GEOGRAPHY
(IX)-LESSON-3
DRAINAGE
(
QUESTION ANSWERS)
______________________________________________________________
(NCERT EXERCISE)
(i)
In which of the following states is the Wular lake located?
(a) Rajasthan (b)
Punjab (c) Uttar Pradesh (d) Jammu and Kashmir
Answer: Jammu and
Kashmir.
(ii)
The river Narmada has its source at
(a) Satpura (b)
Amarkantak (c) Brahmagiri (d) Slopes of the Western Ghat.
Answer: Amarkantak
(iii)
Which one of the following lakes is a saltwater lake?
(a) Sambhar (b) Wular
(c) Dal (d) Gobind Sagar
Answer: Sambhar
(iv)
Which one of the following is the longest river in Peninsular India?
(a) Narmada (b)
Godavari (c) Krishna (d) Mahanadi
Answer: Godavari
(v)
Which one amongst the following rivers flows through a rift valley?
(a) Mahanadi (b)
Krishna (c) Tungabhadra (d) Tapi
Answer: Tapi
2.
Answer the following briefly.
(i)
What is meant by a water divide? Give an example.
Answer: Any elevated
area, such as a mountain or an upland, separates two drainage basins. Such an
upland is known as a water divide. For example, the water divide between
the Indus and the Ganga river systems.
(ii) Which is the largest river basin in India?
Answer: Ganga River
basin is the largest river basin in India.
(iii)
Where do the rivers Indus and Ganga have their origin?
Answer: Indus river
origin – Near Manasarovar Lake, Tibet
Ganga River origin – Gangotri glacier in Uttaranchal
(iv)
Name the two headstreams of the Ganga. Where do they meet to form the Ganga?
Answer: The two
headstreams of Ganga are Alaknanda and Bhagirathi. They both meet to form Ganga
at Devprayag.
(v)
Why does the Brahmaputra in its Tibetan part have less silt, despite a longer
course?
Answer: In Tibet, the
river carries a smaller volume of water and less silt, as it is a cold and dry
area. In India, it passes through a region of high rainfall. Hence, the river
carries a large volume of water and a considerable amount of silt.
(vi)
Which two Peninsular rivers flow through a trough?
Answer: Narmada and
Tapi are the two Peninsular rivers that flow through a trough.
(vii)
State some economic benefits of rivers and lakes.
Answer:
1. Rivers have been of fundamental importance
throughout human history.
2. Water from rivers is a basic natural resource,
essential for various human activities.
3. Therefore, riverbanks have attracted settlers
from ancient times.
4. Using rivers for irrigation, navigation and
hydropower generation is of special significance — particularly to a country
like India, where agriculture is the major source of livelihood of the majority
of its population.
3.
Below are given names of a few lakes of India. Group them under two categories – natural and created by human beings.
(a) Wular (b) Dal (c)
Nainital (d) Bhimtal (e) Gobind Sagar (f) Loktak (g) Barapani (h) Chilika (i)
Sambhar (j) Rana Pratap Sagar (k) Nizam Sagar (l) Pulicat (m) Nagarjuna Sagar
(n) Hirakund
Answer:
Natural
Lakes:Wular, Dal, Nainital,
Bhimtal, Loktal, Chilika, Pulicat, Sambhar, Barapani
Man-made
lakes : Gobind Sagar, Rana
Pratap Sagar, Nizam Sagar, Nagarjuan Sagar, Hirakud
4.
Discuss the significant difference between the Himalayan and the Peninsular
rivers.
Answer:
Himalayan Rivers:
1. These are perennial rivers.
2. Receive water from Rains and Snowfall.
3. They form the large delta.
4. They perform an immense erosional activity in
the upper course.
5. They have long courses from their source to the
mouth.
Peninsular Rivers:
1. These are seasonal rivers
2. Dependent on rainfall. During dry seasons, the
rivers get dried up.
3. They form small delts.
4. They do not perform any erosional activity in
the upper course.
5. They have shorter and shallower course.
5. Compare the east-flowing and the west-flowing
rivers of the Peninsular plateau.
Answer:
West flowing rivers:
1. There are only 2 long West flowing rivers –
Narmada and Tapi.
2. They flow into the Arabian Sea
3. They have a lesser number of tributaries
4. They form estuaries
5. They carry lesser sediments
East flowing rivers:
1. Many major rivers Mahanadi, Cauvery, Godavari,
Krishna
2. They flow into the Bay of Bengal
3. They have many tributaries
4. They form Deltas.
5 5. They carry larger sediments than West flowing
rivers
6.
