Rivers & Highways UPSC 2025 – Maps & Key Facts

Introduction 

Preparing for the National Highways UPSC segment? This guide provides an updated list of India’s highways with route maps, key stats, and downloadable PDFs to help you master this static topic for UPSC 2025.

Major River Systems of India

1. Ganga River System

  • Origin: Gangotri Glacier, Uttarakhand

  • Flow Direction: Northwest to Southeast

  • States Covered: Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal

  • Major Left-Bank Tributaries: Ramganga, Gomti, Ghaghara, Gandak, Kosi, Mahananda

  • Major Right-Bank Tributaries: Yamuna, Tamsa, Son

  • Notable Passes: Gangotri Pass (source region)

2. Yamuna River

  • Origin: Yamunotri Glacier, Uttarakhand

  • Flow Direction: North to South

  • States Covered: Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh

  • Major Tributaries:

    • Left-Bank: Hindon, Rind, Sengar

    • Right-Bank: Chambal, Sindh, Betwa, Ken

  • Notable Passes: Yamunotri Pass (source region)

3. Brahmaputra River

  • Origin: Chemayungdung Glacier, Tibet

  • Flow Direction: East to West (Tibet), then South through Arunachal Pradesh and West through Assam

  • States Covered: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam

  • Major Tributaries:

    • Left-Bank: Dihang, Lohit, Dhanasiri

    • Right-Bank: Subansiri, Kameng, Manas, Raidak, Jaldhaka, Teesta

  • Notable Passes: Dihang Pass (entry into India)

4. Godavari River

  • Origin: Brahmagiri Hills, Nashik, Maharashtra

  • Flow Direction: West to East

  • States Covered: Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha

  • Major Tributaries:

    • Left-Bank: Purna, Pranhita (formed by Wardha, Wainganga, and Penganga), Indravati, Sabari

    • Right-Bank: Pravara, Manjira, Manair

  • Notable Passes: Traverses the Eastern Ghats before entering the Bay of Bengal

5. Krishna River

  • Origin: Mahabaleshwar, Maharashtra

  • Flow Direction: West to East

  • States Covered: Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh

  • Major Tributaries:

    • Left-Bank: Bhima, Musi

    • Right-Bank: Tungabhadra, Ghataprabha, Malaprabha

  • Notable Passes: Cuts through the Eastern Ghats

6. Cauvery (Kaveri) River

  • Origin: Talakaveri, Brahmagiri Hills, Karnataka

  • Flow Direction: West to East

  • States Covered: Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry

  • Major Tributaries:

    • Left-Bank: Harangi, Hemavati, Shimsha, Arkavathy

    • Right-Bank: Lakshmana Tirtha, Kabini, Bhavani, Noyyal, Amaravati

  • Notable Passes: Flows through the Eastern Ghats

7. Narmada River

  • Origin: Amarkantak Plateau, Madhya Pradesh

  • Flow Direction: East to West

  • States Covered: Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat

  • Major Tributaries:

    • Left-Bank: Tawa, Shakkar, Dudhi

    • Right-Bank: Hiran, Tendoni, Kolar

  • Notable Passes: Flows through the Narmada Valley between the Vindhya and Satpura ranges

8. Mahanadi River

  • Origin: Sihawa Hills, Dhamtari, Chhattisgarh

  • Flow Direction: West to East

  • States Covered: Chhattisgarh, Odisha

  • Major Tributaries:

