Download Chapter 3: Facts and figures related to Geography of India

Contents of Section 5: Reticular canal system for Interlinking Indian Rivers:
Chapter 3-Facts and figures related to Geography of India:
3.1-F&F – Indian plate.
3.2-F&F – History of Indian plate.
3.3-F&F – Physiographic regions of India.
3.4-F&F – The Himalayas.
3.5-F&F – Himalayan peaks.
3.6-F&F – Aravalli range of hills.
3.7-F&F – Vindya range of hills.
3.8-F&F – Satpura range of hills.
3.9-F&F – Sahyadri range of hills.
3.10-F&F – Eastern ghats.
3.11-F&F – Indo gangetic plain.
3.12-F&F – Thar desert.
3.13-F&F – Central high lands.
3.14-F&F – Malwa plateau.
3.15-F&F – Deccan plateau.
3.16-F&F – Chota Nagpur Plateau.
3.17-F&F – Western India.
3.18-F&F – Eastern coastal plain.
3.19-F&F – Western coastal plain.
3.20-F&F – Islands.
Chapter 3: Facts and figures related to
Geography of India:
3.1. F&F – Indian plate.
[From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The geography of India comprises most of the Indian subcontinent and is situated on the Indian Plate
in the northerly portion of the Indo-Australian Plate. India lies to the north of the equator between
8°4' and 37°6' north latitude and 68°7' and 97°25' east longitude. It is the seventh-largest country in
the world, with a total land area of 3,287,263 square kilometers (1,269,219 sq mi). India is bounded
to the southwest by the Arabian Sea, to the southeast by the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean to
the south. Along its northeastern frontier are the Himalayas, which form India's geographic
boundary with the People's Republic of China, Bhutan and Nepal. Cape Comorin constitutes the
southern tip of the Indian peninsula, which narrows before ending in the Indian Ocean. The
southernmost part of India is Indira Point in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The Maldives, Sri
Lanka and Indonesia are island nations to the south of India. Sri Lanka is separated from India by a
narrow channel of sea formed by Palk Strait and the Gulf of Mannar. The territorial waters of India
extend into the sea to a distance of twelve nautical miles (22 km) measured from the appropriate
baseline. Source [33] ]
RCS is aimed are receiving the water from all the possible places in India and distributing the water
to all the needy areas at required amount and at required time. The excess water will reach the sea
at some point may not be at the place where the river joins the sea at present depending upon input
– output (Filled and used water) basis. In this way the RCS will utilize the total land area of
3,287,263 square kilometers (1,269,219 sq mi) either for receiving the water or for distributing the
water. Himalaya in particular and the other hills in the central – east – west – south in general will
participate in the process of filling the water. The sea and the ocean like Bay of Bengal, Arabian Sea,
and Indian Ocean will receive the excess water discharged from the RCS at multiple points all along
the coastal area. Thus the RCS will be able to feed all the needy areas with sufficient water required
by the people and thus eradicates the drought.
3.2. F&F – History of Indian plate.
[From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
History;
The Indian Plate
The Indian Plate was originally a part of the ancient continent of Gondwanaland, from which it split
off, eventually becoming a major plate. In the late Cretaceous Period about 90 million years ago,
subsequent to the splitting off from Gondwanaland of conjoined Madagascar and India, the Indian
Plate split from Madagascar. It began moving north at about 15 cm/yr (6 in/yr) and began colliding
with Asia between 50 and 55 million years ago, in the Eocene epoch of the Cenozoic Era. During this
time, the India Plate covered a distance of 2,000 to 3,000 km (1,200 to 1,900 mi), and moved faster
than any other known plate. In 2007, German geologists determined that the reason the India Plate
moved so quickly is that it is only half as thick as the other plates which formerly constituted
Gondwanaland. The collision with the Eurasian Plate along the modern border between India and
Nepal formed the orogenic belt that created the Tibetan Plateau and the Himalayas. The India Plate
is currently moving northeast at 5 cm/yr (2 in/yr), while the Eurasian Plate is moving north at only 2
cm/yr (0.8 in/yr). India is thus referred to as the "fastest continent." This is causing the Eurasian
Plate to deform and the India Plate to compress at a rate of 4 mm/yr (0.15 in/yr).
Political geography
Main article: States and territories of India
India is divided into twenty-eight states (further subdivided into districts) and seven union
territories.
