With a land area of consisting of diverse ecosystems, India has many river systems and perennial streams. The rivers of India can be classified into four groups – Himalayan, Deccan, Coastal, and Inland drainage. The Himalayan rivers, mainly fed by glaciers and snowmelt, arise from the Himalayas. The Deccan rivers system consists of rivers in Peninsular India that drain into the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea. There are numerous short coastal rivers, predominantly on the West coast. There are few inland rivers, which do not drain into the sea.

Most of the rivers in India originate from the four major watersheds in India. The Himalayan watershed is the source of majority of the major river systems in India including the three longest rivers–the Ganges, the Brahmaputra and the Indus. These three river systems are fed by more than 5000 glaciers. The Aravalli range in the north-west serves the origin of few of the rivers such as the Chambal, the Banas and the Luni rivers.

The Narmada and Tapti rivers originate from the Vindhya and Satpura ranges in Central India. In the peninsular India, majority of the rivers originate from the Western Ghats and flow towards the Bay of Bengal, while only a few rivers flow from east to west from the Eastern Ghats to the Arabian sea. This is because of the difference in elevation of the Deccan plateau, which slopes gently from the west to the east. The largest of the peninsular rivers include the Godavari, the Krishna, the Mahanadi and the Kaveri.

River systems

As per the classification of Food and Agriculture Organization, the rivers systems are combined into 20 river units, which includes 14 major rivers systems and 99 smaller river basins grouped into six river units. The Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna basin is the largest, which covers 34% of the land area and contributes to nearly 59% of the available water resources.

River unit Region Draining into Major River(s) Other Rivers Catchment area (% of land area) Average annual runoff (km3) Surface water (km3) Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna North-east Bay of Bengal Brahmaputra Beki Bhogdoi Dhansiri Dibang Dihing Dikhow Kameng Kolong Kopili Lohit Manas Raidak Sankosh Subansiri Teesta 34.0 610.62 294.0 Ganges Alaknanda Mandakini Pindar Nandakini Dhauliganga Rishiganga Atrai Bagmati Bhagirathi Bhilangna Jahanavi Burhi Gandak Phalgu Gandaki Ghaghara Sharda Darma Gori Ganga Sarju West Rapti Rohni Gomti Kathana Sarayan Hooghly Ajay Barakar Churni Damodar Dwarakeswar Ichamati Jadh Ganga Jalangi Mayurakshi Mundeswari Rupnarayan Kosi Kamla Mahananda Padma Punarbhaba Ramganga Sone Banas Johilla Gopad Kanhar North Koel Amanat Rihand Yamuna Betwa Bina Dhasan Halali Chambal Banas Berach Dheel Morel Kali Sindh Kuno Parbati Shipra Ahar Gambhir Parbati Hindon Ken Sunar Sindh Kwari Pahuj Meghna Barak Tuivai Dakatia Dhalai Dhaleshwari Feni Gumti Kushiyara Manu Surma Kangsha Someshwari Titas Haora Indus River Basin North-west Arabian Sea Indus Chenab Bhaga Chandra Jhelum Lidder Neelum Pohru Poonch Sind Marusudar Ravi Tawi Shyok Nubra Suru Dras Shingo Sutlej Beas Baspa Parvati Spiti Uhl Yapola Zanskar Markha Tsarap Doda 10.0 73.3 46.0 West flowing rivers between Kutch and Saurashtra North-west Arabian Sea Aji Ambika Auranga Bhadar Bhurud Chirai Chok Dai-minsar Daman Ganga Dhadhar Fulki Gajansar Ghelo Hiran Kali Kalubhar Kankawati Kareshwar Kayla Keri Khalkhalio Khari Kharod Khokhra Kim Kolak Machchhu Machchundri Mahi Malan Malan-Gir Mindhola Mitiyativali Nagmati Nara Nayra Ozat Padalio Par Pur Rangmati Rav Raval Rukmavati Rupen Rupen-Gir Sai Sang Sangavadi Saraswati-Gir Shahi Shetrunji Sukhbhadar Suvi Und Utavali 10.0 15.1 1.9 Godavari Central Bay of Bengal Godavari Darna Indravati Kinnerasani Manjira Maner Pranhita Wainganga Andhari Kanhan Nag Pioli Pora Pench Kulbehra Kolar Sarrati Sur Wardha Erai Kar Painganga Wena Pravara Purna Sabari Sindphana Taliperu 9.7 110.5 50 Krishna Central Bay of Bengal Krishna Agrani Bhima Bori Ghod Indrayani Kamini Kundali Mula-Mutha Mula Mutha Pavana Nira Sina Ghataprabha Koyna Malaprabha Musi Panchganga Tungabhadra Tunga Bhadra Varada Vedavathi Vedganga Venna Warana Yerla 8.0 78.1 76.3 Mahanadi Central-east Bay of Bengal Mahanadi Bhargavi Danta Daya Devi Hasdeo Ib Jonk Kathajodi Kuakhai Kushabhadra Mand Ong Pairi Seonath Shivnath Sondur Surubalijora Tel Telen 4.4 66.9 18.3 East flowing rivers between Pennar and Kanyakumari (excluding Kaveri) South-east Bay of Bengal Adyar Agniyar Cooum Kosasthalaiyar Palar Ponnaiyar Swetha Thamirabarani Chittar Gadananathi Pachaiyar Vaigai Vaippar Vellar-North Vellar-South 3.1 16.5 13.1 Narmada Central-west Arabian Sea Narmada Barna Choral Dudhi Kaveri Kolar Orsang Shakkar Sher Tawa 3.1 45.6 14.5 East flowing rivers between Mahanadi and Pennar (excluding Godavari and Krishna) South-east Bay of Bengal Budhabalanga Kangsabati Koina North Karo Rushikulya Sankh South Karo South Koel 2.7 22.5 19.0 Kaveri South Bay of Bengal Kaveri Amaravati Kodavanar Nanganjiyar Arkavathi Kumudvathi Vrishabhavathi Bhavani Moyar Siruvani Hemavati Kabini Kollidam Lakshmana Tirtha Noyyal Sarabanga 2.5 21.4 6.9 Tapti Central-west Arabian Sea Tapti Arunavati Girna Gomai Panzara Purna Morna Vaan 2.0 14.9 11.9 Pennar South-east Bay of Bengal Pennar Cheyyeru Chitravathi Kunderu Papagni Sagileru 1.7 6.3 58.0 West flowing rivers between Tadri and Kanyakumari South-west Arabian Sea Aghanashini Bharathapuzha Chaliyar Chandragiri Gangavalli Kali Kariangode Netravati Pamba Periyar Sharavathi 1.7 113.5 16.7 West flowing rivers between Tapti and Tadri South-west Arabian Sea Baga Chapora Dahisar Kundalika Mandovi Mapusa Mithi Oshiwara Patalganga Sal Savitri Shastri Surya Tansa Terekhol Ulhas Vaitarna Vashishti Zuari 1.7 87.4 24.3 Brahmani-Baitarani North-east Bay of Bengal Brahmani Baitarani Kharasrota 1.6 28.5 6.8 North-east rivers excluding Brahmaputra North-east Bay of Bengal Aie Baralia Bharalu Bhogdoi Borgang Champabati Diju Dikhow Dikrong Diphlu Dudhnoi Gabharu Gumti Iril Jatinga Jhanji Jiadhal Jiri Kaladan Karnaphuli Khowai Krishnai Kulsi Mora Dhansiri Muhuri Myntdu Nona Pagladiya Ranganadi Mora Diphlu Thega Tipkai Tirap Tuni 1.1 31.0 Mahi North-west Arabian Sea Mahi Gomati 1.1 11.0 34.5 Subarnarekha North-east Bay of Bengal Subarnarekha Kharkai 0.9 12.4 Sabarmati North-west Arabian Sea Sabarmati Sei Wakal 0.7 3.8 3.1 Rajasthan inland basin North-east None Luni Bandi Ghaggar Guhiya Jawai Jojari Liladi Sukri Negligible Negligible 15.0

