Difference between Himalayan Rivers and Peninsular Rivers

Some of the major difference between Himalayan rivers and peninsular rivers are as follows:

1. Basin or catchment area of Himalayan Rivers is extensive and spread over thousands of kilometres. The catchment area of Indus river 115 lakh sq. kms and catchment area of Ganges 9 lakh sq. kms, whereas the catchment area of peninsular rivers is comparatively lesser.

2. Himalayan rivers do not cut the high Himalayas to make rivers. These rivers are older than the Himalayas itself and have been constantly flowing in all stages of formation of Himalayas. The Himalayas have been rising gradually and these rivers have kept their flow perennial by the eroding base layer.

Due to this, the mountains stood like walls on both the sides. Peninsular rivers on the other hand, flow in wide, shallow valleys of balanced slope, which shows that these rivers are older than the Himalayan Rivers and have come into existence after the formation of the peninsular plateau. Hence, now they are in adult stage.

3. Himalayan rivers pass through huge depressions which have been formed through soil erosion along with the rising of the Himalayas, for lakhs and crores of years. These rivers are still eroding soil at a very fast rate but the eroding capacity of peninsular rivers has almost weakened.

4. Water is there in Himalayan Rivers throughout the year. They are perennial because the source of water for these rivers is the rain as well as mountains. But the source of water for peninsular rivers is only rain hence they do not flow for the whole year. Even big peninsular rivers which cause floods during rains, dry up during winters.

5. Himalayan rivers meander in plain areas and change their routes also sometimes, but peninsular rivers cannot meander because of hard rock plateaus at the base and shortage of alluvium.

6. Himalayan rivers are more useful for navigation. Rivers in plateau on the other hand, flow fast during the rains due to steep slope but dry out during winters. Moreover, there are many waterfalls enroute hence they are not suitable for transpor­tation. Himalayan rivers are well-suited for irrigation.

7. Most of the peninsular rivers flow towards the east (Narmada and Tapti), whereas most of the Himalayan rivers flow towards the west.