GK Test - 21

Key Points

• Kolleru Lake:
  • Kolleru lake is one of the largest freshwater lakes in India and forms the largest shallow freshwater lake in Asia.
  • Location: Between Krishna and Godavari deltas in Krishna and West Godavari district, Andhra Pradesh
  • Declared:
    • Wildlife sanctuary under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972
    • Wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention.
  • It is an important habitat for resident and migratory birds, including the grey or spot-billed pelican.
  • Figure: Major rivers and lakes of Southern India

Additional Information

Important Points

• Mahi River is the only river in India that cuts the Tropic of Cancer twice, first in Madhya Pradesh from where it flows towards Rajasthan and enters Gujarat where it cuts for the second time.
• The Mahi basin extends over states of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat having a total area of 34,842 Sq km.
• It is bounded by Aravalli hills in the north and the north-west, by Malwa Plateau in the east, by the Vindhyas in the south and by the Gulf of Khambhat in the west.
• It originates from the northern slopes of Vindhyas at an altitude of 500 m in Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh.
• It drains into the Arabian Sea through the Gulf of Khambhat.
• Hydro Power stations are located at Mahi Bajaj Sagar dam and Kadana Dam.
• Vadodara is the only important urban centre in the basin.

Key Points

• The Indus River originates in the northern slopes of the Kailash range in Tibet near Lake Mansarovar.
• It flows northwest and enters India's Ladakh region from Demchok. 
• The Godavari River originates from Trimbakeshwar, near Nasik in Maharashtra.
• It is the second-longest river in India. It is also called the Dakshin Ganga or Vriddh Ganga.
• The Kaveri River rises at Talakaveri in the Brahmagiri range in the Western Ghats, Kodagu (Coorg) district of the state of Karnataka.
• It is extensively used for agriculture in both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
• The Narmada River rises near Amarkantak in Madhya Pradesh.
• It is the longest west-flowing river in India.

Important Points

Key Points

• Rana Pratap Sagar Pariyojna is the joint project of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
  • The project aims at judicious utilization of the water resources of the river Chambal.
  • The water resources are used for irrigation, power generation, soil conservation, and economic devel­opment of the region.
  • The project started with the construction of a masonry dam at the border of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
  • The project would provide irrigation facilities to about 5.15 lakh hec­tares of agricultural land in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.

Additional Information

• The Rana Pratap Sagar Dam is a gravity masonry type dam in India.
• The dam is built on the Chambal River.
• It is located at Rawatbhata in Rajasthan.
• The dam is named after the Maharaja Rana Pratap of Rajasthan.

Key Points

• Pulicat Lake:-
  •  Pulicat Lake, saltwater lagoon on the Coromandel Coast of Andhra Pradesh state, southern India.
  • It extends from the extreme southeastern portion of Andhra Pradesh into the adjacent portion of Tamil Nadu state and has a length of about 30 miles (50 km) and a width of 3 to 10 miles (5 to 16 km).
  • Pulicat Lake is a large brackish water lagoon.

Additional Information

• Loktak:-
  • Loktak Lake is situated in the Bishnupur district of Manipur, which is a state in the northeastern part of India.
  • Loktak Lake is one of the largest freshwater lake.
  • One of the most unique features of Loktak Lake is the presence of "phumdis," which are floating islands made of vegetation, organic matter, and soil. 
• Bhimtal:-
  • Bhimtal Lake is the largest lake in the Kumaon region.
  • The lake is named after the mythological character Bhima from the Hindu epic Mahabharata.
  • It is known for its green-blue waters and a small island situated within the lake
• Nainital:-
  • The iconic Naini Lake is the heart of Nainital.
  • It is a natural freshwater lake that's shaped like an eye and gives the town its name.
  • The lake is surrounded by a promenade called the "Mall Road," which offers scenic views of the water and the surrounding hills. Boating is a popular activity on the lake.

Key Points

• Bhakra Dam is the highest straight gravity dam in India.
• It is around 226 m high and 518 m long.
• Bhakra dam is constructed on Satluj river and located in Himachal Pradesh and Punjab border near Nangal city.

Additional Information

Key Points

• Majuli is the largest river island in the world to be inhabited by people.
• It is located in the state of Assam and is a district by itself.
• It is formed due to course changes to the river Brahmaputra and its tributaries.
• It is located on the National Waterway 2, which is a part of Brahmaputra river.
• It is surrounded by River Brahmaputra and River Subansiri.

Key Points:

River Ganga:

• The River Ganga originates from the Gangotri glacier in Uttarakhand.
• Alaknanda River joins Bhagirathi at Devprayag and from there the river is called Ganga.
• Yamuna (Largest right bank tributary of Ganga), Damodar (Sorrow of Bengal), Ghagra, Gomti, Gandak, Ramganga, Kosi (Sorrow of Bihar), Son, Mahananda are major tributaries of River Ganga.
• It flows through the states of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal.
• It is a transboundary river, flows through India and Bangladesh.
• The total length of Ganga is approximately 2525 km.

River Luni:

• It is one of the west-flowing rivers.
• It originates in Aravalli Range in the Ajmer district of Rajasthan and discharges into Rann of Kachch.
• Jawai, Sukri, Guhiya, Bandi (Hemawas) and Jojari rivers are the major tributaries of Luni River.
• It is the only natural water source that drains inside a lake in the Thar desert.

Kali River:

• It is also known as Sharda River or Mahakali River, flows through Uttarkhand.
• It originates at Kalapani in the Himalayas.

Teest River:

• It originates in the Himalayas in Sikkim and flows through West Bengal and Bangladesh before draining into the Bay of Bengal.
• It is a tributary of the Brahmaputra River.
• It is the fastest flowing river in India.

Key Points

• The Chenab River is a major river that flows in India and Pakistan, and is one of the 5 major rivers of the Punjab region.
• It is formed by the union of two headwaters, Chandra and Bhaga, which rise in the upper Himalayas in the Lahaul region of Himachal Pradesh, India.
• The Chenab flows through the Jammu region of Jammu and Kashmir, India into the plains of Punjab, Pakistan, before ultimately flowing into the Indus River.
• The waters of the Chenab were allocated to Pakistan under the terms of the Indus Waters Treaty (signed in 1960).
• India is allowed non-consumptive uses such as power generation.
• The Chenab River is extensively used in Pakistan for irrigation.
• Its waters are also transferred to the channel of the Ravi River via numerous link canals.