Q. Bring out the differences between Himalayan and Peninsular River System.
A. Himalayan rivers are the watercourses that arise from Himalayan ranges and are named as the Himalayan rivers. Peninsular rivers are the ones that originate from the Western Ghats and Central Highlands i.e Peninsular Plateau and are named as Peninsular rivers. Himalayan rivers have large basins and catchment areas whereas Peninsular rivers have small basins and catchment areas.
1) River basin: A river basin is the portion of land drained by a river and its tributaries
2) Catchment Area: the area from which rainfall flows into a river, lake, or reservoir.
The Himalayan rivers flow through deep V – shaped valleys called gorges. The Peninsular rivers flow in comparatively shallow valleys.The rivers have little erosional activity to perform.
Himalayan rivers are examples of antecedent drainage whereas the Pensinsular rivers are examples of consequent drainage.
1) Antecedent Drainage : An antecedent stream is a stream that maintains its original course and pattern despite the changes in underlying rock topography.
2) Consequent Drainage : Consequent streams are the first streams to be originated in a particular region. These streams have their courses in accordance with the initial slope of land surface.
The Himalayan rivers are perennial in nature, i.e., water flows throughout the year in these rivers because these rivers receive water both from the monsoons and melting snows from Himalayas. The Peninsular rivers receive water only from rainfall and water flows in these rivers in rainy season only therefore non-perennial.
The perennial nature of these himalayan rivers makes them useful for irrigation. As such peninsular rivers are much less useful for irrigation. Himalayan rivers flow across the young fold mountains and are still in a youthful stage. Peninsular rivers have been flowing in one of the oldest plateaus of the world and have reached maturity.
The upper reaches of the Himalayan rivers are highly tortuous thus these rivers form meanders The hard rock surface and non-alluvial character of the plateau permits little scope for the formation of meanders.
The Himalayan rivers form deltas at their mouths. Certain peninsular rivers form deltas, while the others form estuaries. Several small streams originating from the Western Ghats enter the Arabian Sea without forming any delta.