Great Indian Plains: Regional Division

Trans Gangetic Plains

1. Rajasthan Plain
   • Rajasthan plain borders the Thar desert (called Marusthali) in the west and Aravallis in the east.
   • This plain is an undulating plain (wave-like) whose average elevation is about 325 m above mean sea level.
   • The eastern part of Marusthali is rocky and the western part is covered by shifting sand dunes called Dhrian.
   • The region receives a rainfall of 25cm.
   • It is spread over Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Punjab.
   • One of the major inland rivers in the region is Luni which drains into the Rann of Kutch region.
   • The irrigation system in the region is the Indira Gandhi Canal.
   • Salination of Lakes in the Region
     • Major saline lakes are Sambhar, Didwana, Degana, Kuchaman, etc. The largest is the Sambhar lake near Jaipur.
     • The reason for salination is the high evaporation rates.
2. Punjab – Haryana Plain
   • This plain is formed by five important rivers of the Indus system.
   • The plain is primarily made up of doabs (the land between two rivers having a homogenous appearance). Five doabs of the region are – 

Pic Credit – Wikimedia Commons

• • The eastern boundary of the Punjab Haryana plain is marked by the subsurface Delhi-Aravali ridge.
  • The average elevation of the plain is about 250 m above mean sea level.
  • The only river between the Yamuna and the Satluj is the Ghaggar which is considered to be the present-day Successor of the legendary Saraswati River.

Gangetic Plain

• This is the largest unit of the Great Plain of India stretching from Delhi to Kolkata.
• The Ganga along with its large number of tributaries originating in the Himalayas have brought large quantities of alluvium from the mountains.
• The peninsular rivers such as Chambal, Betwa, Ken, Son, etc also contributed to the formation of this plain.
• The general slope of the entire plain is sloping to the east and the southeast.
• The region is marked by local prominences such as levees, bluffs, oxbow lakes, marshes, ravines, etc.
• The regional division of Ganga Plain
  1. Upper Gangetic Plain
     • Extensive in Uttar Pradesh
     • It is divided into
  2. Middle Gangetic Plain
     • It is divided into
       • Mithila Plain – Between Gandak and Kosi (Sorrow of Bihar)
       • Magadh Plain – Located east of River Son
  3. Lower Gangetic Plains
     • Located along the foothills of the Shiwaliks. Plains are named Bengal Terai which is locally called Duars.
     • South of Terai are Bengal Bangar plains and they have lateritic accumulation that is locally called Barind plains
     • Western part of Gangetic delta is named Maribund delta, and locally called Rahr plains.
     • Gangetic delta further extends eastward – the active delta formed by Ganga and Brahmaputra is called the Sundarbans.