5 6156478758573310039 PDF

READY RECKONER INDIAN GEOGRAPHY
INDEX
R
E 1. Geographical Extent and Frontiers ........................................................ 2-3
A 2. Structure and Physiography of India ................................................... 4-12
3. Drainage System .............................................................................. 13-17
D 4. Climate ............................................................................................. 18-20
Y 5. Indian Monsoon ................................................................................ 21-25
6. Natural Vegetation ........................................................................... 26-28
7. Soils .................................................................................................. 29-32
R 8. Agriculture ............................................................................................. 33
9. Minerals ........................................................................................... 34-35
E 10. Industries .......................................................................................... 36-38
C 11. Natural Hazards and Disaster ............................................................ 39-43
K
O
N
E
R
www.laex.in www.civilsprep.com
READY RECKONER OF INDIANGEOGRAPHY |2|
Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal

Geographical Extent and Frontiers
China Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and
Arunachal Pradesh.
India as a Geographical Unit:
West Bengal, Mizoram, Meghalaya,
• Geographical Extent: 8° 4′ N to 37° 6′ N latitude and Bangladesh
Tripura and Assam.
68° 7′ E to 97° 25′ East longitude. West Bengal, Sikkim, Arunachal
Bhutan
Pradesh and Assam.
Northen Most Point: Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur
Myanmar
• Indira col, Siachen glacier in karakoram range. and Mizoram.
Bihar, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh,
Easternmost Point : Nepal
Sikkim and West Bengal.
• The tiny town of Kibithu in Arunachal Pradesh. Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan
Pakistan
and Gujarat
Westernmost Point:
• GhuarMoti, located in the Kutch District of Gujarat. Important Passes:
Southernmost Point: State Pass
• Indira Point in Great Nicobar Island in the Andaman Zoji La it is in Zaskar range,
Jammu and Kashmir
Sea. kanyakumariis southernmost in Indian mainland. Banihal pass
• India has 15106.7 Km of land border and a coastline Shipki La ,Bara-Lacha Pass,
Himachal Pradesh
of 7516.6 Km. Rohtang pass
Uttarakhand Mana, lipulekh,Niti pass
Sikkim Nathu la , Jelep la

Arunchal Pradesh Bom di la,Dihang pass
Western ghats Thalghat , Bhorghat, Pal ghat
Important Boundary Line:

Boundary Line Countries
Radcliffe Line Between India and Pakistan
Mac Mohan Line Between India and China
Durand Line Between Pakistan and Afghanistan
49thParallel Between USA and Canada

India’s Frontiers:
38th Parallel Between North and South Korea
• India’s longest border is with BANGLADESH and
shortest border is with Afghanistan (PoK touches Hidenberg Line Between Germany and Poland
Afghanistan).
Maginot line Between France and Germany
Neighbouring
Bordering States Oder Neisse Line Between Germany and Poland
Countries
Jammu and Kashmir (Pakistan-
Afghanistan
Occupied Area).
www.laex.in Geographical Extent and Frontiers www.civilsprep.com

Tropic of Cancer lies at 23.50 degree North in India passes  Although the night temperature in winter at several
through 8 states and nearest cities to it are. places in North India may come down to the level of
those prevailing in temperate lands, yet clear skies
1. Gandhinagar (Gujarat) - 23.10 N
and intense insolation raise the day temperatures to a
2. Jaipur (Rajasthan) - 26.55 N
tropical level.
3. Bhopal (M.P) - 23.16 N
4. Raipur (Chattisgarh) - 21.16 N
Cultural Reasons:
5. Ranchi (Jharkhand) - 23.11 N
• Settlements, diseases, agricultural and primary
6. Kolkata (W.B) - 22.34 N
economic activities are all tropical in nature.
7. Agartala (Tripura) - 23.51 N
8. Aizawl (Mizoram) - 23.36 N • Hence, It is primarilybecause of Himalayas that India
is a tropical country.
Indian Standard Time: GMT + 05:30 or 82.5° longitude
East of Greenwich passing through Mirzapur of Uttar
Pradesh is Indian Standard line which passes through 5
states of India.
1. Uttar Pradesh
2. Madhya Pradesh
3. Chhattisgarh
4. Odhisa
5. Andhra Pradesh
Important cities through which IST line passes are,

Mirzapur, Handi, Korba, Chunar,Junagarh, Jaunpur etc.
In India meeting point of Tropic of cancer and IST line is at

the Sanjay Gandhi National Park forest land of
Chattisgarh.
India as a Tropical Country:

The temperate part (north of Tropic of Cancer) is twice
the area of tropical part. But India has always been
treated as a tropical country for two different reasons –
physical and cultural:
Physical Reasons:
• The country is separated from the rest of Asia by
Himalayas.
• Its climate is dominated by the tropical monsoons and

the temperate air masses are blocked by Himalayas.
Entire area south of Himalayas is essentially tropical

from climatic point of view:
www.laex.in Geographical Extent and Frontiers www.civilsprep.com

Structure and Physiography of India (iii) Indo-Ganga-Brahmaputra Plain.
• Earth is approximately 460 million years old. Overtime

it has undergone many changes brought about
primarily by the endogenic and exogenic forces.
• These forces have played a significant role in giving

shape to various surface and subsurface features of
earth. Indian plate was south of equator, millions of
years ago. It was much larger in size and the
Australian plate was a part of it.
• Over millions of years, this plate broke into many

parts and Eurasianplate moved towards south
eastern direction and Indian plate to the north.
• This northward movement of the Indian plate is still

(i) The Peninsular Block:
continuing and it has significant consequences on
physical environment of Indian subcontinent. Peninsular Block Extension:
• The northern boundary of the Peninsular Block - line

running from Kachchh along the western flank of the
Aravali Range near Delhi and then roughly parallel to
the Yamuna and the Ganga as far as the Rajmahal
Hills and the Ganga delta.
• KarbiAnglong and Meghalaya Plateau in the northeast
and Rajasthan in the west are also extensions of this
block.
• The north-eastern parts are separated by Malda fault

in West Bengal from Chotanagpur plateau.
(i) Peninsular block formation
• It is primarily through the interplay of these • The Peninsula is formed by a great complex of very
endogenic and exogenic forces and lateral ancient gneisses and granites, which constitutes a
movements of plates that present geological major part of it.
structure and geomorphologic processes active in the • As a part of the Indo-Australian Plate, it has been
Indian subcontinent came into existence. subjected to various vertical movements and block
• Based on the variations in its geological structure and faulting. The rift valleys of the Narmada, the Tapi and
formations, India can be divided into three geological the Mahanadi and the Satpura block mountains are
divisions. These divisions follow the physical features: some examples of it.
(i) The Peninsular Block • The Peninsula mostly consists of relict and residual
mountains like the Aravali hills, the Nallamala hills,
(ii) The Himalayas and other Peninsular Mountains the Javadi hills, the Veliconda hills, the Palkonda
range and the Mahendragiri hills, etc.
www.laex.in Structure and Physiography of India www.civilsprep.com

• The river valleys here are shallow with low gradients. • The north has a vast expanse of rugged topography
Most of the East flowing rivers form deltas before consisting of a series of mountain ranges with varied
entering into the Bay of Bengal. The deltas formed by peaks, beautiful valleys and deep gorges.
the Mahanadi, the Krishna, the Kaveri and the
• The south consists of stable table land with highly
Godavari are important examples.
dissected plateaus, denuded rocks and developed
(ii) The Himalayas and other Peninsular series of scarps.
Mountains • In between these two liesvast north Indian plain.
• The Himalayas are young, weak and flexible in their Based on these macro variations, India can be divided
geological structure unlike the rigid and stable into following physiographic divisions:
Peninsular Block.
A) The Northern and North-eastern Mountains
• Consequently, they are still subjected to the interplay B) The Northern Plain
of exogenic and endogenic forces, resulting in the C) The Peninsular Plateau
development of faults, folds and thrust plains. D) The Indian Desert
• These mountains are tectonic in origin, dissected by E) The Coastal Plains
fast-flowing rivers which are in their youthful stage. F) The Islands.
• Various landforms like gorges, V-shaped valleys,

A. The North and North-eastern Mountains
rapids, waterfalls, etc. are indicative of this stage.
• The North and North-eastern Mountains consist of
(iii) Indo-Ganga-Brahmaputra Plain Himalayas and the North-eastern hills.
• The third geological division of India comprises the • The Himalayas consist of a series of parallel mountain
plains formed by the river Indus, Ganga and ranges.
Brahmaputra.  The general orientation of these ranges is from
northwest to the southeast direction in the
• Originally, it was a geo-synclinal depression which northwestern part of India.
attained its maximum development during the third • Himalayas in the Darjiling and Sikkim regions lie in an
phase of the Himalayan mountain formation east west direction, while in Arunachal Pradesh they
approximately 64 million years ago. are from southwest to the northwest direction.
• Since then, it has been gradually filled by the
• In Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram, they are in the
sediments brought by the Himalayan and Peninsular
north south direction.
rivers.
• The approximate length of the Great Himalayan
• The relief and physiography of India has been greatly
range, also known as the central axial range, is 2,500
influenced by the geological and geomorphological
km from east to west, and their width varies between
processes active in Indian subcontinent.
160-400 km from north to south.
Physiography: • Himalayas stand almost like a strong and long wall
• Physiography of an area is the outcome of structure, between the Indian subcontinent and the Central and
process and the stage of development. East Asian countries. Himalayas are not only the
physical barrier, they are also a climatic, drainage and
cultural divide.

• Some of the important ranges are the Greater Middle Himalayas or Himachal:
Himalayan range (which includes the Great Himalayas • In between the Shiwaliks in the south and the Greater
and the Trans-Himalayan range), the Middle Himalayas in the north.
Himalayas and the Shiwalik.
• The Lower Himalayan ranges are 60-80 km wide and
about 2400 km in length.
• Elevations vary from 3,500 to 4,500 m above sea

level.
• The Lower Himalayas have steep, bare southern

slopes (steep slopes prevent soil formation) and
gentler, forest covered northern slopes.
Great Himalayas:
• Also known as Inner Himalaya, Central Himalaya or
Himadri.
• It is mainly formed of the crystallines (granites and
Shiwalik Range: gneisses) overlaid by metamorphosed sediments
• Located in between the Great Plains and Lesser (limestone). This mountain arc convexes to the south
Himalayas.The altitude varies from 600 to 1500 just like the other two ranges.
metres. • The Himadri terminates abruptly at the syntaxial
bends. One in the Nanga Parbat in the north-west
• Runs for a distance of 2,400 km from the Potwar
Plateau (west) to the Brahmaputra valley (east). and the other in the Namcha Barwa in the north-east.
• The width of the Shiwaliks varies from 50 km in

Himalayas can be divided into the following Sub-
Himachal Pradesh to less than 15 km in Arunachal divisions:
Pradesh.
1. Kashmir or Northwestern Himalayas
2. Himachal and Uttaranchal Himalayas
• They are an almost unbroken chain of low hills except
3. Darjiling and Sikkim Himalayas
for a gap of 80-90 km which is occupied by the valley
4. Arunachal Himalayas
of the Tista River and Raidak River.
5. Eastern Hills and Mountains.
• Valleys are part of synclines and hills are part of

anticlines or anti-synclines.

1. Kashmir or North-Western Himalayas: 2. Himachal and Uttarakhand Himalayas:
• It lies betweenthe Indus and the ravi river. Comprise a • It lies between the Ravi in the west and the Kali (a
series of ranges such as the Karakoram, Ladakh, tributary of Ghaghara) in the east.
Zaskar and PirPanjal.
• Drained by two major river systems of India, i.e. Indus
• The northeastern part of the Kashmir Himalayas is a and Ganga.
cold desert, which lies between the Greater
• Himalayas is an extension of the Ladakh cold desert,
Himalayas and the Karakoram ranges.
which lies in the Spiti subdivision of district Lahul and
• Between the Great Himalayas and the PirPanjal range, Spiti.
lies the world famous valley of Kashmir and the
• All the three ranges of Himalayas are prominent in
famous Dal Lake.
this section also.
• Important glaciers of South Asia such as the Baltoro
• These are the Great Himalayan range, the Lesser
and Siachen are also found in this region.
Himalayas (which is locally known as Dhaoladhar in
• The Kashmir Himalayas are also famous for Karewa Himachal Pradesh and Nag tibha in Uttarakhand) and
formations, which are useful for the cultivation of the Shiwalik range from the North to the South.
Zafran, a local variety of saffron.
• The two distinguishing features of this region from
• Some of the important passes of the region are Zoji the point of view of physiography are the Shiwalik and
La on the Great Himalayas, Banihal on the PirPanjal, ‘Dun formations‘.
Photu La on the Zaskar and Khardung La on the
• Some important duns located in this region are the
Ladakh range.
Chandigarh-Kalka dun, Nalagarh dun, Dehra Dun,
Harike dun and the Kota dun, etc.
• Dehra Dun is the largest of all the duns with an

approximate length of 35-45 km and a width of 22-25
km.
• In the Great Himalayan range, the valleys are mostly

inhabited by the Bhotia‘s. These are nomadic groups
who migrate to Bugyals‘ (the summer glasslands in
the higher reaches) during summer months and
return to the valleys during winters.
• Some of the important fresh lakes such as Dal and
Wular and salt water lakes such as PangongTso and • The famous ‘Valley of flowers‘ is also situated in this
TsoMoriri are also in this region. region. The places of pilgrimage such as the Gangotri,
Yamunotri, Kedarnath, Badrinath and Hemkund Sahib
• This region is drained by the river Indus, and its
are also situated in this part. The region is also known
tributaries such as the Jhelum and the Chenab.Jhelum
to have five famous Prayags.
in the valley of Kashmir is still in its youth stage and
yet forms meanders – a typical feature associated 3. The Darjiling and Sikkim Himalayas
with the mature stage in the evolution of fluvial land
• Bordered by Nepal Himalayas in the west and Bhutan
form.
Himalayas in the east.It is relatively small but is a
most significant part of the Himalayas.