Why are rivers important for the country’s economy?
Answer:
1. Rivers have been of fundamental importance
throughout human history.
2. Water from rivers is a basic natural resource,
essential for various human activities.
3. Therefore, riverbanks have attracted settlers
from ancient times. These settlements have now become big cities.
4. Using rivers for irrigation, navigation,
hydropower generation is of special significance — particularly to a country
like India, where agriculture is the major source of livelihood for the
majority of its population.
5. The rivers tend to have a moderating influence
on the climate of the surroundings. They also help to maintain the aquatic
ecosystem.
OTHER IMPORTANT
1. What is a drainage?
Answer: A system of flowing water from the
higher level to the lower level.
2. What is the area drained by a single river
system called?
Answer: Drainage basin.
3. What are the different patterns formed by
the streams?
Answer: Dendritic, Trellis, Radial.
4. Name the two main drainage basins.
Answer: The Indus Basin, The Ganga-Brahmaputra
Basin.
5. Which type of drainage pattern does an area
have where hard and soft rocks exist parallel to each other?
Answer: Trellis pattern.
6. What is a drainage river basin?
Answer: The area drained by a single river
system is called a river basin or a drainage basin.
7. What is meant by watershed or a water
divide?
Answer: The upland or a mountain which separates
two adjoining drainage basins is known as a watershed or a water divide, e.g.,
Ambala.
8. On what does the stream within a drainage
basin depend?
Answer: Relief, Geological structure, Climatic
conditions of the area.
9. Which is the main water divide in southern
India?
Answer: Western Ghats.
10. Zaskar and Nubra are important tributaries
of which river?
Answer: Indus river.
11. Name the three main Himalayan river
systems.
Answer: The Indus River System ,The Ganga River
System, The Brahmaputra River System.
12. What is a gorge?
Answer: A deep narrow opening formed by the
river in the upper course, e.g., the gorge formed by the river Indus.
13. Name three depositional features formed by
the Himalayan rivers.
Answer: Flood plains, River cliffs, Levee.
14. Name any four depositional features of the
Himalayan rivers in their middle and lower course.
Answer: Meanders, Oxbow lakes, Delta, Flood plains.
15. Where does the river Indus rise?
Answer: In Tibet, near the Mansarovar lake.
16. Name the tributaries of river Indus.
Answer: The Zaskar, the Shyok, the Nubra and the
Hunza.
17. Name the two main groups into which the
river systems of India are classified.
Answer: The Himalayan rivers, The Peninsular
rivers.
18. Why are the Himalayan rivers perennial?
Answer: Most of the Himalayan rivers originate
from the glaciers. They get water from the rainfall as well as from the
glaciers.
19. Name the city located on the water divide
between the Indus and the Ganga river systems.
Answer: Ambala.
20. Which states are benefited by the Indus
system?
Answer: Punjab, Haryana and western parts of
Rajasthan.
21. What is the Indus water treaty?
Answer: It is a treaty signed between India and
Pakistan. According to this treaty, India can use only 20% of the total water
carried by the Indus river system.
22. Name the plan which was launched to reduce
pollution in the river Ganga.
Answer: The Ganga Action Plan. Namami Ganga
23. Name any two tributaries of Ganga which
rise in the Nepal Himalayas.
Answer: The Ghaghara and Kosi.
24. Which is the northernmost point of the
Ganga Delta?
Answer: The Ganga flows eastwards Farakka in
West Bengal. This is the northernmost point of the Ganga delta.
25. Which is the largest river basin in India?
Answer: The Ganga Basin.
26. What is the length of the Ganga?
Answer: About 2500 km.
27. Name two headstreams of the Ganga. Where
do they unite?
Answer: Bhagirathi, Alaknanda. They meet at
Devprayag.
28. Name the city at which the Ganga enters
the plains from the Himalayas.
Answer: Haridwar.
29. Name the tributaries of river Ganga which
enter the northern plains from Nepal.
Answer: Ghaghara, Gandak and Kosi.
30. Name the two main right bank tributaries
of the Ganga.
Answer: The Yamuna and the Son.
31. What is the major concern of the Ganga
Action Plan?
Answer: Rising pollution in the Ganga is the
major concern of the Ganga Action Plan.
32. What is the name of the Brahmaputra river
in Tibet?
Answer: Tsangpo.
33. From where does the river Brahmaputra
arise?
Answer: In Tibet east of Mansarover lake.
34. What are perennial rivers?
Answer: The rivers which have water throughout
the year are called the perennial rivers.
