Geography
India: Location and Physiography
The Northern Plains (and the Indian Desert)
Northern Plains for CGPSC: formation, Bhabar, Terai, Bhangar, Khadar, Punjab doabs, Ganga and Brahmaputra plains, Majuli, plus the Thar desert.
Prerequisites
- The Himalayas — the source of the silt that built these plains.
- Drainage System of India — the Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra river systems.
The Hook: Two Plains, One Word
Connect
In Chhattisgarh we proudly call our central lowland the Chhattisgarh plain, the “rice bowl” of the state. It is a basin in the Peninsular plateau, cut by the Mahanadi and the Shivnath. Far to the north lies a plain of a completely different kind: the Northern Plains (उत्तरी मैदान), a sheet of river mud hundreds of metres thick, laid down by rivers flowing out of the Himalaya.
Why are these plains so flat, why does a farmer near Haridwar see streams vanish into pebbles, and why is “new” alluvium better than “old”? Let’s find out.
Why it matters: Prelims asks about the four belts (Bhabar, Terai, Bhangar, Khadar), the doabs and the river islands. Mains asks why the plains are India’s most productive and most crowded region, and about floods, waterlogging and soil salinity.
Formation and Extent
- Formed by the interplay of three river systems: the Indus, the Ganga and the Brahmaputra, with their tributaries.
- After the Himalaya rose, a huge depression (a foredeep or trough) formed to its south. Rivers filled it with alluvium over millions of years.
- Area: about 7 lakh km². Length: about 2,400 km. Width: 240–320 km.
- One of the most densely populated regions in the world, with deep fertile soil, flat land, a good water supply and a long growing season.
- Very gentle slope: the plain is so flat that rivers meander, form oxbow lakes and shift course (the Kosi, the “sorrow of Bihar”, is the classic example).
Relief Belts: North to South
| Belt | Hindi | Width / location | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bhabar | भाबर | About 8–16 km, right at the foot of the Shiwalik | Rivers drop pebbles and boulders; porous belt where small streams disappear underground |
| Terai | तराई | South of the Bhabar | Streams re-emerge; wet, swampy, marshy land; once dense forest and wildlife (e.g. Dudhwa National Park); much has been cleared for farming |
| Bhangar | भांगर | Higher, older alluvial terraces above the flood level | Older alluvium; contains kankar (calcareous nodules); less fertile |
| Khadar | खादर | Low flood plains along rivers | Newer alluvium, renewed every year by floods; very fertile; ideal for intensive farming |
Other local terms
- Reh / Kallar: saline, infertile patches in dry and over-irrigated areas of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab.
- Chos: seasonal streams that have cut deep gullies in the Shiwalik foothills of Punjab.
- Duars (Dooars): plains at the foot of the Bhutan Himalaya in North Bengal and Assam, famous for tea.
Regional Divisions: West to East
1. Punjab Plains (western part)
Formed by the Indus and its tributaries (Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, Satluj). Dominated by doabs (दोआब; do = two, ab = water), the land between two rivers.
| Doab | Between the rivers |
|---|---|
| Bist–Jalandhar | Beas and Satluj |
| Bari | Beas and Ravi |
| Rechna | Ravi and Chenab |
| Chaj | Chenab and Jhelum |
| Sind Sagar | Jhelum–Chenab and the Indus |
Most of the Punjab plain, including the Rechna, Chaj and Sind Sagar doabs, lies in Pakistan. In India: mainly the Bist–Jalandhar and Bari doabs.
2. Ganga Plains (middle part)
- From the Ghaggar in the west to the Tista in the east.
- Spread over Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, part of Jharkhand and West Bengal.
- The Ganga–Yamuna doab in western Uttar Pradesh is among the richest farm tracts.
- In the east lies the Ganga–Brahmaputra delta, the world’s largest delta, with the Sundarbans mangroves (named after the sundari tree).
3. Brahmaputra Plains (eastern part)
- Mainly in Assam.
- The Brahmaputra is braided here: it splits into many channels around sandbars and islands.
- Majuli (माजुली), in the Brahmaputra, is India’s largest river island. It was made a separate district in 2016, India’s first island district.