• Known for its fast-flowing rivers such as Teesta, it is a

region of high mountain peaks like Kanchenjunga
(Kanchengiri), and deep valleys.
• The higher reaches of this region are inhabited by

Lepcha tribes while the southern part, particularly the
Darjiling Himalayas, has a mixed population of
Nepalis, Bengalis and tribal from Central India.
• The British, taking advantage of the physical

• These ranges are dissected by fast-flowing rivers from
conditions such as moderate slope, thick soil cover
the north to the south, forming deep gorges.
with high organic content, well distributed rainfall
Bhramaputra flows through a deep gorge after
throughout the year and mild winters, introduced tea
crossing Namcha Barwa. Some of the important rivers
plantations in this region.
are Kameng, Subansiri, Dihang, Dibang and Lohit.
• Absence of the Shiwalik formations. In place of These are perennial with the high rate of fall, thus,
Shiwaliks here, the ‘duarformations‘ are important, having the highest hydro-electric power potential in
which have also been used for the development of the country.
tea gardens.
• An important aspect of the Arunachal Himalayas is
4. The Arunachal Himalayas the numerous ethnic tribal community inhabiting in
these areas.
• Extend from the east of the Bhutan Himalayas up to
the Diphu pass in the east. • Some of the prominent ones from west to east are
the Monpa, Daffla, Abor, Mishmi, Nishi and the
• The general direction of the mountain range is from
Nagas. Most of these communities practise
southwest to northeast.
Jhumming. It is also known as shifting or slash and
• Some of the important mountain peaks of the region burn cultivation.
are Kangtu and NamchaBarwa.
• This region is rich in biodiversity which has been
preserved by the indigenous communities.
• Due to rugged topography, the inter-valley

transportation linkages are nominal. Hence, most of
the interactions are carried through the duar region
along the Arunachal-Assam border.
5. The Eastern Hills and Mountains
Part of Himalayan mountain system having their general

alignment from the north to the south direction.
• They are known by different local names. In the

north, they are known as Patkai Bum, Naga hills, the
Manipur hills and in the south as Mizo or Lushai hills.
• These are low hills, inhabited by numerous tribal

groups practising Jhum cultivation.

• The Barak is an important river in Manipur and • South of the Bhabar is the Taraibelt, with an
Mizoram. approximate width of 10-20 km where most of the
streams and rivers re-emerge creating marshy and
• The physiography of Manipur is unique by the
swampy conditions known as the Tarai.
presence of a large lake known as ‘Loktak‘ lake at the
centre, surrounded by mountains from all sides. • Bhangar old alluvium deposit and khaddar new
Mizoram which is also known as the ‘Molassis basin‘ alluvium deposit.
which is made up of soft unconsolidated deposits.
• These plains have characteristic features of mature
• Most of the rivers in Nagaland form the tributary of stage of fluvial erosional and depositional landforms
the Brahmaputra. such as sand bars, meanders, ox- bow lakes and
braided channels. The Brahmaputra plains are known
• While two rivers of Mizoram and Manipur are the
for their riverine islands and sand bars.
tributaries of the Barakriver, which in turn is the
tributary of Meghna. • Most of these areas are subjected to periodic floods
and shifting river courses forming braided streams.
• Rivers in eastern part of Manipur are tributaries of
• The mouths of these mighty rivers also form some of
Chindwin, which in turn is a tributary of the Irrawady
the largest deltas of the world, for example, the
of Myanmar.
famous Sunderbans delta.
B. The Northern Plains: C. The Peninsular Plateau
• Formed by the alluvial deposits brought by the rivers
• Rising from the height of 150 m above the river plains
– the Indus, the Ganga and the Brahmaputra. Extend
up to an elevation of 600-900m is the irregular
approximately 3,200 km from the east to the west.
triangle known as the Peninsular plateau.
Average width of these plains varies between 150-300
km. • Delhi ridge in the northwest, (extension of Aravalis),
the Rajmahal hills in the east, Gir range in the west
• From the north to the south, these can be divided into
and the Cardamom hills in the south constitute the
three major zones: the Bhabar, the Tarai and the
outer extent of the Peninsular plateau.
alluvial plains.
• However, an extension of this is also seen in the
• The alluvial plains can be further divided into the
northeast, in the form of Shillong and Karbi-Anglong
Khadar and the Bhangar.
plateau.
• The Peninsular India is made up of a series of patland

plateaus such as the Hazaribagh plateau, the Palamu
plateau, the Ranchi plateau, the Malwa plateau, the
Coimbatore plateau and the Karnataka plateau, etc.
• Bhabar is a narrow belt ranging between 8-10 km

parallel to the Shiwalik foothills at the break-up of the
slope. As a result of this, the streams and rivers
coming from the mountains deposit heavy materials
of rocks and boulders, and at times, disappear in this
zone.

• This is one of the oldest and the most stable landmass

of India.
• The general elevation of the plateau is from the west

to the east, which is also proved by the pattern of the
flow of rivers.
• Some of the important physiographic features of this

region are tors, block mountains, rift valleys, spurs,
bare rocky structures, series of hummocky hills and
wall-like quartzite dykes offering natural sites for
water storage.
• Their average elevation is about 1,500 m with the
• The western and north-western part of the plateau
height increasing from north to south. ‘Anaimudi‘
has an emphatic presence of black soil.
(2,695 m), the highest peak of Peninsular plateau is
• This Peninsular plateau has undergone recurrent located on the Anaimalai hills of the Western Ghats
phases of upliftment and submergence accompanied followed by Dodabetta (2,637 m) on the Nilgiri hills.
by crustal faulting and fractures. (The Bhima fault
• Most of the Peninsular rivers have their origin in the
needs special mention, because of its recurrent
Western Ghats.
seismic activities).
• The north-western part of the plateau has a complex

relief of ravines and gorges. The ravines of Chambal,
Bhind and Morena are some of the well-known
examples.
On the basis of the prominent relief features, the

Peninsular plateau can be dividedinto three broad groups:
1. The Deccan Plateau
2. The Central Highlands
3. The North-eastern Plateau.
• Eastern Ghats comprising the discontinuous and low
hills are highly eroded by the rivers such as Mahanadi,
1. The Deccan Plateau:
• This is bordered by the Western Ghats in the west, the Godavari, the Krishna, the Kaveri, etc.
Eastern Ghats in the east and the Satpura, Maikal
range and Mahadeo hills in the north.
• Western Ghats are locally known by different names

such as Sahyadri in Maharashtra, Nilgiri hills in
Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and Anaimalai hills and
Cardamom hills in Kerala.
• Western Ghats are comparatively higher in elevation

and more continuous than the Eastern Ghats.

• Some of the important ranges include the Javadi hills, • This area receives maximum rainfall from the south
the Palconda range, the Nallamala hills, the west monsoon. As a result, the Meghalaya plateau
Mahendragiri hills, etc. has a highly eroded surface. Cherrapunji displays a
bare rocky surface devoid of any permanent
• The Eastern and the Western Ghats meet each other
vegetation cover.
at the Nilgiri hills.
D. The Indian Desert:
2. The Central Highlands:
• To the northwest of the Aravali hills lies the Great
• They are bounded to the west by the Aravali range. Indian desert. It is a land of undulating topography
• The Satpura range is formed by a series of scarped dotted with longitudinal dunes and barchans.
plateaus on the south, This forms the northernmost
• This region receives low rainfall below 150 mm per
boundary of the Deccan plateau. It is a classic
year; hence, it has arid climate with low vegetation
example of the relict mountains which are highly
cover. It is because of these characteristic features
denuded and form discontinuous ranges.
that this is also known as Marusthali. Low
• The extension of the Peninsular plateau can be seen precipitation and high evaporation makes it a water
as far as Jaisalmer in the West, where it has been deficit region.
covered by the longitudinal sand ridges and crescent-
• Luniriver flowing in the southern part of the desert is
shaped sand dunes called barchans.
of some significance.
• This region has undergone metamorphic processes in
• There are some streams which disappear after
its geological history, which can be corroborated by
flowing for some distance and present a typical case
the presence of metamorphic rocks such as marble,
of inland drainage by joining a lake or playa.
slate, gneiss, etc.
• The lakes and the playas have brackish water which is
3. The North-Eastern Plateau:
the main source of obtaining salt.
• It is an extension of Peninsular plateau.It is believed
E. The Coastal Plains:
that due to the force exerted by the north-eastward
movement of the Indian plate at the time of the • On the basis of the location and active geomorpho-
Himalayan origin, a huge fault was created between logical processes, it can be broadly divided into two:
the Rajmahal hills and the Meghalaya plateau. a. Western coastal plains.
• Later, this depression got filled up by the deposition b. Eastern coastal plains.
activity of the numerous rivers. Today, the Meghalaya
a. Western Coastal Plains:
and Karbi Anglong plateau stand detached from the
main Peninsular Block. • Submerged Coastal Plain. It is believed that the city of
Dwaraka which was once a part of the Indian
The Meghalaya plateau is further sub-divided into three: mainland situated along the west coast is submerged
(i) The Garo Hills; (ii) The Khasi Hills; (iii) The Jaintia Hills, under water.
named after the tribal groups inhabiting this region. • Because of this submergence it is a narrow belt and
• An extension of this is also seen in the Karbi Anglong provides natural conditions for the development of
hills of Assam. Similar to the Chotanagpur plateau, the ports and harbours. Kandla, Mazagaon, JLN port
Meghalaya plateau is also rich in mineral resources Navha Sheva, Marmagao, Mangalore, Cochin, etc. are
like coal, iron ore, sillimanite, limestone and uranium. some of the important natural ports located along the
west coast.

Western coast may be divided into following divisions.,

1. Kachchh and Kathiawar coast in Gujarat.
2. Konkan coast in Maharashtra.
3. Goa coast and Malabar coast in Karnataka and Kerala
respectively.
• The rivers flowing through this coastal plain do not

form any delta.
• The Malabar coast has got certain distinguishing

features in the form of ‘Kayals‘ (backwaters), which • The entire group of island is divided into two broad
are used for fishing, inland navigation and also special categories – the Andaman in the north and the
attraction for tourists. Nicobar in the south.
b. Eastern Coastal Plains. • However, some smaller islands are volcanic in origin.
The eastern coastal plain is broader and is an example Barren island, the only active volcano in India.
of an emergent coast. • These islands receive convectional rainfall and have
an equatorial type of vegetation.
• There are well- developed deltas here, formed by the
rivers flowing eastward in to the Bay of Bengal.These The islands of the Arabian Sea:
include the deltas of the Mahanadi, the Godavari, the • Include Lakshadweep and Minicoy. These are
Krishna and the Kaveri. scattered between 8°N-12°N and 71°E -74°E
longitude, they are coral origin.
• Because of its emergent nature, it has less number of
ports and harbours. (The continental shelf extends up
to 500 km into the sea, which makes it difficult for the
development of good ports and harbours).
F. The Islands:
• There are two major island groups in India – one in
the Bay of Bengal and the other in the Arabian Sea.
• There are approximately 36 islands of which 11 are

inhabited.
• The Bay of Bengal island groups consist of about 572 • Minicoy is the largest island with an area of 453 sq.
islands/islets. km.
• These are situated roughly between 6°N-14°N and • The entire group of islands is broadly divided by the
92°E -94°E. Eleventh degree channel, north of which is the Amini
Island and to the south of the Canannore Island.