35. Which is the largest Peninsular river?
Where does it originate from?
Answer: Godavari, it arises from the Nasik
district of Maharashtra.
36. Name any two Peninsular rivers which flow
through the rift valley.
Answer: The Narmada and the Tapti.
37. Which is the main watershed in Peninsular
India?
Answer: The main watershed in Peninsular India
is formed by the Western Ghats.
38. Name the major rivers of the Peninsular
India.
Answer: The Mahanadi, the Godavari, the Krishna
and the Kaveri.
39. Name any two small river basins of the
peninsular region.
Answer: The Pennar, and The Mahi.
40. Name two large rivers of India which flow
into the Arabian Sea.
Answer: The Narmada and the Tapti.
41. Which type of drainage pattern is made by
Narmada river?
Answer: Trellis.
42. What is the msyor reason for the
nonperennial nature of the peninsular rivers?
Answer: Rainfall is the only source of water for
these rivers.
43.From where does the Narmada river rise?
Answer: Near Amarkantak, in Madhya Pradesh.
44. In which hills does the Tapi river rise?
Answer: Satpura ranges.
45. From where does the Tapti river arise?
Answer: In the Betul district of Madhya Pradesh.
46. Name the states through which the Tapti
river flows.
Answer: Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra.
47. In which state does the largest part of
the Godavari basin lie?
Answer: Maharashtra.
48. Which river is known as Dakshin Ganga?
Answer: Godavari.
49. Name the tributaries of Godavari river.
Answer: The Purna, the Wardha, the Pranhita, the
Manjra, the Wainganga and the Pehganga.
50. Why is the Godavari river called the
Vridha Ganga or the Dakshin Ganga?
Answer: It is because of its large size and the
huge extent.
51. Name the tributaries of Krishna.
Answer:
The Tungabhadra, the Koyna, the Ghatprabha, the Musi and the Bhima.
52. What is the source of river Yamuna?
Answer: Yamunotri glacier in the Himalayas.
53. Which city is located at the confluence of
the Yamuna and the Ganga?
Answer: Allahabad.
54. Name the five rivers of Punjab from which
the water falls into the Indus.
Answer: The Sutlej, the Beas, the Ravi, the
Chenab and the Jhelum.
55. What is a canyon?
Answer: It is a deep gorge with steep sides containing many streams, e.g., the Grand Canyon of the Colorado river.
SHORT ANSWER TYPE
1.Describe
any three features of Himalayan rivers.
Answer: Features of the Himalayan Rivers:
1. They are perennial in nature.
2. They have large basins.
3. They perform intensive erosion activity in their
upper course and carry huge load of silt and sand.
2. Define a river system and describe two
characteristics of river Indus.
Answer: A river along with its tributaries is
called a river system.
Characteristics of River Indus:
1. River Indus rises in Tibet near Mansarovar lake.
2. Its total length is 2,900 km and is one of the
longest rivers of the world.
3. Majority flows through Pakistan and help in
agricultural activities.
4. The main tributaries of Indus are Nubra, Hunza,
Sulley, Beas, Ravi, Chenab, Jhelum. (any two)
3. Write a short note on the Brahmaputra river system.
Or
Describe the three main features of river Brahmaputra.
Answer: The Brahmaputra originates in Tibet
where it is known as Tsangpo.
1. It flows eastwards parallel to the Himalayas,
but it takes a U-tum around the Namcha Barwa and enters India in Arunachal
Pradesh.
2. It is responsible for creating a havoc of floods
in Assam and Bangladesh.
3. This river receives less volume of water and has
less silt in Tibetan part, but it carries a large volume of water and silt in
India.
4. It has a braided channel in most of its length
in Assam with a few large islands within the channel.
4. Describe any three features of
Ganga-Brahmaputra delta.
Or
Describe the features of the Ganga plain.
Answer: The Sundarban Delta derived its name from the Sundari tree which
grows well in marshland.
1. It is formed by the rivers Ganga and the
Brahmaputra.
2. It is the world’s largest and fastest growing
delta.
3. It is also the home of Royal Bengal Tiger.
5. Why do the Himalayan rivers get flooded
every year? What are its advantages?
Answer:
1. The Himalayan rivers receive water from the
melted snow from the lofty mountains as well as from rain.
2. During monsoons, due to heavy rainfall, these
rivers get flooded every year.
. Advantages:
1. The Himalayan rivers flood parts of the northern
plains enfiching the soil for the extensive agricultural lands.
