Tag: Important Rivers of India for Prelims

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 [caption id="attachment_26108" align="aligncenter" width="392"] River System Origin Flow Direction States Covered Major Tributaries[/caption] 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

Tag: Important Rivers of India for Prelims

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