Rivers of the Himalayas

Rivers of the Himalayas

• Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, and Satluj drain the Western Himalayas, flowing through Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
• These rivers flow almost parallel to each other.
• Satluj originates near Man Sarovar and flows westward.
• The Punjab Plains were formed by the depositional work of the Satluj and its tributaries.
• Indus flows through Pakistan and then meets the Arabian Sea.

Ganga River

• Ganga originates from the Gangotri glacier and crosses the Himalayas to become an east-flowing river.
• Many tributaries of the Ganga also flow in a similar manner.
• Yamuna, originating at Yamunotri, is a major tributary of the Ganga.

Brahmaputra River

• Another major tributary of the Ganga flows through the northern part of the Greater Himalayas, crosses the Himalayas to enter India.
• It is called Tsang Po while in the Himalayas, Dihang when it crosses the Himalayas, and Brahmaputra after its eastward flow.
• Ganga meets its tributaries, including Brahmaputra, from time to time, increasing its discharge.

Ganga Basin

• The huge volume of water and deposition has led to the formation of a large delta.
• Tributaries from the Peninsula, such as Chambal, Ken, Betawa, Shon, and Damodar, drain into the Ganga basin.