2. Various food crops and cash crops are grown in
these fertile lands.
6. Why
are most of the Peninsular rivers draining into the Bay of Bengal? Give
reasons. Name the two rivers draining into the Arabian Sea.
Answer:
(i)
(a) The main water divide in Peninsular India is formed by the Western Ghats,
which runs from north to south close to the western coast..
(b) The Deccan Plateau is higher in the west and slopes gently eastwards.
Thus, most of the peninsular rivers such as Mahanadi, the Godavari, the Krishna
and the Kaveri flow eastwards and drain into the Bay of Bengal.
(ii) The river Narmada and river Tapi drain into the Arabian Sea.
8. Which two rivers of Peninsular India form
estuaries? Name the states in which these rivers drain the water.
Answer: The river Narmada and the Tapi form
estuaries.
The Narmada basin
covers parts of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat.
The Tapi basin covers
parts of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra.
9. Why are Peninsular rivers seasonal in
nature? Give any three reasons.
Answer: The flow of Peninsular rivers is
dependent on rainfall.
1. The Peninsular rivers have shorter and shallower
courses as compared to their Himalayan counterparts.
2. The tributaries are very short and less in
number and bring quite less amount of water which hardly increases the amount
of water of the main river. Therefore, during the dry season, even the large
rivers have reduced flow of water in their channels.
10. Which two peninsular rivers flow
westward? Mention one similarity and one difference between these two rivers.
Answer: Narmada and Tapi.
Similarity:
These rivers flow
through rift valley. .
The tributaries of
these rivers are small in size.
Difference:
Tapi is the second
largest river of Peninsular India and Narmada is the fifth largest river.
Narmada river forms
an estuary before entering into the Gulf of Khambhat. On the other hand Tapi
does not form an estuary.
11.
Describe the main features of Narmada Basin.
Answer:
1. All the tributaries of the Narmada are very
short and most of these join the mainstreams at right angle.
2.The river forms an estuary before entering into
the Gulf of Khambhat.
3. The river Narmada rises in the Amarkantak hills
and flows towards the west in a rift valley formed due to faulting.
12. Describe the main features of Tapi Basin.
Answer:
1. It is the second largest river of the
peninsular, rises in the Satpura ranges, in the Betul district of Madhya
Pradesh.
2. It also flows in a rift valley parallel to the
Narmada but it is much shorter in length.
3. Its basin covers parts of Madhya Pradesh,
Gujarat and Maharashtra.
13. Describe any three important features of
the Krishna Basin.
Answer:
1. The river Krishna rises from a spring near
Mahabaleshwar. It flows for about 1400 kms.
2 . The Tungabhadra, the Koyana, the Ghatprabha, the
Musi and the Bhima are some of its tributaries.
3. Its drainage basin is shared by Maharashtra,
Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
14. Why is the Godavari river also known as
‘Dakshin Ganga’? HOTS
Answer:
1. The Godavari is the largest peninsular river.
2. Its drainage basin is also the largest among the
peninsular rivers. The basin covers parts of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh,
Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.
3. The Godavari is joined by a number of
tributaries such as the Purna, the Wardha, the Pranhita, the Manjra, the
Wainganga and the Penganga.
4. Because of its length and the area it covers, it
is also known as the ‘Dakshin Ganga’.
LONG
ANSWER TYPE
1.Describe
the four drainage patterns.
Answer: The four drainage patterns are as
follows:
1. Dendritic: The dendritic patterns develop where
the river channels follows the slope terrain. The stream with its tributaries
resembles the branches of a tree, thus the name dendritic.
2. Trellis: A river joined by its tributaries, at
approximately right angles, develops a Trellis pattern. A Trellis drainage
pattern develops where hard and soft rocks: exist parallel to each other.
3. Rectangular: A rectangular drainage pattern
develops on a strongly-jointed rocky terrain.
4. Radial: The radial pattern develops when streams
flows in different directions from a central peak or dome-like structure.
2.“Rivers constitute the most useful natural
resources.” Support the statement with five suitable examples.
Answer:
Rivers are the most important natural resources because
1. Rivers provide water for survival and growth of
all organisms.
2. Rivers provided ideal conditions for the early
man to lead a settled life.
3. Rivers have built flood plains, deltas and
provide fertile soil for agriculture.
4. Water from rivers is used for drinking,
irrigation and for generating hydro- electricity.
5. Man is able to supplement his food supply with
the fish in the rivers. Rivers also serve as natural waterways.
6. World’s earliest civilization developed in the
river valleys, e.g., Nile Valley civilization, Indus Valley civilization etc.