Alphabetical list

A–H

Arvari Adyar Agniyar Ahar Ajay Aji Alaknanda Amanat Amaravathi Arkavati Atrai Baga Baitarani Balan Banas Banganga Barak Beas Bhadar Bhima Brahmani Brahmaputra Chambal Chapora Chenab Chitravathi Coovum Dheel Damanganga Deo Devi Daya Damodar Dhansiri Dharmamoola Dravyavati Falgu Gadananathi Gambhir Gandak Ganges Gayathripuzha Ghaggar Ghaghara Ghataprabha Girna Godavari Gomti Gosthani Gundlakamma Halali Hasdeo Hugli Hindon Hiran

I–L

Ib Indus Indravati Indrayani Jaldhaka Jhelum Kabini Kadalundi Kahn Kali (Anas) Kali (KA) Kali (UK) Kali (UP) Karmanasha Kallada Kallayi Kalpathipuzha Kameng Kanhan Kamla Kannadipuzha Karha Karnaphuli Kaveri Kathajodi Ken Kodoor Koel Kolab Kolar (Narmada) Kolar (Kanhan) Kollidam Kosi Koyna Krishna Kshipra Kuakhai Kundali Lachen Lachung Lakshmana Tirtha Luni

M–R

Machchhu Mahanadi Mahananda Mahakali Mahi Malaprabha Manas Mandakini Mandovi Manjira Manimala Manu Mapusa Markanda (HR) Markanda (TN) Matla Mayurakshi Meenachil Meghna Mithi Moyar Mula Musi Mutha Muvattupuzha Nag Nagavali Narmada Nethravathi Nubra Padma Pahuj Palar Panchganga Pamba Panjnad Panzara Parambikulam Parbati (HP) Parbati (MP) Parbati (RJ) Pavana Payaswini Penna Pench Penganga Penner Periyar Phalgu Ponnaiyar Pranhita Punarbhaba Purna-Godavari Purna-Tapti Ravi Rapti Rupnarayan

S–Z

Saraswati Sarasvati Sarayu Sutlej Sunar Sabarmati Sal Sengar Sharavati Shetrunji Son Sharda Shimsha Shyok Subarnarekha Tapti Thamirabarani Tungabhadra Tamsa Tunga Terekhol Ulhas Umngot Vaan Vaigai Vamsadhara Varuna Vashishti Vedavathi Vellar-North Vellar-South Vrishabhavathi Vishwamitri Vaitarna Wainganga Wagh Wardha Yagachi Yamuna Zuari

See also Indian rivers interlinking project Irrigation in India List of dams and reservoirs in India List of rivers in India by discharge List of national waterways in India Major rivers of India

Notes

References

External links