Peninsular rivers rise in the Western Ghats or central highlands, are rain-fed and older than the Himalayan rivers. Most flow east into the Bay of Bengal and build wide, fertile deltas; the Godavari is the longest. A few flow west into the Arabian Sea through narrow trough valleys and end in estuaries (funnel-shaped mouths) instead of deltas, because the fast flow and the tides carry the silt away. Dams and water disputes are exam staples.
Key facts
- The Godavari is India's second longest river and the longest in peninsular India, about 1,465 km, draining about 312,812 sq km.
- Its major tributaries are the Pranhita (largest), Indravati, Sabari, Purna, Manjira and Pravara; it forms a delta near Rajahmundry.
- A rift valley river flows in a trough between two ranges; such rivers meet the sea in an estuary, not a delta.
- The Western Ghats are a major watershed: the Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri all rise there.
Why exams ask about it
The source of each river, which rivers flow west, which forms an estuary and which dam sits on which river are standard.