Peninsular Drainage System

Subsidence of western part of peninsular undersea in the tertiary period.
The upheaval of the Himalayas and the northern part of peninsular subsidence.
Tilting of the peninsular block from northwest to southeast direction leads to the flow of drainage system towards the Bay of Bengal.
River system;

The following are the east-flowing river from north to south:

Narmada:
- It is the largest west flowing river of the peninsular region flowing through a rift valley between the Vindhya (north) and the Satpura Range (south).
- It rises from Maikala range near Amarkantak in Madhya Pradesh.
- Major Tributaries of the river are Hiran, Orsang, Barna and Kolar.
- The Narmada basin covers parts of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat.
  - The Sardar Sarovar Project has been constructed on this river.
Tapi:
- Another important westward flowing river, originates from the Betul district of Madhya Pradesh in the Satpura ranges.
- It flows in a rift valley parallel to the Narmada but is much shorter in length.
- Its basin covers parts of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra.
Mahanadi:
- It rises in Raipur district of Chhattisgarh and runs through Odisha to discharge its water into the Bay of Bengal.
- 53% of the drainage basin of this river lies in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, while 47% lies in Odisha.
- Major tributaries: Seonath, Hasdeo, Mand, Ib, Jonking and Tel rivers.
- Its basin is bounded by the Central India hills on the north, by the Eastern Ghats on the south and east and by the Maikala range on the west.

Godavari:
- It is the largest Peninsular river system and is also called the “Dakshin Ganga”.
- It rises in the Nasik district of Maharashtra and discharges its water into the Bay of Bengal.
- Its tributaries run through the states of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.
- Penganga, Indravati, Pranhita, and Manjra are its principal tributaries.
Krishna:
- Krishna is the second largest east flowing Peninsular river which rises near Mahabaleshwar in Sahyadri.
- Koyna, Tungbhadra and Bhima are its major tributaries.
- It flows through the states Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh before flowing into the Bay of Bengal.
Kaveri:
- Kaveri rises in Brahmagiri hills of Kodagu district in Karnataka.
- It is a sacred river of southern India.
- Its important tributaries are Arkavathi, Hemavathi, Bhavani, Kabini and Amravati.
- It flows in a southeasterly direction through the states of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu and drains into Bay of Bengal through Pondicherry.

The Peninsular rivers exclusively acquire water from rainfall, and water flows in these rivers only during the rainy season. As a result, these rivers are either seasonal or non-perennial.
As a result, these rivers are far less suitable for irrigation.
The Peninsular rivers exclusively acquire water from rainfall, and water flows in these rivers only during the rainy season.
The rivers of the Peninsular travel through rather shallow valleys. These are valleys that have been graded to some extent. There is little erosional activity in the rivers.
Estuaries are formed by several Peninsular rivers, such as the Narmada and the Tapi.
Deltas are formed by other rivers such as the Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, and Cauvery.
Several minor streams running westward from the Western Ghats join the Arabian Sea without forming a delta.
The plateau’s hard granite surface and non-alluvial composition leave limited room for the creation of meanders. As a result, the rivers of the Peninsular Plateau have very straight courses.