IMPORTANT PLAINS & PLATEAUS of INDIA

THE NORTHERN PLAINS OF INDIA

East-West Extent 2,400 km (3,200 km if the Indus plains are included)

Average width:150-300km

1.Largest alluvial tract of the world, extending from the mouth of Indus to the mouth of Ganga between Peninsular plateau and the northern are of the mountains.

2. Alluvial in nature, and are composed of Bhangar (old alluvium), Khadar (new alluvium) in river bed. Bhabar (porous gravel ridden plains at the foot of Himalaya) and Terai (damp thickly forest area, where bhabar stream reappears)

SUBDIVISION OF GREAT PLAINS

THE RAJASTHAN PLAIN

Extent:650kms long.

Average width:250-300 km wide

Thar or Great Indian Desert is the westernmost region of Great Indian Plains in the western Rajasthan.

A semi arid plain, lying to the east of Thar desert is known as Rajasthan Bagar.

The Luni is the only southwest flowing rivers of this region.

The Sambhar(largest), the Kuchaman, and the Didwana are important lakes situated to the north of Luni Basin.

THE PUNJAB HARYANA PLAINS:

Extent: 640kms in northwest to southeast and 300km in east west direction.

Extends from Punjab in the west to Yamuna River (Haryana) in the east.

Land of five rivers-is primary made up of ‘doabs’-the land between two rivers.

They are composed by Bet (Khadar plains) and Dhaya(Heavily gullied bluffs).

THE GANGA PLAINS:

The largest Great Plain stretching from Delhi to Calcutta across the states ofUttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal.

The Ganga and its tributaries like Yamuna, Ghagra, Gomti, Kosi, and Son deposit large amount of alluvium and make this extensive plain more fertile.

They comprise of Gango-Yamuna Doab in the west, to the east of this Doab are the Rohilkhand plains which merges which merges with Avadh plain in the east

THE BRAHMAPUTRA PLAIN

The low level plain formed by the Brahmaputra river system is situatedbetween Eastern Himalaya (Arunachal Pradesh) in the North, Patkai and Naga hills in the east, Garo-Khasi-Haintia and Mikir Hills and lower Ganga Plain and Indo Bangladesh border in the west.

THE WEST COASTAL PLAIN

Runs from Rann of Kachchh to Kanyakumari and are confined to a narrow belt about 10-15 km wide.

KATHIAWAR COAST (Total length: 500km)

The West Coastal Plain between Daman in the north and Goa in the south is examples of coast of submergence due to vertical movements, and is consequently dissected.

Coastal lowland is uneven and is interspersed with river valleys, creeks and ridges.

(iii) Malabar Coast

Extends from Goa in the north to Kanyakumari in the south is a coastline of emergence.

Southern coastal region receives more rainfall during summer monsoon season.

THE EAST COASTAL PLAIN

Extends from the deltaic plains of the Ganga in the north to Kanyakumari in the south for 1100 km with an average width of 120km.

(I)UTKAL COAST

Extends for about 400km from deltaic plains of the Gango to the Mahanadi delta.

(II)ANDHRA COASTAL PLAINS

Extends from the southern limit of Utkal plains to Puliant lake(Andhra Pradesh).

It has large deltas of the Krishna and the Godavari rivers.

(III)TAMIL NADU PLAINS

Extends about 675km, from the north of Chennai to Kanyakumari in the south.

It has the deltaic plains of Kaveri and is popularly called the Granary of South India.

THE INDIAN PLATEAU

BUNDELKHAND BHANDER, BAGHEL AND MALWA PLATEAU

These highlands are situated to the north of Narmada rift valley.

Bundelkhand Plateau is a part of central highlands and is composed of granite and gneisses.

Malwa plateau is an example of dissected lava plateau, which is covered with black soil.

MEGHALAYA PLATEAU

It comprises of Garo, khasi and Haintia Hills.

Originally a part of peninsular plateau.

Garo-Rajmahal Gap separates it from the main block of peninsular plateau.

CHOTANAGPUR PLATEAU

Highest peak- Parasnath (1,366m) in the Hazaribagh Platean.

Situated in the north eastern part of Indian Plateau includes the region of Bihar, adjoining Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal.

It consists of the Ranchi Plateau in the south, the Hazaribagh Plateau in the north, and the Rajmahal Hills in the northeast.

Described as the “Ruhr of India”

Pat lands are one of the chief characteristics of Chotanagpur Plateau.

Very rich in mineral resources.

DECCAN PLATEAU

South of the Satpura Range in the peninsula is called the Deccan Plateau.

(1)The Deccan Lava Plateau Region

Northwestern part of Deccan Plateau is the region of Basaltic lava.

It includes the Western Ghats north of 16⁰ north latitude, plateau of Maharashtra (except the east of Nagpur) and the adjoining parts of Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

(2) Telengana Plateau

Part of the Deccan Plateau, comprises of the interior region of Andhra Pradesh.

North of Krishna River is the plateau of Telengana.

South of the Krishna River, lying in the Rayalaseema plateau region.

(3)The Karnataka Plateau

Situated to the south of Deccan Lava Region.

Malnad and Maidan are two physiographic regions of Karnataka plateau.

(I)Malnad

Hilly and dissected plateau region about 64km wide lying close to the WesternGhats.

(ii) Maidan

Situated in the eastern part of Malnad, relatively large rolling plains with low granitic hills.