River Valleys are the world’s best agricultural lands, and are densely
populated regions.
3.Write
the main features of the Ganga system.
Answer: The Ganga has two headstreams-the
Alaknanda and the Bhagirathi. They join together at Devprayag.
1. From the Himalayas the Ganga enters the plains
at Haridwar. It is joined together by a large number of tributaries like
Ghaghara, the Gandak and the Kosi.
2. The Yamuna and the Son are the two main right
bank tributaries of the Ganga.
3. The Ganga enters Bangladesh as Padma. It flows
southward through Bangladesh, and is joined by the Brahmaputra and is known as
the Jamuna. After receiving Meghna, it is known as the Meghna.
4. The length of the Ganga is over 2500 km, and it
has the largest basin.
4.Distinguish
between a Delta and an Estuary.
Answer:
|
S.No. |
Delta |
Estuary |
|
(i) |
The triangular deposits made by the river at its
mouth form delta. |
The sharp edge at the mouth of the river devoid any
deposits is known as estuary. |
|
(ii) |
Deltas are formed in the regions of low tide and
coastal plains. |
The regions of high tides and rift valleys witness
estuaries. |
|
(iii) |
Deltas are fertile lands. |
Estuaries do not have fertile lands. |
|
(iv) |
The river Ganga, the Krishna, the Godavari, are some
of the rivers which form deltas. |
Narmada and Tapi rivets form estuaries. |
5. Distinguish between perennial and
non-perennial rivers.
Answer:
|
S.No. |
Perennial |
Non-Perennial |
|
(i) |
These rivers have water throughout the year. |
These have water only during the rainy season. |
|
(ii) |
Rainfall and melted snow are the source of water for
these rivers. |
Rainfall is the only source of water for these
rivets. |
|
(iii) |
Most of the Himalayan rivers are perennial. |
Most of the Peninsular rivers are non-perennial. |
6. Explain the ‘National River Conservation
Plan’ (NRCP) in brief.
Answer: The activities of Ganga Action Plan
(GAP) Phase-I, initiated in 1985, were declared closed on 31st March, 2000. The
Steering Committee of the National River Conservation Authority reviewed the
progress of the GAP and necessary correction on the basis of lessons learnt and
experiences gained from GAP Phase-I. These have been applied to the major
polluted rivers of the country under the NRCP.
The Ganga Action Plan
(GAP) Phase-II, has been merged with the NRCP. The expanded NRCP now covers 152
towns located along 27 interstate rivers in 16 states. Under this action plan,
pollution abatement works are being taken up in 57 towns. A total of 215
schemes of pollution abatement have been sanctioned. So far, 69 schemes have
been completed under this action plan. A million litre of sewage is targeted\to
be intercepted, diverted and treated.
10. Differentiate between freshwater lakes
and saltwater lakes giving examples of each.
Answer:
Freshwater Lakes:
1. Freshwater lakes are mostly found in the
Himalayan region.
2. They are of glacial origin which means that they
were formed when glaciers dug out a basin which was later filled with snow
melt.
3. The Wular lake in Jammu and Kashmir is the
result of the tectonic activity.
4. The Dal lake, Bhimtal, Nainital, Loktak and
Barapani are some other important freshwater lakes.
Saltwater
Lakes:
1. Spits and bars form lagoons in the coastal
areas, e.g., the Chilika lake, the Pulicat lake, the Kolleru lake are the saltwater
lakes.
2. Lakes in the regions of inland drainage are the
saltwater lakes, e.g., the Sambhar lake in Rajasthan. Its water is used for
producing salt.
11. What are the major factors responsible for
river pollution? Explain.
Answer:
1. High Demand of Water: The growing domestic,
municipal, industrial and agricultural demand for water from rivers naturally
affects the quality of water. As a result, more and more water is being drained
out of the river reducing its volume.
2. Industralisation: A heavy load of untreated
sewage and industrial effluents are emptied into the rivers. This affects not
only the quality of water but also the self-cleansing capacity of the river.
For example, given the adequate streamflow, the Ganga water is able to dilute
and assimilate pollution loads within 20 km of large cities. But the increasing
urbanisation, and industrialisation do not allow it to happen and the pollution
level of many rivers has been rising.
3. Agricultural Pollution: The extensive uses of
chemicals in the form of fertilizers and pesticides in agriculture have left
the water bodies contaminated with heavy metals. Such heavy metals enter human
body through the food we eat, and many of them cause health problems such as
cancer.
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