The river system of India can be divided into four:

1. The Himalayan rivers
2. Peninsular rivers
3. Coastal rivers
4. Rivers of the inland drainage basin

The Himalayan rivers are perennial. During the monsoon, the Himalayas receive very heavy rainfall and the rivers often cause floods. During summer the rivers are snowfed.
The peninsular rivers are generally rain-fed.
The coastal streams especially of the west coast, are short in length and have limited catchment areas.
The streams of the inland drainage basin of Western Rajasthan are a few and far between. Most of them are of an ephemeral character having no outlet to the sea.

The Ganga is joined by a number of Himalayan rivers including the Yamuna, Ghaghra, Gomti, Gandak and Kosi.
The Godavari in the southern peninsula has the second largest river basin in the country covering 10% of the area of India.
The Krishna and the Mahanadi basins are the second and third largest in the peninsula respectively.
The basins of the Narmada and of the Cauvery are of about the same size.
Two other river systems, which are small but agriculturally important, are those of the Tapti in the north and the Pennar in the south.

Being an agricultural country, the contribution of rivers in the national economy is significant.
These rivers not only contribute to national economy, but they play a major role in social, economic, political and cultural aspect.
Examples - Indus, Ganges, Brahmaputra.

The total area drained by these system is very small as compared with the area of drainage system falling into Bay of Bengal.
The Rivers draining Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab States flow generally westwards.
The Indus, Jhelum and Chenab in Jammu and Kashmir, Ravi , Beas and Satlej in Himachal Pradesh and the Punjab, the important river systems in Trans Himalayas or Himalayas origin.

After originating from the northern Slopes of the Kailash range (Tibet),flows north-westwards through Tibet and Ladakh.
The River flows as a long and nearly straight course in Ladakh running between Ladakh Range and Zaskar Range.
The River has developed antecedent drainage in Jammu and Kashmir. It has a length of 2900 km from its source to the Arabian sea.

A Spring at Verinarg situated in the south-eastern part of the valley of Kashmir.
It flows northward from its source to Wular lake and further down south-westwards till it enters a gorge lies between Baramulla and Muzaffarabad.
Kishanganga its right bank tributary, joins it at Muzaffarabad and its length is 400 km.

The Chenab of Jammu & Kashmir is known as Chandrabhanga in Himachal Pradesh.
The Chandrabhanga flows north-Westwards and runs parallel to the Pir Panjal range for some distance and its length in India is 1180 km.

The Source of this river lies near the Rohtang pass. From its origin it flows to the northwest and drains the area lying between the south-eastern part of Pir Panjal range and the Daula-DharRange.
It Joins the Chenab in Pakistan. Its length is 720km.

Emerges from a place known as Beaskund, near the Rohtang pass. Its early stage runs from north to south passes Manali and Kulu, where its valley is popularly known as Kulu Valley.
It turns to the south-west and Joins the Sutlej near Harike after flowing a distance of 615 km.

Originates from Rakas lake, situated at an altitude of 4555 meters in Tibet. The lake is connected with Manasarovar Lake by a stream.
Before entering Punjab plain it cuts a gorge in the Naina Devi Dhar. A dam has been constructed across the gorge near village Bhakra, known as Bhakhra Dam.
The Beas, its right bank tributary joins it at Harike. A short distance below Harike the Sutlej runs almost along the Indo-Pak boundary and enters Pakistan near Sulemanki.
Its length in India is 1050 km.

Its source lies near Ajmer in the Aravalli Range.
lt flows sourthward and falls into Rann of Kutch. The Bandi, the Sukri, and the Jawai are its important left bank tributaries.

Having its source in Udaipur district in the southern Aravalli Range flows towards the south-west and pours its water into the Gulf of Cambay through an estuary.

Emerges from the Amarkantak plateau in Madhya Pradesh, flows towards the west.
Near Jabalpur it makes a waterfall about 10 meters high and flows in a narrow gorge about 3 km long, which is known as 'Marble Rocks'.
It widens below Broach and makes an estuary, which enters the Gulf of Cambay and its length is 1290 km.

Rises in Betul district in the Satpura range and flows westward like the Narmada.
After flowing Satpura range, turns to the south, after emerging out of the Bhuranpur Gap. It receives the Purna.
It flows in between Satpura range in the north and Ajanta range in the south. Alter making an estuary below Surat and falls into the Gulf of Cambay and its length is 700 km long.

