The great Indian plains are also called the Northern plains of India is one of the six physiographic regions of India. The other five physiographic regions of India are:
- Himalayan region
- Peninsular India
- Indian desert
- The coastal plains
- The islands
Physiography of Northern Plains:
- Northern Plains are the second youngest physiography region of India after the Indian desert.
- Northern Plains are bordered by the Shiwalik range on the Northern side, the Desert on the western side, Peninsular Plateau on the southern side, and Puruvachal hills on the eastern side.
- It is formed by alluvial deposits brought by three major river systems and their tributaries that is Indus, Ganga, and Brahmaputra.
- West to east stretches of Northern plains is about 2400 km and north to the south stretches are approximately 150 to 320 km.
- Areas of Northern Plains are around 7 lakh square km.
- Because fertile alluvial soil, adequate water availability, and a favorable climate, enable the dense population.
- Due to the gentle slope of the river, there is a slow movement of water in the river.
- Ambala in Haryana has the highest elevation of 291 meters above sea level and it makes water divides between the Indus river system and the Ganga river system.
Northern plains are not completely flat, there are invisible slopes on northern plains. For a better understanding of relief features, the Northern plains can be studied by dividing them into two parts:
- Longitudinal divisions or Vertical divisions or West to east divisions of Northern Plains
- Latitudinal division or Horizontal Divisions or North to South Divisions of Northern Plain
Longitudinal divisions or Vertical divisions or West to east divisions of Northern Plains:
The northern plain is divided into three parts vertically:
- Punjab Plains
- Ganga Plains
- Brahmaputra or Assam plains
Punjab plains or western Plain:
- Western Plain is also called Punjab plains.
- It is formed by the Indus river and its tributaries.
- The land between two water bodies is called Doab.
- It is formed by Ganga, Ghaghra, and Teesta rivers, and their tributaries.
- Assam plain is formed by the Brahmaputra river and its tributaries.
Latitudinal division or Horizontal Divisions or North to South Divisions of Northern Plain:
- Bhabar
- Tarai
- Alluvial Plains
Bhabar:
- Bhabar is the northernmost region of the Northern plains.
- It is lying parallel to the southern side of the Shivalik range.
- It is about an 8 to 16 km narrow belt.
- Bhabar lies in the foothills of the Himalayas. In the Bhabar region, rivers form alluvial fans.
- Alluvial fans are formed by the heavy deposition of river sediments that they bring from the Himalayas in the region.
- Since, the region is characterized by depositions of coarser sediments such as rocks, boulders, etc., thus the region has very high porosity.
- Due to very high porosity, rivers' streams disappeared in these areas and they flow underground.
- Terai lies south of the Bhabar belt and it is around 10-20 km wide.
- The stream of the river re-emerged from underground and create a wet, swampy, marshy region known as Terai.
- The region is characterized by thick forests and has full of wildlife.
- Dudhwa nation park is located in this region.
- Alluvial plains lie in the south of the Terai region.
- Alluvial plains are also comprised of the mature stage of fluvial erosional and depositional landforms such as sand bars, meanders, ox-bow lakes, and braided channels.
- Brahmaputra plain is known for the world's largest riverine islands. Majuli island in the Brahmaputra river is the largest river island in the world.
- The world's largest Delta ( i.s Sundarban Delta) or featureless plain with a general elevation of 50-150 m above sea level is formed in the alluvial plains.
- Alluvial Plains can be divided into two parts further:
- Khadar
- Banger
Khadar:
Bhangar:- Khadar is the area where rivers flood almost every year.
- These are new and young deposits of floodplains.
- It is renewed almost every year and is a highly fertile area and is ideal for intensive agriculture.
- In Punjab and Haryana, Khadar rich soils are also called "Betes".
- Bhangar or Banger is the area where rivers never make a flood.
- Older alluvial soils lying above the flood plains of the river with terrace-like features are called Bhangar.
- It is the largest part of the northern plain. It contains calcareous deposits known as Kankar.
1. Which of the following region lies immediately south of the Shiwalik mountain range?
a) Bhabar
b) Terai
c) Banger
d) Khadar
Answer. a) Bhabar
2. Alluvial fans are the important geomorphic landform of which of the following region?
a) Bhabar
b) Terai
c) Banger
d) Khadar
Answer. a) Bhabar
3. An area never flooded by a river is called?
a) Bhabar
b) Terai
c) Banger
d) Khadar
Answer. c) Banger
4. An area flooded by rivers almost every year is called?
a) Bhabar
b) Terai
c) Banger
d) Khadar
Answer. d) Khadar
5. The alluvial land between two converging rivers is called?
a) Dun
b) Doar
c) Doab
d) Alluvial Plain
Answer. c) Doab
6. West to East spread of northern Indian plain is about?
a) 300 km
b) 600 km
c) 2400 km
d) 3200 km
Answer. c) 2400 km
7. Which of the following region has Geomorphic features such as Bars, meanders, ox-bow lakes, and braided channels?
a) Bhabar
b) Terai
c) Alluvial Plain
d) None
Answer: c) Alluvial Plain
8. Which of the following Mountain ranges divides the northern plain and Deccan Plateau?
a) Shiwalik Range
b) Lesser Himalayas
c) Puruvachal range
d) Vindhya and Satpura
Answer. d) Vindhya and Satpura
9. Due to the high porosity of the lands, river streams disappear in which of the following region?
a) Bhabar
b) Terai
c) Alluvial Plain
d) Desert
Answer. b) Bhabar
10. Which of the following region is highly productive for agriculture?
a) Bhabar
b) Terai
c) Banger
d) Khadar
Answer. d) Khadar
Try to solve the following questions:
- Discuss the relief features of the Indian Northern Plains. ( UPSC 2001)
- What is the Bhabar? (NCERT)
- Distinguish between Bhangar and Khadar. (NCERT)
- What are the important geomorphological features found in the river valley plains?. (NCERT)
- Give an account of the Northern Plains of India. ( NCERT)
- If you move from Badrinath to Sunderbans delta along the course of the river Ganga, what major geomorphological features will you come across? (NCERT)
- Give the reasons, why Northern plans have fertile alluvial soils.
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