The Indian Desert (Thar)
The standard six-fold division of India also includes the Indian Desert. It is linked to the plains on its east, so learn it here.
| Point | Detail |
|---|---|
| Location | West of the Aravalli hills, mainly Rajasthan |
| Name | Thar; the true sandy desert in the west is Marusthali (मरुस्थली) |
| Rainfall | Very low; less than 150 mm a year in the westernmost parts |
| Landforms | Sand dunes; crescent-shaped dunes called barchans; longitudinal dunes |
| Rivers | Mostly seasonal; the Luni is the only large river, draining into the Rann of Kachchh |
| Change | Irrigation from the Indira Gandhi Canal has turned parts of the north-west desert green |
Significance (for Mains)
- Food bowl: Khadar soils, canals and tube-wells made Punjab, Haryana and western UP the heart of the Green Revolution.
- Population and cities: Delhi, Kanpur, Lucknow, Patna and Kolkata lie here; flat land makes roads and railways cheap to build.
- Navigation: The Ganga (National Waterway 1, Prayagraj–Haldia) and the Brahmaputra (NW-2) are inland waterways.
- Culture and history: From the Harappan and Vedic ages to the Mughals, most empires were centred here.
Problems
- Floods: Kosi, Gandak and Brahmaputra floods recur almost every year.
- Groundwater depletion and waterlogging: over-extraction for paddy and wheat in Punjab and Haryana; waterlogging and salinity (reh) in canal-irrigated areas.
- Soil fatigue and stubble burning: monocropping and residue burning in the north-west.
- Arsenic contamination of groundwater in parts of the middle and lower Ganga plain.
Memory Tricks
Belts north to south: 'Big Tigers Bite Kids'
Bhabar (pebbles, streams vanish) → Terai (swamp, streams return) → Bhangar (old, kankar) → Khadar (new, fertile).
And remember: Bhangar = Buddha-old; Khadar = Kids-new.
Doabs west from the Satluj: 'Big Boys Rarely Cheat Sometimes'
Bist–Jalandhar (Beas–Satluj) → Bari (Beas–Ravi) → Rechna (Ravi–Chenab) → Chaj (Chenab–Jhelum) → Sind Sagar (to the Indus).
REchna = Ravi + ChEnab, a ready check.
Don’t Confuse
| This | vs | That |
|---|---|---|
| Bhabar — porous, pebbles, streams disappear | vs | Terai — marshy, streams re-emerge |
| Bhangar — old alluvium, kankar, above flood level | vs | Khadar — new alluvium, flooded and renewed yearly |
| Duns — valleys in the Shiwalik zone | vs | Duars — foothill plains of North Bengal and Assam |
| Majuli — river island in the Brahmaputra | vs | Sundarbans — mangrove delta of the Ganga–Brahmaputra |
| Chhattisgarh plain — basin on the Peninsular plateau | vs | Northern Plains — Himalayan alluvial plain |
Common Mistakes
MCQ traps
- “Bhangar is more fertile than Khadar.” False. Khadar (newer alluvium) is more fertile because floods renew it every year.
- “The Terai lies north of the Bhabar.” False. The Bhabar is at the foot of the hills; the Terai is to its south.
- “The Rechna doab lies between the Beas and the Ravi.” False. That is the Bari doab. Rechna is Ravi–Chenab.
- “Kankar is typical of Khadar.” False. Kankar nodules are found in the Bhangar.
- “The Chhattisgarh plain is part of the Northern Plains.” False. It is a basin within the Peninsular plateau.
Practice
All questions below are original practice questions written in CGPSC style. They are not previous-year questions.
Level 1: Foundation
- The belt of pebbles at the foot of the Shiwalik, where streams disappear, is called ______.
- Newer alluvium, renewed every year by floods, is called ______.
- India’s largest river island, made a district in 2016, is ______.
Answers
- Bhabar.
- Khadar.
- Majuli (Assam).
Level 2: Prelims MCQs
Q1. Consider the following statements:
- The Bhangar consists of older alluvium and contains kankar nodules.
- In the Terai belt, streams that disappeared in the Bhabar re-emerge.
- The Khadar lies above the flood level of rivers.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- (a) 1 only
- (b) 2 and 3 only
- (c) 1 and 2 only
- (d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer and explanation
(c) 1 and 2 only. The Bhangar is the older alluvium with kankar. Streams re-emerge in the Terai, making it marshy. Statement 3 describes the Bhangar; the Khadar is the low flood plain that is flooded every year.
