Extent of Usability of River Water

Rivers in India carry substantial volumes of water annually, but this distribution is uneven both in time and space. While some rivers flow perennially, providing water throughout the year, others are non-perennial and experience low water levels during the dry season. During the monsoon season, a significant amount of water is lost to floods, with excess water flowing into the sea. Consequently, areas experiencing floods may coexist with regions suffering from drought. This phenomenon arises from challenges in both water resource availability and management. Mitigating the issues of floods and droughts simultaneously requires strategic measures.

One potential solution is the transfer of surplus water from water-rich basins to water-deficit basins. Inter-basin water transfer schemes have been proposed to address this imbalance. However, the implementation of such schemes faces various challenges. For instance, simply digging canals may not suffice due to the uneven terrain. The north Indian rivers, which often have surplus water, may require mechanisms to lift water from the plains to the plateau areas.

To facilitate a comprehensive understanding of the issue, organizing a debate can be beneficial. Participants can discuss and analyze various aspects, including the ranking of problems associated with river water usage. These problems may include insufficient water availability, river water pollution, silt accumulation, uneven seasonal flow, interstate water disputes, and channel shrinkage due to settlement expansion towards riverbeds.

River pollution is a significant concern caused by various human activities such as industrial discharge, waste disposal, religious practices, and urban runoff. Initiatives like the Ganga Action Plan and campaigns for cleaning rivers like the Yamuna in Delhi aim to address this issue. Collecting information on such pollution control schemes and presenting them in a comprehensive write-up can help raise awareness and guide further actions towards making rivers pollution-free.

Related Articles:

Drainage System| Chapter 3 Class 11 Geography Notes

Class 11 Geography Chapter 3 Drainage System: Drainage System is the third chapter in CBSE Class 11 Geography, which discusses the concept of Drainage systems. The notes provided for Class 11 Geography Chapter 3 on Drainage Systems are helpful for students. They are made by subject experts who simply explain things. These notes talk about different types of rivers in India, like the ones from the Himalayas and the ones from the Peninsular region.

They also explain important topics like major river basins and why lakes are important. By reading these notes, students can easily understand how rivers work and why they’re important. It makes learning about rivers and drainage much easier for students.

Drainage System| Chapter 3 Class 11 Geography Notes

Similar Reads

Drainage

Drainage refers to the way water moves through an area, usually involving rivers, streams, and other bodies of water. In simple terms, it’s how water flows from one place to another, often ending up in larger bodies of water like lakes, seas, or oceans. This process is crucial for maintaining water balance in ecosystems and supporting life....

Drainage Systems in India

Indian rivers fall into two main categories:...

The Himalayan Rivers

The major Himalayan rivers include the Indus, the Ganga, and the Brahmaputra. A river, along with all its smaller rivers that flow into it, is known as a river system....

Peninsular Drainage System

The drainage system of the Peninsular region predates the Himalayan drainage system, as indicated by the wide, mostly even valleys and the developed nature of the rivers. Acting as a watershed, the Western Ghats separate the major Peninsular rivers, with most flowing eastward into the Bay of Bengal and smaller streams joining the Arabian Sea. With the exception of the Narmada and Tapi rivers, which flow from east to west, the majority of Peninsular rivers flow in the opposite direction. Some rivers like the Chambal, Sind, Betwa, Ken, and Son originate in the northern part of the Peninsula and are part of the Ganga river system. Other significant river systems in the Peninsular region include the Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, and Kaveri. These rivers typically have fixed courses, lack meanders, and exhibit non-perennial water flow, although the Narmada and Tapi rivers, flowing through rift valleys, deviate from this pattern....

Evolution of Peninsular Drainage System

Three significant geological events in the ancient past have played a crucial role in shaping the current drainage systems of Peninsular India: (i) During the early tertiary period, the western flank of the Peninsula subsided, causing it to sink below the sea level. This event disrupted the symmetrical layout of rivers on both sides of the original watershed. (ii) The upheaval of the Himalayas led to subsidence of the northern flank of the Peninsular block and subsequent trough faulting. Rivers like the Narmada and Tapi flow in these trough faults, filling the original cracks with their sedimentary materials. As a result, these rivers lack significant alluvial and deltaic deposits. (iii) There was a slight tilting of the Peninsular block from northwest to southeast direction during the same period, which influenced the entire drainage system to orient towards the Bay of Bengal....

River Systems of Peninsular Drainage

In Peninsular India, the main water divide is formed by the Western Ghats. Most major rivers of the Peninsula, such as the Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, and Kaveri, flow eastwards and drain into the Bay of Bengal, forming deltas at their mouths. The Narmada and the Tapi are the only long rivers that flow west and create estuaries....

Lakes

India has many lakes, each varying in size and characteristics....

Extent of Usability of River Water

Rivers in India carry substantial volumes of water annually, but this distribution is uneven both in time and space. While some rivers flow perennially, providing water throughout the year, others are non-perennial and experience low water levels during the dry season. During the monsoon season, a significant amount of water is lost to floods, with excess water flowing into the sea. Consequently, areas experiencing floods may coexist with regions suffering from drought. This phenomenon arises from challenges in both water resource availability and management. Mitigating the issues of floods and droughts simultaneously requires strategic measures....

FAQs on Class 11 Geography Chapter 3 Drainage System

What is drainage?...