Rivers play a very important role in India. They are the chief source of irrigation, the source for drinking purposes as well as providing fertile soil.
Below is the comparison between Himalayan Rivers and Peninsular Rivers, which helps in better understanding their characteristics and facts.
Key Takeaways
- Himalayan rivers originate from the Himalayas and flow through the northern plains. In contrast, Peninsular rivers originate from the Western Ghats and flow through the Deccan Plateau and into the Bay of Bengal or the Arabian Sea.
- Himalayan rivers have a higher water discharge and are snow-fed, while Peninsular rivers have a lower water discharge and are rain-fed.
- Himalayan rivers are seasonal, with peak flows during the monsoon season, while Peninsular rivers are perennial.
Himalayan Rivers vs Peninsular Rivers
Himalayan rivers originate from the Himalayan Mountain range, which spans across the northern part of India and possesses a higher volume of water flow than peninsular rivers. Peninsular rivers have their origin in the Deccan plateau, in southern India, and have a relatively lower water flow.
Himalayan rivers are the ones that arise from the northern Himalayan ranges. Their origin is in the northern region of India.
Peninsular rivers are the ones that arise from the Peninsular Plateau region. Most of them flow from west to east. Their origin is in the plateau region of India.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Himalayan Rivers | Peninsular Rivers |
|---|---|---|
| Source | They are snow-fed rivers formed by melting glaciers of the Himalayan mountain range | They are rain-fed rivers. The central highland and also peninsular plateau |
| Delta formation | They form fertile deltas | They mostly form estuaries which are comparatively less fertile |
| Nature of rivers | They are perennial rivers since they are formed by melting glaciers | They are non- perennial rivers, also known as seasonal rivers. They do dry up during certain parts of the year since rain is the main source |
| Valleys | These rivers generally flow through deep and V-shaped valleys | These rivers generally flow through comparatively shallow and U-shaped valleys |
| Drainage | Fall under the category of antecedent drainage type. It forms a dendritic drainage pattern due to its flowing motion from the mountains. | Falls under the category of consequent drainage type. Generally forms radial drainage patterns due to their downward flow in all directions |
What are Himalayan Rivers?
The three main rivers of the Himalayan river system are the Ganga, the Brahmaputra, and the Indus. Due to the high rate of snow melting, the Himalayan Rivers get flooded every year.
These rivers generally have large basins and also large catchment areas and carry huge amounts of water and silt. The deltas formed are very fertile due to the silt it carries down from mountains.
They have long and deep courses. They are considered as the young rivers. The peninsular rivers are comparatively shorter and shallower in course.
What are Peninsular Rivers?
The main Peninsular rivers are Godavari, Kaveri, Tapi, Mahanadi, Krishna, and Tapi. The Godavari is the largest peninsular river in India.
They have comparatively smaller basins and catchment areas. They flow towards the Bay of Bengal and are considered old rivers.
They lack alluvial deposits due to the area through which they flow and hence the deltas are not much fertile.
It forms valleys that are U-shaped and shallow.
Main Differences Between Himalayan Rivers and Peninsular Rivers
These two types of rivers have different origins. The source for the Himalayan Rivers is the Himalayan Mountain Range in the north.
- Talking about basins, the Himalayan Rivers comprise large basins and catchment areas. The Peninsular Rivers do have basins but are comparatively smaller than the Himalayan Rivers.
- The three most important rivers under the Himalayan Rivers are Ganga, Brahmaputra, and Indus.
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0009254118300846
- https://www.fisheriesjournal.com/archives/2016/vol4issue5/PartH/4-5-61-894.pdf
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Piyush Yadav has spent the past 25 years working as a physicist in the local community. He is a physicist passionate about making science more accessible to our readers. He holds a BSc in Natural Sciences and Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science. You can read more about him on his bio page.