Q2. Match List I (Doab) with List II (Rivers):
| List I | List II |
|---|---|
| A. Bist–Jalandhar | 1. Ravi and Chenab |
| B. Bari | 2. Chenab and Jhelum |
| C. Rechna | 3. Beas and Satluj |
| D. Chaj | 4. Beas and Ravi |
- (a) A-3, B-1, C-4, D-2
- (b) A-4, B-3, C-1, D-2
- (c) A-3, B-4, C-1, D-2
- (d) A-3, B-4, C-2, D-1
Answer and explanation
(c) A-3, B-4, C-1, D-2. Bist–Jalandhar: Beas–Satluj. Bari: Beas–Ravi. Rechna: Ravi–Chenab. Chaj: Chenab–Jhelum. The Sind Sagar doab lies between the Jhelum–Chenab and the Indus.
Q3. The crescent-shaped sand dunes of the Thar desert are called:
- (a) Barchans
- (b) Karewas
- (c) Duns
- (d) Kayals
Answer and explanation
(a) Barchans. Karewas are lake deposits in the Kashmir valley, duns are valleys in the Shiwalik zone, and kayals are backwaters on the Malabar coast.
Q4. Which one of the following rivers is the main river of the Thar region and drains into the Rann of Kachchh?
- (a) Ghaggar
- (b) Chambal
- (c) Luni
- (d) Sabarmati
Answer and explanation
(c) Luni. It rises in the Aravalli region near Ajmer and flows south-west into the Rann of Kachchh. The Ghaggar dies out in the desert; the Chambal joins the Yamuna; the Sabarmati drains into the Gulf of Khambhat.
Level 3: Mains Answer Writing
Q1. (150–200 words) Explain the formation and relief divisions of the Northern Plains. Why are they India’s most productive region, and what threatens that productivity?
Model answer outline
- Intro: Alluvial plain of about 7 lakh km² built by the Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra in the foredeep south of the Himalaya.
- Relief belts: Bhabar (pebbles, streams vanish), Terai (marshy), Bhangar (older alluvium, kankar), Khadar (new, fertile).
- Regions: Punjab plains (doabs), Ganga plains, Brahmaputra plains (braided river, Majuli); Ganga–Brahmaputra delta.
- Productivity: deep fertile soil, flat land, perennial rivers and canals; the Green Revolution heartland; dense population and cities.
- Threats: groundwater depletion, waterlogging and salinity (reh), floods (Kosi), stubble burning, arsenic in groundwater.
- Chhattisgarh angle: The Chhattisgarh plain is the state’s own rice bowl but is a Peninsular basin with red-yellow and black soils; it faces rainfall dependence rather than waterlogging.
- Conclusion: Crop diversification, efficient irrigation and flood management are needed to keep the plains productive.
Quick Revision Table
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Formed by | Indus, Ganga, Brahmaputra and tributaries |
| Size | About 7 lakh km²; 2,400 km long; 240–320 km wide |
| Bhabar | 8–16 km; pebbles; streams disappear |
| Terai | Swampy; streams re-emerge |
| Bhangar | Older alluvium; kankar |
| Khadar | Newer alluvium; very fertile |
| Doabs | Bist–Jalandhar, Bari, Rechna, Chaj, Sind Sagar |
| Brahmaputra plain | Braided river; Majuli (district 2016) |
| Delta | Ganga–Brahmaputra; Sundarbans |
| Thar | West of Aravalli; Marusthali; barchans; Luni river |
Key Takeaways
Key Takeaways
- The Northern Plains are a young alluvial plain filling the trough south of the Himalaya.
- North to south: Bhabar → Terai → Bhangar → Khadar.
- Khadar (new) is more fertile than Bhangar (old).
- Learn the five doabs by their pairs of rivers.
- Mains: the plains feed India but face groundwater, flood and salinity stress.
What’s Next
- The Peninsular Plateau — the old block south of the plains
- Soils and Natural Vegetation — alluvial soils in detail
- Indian Agriculture — what the plains grow
- Chhattisgarh: Physical Geography — the Chhattisgarh plain compared
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