READY RECKONER OF INDIAN GEOGRAPHY |13|
Drainage System • On the basis of discharge of water (orientations to

the sea), it may be grouped into:
• Flow of water through well-defined channels is known
as ‘drainage’ and the network of such channels is 1. Arabian Sea Drainage
called a ‘drainage system‘. 2. Bay of Bengal Drainage
• Perennial (always with water) • They are separated from each other through the Delhi
• Ephemeral (water during rainy season, and dry during ridge, the Aravalis and the Sahyadris.
other seasons)
• Nearly 77 per cent of the drainage area consisting of
• A river drains the water collected from a specific area, the Ganga, the Brahmaputra, the Mahanadi, the
which is called its ‘catchment area‘.
Krishna, etc. is oriented towards the Bay of Bengal
• An area drained by a river and its tributaries is called a while 23 per cent comprising the Indus, the Narmada,
drainage basin. the Tapi, the Mahi and the Periyar systems discharge
• The boundary line separating one drainage basin from their waters in the Arabian Sea.
the other is known as the watershed. • On the basis of the size of the watershed, the
• The catchments of large rivers are called river basins drainage basins of India are grouped into three
(larger area) while those of small rivulets and rills are categories:
often referred to as watersheds (Smaller Area).
(i) Major river basins with more than 20,000 sq. km
• The drainage pattern resembling the branches of a of catchment area. It includes 14 drainage basins
tree is known as Dendritic Ex: the rivers of northern such as the Ganga, the Brahmaputra, the Krishna,
plain. the Tapi, the Narmada, the Mahi, the Pennar, the
• When the rivers originate from a hill and flow in all Sabarmati, the Barak, etc.
directions, the drainage pattern is known as Radial.
(ii) Medium river basins with catchment area
Ex: Amarkantak range
between 2,000-20,000 sq. km includes 44 river
• When the primary tributaries of rivers flow parallel to basins such as the Kalindi, the Periyar, the
each other and secondary tributaries join them at Meghna, etc.
right angles, the pattern is known as Trellis.
(iii) Minor river basins with catchment area of less
• When the rivers discharge their waters from all
than 2,000 sq. km include fairly good number of
directions in a lake or depression, the pattern is
rivers flowing in the area of low rainfall
known as Centripetal.
• On the basis of the mode of origin, nature and
characteristics, the Indian drainage may also be
classified into,
A) Himalayan Drainage
B) Peninsular Drainage.
www.laex.in Drainage System www.civilsprep.com

A. Himalayan Drainage: 1. The Indus System
• The Himalayan drainage system has evolved through

a long geological history. It mainly includes the Ganga,
the Indus and the Brahmaputra river basins.
• Rivers of this system are perennial. These rivers pass

through the giant gorges carved out by the erosional
activity carried on simultaneously with the uplift of
the Himalayas.
• Course of these rivers is highly tortuous, but over the

plains they display a strong meandering tendency and • One of the largest river basins of the world originates
shift their courses frequently. from Kailash Mountain range. In Tibet, it is known as
‘SingiKhamban; or Lion‘s mouth.
Ex: River Kosi, also known as the ‘sorrow of Bihar‘, has
been notorious for frequently changing its course. After entering J&K it flows between the Ladakh and
the Zaskar Ranges. The Gilgit, Gartang, Dras, Shiger,
• It is opined that in due course of time Indo– Brahma
Hunza are the other Himalayan tributaries of the
River was dismembered into three main drainage
Indus.
systems,
• The Jhelum, an important tributary of the Indus, rises
(i) The Indus and its five tributaries in the western
from a spring at Verinag situated at the foot of the
part
PirPanjal.It flows through Srinagar and the Wular lake.
(ii) The Ganga and its Himalayan tributaries in the
central part • The Chenab is the largest tributary of the Indus,
(iii) The stretch of the Brahmaputra in Assam and its formed by two streams, the Chandra and the Bhaga,
Himalayan tributaries in the eastern part. which join at Tandi near Keylong in Himachal Pradesh.
Hence, it is also known as Chandrabhaga.
The dismemberment was probably due to the Pleistocene
upheaval in the western Himalayas, including the uplift of • The Ravi has its source in Kullu hills near the Rohtang
the Potwar Plateau (Delhi Ridge), which acted as the Pass in Himachal Pradesh. It drains the area between
water divide between the Indus and Ganga drainage the Pir Panjal and the Dhaola Dhar ranges.
systems.
• The Beas originates near the Rohtang Pass
Likewise, the down- thrusting of the Malda gap area
between the Rajmahal hills and the Meghalaya plateau • The Satluj originates in the Rakas lake near
during the mid-pleistocene period, diverted the Ganga Mansarovar, in Tibet where it is known as
and the Brahmaputra systems to flow towards the Bay of LangchenKhambab. It comes out of a gorge at Rupar.
Bengal. It passes through the Shipki La on the Himalayan
ranges and enters the Punjab plains. It is an
antecedent river.

2. The Ganga System valley and finally joins the Hugli. The Barakar is its
main tributary. Also known as the sorrow of Bengal.
• It rises in the Gangotri glacier near Gaumukh (3,900
m) in the Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand. Here, it is • The Mahananda is another important tributary of the
known as the Bhagirathi. Ganga rising in the Darjiling hills.
• At Devprayag, the Bhagirathi meets the Alaknanda; • The Son is a large south bank tributary of the Ganga,
hereafter, it is known as the Ganga. The Alaknanda originating in the Amarkantak plateau.
has its source in the Satopanth glacier above
Badrinath. The Ganga enters the plains at Haridwar.
The figure given below shows various regions where
confluence places of initial rivers which form Ganga as
a whole:
3. The Brahmaputra System:
• The Brahmaputra, one of the largest rivers of the

world, has its origin in the Chemayungdung glacier
of the Kailash range near the Mansarovarlake.
• It is called Tsangpo, in Tibet, which means ‘the

purifier.
• The important left bank tributaries are the Ramganga,
the Gomati, the Ghaghara, the Gandak, the Kosi and • The Brahmaputra enters into Bangladesh near Dhubri.
the Mahananda. The river finally discharges itself into In Bangladesh, the Tista joins it on its right bank from
the Bay of Bengal near the Sagar Island. where the river is known as the jamuna. It finally
merges with the river Padma, which falls in the Bay of
• The Yamuna, the western most and the longest
Bengal.
tributary of the Ganga, has its source in the
Yamunotri glacier. It joins the Ganga at Prayag • The Brahmaputra is well-known for floods, channel
(Allahabad). shifting and bank erosion. This is due to the fact that
most of its tributaries are large, and bring large
• The Chambal rises near Mhow in the Malwa plateau
quantity of sediments owing to heavy rainfall in its
of Madhya Pradesh. Chambal is famous for its
catchment area.
badland topography called the Chambal ravines.
• Teesta- Major tributary of Brahmaputra, rises from
• The Gandak comprises two streams, namely
Sikkim also known as lifeline of Sikkim.
Kaligandak and Trishul ganga. It rises in the Nepal
Himalayas. • Lohit- Tributary of Brahmaputra, flows through
Arunachal Pradesh. Along with river Dihang merges
• The Damodar occupies the eastern margins of the into Brahmaputra.
Chotanagpur Plateau where it flows through a rift

• Major tributaries -Dihang, Lohit, Subansiri, Teesta, River Systems of the Peninsular Drainage:
Meghna (Barack in Assam), Manas
B. The Peninsular Drainage System:

• Older than the Himalayan rivers. Evident from the
broad, largely-graded shallow valleys
• The Western Ghats running close to the western coast

act as the water divide between the major Peninsular
Rivers, discharging their water in the Bay of Bengal
and as small rivulets joining the Arabian Sea. Most of
the major Peninsular Rivers except Narmada and Tapi
flow from west to east.
• The Chambal, the Sind, the Betwa, the Ken, the Son,
• The Mahanadi rises near Sihawa in Raipur district of
originating in the northern part of the Peninsula
Chhattisgarh and runs through Odisha to discharge its
belong to the Ganga river system.
water into the Bay of Bengal. It drains through
• The other major river systems of the peninsular Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Odisha.
drainage are – the Mahanadi the Godavari, the
• The Godavari is the largest Peninsular river system. It
Krishna and the Kaveri.
is also called the Dakshin Ganga. It rises in the Nasik
• Peninsular rivers are characterised by fixed course, district of Maharashtra and discharges its water into
absence of meanders and non- perennial flow of the Bay of Bengal. Its tributaries run through the
water. The Narmada and the Tapi which flow through states of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh,
the rift valley are, however, exceptions. Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.
Evolution of Peninsular Drainage System: The Penganga, the Indravati, the Pranhita, and the
Manjra are its principal tributaries.
Three major geological events in the distant past have
shaped the present drainage systems of Peninsular India: • The Krishna is the second largest east- flowing
Peninsular river which rises near Mahabaleshwar in
1. Subsidence of the western flank of the Peninsula
Sahyadri. The Koyna, the Tungbhadra and the Bhima
leading to its submergence below the sea during the
are its major tributaries. It drains through Maharastra,
early tertiary period.
Karnatakaand Andhra Pradesh.
2. Upheaval of the Himalayas when the northern flank
of the Peninsular block was subjected to subsidence • The Kaveri rises in Brahmagiri hills of Kodagu district
and the consequent trough faulting. The Narmada in Karnataka. Since the upper catchment area receives
and The Tapi flow in trough faults and fill the original rainfall during the southwest monsoon season
cracks with their detritus materials. Hence, there is a (summer) and the lower part during the northeast
lack of alluvial and deltaic deposits in these rivers. monsoon season (winter), the river carries water
3. Slight tilting of the Peninsular block from northwest throughout the year.
to the south-eastern direction gave orientation to the
It drains through Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
entire drainage system towards the Bay of Bengal
Its important tributaries are the Kabini, the Bhavani
during the same period.
and the Amravati.

West Flowing Rivers: Note:

Ghaggar is the most important river of inland
drainage. It is a seasonal stream which rises on the
lower slopes of the Himalayas and forms boundary
between Haryana and Punjab.
Largest river basin in India – Ganga > Godavari >
Mahanadi > Krishna > Narmada
• The Narmada originates on the western flank of the

Amarkantak plateau. Flowing in a rift valley between
the Satpura in the south and the Vindhyan range
forms Dhuandhar waterfall near Jabalpur.
• The Tapi is the other important westward flowing

river. It originates from Multai in the Betul district of
Madhya Pradesh. It drains through Maharastra,
Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat.
• Tawa River rises from the Satpura Range of Betul in

MP. This river is the longest tributary of River
Narmada.
• Sharavati River originates from the Shimoga district

of Karnataka. The Jog Falls is created by the Sharavati
River.
• Mahi river originates from Dhar district of Madhya

Pradesh and flows through Madhya Pradesh,
Rajasthan, and Gujarat. Drains in to Gulf of Cambay
• Sabarmati is the name given to the combined stream

of Sabar and Hathmati. It originates in Aravalli’s. The
Sabarmati basin extends over states of Rajasthan and
Gujarat.

Climate 4. Distance from the Sea:

With a long coastline, large coastal areas have an equable
• Weather is the momentary state of the atmosphere
climate. Areas in the interior of India are far away from
which changes quickly while climate refers to the
the moderating influence of the sea. Such areas have
average of the weather conditions over a longer
extremes of climate.
period of time.
5. Altitude
• Monsoon connotes the climate associated with
seasonal reversal in the direction of wind. India has Temperature decreases with height. Due to thin air,
hot monsoonal climate which is the prevalent climate places in the mountains are cooler than places on the
in south and South-east Asia. plains.
6. Relief
Factors Determining the Climate of India:
The physiography or relief of India also affects the
Factors Related to Location and Relief
temperature, air pressure, direction and speed of wind
1. Latitude and the amount and distribution of rainfall.
Northern part of the India lies in sub-tropical and The windward sides of Western Ghats and Assam receive
temperate zone and the part lying south of the Tropic of high rainfall during June-September whereas the southern
Cancer falls in the tropical zone. The tropical zone being plateau remains dry due to its leeward situation along the
nearer to the equator, experiences high temperatures Western Ghats.
throughout the year with small daily and annual range of
Factors Related to Air Pressure and Wind:
temperature
1. Distribution of air pressure and winds on the surface
Area north of the Tropic of Cancer being away from the
of the earth
equator experiences extreme climate with high daily and
2. Upper air circulation caused by factors controlling
annual range of temperature.
global weather and the inflow of different air masses
2. Himalayan Mountains
and jet streams
Himalayas in the north along with its extensions act as an
3. Inflow of western cyclones generally known as
effective climatic divide. The towering mountain chain
disturbances during the winter season and tropical
provides an invincible shield to protect the subcontinent
depressions during the south-west monsoon period
from the cold northern winds.
into India, creating weather conditions favourable to
• Himalayas also trap the monsoon winds, forcing them rainfall.
to shed their moisture within the subcontinent
Mechanism of Weather in the Winter
3. Distribution of Land and Water:
Season:
• India is flanked by the Indian Ocean on three sides in
the south and girdled by a high and continuous Surface Pressure and Winds:
mountain-wall in the north. In winter months, the weather conditions over India are
• As compared to the landmass, water heats up or cools generally influenced by the distribution of pressure in
down slowly. This differential heating of land and sea Central and Western Asia.
creates different air pressure zones in different A high pressure centre in the region lying to the north of
seasons in and around the Indian subcontinent. the Himalayas develops during winter. This centre of high
Difference in air pressure causes reversal in the pressure gives rise to the flow of air at the low level from
direction of monsoon winds. the north towards the Indian subcontinent, south of the
mountain range.
www.laex.in Climate www.civilsprep.com