The Ganga is the main river, has numerous large and small tributaries.
The Ram Ganga, The Ghaghara, The Gandak and The kosi are its major left bank tributaries. Yamuna and the Sone are its major right bank tributaries.

Rises from the gangotri glacier, at the height of 5163 metre, a part of Great Himalayas lies in Uttaranchal. The river cuts through the Great Himalaya and the lesser Himalayas in narrow gorges and it is called Bhagirathiabove Dev Prayag and Ganga below this town.
The Alaknanda, an important affluent joints it at Dev Prayag. At Haridwar it leaves the Himalayas, and enters the plain below this town.
The Ganga delta in the West Bengal lies the south of this river. BhagirathiI-Hooghly is the western most distributary of the Ganga and it takes off from the right bank of this river in Murshidabad district.
The Hooghly is a tidal river and is navigable below Kolkata. The total length of Ganga is about 2510 km.The Ganga is the most Sacrosanct river of India.
The most important pilgrimage centres namely Haridwar, Allahabad and Varanasi are situated on the bank of this river.

Rises in the Great Himalayas and enters the Ganga plain near Kalagarh (Bijnor).
River Kho joins it from the right bank. After flowing in Moradabad, Rampur, Bareilly, Bandun and Shahjahanpur, part of Farrukhabad and Hardoi districts, it merges with Ganga near Kannauj.
Its length is 600 km.

Originates from Bharchachuga glacier Rakchash-Tal in Nepal. After crossing the Siwalik ranges, Chok a tributary of Sarda Joins it near Baharampur.
The river is large and is generally chocked with Silt. It often shifts its course.
Its length is 1180 km.

It is known as Saligrami in Nepal and Naraini in plain, rises near Sino-Nepal boundary and drains the central part of Nepal and separates the boundary of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
After entering Champaran district (Bihar), it turns to the south-east and joins the left bank of Ganga at Sonpur.
Like Ghaghera it often changes its course and is notorious for its flood.

A left bank tributary of Ganga, is a collective name of seven rivers. Milamchi, Bhotia,Kosi, Tamba Kosi, Likhu, Dudkh Kosi, Arun and Tambur.
The Kosi enters the tarai of Nepal after cutting a gorge in the Mahabharat range at Chatra. Its catchment area in Nepal is highly rugged and mountainous.
The Kosi has shifted its course westward in North Bihar and is now 110 km away from the course it had 200 years ago.
Its total length is 730 km. The Kosi joins Ganga at Karagola.

The right bank tributary of Ganga, rises at Yamunotri glacier, situated at the western slope of Banderpoonch.
The Yamuna flows towards the south upto Agra and farther down towards the south-east direction till it joins the Ganga at Allahabad.
Chambal, Sind, Betwa and Ken are its important tributaries and Join it at its right bank. The length of the Yamuna from its source upto Allahabad is 1300 km.

It originates from Amarkantak plateau. After flowing for some distance to the north, it meets the Kashmir range which turns its course towards the norh-east and allow it to follow a strike valley.
It merges into Ganga near Ram Nagar. During the rainy season it is often in spate and has very little water during the dry season.
It is 780 km long.

Originates from the height of 200 meters in Pilibhit districtflows from north-west to south-west in between Ganga ('Ganghera') and Doab.
The river Gomathi forms the boundary of Sitapur and Hardoi districts and enters Lucknow districts. After flowing Barabanki, Sultanpur and Jaunpur joins Ganga at Gazipur.
Lucknow,the capital of Uttar Pradesh is situated on its bank.

It is an important river of Orissa and the south-eastern part of Madhya Pradesh. The river has its rise in Sihawa range, fringing the southern part of Chattisgarh plain.
The upper Mahanadi flows in the Chattisgarh plain which being surrounded by hill ranges is a large basin.
After crossing the eastern ghats, through a gorge, divides itself into distributaries at Cuttack, and merges with Bay of Bengal.
Its total length is 890 km.