    • Left-Bank: Seonath, Mand, Hasdeo

    • Right-Bank: Ong, Jonk, Tel

  • Notable Passes: Cuts through the Eastern Ghats via the Satkosia Gorge

River System Origin Flow Direction States Covered Major Tributaries
Ganga Gangotri Glacier NW to SE Uttarakhand, UP, Bihar, Jharkhand, WB Yamuna, Ghaghara, Gandak, Kosi
Yamuna Yamunotri Glacier N to S Uttarakhand, HP, Haryana, Delhi, UP Chambal, Betwa, Ken
Brahmaputra Chemayungdung Glacier E to W to S Arunachal Pradesh, Assam Subansiri, Kameng, Manas, Teesta
Godavari Brahmagiri Hills W to E Maharashtra, Telangana, AP, Chhattisgarh, Odisha Pranhita, Indravati, Sabari
Krishna Mahabaleshwar W to E Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, AP Bhima, Tungabhadra, Ghataprabha
Cauvery Talakaveri W to E Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry Kabini, Bhavani, Amaravati
Narmada Amarkantak Plateau E to W MP, Maharashtra, Gujarat Tawa, Shakkar, Hiran
Mahanadi Sihawa Hills W to E Chhattisgarh, Odisha Seonath, Hasdeo, Tel
River SystemOrigin Flow Direction States Covered Major Tributaries
River System Origin Flow Direction States Covered Major Tributaries

Notable Mountain Passes in India

Understanding mountain passes is crucial for comprehending river origins and strategic geography:

  • Zojila Pass: Connects Srinagar to Leh, crucial for access to the Indus Valley.

  • Nathu La Pass: Links Sikkim with Tibet, near the Teesta River’s origin.

  • Shipki La Pass: Entry point of the Sutlej River from Tibet into Himachal Pradesh.

  • Rohtang Pass: Connects Kullu Valley with Lahaul and Spiti Valleys, near Beas River source.

  • Khardung La Pass: Gateway to the Shyok and Nubra Valleys in Ladakh.

National Waterways (NWs) – Summary for UPSC

 Key Highlights:

  • Governed by: Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) – a statutory body under the Ministry of Shipping.

  • Legal Framework: National Waterways Act, 2016 – defines 111 inland waterways as National Waterways (NWs).

  • Purpose: Enhance inland water transport for logistics, cargo movement, and connectivity.

  • North–South Highways: Even numbers, increasing from east to west.

  • East–West Highways: Odd numbers, increasing from north to south.

  • Primary Highways: Single or double-digit numbers.

  • Secondary Routes: Three-digit numbers, where the first digit indicates the parent highway.

  • Suffixes: Letters (A, B, C, etc.) denote spurs or branches of main highways.

Major National Highways

1. NH-44: Longest National Highway

  • Route: Srinagar (Jammu & Kashmir) to Kanyakumari (Tamil Nadu)

  • States Covered: Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu

  • Length: 3,745 km

2. NH-27: Second Longest Highway

  • Route: Porbandar (Gujarat) to Silchar (Assam)

  • States Covered: Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam

  • Length: 3,507 km

3. NH-16:

  • Route: Kolkata (West Bengal) to Chennai (Tamil Nadu)

  • States Covered: West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu

  • Length: 1,711 km

4. NH-48:

  • Route: Delhi to Chennai

  • States Covered: Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu

  • Length: 2,807 km

5. NH-19:

  • Route: Delhi to Kolkata

  • States Covered: Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal

  • Length: 1,435 km

6. NH-66:

  • Route: Panvel (Maharashtra) to Kanyakumari (Tamil Nadu)

  • States Covered: Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu

  • Length: 1,622 km

7. NH-6:

  • Route: Hazira (Gujarat) to Kolkata (West Bengal)

  • States Covered: Gujarat, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Jharkhand, West Bengal

  • Length: 1,949 km

UPSC Notes:

  • NW-1: Longest National Waterway

  • NW-6: Shortest National Waterway

  • National Waterways are inland and separate from National Highways, which fall under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH).

NW No. Name Route States Covered Length (km)
NW-1 Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly Allahabad – Haldia UP, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal 1620
NW-2 Brahmaputra Dhubri – Sadiya Assam 891
NW-3 West Coast Canal Kollam – Kottapuram Kerala 205
NW-4 Godavari, Krishna Canals Kakinada – Puducherry via AP & TN Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry 1078
NW-5 Brahmani & Mahanadi Delta Talcher – Dhamra (Goenkhali) Odisha, West Bengal 588
NW-6 Barak River Lakhipur – Bhanga Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura 121

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