The surface winds blowing out of the high pressure centre All of Western and Central Asia remains under the
over Central Asia reach India in the form of a dry influence of westerly winds along the altitude of 9-13 km
continental air mass. from west to east. These winds blow across the Asian
continent at latitudes north of the Himalayas roughly
These continental winds come in contact with trade winds
parallel to the Tibetan highlands. These are known as jet
over north-western India.
streams.
Jet streams are fast-moving winds in the upper
atmosphere which influences the global atmospheric
phenomenon.
A Tibetan highland acts a barrier in the path of Jet
streams as a result it gets bifurcated. One of its branches
blows north of Tibetan highland and southern branch
blows in an eastward direction, south of the Himalayas
there by influencing winter weather in India.
Western Cyclonic Disturbance and Tropical

Cyclones:
The western cyclonic disturbances which enter the Indian
subcontinent from the west and the northwest during the
winter months originate over the Mediterranean Sea and
• are brought into India by the westerly jet stream.
An increase in the prevailing night temperature generally
indicates an advance in the arrival of these cyclones
disturbances.
Tropical cyclones originate over the Bay of Bengal and the
Indian Ocean. These tropical cyclones have very high wind
velocity and heavy rainfall and hit the Tamil Nadu, Andhra
Pradesh and Orissa coast. Most of these cyclones are very
destructive due to high wind velocity and torrential rain
that accompanies.
Mechanism of Weather in the Summer

Season
Jet Stream and Upper Air Circulation:
Surface Pressure and Winds:
Higher up in the lower troposphere, about three km
above the surface of the earth, a different pattern of air As the summer sets in and the sun shifts northwards, the
circulation is observed. wind circulation over the subcontinent undergoes a
complete reversal at both, the lower as well as the upper
The variations in the atmospheric pressure closer to the levels. By the middle of July, the low pressure belt nearer
surface of the earth have no role to play in the making of the surface [termed as Inter Tropical Convergence Zone
upper air circulation. (ITCZ)] shifts northwards, by this time, the westerly jet
stream withdraw from the Indian region.

It is generally believed that there is a cause and effect

relationship between the ITCZ and jet stream. The ITCZ
being a zone of low pressure attracts inflow of winds from
different directions. The maritime tropical air mass (mT)
from the southern hemisphere, after crossing the
equator, rushes to the low pressure area in the general
south-westerly direction. It is this moist air current which
is popularly known as the southwest monsoon.
The Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ):

A low pressure zone located at the equator where trade
winds converge, and so, it is a zone where air tends to
ascend.
In July, the ITCZ is located around 20°N-25°N latitudes
(over the Gangetic plain), sometimes called the monsoon
trough.
This monsoon trough encourages the development of
thermal low over north and northwest India. Due to the
shift of ITCZ, the trade winds of the southern hemisphere
cross the equator between 40° and 60°E longitudes and
Jet Streams and Upper Air Circulation: start blowing from southwest to northeast due to the
An easterly jet stream flows over the southern part of the Coriolis force. It becomes southwest monsoon.
Peninsula in June. The easterlies normally do not extend In winter, the ITCZ moves southward, and so the reversal
to the north of 30 degree N latitude in the upper of winds from northeast to south and southwest, takes
atmosphere. place. They are called northeast monsoons.
Easterly Jet Stream and Tropical Cyclones:
The easterly jet stream steers the tropical depressions
into India. These depressions play a significant role in the
distribution of monsoon rainfall over the Indian
subcontinent. The tracks of these depressions are the
areas of highest rainfall in India.
The frequency at which these depressions visit India, their
direction and intensity, all go a long way in determining
the rainfall pattern during the southwest monsoon
period.

Indian Monsoon (i) The offshore meteorological conditions.
(ii) The position of the equatorial jet stream along

Onset of the Monsoon the eastern coast of Africa.
• During April and May when the sun shines vertically
Frequency of tropical depressions depends on
over the Tropic of Cancer, the large landmass in the
position of ITCZ/ monsoon trough.
north of Indian Ocean gets intensely heated. This
causes the formation of an intense low pressure in Break in the Monsoon:
the north-western part of the subcontinent. During the south-west monsoon period after having rains
• Since the pressure in the Indian Ocean in the south of for a few days, if rain fails to occur for one or more weeks,
it is known as break in the monsoon. These dry spells are
the landmass is high as water gets heated slowly, the
quite common during the rainy season.
low pressure cell attracts the southeast trades across
the Equator. These breaks in the different regions are due to different
reasons:
These conditions help in the northward shift in the
position of the ITCZ. The southwest monsoon may thus, (i) In northern India rains are likely to fail if the rain-
be seen as a continuation of the southeast trades bearing storms are not very frequent along the
monsoon trough or the ITCZ over this region.
deflected towards the Indian subcontinent after crossing
the Equator. These winds cross the Equator between 40°E (ii) Over the west coast the dry spells are associated with
and 60°E longitudes. days when winds blow parallel to the coast.
After withdrawal of westerly jet streams, easterly jet EI-Nino and the Indian Monsoon:
stream sets in at 15 degree N, thereby resulting in burst of
EI-Nino is a complex weather system that appears once
monsoon in India. every three to seven years, bringing drought, floods and
Entry of Monsoon into India: other weather extremes to different parts of the world.
The system involves oceanic and atmospheric phenomena

The southwest monsoon sets in over the Kerala coast by
with the appearance of warm currents off the coast of
1st June and to reach Mumbai and kolkata 10th and 13th
Peru in the Eastern Pacific and affects weather in many
June.
places including India.
Rain-bearing Systems and Rainfall Distribution
EI-Nino is merely an extension of the warm equatorial
There seem to be two rain-bearing systems in India. current which gets replaced temporarily by cold Peruvian
current or Humbolt current. This current increases the
1. In Bay of Bengal causing rainfall over the plains of
temperature of water on the Peruvian coast by 10°C. This
north India.
results in:
2. Arabian Sea current of the southwest monsoon
(i) Distortion of equatorial atmospheric circulation
which brings rain to the west coast of India. Much of
the rainfall along the Western Ghats is orographic as (ii) Irregularities in the evaporation of sea water
the moist air is obstructed and forced to rise along the
(iii) Reduction in the amount of planktons which further
Ghats.
reduces the number of fish in the sea
The intensity of rainfall over the west coast of India is,
however, related to two factors:
www.laex.in Indian Monsoon www.civilsprep.com

(i) States like Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan being far

away from the moderating influence of sea
experience continental climate.
(ii) The snowfall in the nearby Himalayan ranges creates

cold wave situation;
(iii) The cold winds coming from the Caspian Sea and
Turkmenistan bring cold wave along with frost and
fog over the north-western parts of India.
• The Peninsular region of India, however, does not

have any well-defined cold weather season. There is
no seasonal change in the distribution pattern of the
temperature in coastal areas because of moderating
influence of the sea and the proximity to equator.
Pressure and Winds:
By the end of December (22nd December), the sun shines

vertically over the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern
The word EI-Nino means ‘Child Christ‘ because this hemisphere. The weather in this season is characterised
current appears around Christmas in December. by feeble high pressure conditions over the northern
December is a summer month in Peru (Southern plain.
Hemisphere). Rainfall:
The Rhythm of Seasons: Winter monsoons do not cause rainfall as they move
from land to the sea.
The climatic conditions of India can best be described in
terms of an annual cycle of 4 seasons: 1. They have little humidity
1. Cold weather season 2. Due to anti cyclonic circulation on land, the possibility
of rainfall from them reduces. So, most parts of India
2. Hot weather season
do not have rainfall in the winter season.
3. Southwest monsoon season
However, there are some exceptions to it:
4. Retreating monsoon season
(i) In North-western India, some weak temperate
cyclones from the Mediterranean sea cause rainfall in
1. The Cold Weather Season:
Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and western Uttar Pradesh.
Temperature:
• The cold weather season sets in by mid-November in (ii) During October and November, northeast monsoon
northern India. December and January are the while crossing over the Bay of Bengal, picks up
coldest months in the northern plain. moisture and causes torrential rainfall over the Tamil
Nadu coast, southern Andhra Pradesh, southeast
• There are three main reasons for the excessive cold in
Karnataka and southeast Kerala.
north India during this season:

2. The Hot Weather Season: 3. The Southwest Monsoon Season

Increase of temperature in May over the north-western
Temperature:
plains, the low pressure conditions over there get further
With the apparent northward movement of the sun intensified.
towards the Tropic of Cancer in March, temperatures
By early June, they are powerful enough to attract the
start rising in north India. April, May and June are the trade winds of Southern Hemisphere coming from the
months of summer in north India. In the coastal regions, Indian Ocean. These southeast trade winds cross the
the north-south extent of isotherms parallel to the coast equator and enter the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea.
confirms that temperature does not decrease from north Passing over the equatorial warm currents, they bring
to south rather it increases from the coast to the interior. with them moisture in abundance.
Pressure and Winds: After crossing the equator, they follow a south-westerly
direction. That is why they are known as southwest
The summer months are a period of excessive heat and
monsoons.
falling air pressure in the northern half of the country.
Because of the heating of the subcontinent, the ITCZ The rain in the southwest monsoon season begins
moves northwards occupying a position centred at 25°N abruptly, there by brings down the temperature
in July. substantially. This sudden onset of the moisture-laden
winds associated with violent thunder and lightning, is
A sudden contact between dry and moist air masses give often termed as the break or burst of the monsoons.
rise to local storms of great intensity associated with
violent winds, torrential rains and hailstorms. The monsoon approaches the landmass in two branches:
1. Mango Shower: (i) The Arabian Sea branch
Towards the end of summer,there are pre monsoon (ii) The Bay of Bengal branch.
showers common in Kerala and Karnataka locally,they are
Monsoon Winds of the Arabian Sea:
known as mango showers ,since they help in the early
ripening of mangoes The monsoon winds originating over the Arabian Sea
further split into three branches:
2. Blossom Shower:
With this shower coffee flowers blossom in Kerala and (i) Its one branch is obstructed by the Western Ghats.
nearby areas These winds climb the slopes of the Western Ghats
from 900-1200 m. Soon, they become cool, and as a
3. Nor Westers:
result, the windward side of the Sahyadris and
These are dreaded evening thunderstorm in Bengal and Western Coastal Plain receive very heavy rainfall
Assam .Their notorious nature can be understood from ranging between 250 cm and 400 cm.
the local nomenclature of ‘kalbaisakhi. These showers are
useful for tea, jute rice cultivation. In Assam,these storms After crossing the Western Ghats, these winds
are known as Bardolichheerha descend and get heated up. This reduces humidity in
the winds. As a result, these winds cause little
4. Loo:
rainfall east of the Western Ghats. This region of low
Hot, dry and oppressing winds blowing in the northern rainfall is known as the rain-shadow area.
plains from Punjab to Bihar with higher intensity. (orographic)
(ii) Another branch of the Arabian sea monsoon strikes

the coast north of Mumbai. Moving along the
Narmada and Tapiriver valleys, these winds cause • By the end of September, the southwest monsoon
rainfall in extensive areas of central India. becomes weak as the low pressure trough of the
Thereafter, they enter the Ganga plains and mingle Ganga plain starts moving southward in response to
with the Bay of Bengal branch. the southward march of the sun.
(iii) A third branch of this monsoon wind strikes the • The retreating southwest monsoon season is marked
Saurashtra Peninsula and the Kachchh. It then by clear skies and rise in temperature. The land is still
passes over west Rajasthan and along the Aravalis, moist. Owing to the conditions of high temperature
causing only a scanty rainfall. and humidity, the weather becomes rather
oppressive. This is commonly known as the October
Monsoon Winds of the Bay of Bengal:
heat.
The Bay of Bengal branch strikes the coast of Myanmar
• The weather in the retreating monsoon is dry in north
and part of southeast Bangladesh. But the Arakan Hills
India but it is associated with rain in the eastern part
along the coast of Myanmar deflect a big portion of this
of the Peninsula. Here, October and November are
branch towards the Indian subcontinent.
the rainiest months of the year.
• The monsoon, therefore, enters West Bengal and
• The widespread rain in this season is associated with
Bangladesh from south and southeast instead of
the passage of cyclonic depressions which originate
south-westerly direction. From here, this branch splits
over the Andaman Sea and manage to cross the
into two under the influence of the Himalayas and
eastern coast of the southern Peninsula.These
the thermal low in northwest India.
tropical cyclones are very destructive.
• Its one branch moves westward along the Ganga
Characteristics of Monsoonal Rainfall:
plains reaching as far as the Punjab plains.
(i) Rainfall received from the southwest monsoons is
• The other branch moves up the Brahmaputra valley in
seasonal in character, which occurs between June
the north and the northeast, causing widespread
and September.
rains.
(ii) Monsoonal rainfall is largely governed by relief or
• Its sub-branch strikes the Garo and Khasi hills of
topography.
Meghalaya. Mawsynram, located on the crest of Khasi
hills, receives the highest average annual rainfall in (iii) The monsoon rainfall has a declining trend with
the world. increasing distance from the sea.
• Here it is important to know why the Tamil Nadu (iv) The monsoon rains occur in wet spells of few days
coast remains dry during this season. There are two duration at a time. The wet spells are interspersed
factors responsible for it: with rainless interval known as Monsoonal breaks.
(i) The Tamil Nadu coast is situated parallel to the (v) The summer rainfall comes in a heavy downpour
Bay of Bengal branch of southwest monsoon. leading to considerable run off and soil erosion.
(ii) It lies in the rain shadow area of the Arabian Sea (vi) Monsoons play a pivotal role in the agrarian economy
branch of the south-west monsoon. of India because over three-fourths of the total rainin
the country is received during the southwest
4. Season of Retreating Monsoon
monsoon season.
• The months of October and November are known for
(vii) Its spatial distribution is also uneven which ranges
retreating monsoons.
from 12 cm to more than 250 cm.
Distribution of Rainfall: • Areas of Inadequate Rainfall: Parts of the Peninsula,