The river takes its rise in a place near Mahabaleshwar in Western Ghats and flows through Sathara and Sangli districts of Maharashtra, northern Karnataka and Southern Andhra Pradesh States.
The Bhima and Tungabhadra are its important tributaries. Its headwaters namely Koyna and the Ghataprabha pass through deep valleys of gorges in the western ghats and it cuts a gorge in Nallamalai hills.
It has built a fertile delta near Vijayawada and it is 1290 km long.

It is known as the "Ganga of South India". It drains the south-western part of Karnataka State and the middle part of Tamil Nadu State. Since its drainage basin receives rainfall during the summer monsoon rainy season as well as the winter season.
It is a perennial as well as very useful river. It rises in the Brahmagiri Hill (Coorg district) in the western ghats and flows generally eastwards in Karnataka State.
The Hemavati, and the Shimsha are its important left bank tributaries and Kabini, the Bhavani, the Nozil and the Arawalli are its right bank tributaries.
The river has two islands. namely Srirangapatnam and Shivasamudram. Below Tiruchirapalli it flows into two branches: the Coleroon in the North and Cauvery in the South.
These two branches roughly enclose the delta. It is 760 km long. The river has been dammed at number of places for the development of irrigation and hydro-electricity.

Originates in Kolar district (Karnataka), its chief tributaries are Chittravathi and Papaghni.
It flows through a gorge of Cudappah near Chandikota (Cudappah district) and enters the sea near the town of Nellore.

Brahmaputra takes its rise in a glacier about 100 km south-east of Mansarovar lake at a height of 5,150 meters. In Tibet it runs parallel to the Himalayas for about 1200 km. Here it is known as Tsangpo.
Near Sadiyer it receives the Dibang coming from the north and the Luhit coming from the east and enters the Assam valley, where it is called the Brahmaputra. It flows to the west upto Dhubri and further below it runs to the south and enters Bangladesh.
It is navigable for about 1280 km from the Bay of Bengal to Dibrugarh. Its local length is 2900 km which is more that of Ganga by 400 km.
Most of the tributaries are large streams and they pour great quantities of water in the Brahmaputra which became notorious for floods as well as erosion on its banks.

Rises near Mhow in the Vindhyan range (Janapav 616 metre height) and flows towards the north generally in a gorge upto Kota.
After reaching Pinhat it turns to the east and runs nearly parallel to Yamuna. Chambal Joins Yamuna near Etawah.
It is 1060 km long. Banas is an important left bank tributary of Chambal. Sind, Betwa and Ken are its other tributaries.

Rises in the southern part of Aravalli Range and flows to the north-east direction.
It joins the Chambal at a point about 30 km to the east of Sawai Madhopur.

It originates near Kumra Gaon, (District Raisen-M.P.) from Vindhyan ranges flowing northward of Vidisha and Guna districts of Madhya Pradesh enters Jhansi district of Uttar Pradesh.
After flowing near north-eastern boundary of Tikamgarh, it joins Yamuna near Hamirpur.
Its total length is 480 km.

It rises from Milap glacier, from the Great Himalayas. It is known by various names.
The Sarda runs along the Indo-Nepal boundary and levels the Himalayas at Baramed.

The Rapti originates from Rukunkot Nepal, flows south-west then south. Passing through Bahraich, Gonda, Basti and Gorakhpur joins Ghaghera near Bahraj.
The Chhipra originates from Kakri-Bardi range in Indore district, after flowing Devas and Ujjain, it merges with Chambal.
Tawa originates from Mahadeo hill of Panchmarhi and joins Narmada.

The rivers of the Himalayan region differ from those of the peninsular region in a number of ways.
Firstly, a number of the Himalayan rivers, e.g.Indus, Sutlej and Brahmaputra, are antecedent rivers, i.e. they are older than the landforms over which they flow.
It is believed that these rivers existed before the emergence of the Himalayas. Also they flow over an area of youthful topography changing their course frequently.
Due to their sources in the snowfields, these rivers are perennial and carry large-amount-of water.

Their erosive capacity is also immense and they carry large peninsular plateau are consequent streams and they follow the general slope of the plateau region.
Their valleys are well developed and they do not change their course frequently. They are seasonal in character as they are rain fed.
Due to a lesser amount of flow, the hydro-electricity generation potential of the peninsular rivers is much lower than that of the Himalayan rivers.
However, a much higher proportion the total power generation potential of the rivers of the peninsular region has been developed.