhara

Major Dams:

Dam	State	River	Purpose
Ukai Dam	Gujarat	Tapi	Irrigation
Hathnur Dam	Maharashtra	Tapi	Irrigation & Power

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7. Other Important Peninsular Rivers

a. Sabarmati River

• Origin: Aravalli Hills.
• Empties into: Arabian Sea.
• Major Dam: Dharoi Dam (Gujarat)

b. Pennar River

• Origin: Nandi Hills, Karnataka.
• Flows through: Andhra Pradesh.

c. Periyar River (Kerala’s longest)

• Origin: Western Ghats.
• Major Dam: Mullaperiyar Dam (Kerala-Tamil Nadu border, contentious issue)

d. Sharavati River

• Famous for: Jog Falls (Karnataka)
• Major Project: Sharavathi Hydropower Project

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India’s river systems are geographically diverse, ecologically vital, and culturally sacred. From the glacier-fed Himalayan giants to the monsoon-driven Peninsular rivers, they have sustained civilizations and powered India’s development. However, increasing demands, ecological degradation, inter-state and international disputes, and climate-induced variability have stressed these lifelines.

Understanding the types of rivers, their tributary systems, and the role of dams is essential for effective water resource management, flood control, hydropower generation, and sustainable development. Going forward, integrated river basin planning, interstate cooperation, and environmentally sensitive dam design will be key to preserving India’s rivers for future generations.