especially in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and
Maharashtra, Ladakh and most of western Rajasthan
receive rainfall below 50 cm.
• Snowfall is restricted to the Himalayan region.
Climatic Regions of India:
Major climatic types of India,
• Based on Koppen‘sScheme: Koppen based his

scheme of Climatic classification on monthly values of
temperature and precipitation.
• He identified five major climatic types, namely:
(i) Tropical climates, where mean monthly temperature

throughout the year is over 18°C.
(ii) Dry climates, where precipitation is very low in

comparison to temperature, and hence, dry.
(iii) Warm temperate climates, where mean temperature

of the coldest month is between 18°C and minus 3°C.
• The average annual rainfall in India is about 125 cm, (iv) Cool temperate climates, where mean temperature
but it has great spatial variations. of the warmest month is over 10°C, and mean
temperature of the coldest month is under minus 3°C
• Areas of High Rainfall: The highest rainfall occurs
along the west coast, on the Western Ghats, as well (v) Ice climates, where mean temperature of the
as in the sub-Himalayan areas is the northeast and the warmest month is under 10°C.
hills of Meghalaya. Here the rainfall exceeds 200 cm.
In some parts of Khasi and Jaintia hills, the rainfall
exceeds 1,000 cm. In the Brahmaputra valley and the
adjoining hills, the rainfall is less then 200 cm.
• Areas of Medium Rainfall : Rainfall between 100-200

cm is received in the southern parts of Gujarat, east
Tamil Nadu, northeastern Peninsula covering Odisha,
Jharkhand, Bihar, eastern Madhya Pradesh, northern
Ganga plain along the sub-Himalayas and the Cachar
Valley and Manipur.
• Areas of Low Rainfall: Western Uttar Pradesh, Delhi,

Haryana, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, eastern
Rajasthan, Gujarat and Deccan Plateau receive rainfall
between 50-100 cm.
.

Natural Vegetation Nicobar Islands found in warm and humid areas with
an annual precipitation of over 200 cm and mean
Natural vegetation refers to a plant community that has annual temperature above 22degree C.
been left undisturbed over a long time, so as to allow its
individual species to adjust themselves to climate and soil • Well stratified, with layers closer to the ground and
conditions as fully as possible. are covered with shrubs and creepers, with short
structured trees followed by tall variety of trees up to
Himalayan heights are marked with temperate height of 60cm.
vegetation; the Western Ghats and the Andaman
Nicobar Islands have tropical rain forests. The deltaic • There is no definite time for trees to shed their
regions have tropical forests and mangroves. The desert leaves, flowering and fruition. As such these forests
and semi desert areas of Rajasthan are known for cactii, a appear green all the year round.
wide variety of bushes and thorny vegetation • Species found in these forests include rosewood,
Types of Forests: mahogony, aini, ebony, etc.
1. Tropical Evergreen and Semi Evergreen forests Semi Evergreen Forests:

2. Tropical Deciduous forests • Found in the less rainy, such forests have a mixture of
3. Tropical Thorn forests evergreen and moist deciduous trees.
4. Montane forests
• The under growing climbers provide an evergreen
5. Littoral and Swamp forests
character to these forests.
• Main species are white cedar, hollock and kail.
2. Tropical Deciduous Forests
• These are the most widespread forests in India, also

called as monsoon forests. They are found in areas
with rainfall of 70-200 cm.
• On the basis of the availability of water, these forests
are further divided into moist and dry deciduous.
The Moist Deciduous:
• Rainfall of 100-200 cm. These forests are found in
the northeastern states along the foothills of
Himalayas, eastern slopes of the Western Ghats and
Odisha.
• Teak, sal, shisham, hurra, mahua, amla, semul,
kusum, and sandalwood etc. are the main species of
these forests.
1. Tropical Evergreen Forests and Semi Ever Green
Forests. Dry Deciduous Forest:
Covers vast areas of the country, where rainfall ranges
• Tropical Evergreen and Semi Evergreen Forests
between 70 -100 cm. found in rainier areas of the
found in the western slope of the Western Ghats, hills
Peninsula and the plains of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The
of the north-eastern region and the Andaman and
dry season begins, the trees shed their leaves completely.
www.laex.in Natural Vegetation www.civilsprep.com

• Tendu, palas, amaltas, bel, khair, axlewood etc. are At many place in this zone temperate grass lands are
the common trees of these forests. found. But in the higher reaches there is a transaction to
alpine forests and pastures. Silverfirs, junipers, pines,
3. Tropical Thorn Forests
birch and rhododendrons, etc., occur between used
• Found in the areas which receive rainfall less than 50 extensively for transhumance by tribes like the Gujjars,
cm. the Bakarwals, the bhotiyas and the gaddis.
• These consist of a variety of grasses and shrubs. It Southern slopes of the Himalayans carry a thicker
includes semi-arid areas of south west Punjab, vegetation cover because of relatively higher precipitation
Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and than the drier north –facing slopes at higher altitudes,
Uttar Pradesh. mosses and lichens from part of tundra vegetation.
• Plants remain leafless for most part of the year and b. Southern Mountain Forests:
give an expression of scrub vegetation.
• Found in three distinct areas of Peninsular India viz;
• Babool, ber, and wild date palm, khair, neem, khejri, the Western Ghats, the Vindhyas and the Nilgiris.
palas, etc. Tussocky grass grows upto a height of 2 m As they are closer to the tropics, and only 1,500 m
as the under growth. above the sea level, vegetation is temperate in the
4. Montane Forests: higher regions, and subtropical on the lower regions
of the Western Ghats, especially in Kerala, Tamil Nadu
• In mountainous areas, the decrease in temperature and Karnataka.
with increasing altitude leads to a corresponding
• The temperate forests are called Sholas in the Nilgiris,
change in natural vegetation.
Anaimalai and Palani hills. Some of the other trees of
Mountain forests can be classified into two types, this forest of economic significance includemagnolia,
a. The Northern mountain forests laurel, cinchona and wattle. Such forests are also
b. The Southern mountain forests found in the Satpura and the Maikal ranges.
a. Northern Mountain Forests: 5. Littoral and Swamp Forests
• The Himalayan ranges show a succession of • India has a rich variety of wetland habitats. About 70
vegetation from the tropical to the tundra, which per cent of this comprises areas under paddy
changes with the altitude. cultivation. Two sites — Chilika Lake (Odisha) and
Keoladeo National Park (Bharatpur) are protected as
Deciduous forests are found in the foothills of the
water-fowl habitats under the Convention of
Himalayas.
Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar
It is succeed by the wet temperate type of forests
Convention).
between an altitude of 1000-2000m in the higher hill
areas of west Bengal and Uttaranchal, Evergreen broad Forest Cover in India:
leaf trees such as oak and chestnut are predominant. • The forest area covers 23.28 per cent of the total land
area of the country.
Between 1500-1750m, Pine forests are well developed,
with Chir pine as a very useful commercial tree. Deodar, a • The forest area is the area notified and recorded as
highly valued endemic species grows mainly in the the forest land irrespective of the existence of trees,
western part of the Himalayan range. Deodar is a durable while the actual forest cover is the area occupied by
wood mainly used in construction activity, similarly the forests with canopy.
chinar and the walnut, which sustain the famous Kashmir
handicrafts belong to this zone blue pine and spruce
appear at altitude of 2225 -3048 m.
Forest Conservation: humid Telsur etc.

climate.
• Forest policy in 1952, which was further modified in
30 to 40 m Sal, Teak,
Eastern parts
1988. According to the new forest policy, the high trees. Arjun,
of Sahyadris 100 to
Government will emphasise sustainable forest Due to Mulberry,
(Western 200cm
Tropica deficiency Kusum,
management in order to conserve and expand forest ghats) rainfall
l Moist of water, Sandalwoo
North Eastern per
reserve on the one hand, and to meet the needs of Decidu
part of annum
they shed d, Siris,
ous their Haldi,
local people on the other. Forests
Peninsula. Moderate
leaves in Khair,
Middle and temperat
Social Forestry: spring Mango,
lower Ganga ure.
(onset of Banyan
valley
• Social forestry means the management and summer) tree etc.
Foothills of Himalayas in Bhabar and Tarai region
protection of forests and afforestation on barren
These cover about 20% India’s forest area
lands with the purpose of helping in the
environmental, social and rural development. Large parts of
Maharashtra and
• Urban forestry pertains to the raising and Andhra Pradesh.
6 to 15
management of trees on public and privately owned Parts of Punjab, m Teak, Sal,
Tropical Haryana and 50 to 100 high. Bamboo,
lands in and around urban centres such as green Eastern parts of com
Dry Mango,
belts, parks, roadside avenues, industrial and Deciduo Rajasthan. rainfall. Roots Acacia,
commercial green belts, etc us Northern and Moderate are Neem,
Forests Western parts of humidity. thick Shisham
• Rural forestry lays emphasis on promotion of agro- Madhya Pradesh. and etc.
forestry and community-forestry. long.
Tamil Nadu.
Southern parts of
• Agro-forestry is the raising of trees and agriculture
Uttar Pradesh.
crops on the same land inclusive of the waste Thorny
patches. It combines forestry with agriculture, thus, Low vegeta Cactis.Thor
Rajasthan and tion. ny bushes,
altering the simultaneous production of food, fodder, rainfall
adjoining areas of Kikar,
Dry (less than Roots
fuel, timber and fruit. Haryana, Gurjarat Babool,
Forests 50cm per are
and Punjab. Date palm,
or Arid annum). very
• Community forestry involves the raising of trees on Acacia,
Forests Rainshadow areas long.
public or community land such as the village pasture Relative Khair,
of peninsular
humidity Leaves Euphorbias
and temple land etc India.
is less are etc
• Farm forestry is a term applied to the process under small.
Due to
which farmers grow trees for commercial and non- increase
Each
vegeta
commercial purposes on their farm lands. of altitude
tion
the
belt
Forests of India temperat
occurs Sal, Teak,
Climatic Mounta ure
Forest Characteri at Chir,
Distribution Condition Species inous decreases
Type stics relativ Deodar,
forests hence
s In Himalayan ely Oak, Olive,
or Himalaya
Rainy Slopes of Rainfall Mahogany, Region 300m Chestnut,
Himalay n forests
Western ghats >200cm Mahua, more Conifers,
an contain all
North-Eash Relative Bamboo, height Spruce and
Height of Forest the
Tropica India except humidity Cones, in Lirch etc.
trees is 40 varieties
l Arunachal > 70% Ironwood, Easter
to 60m of world
Evergr Pradesh. Average Kadam, n
Leaves are except
een Eastern part of temperat Irul, Himala
dark green equatorial
Forests West Bengal ure is Jamun, yas.
and broad forest
and Odisha about Hopea,
Andaman and 24°C. Rubber
Nicobar Islands Hot and tree, Toon,

Soils
• The mixture of rock debris and organic materials
which develop on the earth‘s surface.
• The major factors affecting the formation of soil are

relief, parent material, climate, vegetation and other
life-forms and time.
• Components of the soil are mineral particles, humus,

water and air.
• Horizon Ais the topmost zone, where organic

materials have got incorporated with the mineral
matter, nutrients and water, which are necessary for
the growth of plants. • Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has
classified the Indian soils into 8 categories .On the
• Horizon B is a transition zone between the ‘horizon A‘
basis of genesis, colour, composition and location,
and ‘horizon C‘, and contains matter derived from
the soils of India have been classified into:
below as well as from above. It has some organic
matter in it, although the mineral matter is noticeably 1. Alluvial Soils:
weathered.
• Alluvial soils are widespread in the northern plains
and the river valleys. These soils cover about 40 per
cent of the total area of the country.
• They are depositional soils, transported and

deposited by rivers and streams.
• Through a narrow corridor in Rajasthan, they extend

into the plains of Gujarat. In the Peninsular region,
they are found in deltas of the east coast and in the
river valleys.
• They vary in nature from sandy loam to clay and are

rich in potash but poor in phosphorous.
Bangar –old alluvium

• Horizon Cis composed of the loose parent material.
This layer is the first stage in the soil formation Khaddar- new alluvium
process and eventually forms the above two layers. Kankar –calcerous deposits
This arrangement of layers is known as the soil
• Alluvial soils are intensively cultivated.
profile.
2. Black Soil
Classification of Soils:
• Black soil covers most of the Deccan Plateau which
• In ancient times, soils used to be classified into two
includes parts of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh,
main groups – Urvara and Usara, which were fertile
and sterile, respectively.
www.laex.in Soils www.civilsprep.com

Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and some parts of Tamil and silica are leached away, and soils rich in iron oxide
Nadu. and aluminium compound are left behind.
• These soils are also known as the ‘RegurSoil‘ or the • Humus content of the soil is removed fast by bacteria
‘Black Cotton Soil‘. Generally clayey, deep and that thrives well in high temperature.
impermeable.
• Poor in organic matter, nitrogen, phosphate and
• They swell and become sticky when wet and shrink calcium, while iron oxide and potash are in excess.
when dried. So, during the dry season, these soil Hence, laterites are not suitable for cultivation.
develop wide cracks like‘self ploughing‘.
• Red laterite soils in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and
• Because of this character of slow absorption and loss Kerala are more suitable for tree crops like
of moisture, the black soil retains the moisture for a cashewnut.
very long time, which helps the crops, especially, the
• The laterite soils are commonly found in Karnataka,
rain fed ones, to sustain even during the dry season.
Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh and the hilly
• Chemically, the black soils are rich in lime, iron, areas of Odisha and Assam.
magnesia and alumina. They also contain potash. But
5. Arid Soils
they lack in phosphorous, nitrogen and organic
matter. The colour of the soil ranges from deep black • Arid soils range from red to brown in colour.
to grey.
• They are generally sandy in structure and saline in
3. Red and Yellow Soil nature.
• Red soil develops on crystalline igneous rocks in areas • They lack moisture and humus. Nitrogen is insufficient
of low rainfall in the eastern and southern part of the and the phosphate content is normal. Lower horizons
Deccan Plateau. Yellow and red soils are also found of the soil are occupied by ‘kankar‘ layers because of
in parts of Odisha and Chattisgarh and in the southern the increasing calcium content downwards.
parts of the middle Ganga plain.
• The ‘Kankar‘ (calcium)layer formation in the bottom
• The soil develops a reddish colour due to a wide horizons restricts the infiltration of water, and as such
diffusion of iron in crystalline and metamorphic rocks. when irrigation is made available, the soil moisture is
It looks yellow when it occurs in a hydrated form. readily available for a sustainable plant growth.
• The fine-grained red and yellow soils are normally • Arid soils are characteristically developed in western
fertile, whereas coarse-grained soils found in dry Rajasthan, which exhibit characteristic arid
upland areas are poor in fertility. topography. These soils are poor and contain little
humus and organic matter.
• They are generally poor in nitrogen, phosphorous and
humus 6. Saline Soils
4. Laterite Soil: • Also known as Usara soils. Saline soils contain a

larger proportion of sodium, potassium and
• Laterite has been derived from the Latin word ‘Later‘
magnesium, and thus, they are infertile, and do not
which means brick.
support any vegetative growth.
• The laterite soils develop in areas with high
• They occur in arid and semi-arid regions, and in
temperature and high rainfall. These are the result of
waterlogged and swampy areas.
intense leaching due to tropical rains. With rain, lime

• Their structure ranges from sandy to loamy. Madhya nitrogen,

Pradesh and phosphorus
• They lack in nitrogen and calcium. Tamil Nadu and humus
Rich in iron
• Saline soils are more widespread in western Gujarat, Eastern parts of and potash
Wheat, rice,
Deccan Plateau, but deficient
deltas of the eastern coast and in Sunderban areas of cotton,
Red Tamil Nadu, in lime,
sugarcane and
West Bengal. Goa, Odisha and nitrogen
pulses
Meghalaya phosphorus
7. Peaty Soils: and humus
Summits of
• Found in the areas of heavy rainfall and high Eastern and
Rich in iron
Western ghats,
humidity, where there is a good growth of vegetation. but poor in
Assam hills, Tea, coffee,
silica, lime,
Laterite Andhra rubber, cashew
• Thus, large quantity of dead organic matter phosphorus,
Pradesh, and millets
potash and
accumulates in these areas, and this gives a rich Karnataka, West
humus
Bengal and
humus and organic content to the soil. Organic
Odisha
matter in these soils may go even up to 40-50 per Generally
cent. unsuitable for
West and
cultivation, but
North-West
• Soils are normally heavy and black in colour. India,
Rich in soluble with irrigation
salts, but useful for
Desert Rajasthan,
• Occurs widely in the northern part of Bihar, southern North Gujarat
deficient in cultivation of
organic matter drought-resistant
part of Uttaranchal and the coastal areas of West and Southern
lime, millets,
Bengal, Orissa and Tamil Nadu. Punjab
barley, cotton,
maize and pulses
8. Forest Soils: Hills of Jammu Rich in iron With fertilizers,
Mountai and Kashmir and humus, tea, fruits and
• Forest soils are formed in the forest areas where n Uttarakhand but deficient medicinal plants
sufficient rainfall is available. and Assam hills in lime can be grown
Drier parts of
• They are Loamy and silty on valley sides and coarse- Bihar,
Many salts
Jharkhand,
grained in the upper slopes. Saline such as
Uttar Pradesh, Unfit for
and sodium,
Haryana, agriculture
• In the snow-bound areas of the Himalayas, they Alkaline magnesium
Punjab,
experience denudation, and are acidic with low and calcium
Rajasthan and
humus content. The soils found in the lower valleys Maharashtra
are fertile. Contain large
Kerala, coastal amount of
regions of soluble salts
Soils in India: Peaty
Odisha, Tamil and organic
Useful for rice
and and jute
Types of Area of Nadu and matter, but
Compositions Crops grown Marshy cultivation
Soils Occurrence Suderbans of lack in potash
Large variety of West Bengal and
Rich in potash phosphates
Rabi and Kharif
Punjab, and lime but
crops such as
Haryana, Uttar deficient in
Alluvial
Pradesh, Bihar nitrogen and
wheat, rice, Soil Degradation:
sugarcane,
and Jharkhand phosphoric
cotton and jute • Defined as the decline in soil fertility, when the
acid
etc
Deccan plateau, Rich in iron,
nutritional status declines and depth of the soil goes
valleys of lime, Cotton, down due to erosion and misuse.
Black (or
Krishna and aluminium, sugarcane, jowar,
Regur
soil)
Godavari, magnesium, tobacco, wheat • Soil degradation is the main factor leading to the
Andhra calcium but and rice
Pradesh, lacks in
depleting soil resource base in India.

Soil Erosion: gets enough humus, chemicals harden it and reduce

• The destruction of the soil cover is described as soil its fertility in the long run.
erosion. Soil Conservation:
• The soil forming processes and the erosional • Soil conservation is a methodology to maintain soil
processes of running water and wind go on fertility, prevent soil erosion and exhaustion, and
simultaneously. But generally, there is a balance improve the degraded condition of the soil.
between these two processes. The rate of removal of
• Over-grazing and shifting cultivation in many parts of
fine particles from the surface is the same as the rate
India have affected the natural cover of land and
of addition of particles to the soil layer.
given rise to extensive erosion. It should be regulated
• Wind and water are powerful agents of soil erosion and controlled by educating villagers about the
because of their ability to remove soil and transport consequences.
it. • Contour bunding, Contour terracing, regulated
forestry, controlled grazing, cover cropping, mixed
• Wind erosion is significant in arid and semi-arid
farming and crop rotation are some of the remedial
regions.
measures which are often adopted to reduce soil
• In regions with heavy rainfall and steep slopes, erosion.
erosion by running water is more significant.
• Sheet erosion takes place on level lands after a heavy

shower and the soil removal is not easily noticeable.
But it is harmful since it removes the finer and more
fertile top soil.
• Gully erosion is common on steep slopes. Gullies

deepen with rainfall, cut the agricultural lands into
small fragments and make them unfit for cultivation.
A region with a large number of deep gullies or
ravines is called a badland topography. Ravines are
widespread, in the Chambal basin. They are also
found in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.
• Deforestation is one of the major causes of soil

erosion.
• A fairly large area of arable land in the irrigated zones

of India is becoming saline because of over- irrigation.
The salt lodged in the lower profiles of the soil comes
up to the surface and destroys its fertility.
• Chemical fertilisers in the absence of organic

manures are also harmful to the soil. Unless the soil

Agriculture • Wheat, barley, pulses and some oil seeds are grown
in rabi season.
Crop Temperature Rainfall Soil
150-300 2. Kharif
Rice Not above 35°C Clayey or loamy
cm • Season begins with onset of monsoons in June -July .
19°-15°C
Well-drained • The crops grown in the rainy season and harvesting
(winter),
Wheat 80 cm loams and clay takes place after the retreat of monsoon in
21°-26°C
loam
(Summer) September – October.
21°-26°C, but not
Black soil (regar), • Rice,maize, millets, Groundnuts,cotton and jute are in
below
Cotton 50-75 cm alluvial or the Kharif season.
21°C, 200 frost
laterite soils
free days 3. Zaid
Any type of soil
100-150 • This is the summer season for growing crops which
Sugarcane 20°-26°C that can retain
cm
moisture remain till April, May, and June.
Variety of soils • Products are mainly vegetables and fruits.
100 cm
Jowar Not below 16°C including clayey
and sandy Major Crops and Producing States
Rainfall of
Crop Type Crop Name Major Producers
150cm, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Madhya
Light sandy or Wheat
Jute 24°-35°C Pradesh
with 90% clayey loams
Rice West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh
humidity Cereals Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and
Barley
Rajasthan
Well-drained,
125-375 Bajra Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan
deep friable
cm,
Tea 24°-30°C loams or forest Sugarcane Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra
grown on
soils, rich in Cash Crops
hill slopes Uttar Pradesh and Himachal
organic water Poppy
Pradesh
Rich, well-
Coconut Kerala and Tamil Nadu
drained friable
150-200 Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and
Coffee 15°-28°C loams containing Linseed
cm Haryana
good amount of
vegetable mould Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil
Groundnut
Sandy loams, red Oil Seeds Nadu
Bajra 25°-30°C 40-50 cm Rape seed Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and
and black soils
Red, sandy and Mustard Haryana
50-100
Ragi 20°-30°C loams and light Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and
cm Sunflower
black Maharashtra
Pulses 20°-25°C 50-75 cm Dry, light soil Cotton Maharashtra and Gujarat
150-200 Rich, well-
Rubber 25°-35°C Jute West Bengal and Bihar
cm drained soils Fibre crops
Well-drained Silk Karnataka and Kerala
50-100 loamy soil, Hemp Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh
Tobacco 16°-40°C
cm alluvial or black
soils Coffee Karnataka and Kerala
Rubber Kerala and Karnataka
Plantations
Tea Assam and Kerala
Three cropping seasons of India
Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya
1. Rabi: Tobacco
Pradesh
Pepper Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu
• This season starts after the rainy season sowing
Spices Ginger Kerala and Uttar Pradesh
begins in September -October and harvesting takes
place in February – march. Turmeric Andhra Pradesh and Odisha
www.laex.in Agriculture www.civilsprep.com

Minerals  Major producers of Bauxite are Kalahandi and

Koraput belt of Odisha (36%), Gujarat (20%),
Minerals generally occur in the Earth’s crust in the form of
Maharashtra (13%) and Jharkhand (13%).
ore. It is mined, extracted, processed and utilised for the
 NALCO, BALCO and HINDALCO are major companies
economic benefits of the society.
engaged in mining of Bauxite in the country.
Metallic Minerals
Gold:
Iron:
 India’s share in the world gold production is less than
India stands first in iron ore reserves in Asia. Iron ore is one percent.
mainly distributed in the peninsular India.
 Karnataka is the leading producer of gold accounting
Varieties of Iron Ore: for 99% of total production and the rest comes from
 Magnetite: The best quality iron ore containing 72% Jharkhand.
of pure Iron.  Major gold fields in India: Kolar (Karnataka), Hutti
 Haematite: Contains 60-70% of pure Iron (Karnataka), Ramgiri (Andhra Pradesh).
 Limonite: Contains 40-60% of pure Iron Other Metallic Minerals:
 Siderite: Contains less than 40% of pure Iron  Diamond is found in Panna belt of Madhya Pradesh,
Distribution of iron ore- Karnataka, Odisha, Chattisgarh, Raichur-Gulbarga districts of Karnataka.
Goa, Jharkhand.  Silver is produced from Zawar mines of Udaipur
Manganese: district of Rajasthan.
 It is used for smelting of Iron and also for making Non Metallic Minerals:
alloys containing Manganese. Non metallic minerals are used in a large variety of
industries; the major industries being cement, fertilizers,
 India has second largest manganese reserves after
Zimbabwe. electricals, etc.
 India is the fifth largest producer of Manganese in the Coal :

world.
Also called as Black gold, it is originated by organic
 Manganese reserves in India are found in Odisha
(44%), Karnataka (22%), Madhya Pradesh (13%), wood.
Maharashtra (8%) .
Types of coal on the basis of carbon content,
Copper: Anthracite is the best quality of coal which carries 80 to
 It is widely utilised by electrical industry for 95 per cent carbon content. It ignites slowly with a blue
manufacturing wires and other electrical equipments. flame. It has the highest calorific value. It is found in small
It is also added with gold to impart strength. quantity in Jammu and Kashmir.
 Major share of Copper production comes from Bituminous carries 60 to 80 per cent of carbon content
and a low level of moisture content. It is widely used and
Madhya Pradesh(58%), Rajasthan(32%) and
has high calorific value. It is found in Jharkhand, West
Jharkhand(11%). Bengal, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.
 Major copper mining centres are at Singhbhum Lignite is often brown in colour. It carries 40 to 55 per
(Jharkhand), Malanjkhand(MP), Khetri-Singhana and cent carbon content. It is an intermediate stage which
Alwar(Rajasthan),Kho- Dariba and Delwara-Kirovli. happens during the alteration of woody matter into coal.
It has high moisture content so it gives smoke when
Bauxite:
 It is the ore of Aluminium.
www.laex.in Minerals www.civilsprep.com

burnt. It is found in Rajasthan, Lakhimpur (Assam), and Gypsum:

Tamil Nadu.  Gypsum is mainly used in making Ammonia sulphate
Peat has less than 40 per cent carbon content. It is in the fertilizer and in cement industry.
first stage of transformation from wood to coal. It has low
 Bulk of production of Gypsum comes from Rajasthan
calorific value and burns like wood.
(99%) and the remaining 1% from Jammu and
Mica:
Kashmir and Gujarat.
 Mica’s insulating properties have made it a valuable
mineral in electrical and electronics industry.It can Atomic Minerals
withstand high voltage and has low power loss factor. Uranium:
 Uranium deposits occur in Jaduguda of Singbhum and
 India contributes about 60 per cent of world’s total
Hazaribagh districts of Jharkhand, Gaya district of
production.
Bihar and Saharanpur district of Uttar Pradesh.
 Andhra Pradesh is the largest mica producing state of
 India accounts for only 2% of world Uranium
India.
production.
Limestone:
Thorium:
 Limestone is used for a large variety of purposes. Of
 It is found in the Monazite sands of Placer deposits of
the total consumption, 75 per cent is used in cement coastal regions.
industry, 16 per cent in iron and steel industry and 4  Although Monazite sands are found in east and west
per cent in the chemical industries. Rest of the coast, the largest concentration is on the Kerala
limestone is used in paper, sugar, fertilizers, glass, coast.
rubber and ferromanganese industries.
 Thorium is also extracted from Thorianite.
 Over three-fourths of the total limestone production
 Kerala, Jharkhand, Bihar, Tamil nadu and Rajasthan
in India is from six states, Madhya Pradesh,
are the major producers of Thorium.
Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh and
Tamil Nadu. Beryllium:
 Beryllium oxide is used as moderator in nuclear
Asbestos:
reactors.
 The name ‘Asbestos’ denotes two different minerals,
 India has sufficient reserves of Beryllium.
namely, Ampibole and Chrysotile.
Lithium and Zirconium:
 Chrysotile accounts for 80% of asbestos of
 Lithium is a light metal which is distributed in the
commercial use.
states of Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
 Andhra Pradesh is the largest producer of Asbestos in  Zirconium is found in Kerala coasts and in alluvial
India. deposits of Ranchi and Hazaribagh of Jharkhand.
Dolomite:
 Limestone with more than 10% Magnesium is called
Dolomite.
 Dolomite is used in Iron and Steel industry (more
than 90%), followed by Fertilizer (4%), Glass (2%) and
steel (1%).
 Chhattisgarh is the leading producer of Dolomite
(28%), followed by Andhra Pradesh (23%), Odisha
(13%) and remaining 36% by other states.
www.laex.in Minerals www.civilsprep.com

Industries Major Industries in India:

1. The Iron and Steel Industry:
Reason for
Importance Raw materails Location
Location
In India,
Almost all All these raw Chhattisgarh,
sectors of materials are Northern
theIndian gross(weight Orissa,Jharkhand
industry losing), andWest Bengal,
iron oreand
depend therefore, the which
coking
heavily on best location isextremely
coal,limestone,
the ironand forthe iron richin highgrade
dolomite,mang
steel and steel iron ore,
anese,fire clay
industry for plants is near goodquality
their the source coking
basicinfrast ofraw coalandother
ructure. materials supplementing
rawmaterials
Factors responsible for the location of Industries,
Important iron and steel industryare, Rourkela – Odisha –
1. Raw Material:Industries using weight-losing raw Germany, Bhilai- MP- Soviet Union, Durgapur- West
materials arelocated in the regions where raw Bengal-UK, Bokaro-Bihar –soviet union
materials arelocated. 2. The Cotton Textile Industry:
2. Power:Power provides the motive force for
It is one of thetraditional industries of India.India
machines,and therefore, its supply has to be was famous worldwide
Historical
ensuredbefore the location of any industry. for the production of muslin, a very fine varietyof
Significance
cotton cloth, calicos, chintz and otherdifferent
3. Market:Markets provide the outlets for
varieties of fine cotton cloth.
manufacturedproducts. Heavy machine, machine
a)it is a tropical countryand cotton is the most
tools, heavychemicals are located near the high comfortable fabric for ahot and humid climate.
Reasons for
demand areasas these are market orientated. Cotton b) Largequantityof cotton was grown in India.
development
c)Abundant skilledlabour required for this industry
textileindustry uses a non-weight-losing raw was availablein this country
materialand is generally located in large urban  Cotton is a “pure” raw material which doesnot
centre,e.g. Mumbai. lose weight in the manufacturing process.so
other factors, like, power to drive the
4. Transport:Earlier industries were located only in looms,labour, capital or market may determine
Factors
metro cities that was because of better transport thelocation of the industry.
responsible
 Kolkata due to its port facilities
network. Now due to growing web of transport for locations
 Lower labour costs:Ujjain, Bharuch, Agra,
infrastrusture, industries are being set up in interior Hathras,Coimbatore and Tirunelveli.
part.  Abundant availability of hydelpower for the
mills
5. Labour: Industries require skilled labour. In
India,labour is quite mobile and is available in  Presently, the major centres of the
cottontextile industry are Ahmedabad,
largenumbers due to our large population. Bhiwandi,Solapur, Kolhapur, Nagpur, Indore
6. Industrial Policy:government of Indiaprovides lots of and Ujjain
Current  Maharashtra, Gujarat and Tamil Naduare the
incentives to industries locatingin backward areas. position leading cotton producing states.
 Tamil Nadu has the largest number ofmills and
Footloose Industries: most of them produce yarn ratherthan cloth.
Coimbatore has emerged as themost important
Footloose industrycan be located at any location without centre with nearly half the millslocated there
effect from factors
www.laex.in Industries www.civilsprep.com

3. Sugar: 5. Chemical industries

Chemical Products Location of the
India-largest producer of both sugarcane industry Manufactured Industry
and canesugar .  Chemicals
 Major plants
industry in
khandasari and gur or jaggery are also producing
Importance India is highly
preparedfrom sugarcane. sulphuric acid are
diversified,
located at Khetri,
Sugar industry is a seasonal industry covering more
Alwaye (Kerala),
becauseof the seasonality of raw materials. than 80,000
Mumbai, Kolkata,
commercial  India is a strong
Burnpur and
products. It is global dye
Sugarcane is a weight-losing crop. Its Jamshedpur.
broadly supplier,
sucrosecontent begins to dry during  Major plants are
classified into accounting for
haulage after ithas been harvested from located at
Basic approximately
Mithapur,
Location the field.Sugar factories hence, are located chemicals, 16% of the
Dharangadhra
within thecane producing Specialty world
and Porbandar—
chemicals, and production of
regions.Maharastra is leading producer all in Gujarat.
Agrochemicals. dyestuff and
followed by UP and TN. dye  The Hindustan
 India’s
Organic
proximity to intermediates.
Chemicals Limited
4. Petrochemical Industries: the Middle  Fertilisers,
at Rasayani
East, the insecticides and
Types of raw (Maharashtra)
world’s source pesticides.
Need materials it Locations produces the
of
provide chemicals
petrochemical
In 1960s, required for
s feedstock,
drugs, dyestuffs
demandfor organic makes for
and synthetic
chemicals economies of
Mumbai is the rubber.
scale.
increased so fast
hub of the petro- 6. Cement
that itbecame
chemical Features of the industry
difficult to meet
industries. Cracker  India is the second largest
thisdemand. At
units are producer of cement in the world.
thattime,
(i)polymers, alsolocated in  India's cement industry is a vital
petroleum refining
(ii) synthetic Auraiya(UttarPrad Cement industry in part of its economy, providing
industry
fibres, esh),Jamnagar,Ga India comprises of employment to more than a
expandedrapidly.
(iii) ndhinagar and 125 large cement million people, directly or
Many items are
elastomers, Hajira(Gujarat), plants and over 300 indirectly.
derived from
(iv) surfactant Nagothane,Ratna mini cement plants  The housing and real estate sector
crudepetroleum, having total installed
intermediate giri(Maharashtra), is the biggest demand driver of
which provide capacity of 148.28 cement, accounting for about 65
Haldia
rawmaterials million tonnes and per cent of the total consumption
(WestBengal)
formany new 11.10 million tonnes in India. The other major
andVishakhapatna
industries, these per annum consumers of cement include
m
are respectively. public infrastructure at 20 per cent
(Andhra Pradesh)
collectivelyknown and industrial development at 15
as petrochemical per cent.
industries  They are located in the states of
Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and
Polymers are made from ethylene andpropylene. These
Tamil Nadu.
materials are obtained intheprocess of refining crude oil.

Major Industrial Regions in India: Port State and Port Information

Kandla Gujarat, tidal port
Maharastra, biggest port with
Mumbai
natural and well sheltered harbours
Maharastra, decongest Mumbai
Jawharlal
port
Marmagao Goa, major iron ore export
New Mangalore Karnataka, major iron ore export
Kochi Kerala, natural harbour
Tuticorin Tamil nadu, natural harbour
Chennai Tamil nadu, oldest artificial port
Andhra Pradesh, deepest land
Vishakapatnam
locked and well protected port
Paradip Orissa, major iron ore export
West Bengal, decongest Kolkata
Haldia
port
West Bengal, riverine port located
Kolkata
on hoogly river
Ports of India:
About 7500 long coast line of India served by 12 major and

other medium, minor ports.

Natural Hazards and Disasters: Bhima(Krishna) near Latur and Osmanabad

(Maharashtra) and the possible breaking down of the
• Disasters- Disaster is an undesirable occurrence Indian plate.
resulting from forces that are largely outside human
• National Geophysical Laboratory, Geological Survey of
control, strikes quickly with little or no warning, which
India, Department of Meteorology, Government of
causes or threatens serious disruption of life and
India, along with the recently formed National
property.
Institute of Disaster Management, following five
• Natural Hazards are elements of circumstances in the earthquake zones:
Natural environment that have the potential to cause
1. Very high damage risk zone- North-east states, areas
harm to people or property or both.
to the north of Darbhanga and Araria along the Indo-
• As compared to natural hazards, natural disasters are Nepal border in Bihar, Uttarakhand, Western
relatively sudden and cause large scale, widespread Himachal Pradesh (around Dharamshala
death, loss of property and disturbance to social
2. High damage risk zone- the remaining parts of Jammu
systems and life over which people have a little or no
and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Northern parts of
control.
Punjab, Eastern parts of Haryana, Delhi, Western
Earthquakes: Uttar Pradesh, and Northern Bihar fall under the
• Earthquakes that are of tectonic origin have proved to 3. Moderate damage risk zone
be the most devastating and their area of influence is 4. Low damage risk zone
also quite large.
5. Very low damage risk zone
• These earthquakes result from a series of earth
movements brought about by a sudden release of
energy during the tectonic activities in the earth‘s
crust.
• The Indian plate is moving at a speed of one

centimetre per year towards the north and north
eastern direction and this movement of plates is
being constantly obstructed by the Eurasian plate
from the north. As a result of this, both the plates are
said to be locked with each other resulting in
accumulation of energy at different points of time.
Excessive accumulation of energy results in building
up of stress, which ultimately leads to the
• Some of the most vulnerable states are Jammu and Most of the areas that can be considered safe are from
Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and the stable landmass covered under the Deccan plateau.
the Darjeeling and subdivision of West Bengal and all Earthquake Hazard Mitigation:
the seven states of the northeast
(i) Establishing earthquake monitoring centres
• Recently, some earth scientists have come up with a (seismological centres) for regular monitoring and
theory of emergence of a fault line and energy build- fast dissemination of information among the people
up along the fault line represented by the river in the vulnerable areas. Use of Geographical
www.laex.in Natural Disasters and Hazards in India www.civilsprep.com

Positioning System (GPS) can be of great help in Asia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and
monitoring the movement of tectonic plates. India etc.
(ii) Preparing a vulnerability map of the country and Tropical Cyclone:

dissemination of vulnerability risk information
among the people and educating them about the • Tropical cyclones are intense low-pressure areas
ways and means minimising the adverse impacts of confined to the area lying between 30° N and 30° S
disasters. latitudes, in the atmosphere around which high
velocity winds blow.
(iii) Modifying the house types and building- designs in
the vulnerable areas and discouraging construction • Horizontally, it extends up to 500-1,000 km and
of high-rise buildings, large industrial establishments vertically from surface to 12-14 km. A tropical
and big urban centres in such areas. cyclone or hurricane is like a heat engine that is
energised by the release of latent heat on account of
(iv) Finally, making it mandatory to adopt earthquake- the condensation of moisture that the wind gathers
resistant designs and use light materials in major after moving over the oceans and seas.
construction activities in the vulnerable area.
Some initial conditions for the emergence of a tropical
Tsunami: cyclone are:
• Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions that cause the 1. Large and continuous supply of warm and moist air
sea-floor to move abruptly resulting in sudden that can release enormous latent heat.
displacement of ocean water in the form of high
vertical waves are called tsunamis (harbour waves) or 2. Strong Coriolis force that can prevent filling of low
seismic sea waves. pressure at the centre (absence of Coriolis force near
the equator prohibits the formation of tropical
• Normally, the seismic waves cause only one cyclone between 0 ° -5 ° latitude).
instantaneous vertical wave; but, after the initial
3. Unstable condition through the troposphere that
disturbance, a series of after waves are created in the
creates local disturbances around which a cyclone
water that oscillate between high crest and low
develops.
trough in order to restore the water level.
4. Finally, absence of strong vertical wind wedge, which
• The speed of wave in the ocean depends upon the disturbs the vertical transport of latent heat.
depth of water. It is more in the shallow water than
in the ocean deep. Structure of Tropical Cyclone:
• The centre of the cyclone is mostly a warm and low-
• As a result of this, the impact of tsunami is less over
pressure, cloudless core known as eye of the
the ocean and more near the coast where they cause
storm.Expansion of the wind belt is about 10-150 km
large-scale devastations. Therefore, a ship at sea is
from the centre.
not much affected by tsunami and it is difficult to
detect a tsunami in the deeper parts of sea Spatial-temporal Distribution of Tropical Cyclone in
India:
• Thus, these are also called Shallow Water Waves.
Tsunamis are frequently observed along the Pacific • Owing to its Peninsular shape surrounded by the Bay
ring of fire, particularly along the coast of Alaska, of Bengal in the east and the Arabian Sea in the west,
Japan, Philippines, and other islands of South- east

the tropical cyclones in India also originate in these of eroded material in the water due to higher rate of
two important locations. soil erosion.
• Though most of the cyclones originate between 10°- • Though floods occur frequently over wide
15° north latitudes during the monsoon season, yet in geographical area having disastrous ramifications in
case of the Bay of Bengal, cyclones mostly develop many parts of the world, floods in the South,
during the months of October and November. Southeast and East Asian countries, particularly in
China, India and Bangladesh, are frequent and equally
• Originate between 16°-2° N latitudes and to the west
disastrous.
of 92° E. By July the place of origin of these storms
shifts to around 18° N latitude and west of 90°E near • RashtriyaBarhAyog (National Flood Commission)
the Sunderban Delta. A surge is generated due to identified 40 million hectares of land as flood-prone in
interaction of air, sea and land. The cyclone provides India Assam, West Bengal and Bihar are among the
the driving force in the form of very high horizontal high flood-prone states of India.
pressure-gradient and very strong surface winds. The
sea water flows across the coast along with strong
winds and heavy downpour.
Droughts:
• The term ‘drought‘ is applied to an extended period

Floods: when there is a shortage of water availability due to
inadequate precipitation, excessive rate of
• The causes of floods are well- established. Relatively evaporation and over-utilisation of water from the
slow in occurrences and often, occur in well-identified reservoirs and other storages, including the ground
regions and within expected time in a year. Floods water.
occur commonly when water in the form of surface
run-off exceeds the carrying capacity of the river • Drought is a complex phenomenon as it involves
channels and streams and flows into the neighbouring elements of meteorology like precipitation,
low-lying flood plains. evaporation, evapo- transpiration, ground water, soil
moisture, storage and surface run-off, agricultural
• Floods can also be caused due to a storm surge (in the practices, particularly the types of crops grown, socio-
coastal areas), high intensity rainfall for a economic practices and ecological conditions.
considerably longer time period, melting of ice and
snow, reduction in the infiltration rate and presence

Types of Droughts: Landslides:
• Meteorological Drought: It is a situation when there A landslide is defined as the movement of a mass of rock,
is a prolonged period of inadequate rainfall marked debris, or earth down a slope
with mal-distribution of the same over time and
space. Landslide Vulnerability Zones
• Agricultural Drought: It is also known as soil moisture
drought, characterised by low soil moisture that is
necessary to support the crops, thereby resulting in
crop failures.
• Hydrological Drought: It results when the availability

of water in different storages and reservoirs like
aquifers, lakes, reservoirs, etc. falls below what the
precipitation can replenish.
• Ecological Drought: When the productivity of a
natural ecosystem fails due to shortage of water and
as a consequence of ecological distress, damages are Very High Vulnerability Zone:
induced in the ecosystem. • Highly unstable, relatively young mountainous areas
in the Himalayas and Andaman and Nicobar, high
Drought Prone Areas in India rainfall regions with steep slopes in the Western
Extreme Drought Affected Areas: Ghats and Nilgiris, the north-eastern regions, along
with areas that experience frequent ground-shaking
• Most parts of Rajasthan, particularly areas to the west
due to earthquakes, etc. and areas of intense human
of the Aravali hills, i.e. Marusthali and Kachchh
activities, particularly those related to construction of
regions of Gujarat fall in this category.
roads, dams, etc. are included in this zone.
High Vulnerability Zone:
Severe Drought Prone Area:
• Areas that have almost similar conditions to those
• Parts of eastern Rajasthan, most parts of Madhya
included in the very high vulnerability zone are also
Pradesh, eastern parts of Maharashtra, interior parts
included in this category.
of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka Plateau, northern
parts of interior Tamil Nadu and southern parts of • All the Himalayan states and the states from the
Jharkhand and interior Orissa are included in this north-eastern regions except the plains of Assam are
category. included in the high vulnerability zones.
Moderate to Low Vulnerability Zone:
Moderate Drought Affected Area:
• Areas that receive less precipitation such as Trans-
• Northern parts of Rajasthan, Haryana, southern Himalayan areas of Ladakh and Spiti (Himachal
districts of Uttar Pradesh, the remaining parts of Pradesh), undulated yet stable relief and low
Gujarat, Maharashtra except Konkan, Jharkhand and precipitation areas in the Aravali, rain shadow areas in
Coimbatore plateau of Tamil Nadu and interior the Western and Eastern Ghats and Deccan plateau
Karnataka are included in this category also experience occasional landslides.

• Landslides due to mining and subsidence are most River Projects and Their Beneficiary States
common in states like Jharkhand, Orissa, Beneficiary
Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra River Purpose
States
Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Goa and Kerala. Punjab,Himachal
Sutlej Power and irrigation Pradesh, Haryana
Mitigation of landslides: and Rajasthan
• It is always advisable to adopt area-specific measures Power, irrigation and Jharkhand and
Damodar
flood control west Bengal
to deal with landslides.
Mahanadi Power and irrigation Odisha
• Restriction on the construction and other Andra Pradesh
Tungabhadr Power and irrigation
developmental activities such as roads and dams, a and Karnataka
limiting agriculture to valleys and areas with Andhra Pradesh
moderate slopes, and control on the development of Krishna Power and irrigation
and Telangana
large settlements in the high vulnerability zones, Bihar, Uttar
should be enforced. This should be supplemented by Pradesh,
some positive actions like promoting large-scale Gandak Power and irrigation Nepal(joint
afforestation programmes and construction of bunds venture of India
to reduce the flow of water. and Nepal)
• Terrace farming should be encouraged in the north- Flood control, Power

Kosi Bihar
and irrigation
eastern hill states where Jhumming (Slash and
Power and irrigation,
Burn/Shifting Cultivation) is still prevalent.
avoid accumulation
Ganga West Bengal
Inland Waterway: of slit to improve
Allahabad-Haldia stretch of navigation
Inland Waterway1 Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly river Rajasthan,
system
Haryana
Beas Power and irrigation
Sadiya-Dhubri stretch of Punjab and
Inland Waterway 2
theBrahmaputra River (Assam) Himachal Pradesh
Sutlej, Rajasthan, Punjab
Beas,andrav Irrigation
Kottapuram-Kollam stretch of the and Haryana
West Coast Canal, Champakara i
Inland Waterway 3 Madhya Pradesh
Canal and Udyogmandal Canal Power and irrigation
Chambal
(Kerala) and Rajasthan
Tapti Irrigation Gujarat
Kakinada-Pondicherry along Tapti Power and irrigation Gujarat
Inland Waterway 4 Godavari and Krishna River
Tawa(Narm Irrigation Madhya Pradesh
system
ada)
Inland Waterway 5 TalcherParadip (Odisha) Godavari Irrigation Telangana
Malaprabha Irrigation Karnataka
Lakhipur to Bhanga on the River
Inland Waterway 6
Barak (Assam - Proposed)

5 6156478758573310039 PDF

Transféré par

Informations du document

Titre original

Copyright

Formats disponibles

Partager ce document

Partager ou intégrer le document

Options de partage

Avez-vous trouvé ce document utile ?

Ce contenu est-il inapproprié ?

Droits d'auteur :

Formats disponibles

5 6156478758573310039 PDF

Transféré par

Droits d'auteur :

Formats disponibles

READY RECKONER INDIAN GEOGRAPHY

A 2. Structure and Physiography of India ................................................... 4-12

3. Drainage System .............................................................................. 13-17

D 4. Climate ............................................................................................. 18-20

Y 5. Indian Monsoon ................................................................................ 21-25

6. Natural Vegetation ........................................................................... 26-28

7. Soils .................................................................................................. 29-32

9. Minerals ........................................................................................... 34-35

E 10. Industries .......................................................................................... 36-38

C 11. Natural Hazards and Disaster ............................................................ 39-43

Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal

Uttarakhand Mana, lipulekh,Niti pass

Sikkim Nathu la , Jelep la

Western ghats Thalghat , Bhorghat, Pal ghat

Important Boundary Line:

Radcliffe Line Between India and Pakistan

Mac Mohan Line Between India and China

Durand Line Between Pakistan and Afghanistan

49thParallel Between USA and Canada

www.laex.in Geographical Extent and Frontiers www.civilsprep.com

Important cities through which IST line passes are,

In India meeting point of Tropic of cancer and IST line is at

India as a Tropical Country:

• Its climate is dominated by the tropical monsoons and

Entire area south of Himalayas is essentially tropical

www.laex.in Geographical Extent and Frontiers www.civilsprep.com

Structure and Physiography of India (iii) Indo-Ganga-Brahmaputra Plain.

• Earth is approximately 460 million years old. Overtime

• These forces have played a significant role in giving

• Over millions of years, this plate broke into many

• This northward movement of the Indian plate is still

• The northern boundary of the Peninsular Block - line

• The north-eastern parts are separated by Malda fault

(i) Peninsular block formation

www.laex.in Structure and Physiography of India www.civilsprep.com

• Various landforms like gorges, V-shaped valleys,

www.laex.in Structure and Physiography of India www.civilsprep.com

• Elevations vary from 3,500 to 4,500 m above sea

• The Lower Himalayas have steep, bare southern

• The width of the Shiwaliks varies from 50 km in

• Valleys are part of synclines and hills are part of

www.laex.in Structure and Physiography of India www.civilsprep.com

1. Kashmir or North-Western Himalayas: 2. Himachal and Uttarakhand Himalayas:

• Dehra Dun is the largest of all the duns with an

• In the Great Himalayan range, the valleys are mostly

www.laex.in Structure and Physiography of India www.civilsprep.com

• Known for its fast-flowing rivers such as Teesta, it is a

• The higher reaches of this region are inhabited by

• The British, taking advantage of the physical

• Due to rugged topography, the inter-valley

5. The Eastern Hills and Mountains

Part of Himalayan mountain system having their general

• They are known by different local names. In the

• These are low hills, inhabited by numerous tribal

www.laex.in Structure and Physiography of India www.civilsprep.com

• The Peninsular India is made up of a series of patland

• Bhabar is a narrow belt ranging between 8-10 km

www.laex.in Structure and Physiography of India www.civilsprep.com

• This is one of the oldest and the most stable landmass

• The general elevation of the plateau is from the west

• Some of the important physiographic features of this

• The north-western part of the plateau has a complex

On the basis of the prominent relief features, the