Indian Kashmir, LoC and LAC
India's borders run a total length of 15,106.70 km (9,387 mi). Source [33] ]
There is the necessity to provide sufficient water to all the people with this population explosion and
the RCS will provide the needed water to all the places. The argument like ‘Indian plate is moving
northeast and the north east area are not stable thus creating canals in this area is not good’ will
make us to suffer more for millions of years. These things will take millions of years and we need to
look at our need in the next 10 to 20 years. Thinking about the changes as per the analysis that is
going to take place many million years later, and because that we not thinking about the present
drought, not catering the present poor and make the suffering farmers to continue to suffer is not
good, even for those who speak not to do anything and to keep quite. It is not nice to leave the
crying child with hunger with the concept of ‘if the child sucks at the breast then the shape of the
breast and the body of the mother will change’. Even if the mother gets some pain with some wrong
breast feeding technique she will correct it and will feed the child and make the child strong and
healthy. We need water for our survival, only the nature can provide it and we need to take it from
the nature in a convenient way to both the mother (Nature) and the child (People). We know raining
has been decreased over many parts of the nation and this has been scientifically analyzed. We also
know any amount of check dams and water harvesting technology is not sufficient to raise the level
of the underground water and not making the water over the surface to remain in surface only for
long time for further utilization. With the present situation the surface water will be absorbed
rapidly in the soil and no water will remain over the surface. If at all, if some water remains over the
surface its quality will not be good due to pollution and the sufficient flushing effect is not going to
occur as there is insufficient rain fall and occupying all the areas of the water paths by the humans.
A person who gets sufficient money by writing the article will be able to buy the mineral water for
his routine use and will be able to pay any amount of money for water, and thus for him drought and
water is not a problem at all and thus he will speak doing anything is going to disturb the nature or
will never search for a solution. A person who is sitting on the bank of ever flowing river will never
understand the need for the water who is struggling to get the water even for drinking, leave about
irrigation.
I am not for misusing the nature, but other than nature who else can give water to the people, who
suffers from drought and its effects on the people. If a person is able to understand the seriousness
of the drought and its effect then he should find some better way to get the water to the drought
prone area better than RCS.
In the area of Himalaya which is said to be not stable and Indian plate is moving northeast, we will
be creating some of the structures like Ganga river elevator, a simple dam like structure of less than
one kilometer in length and the of 500 meters in order to raise the level of the Ganga river water to
raise from 450mts AMSL to 950mts AMSL. If we are not doing this then we have to trace the Ganga
till the level of 900mts AMSL in this case we are going to miss the water of many tributaries which
drains in to the Ganga. Even the Indian plates move northeast this Ganga river elevator becomes
stronger and it will pack between the hills and these are the talks of million years. Even with minor
earth quakes nothing is going to happen to the GRE as it is not a high standing structures and this
will have support from all the sides except at the top. Quality work is a must otherwise anything will
not be stable.
Other structures that will be present are Ganga upper canal, Ganga U tube, Yamuna upper canal.
Ganga upper canal will be running on flat surface of the hill which makes the south hill range of the
river Ganga. Since runs over the flat surface of the hills the both the walls of the canal will be stable
and the chances of the wall getting the damage is unlikely. Even then if there is damage to the canal
then the canal water will reach the river Ganga water through its tributaries. And there will not be
much water in the canal to cause the flood in the underneath areas. We can just close the proximal
gate then no water will flow in to the canal.
Ganga U tube is again the structure which is inside the earth and it is not a standing structure, thus
the damage is unlikely.
Yamuna upper canal is again the surface canal runs on the flat surface of hills which forms the
northern range of hills for the Yamuna River. Thus we need not think too much on the damage to
the canal. But all the works have to be done with quality.
3.3. F&F – Physiographic regions of India.
[From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Physiographic regions
Elevated regions in India
India is divided into seven physiographic regions. They are
The northern mountains including the Himalayas, which includes the Kuen Lun and the Karakoram
ranges and the northeast mountain ranges.
Indo-Gangetic plains
Thar Desert
Central Highlands and Deccan Plateau
East Coast
West Coast
Bordering seas and islands, Mountains.
Map of the hilly regions in India.
A great arc of mountains composed of the Himalaya, Hindu Kush, and Patkai ranges define the
northern Indian subcontinent. These include some of the world's tallest mountains and act as a
natural barrier to cold polar winds. They also facilitate the monsoons winds drive climate in India.
Rivers that originate in these mountains water the fertile Indo-Gangetic plains. These mountains are
recognized by biogeographers as the boundary between two of the earth's great ecozones; the
temperate Palearctic that covers most of Eurasia and the tropical and subtropical Indomalaya
ecozone that includes the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia and Indonesia.
India has eight major mountain ranges having peaks of over 1,000 m (3,281 ft):
The Himalaya is the world's highest mountain range, although it's highest peak Mt. Everest is on the
Nepal-China border. They form India's northeastern border, separating it from northeastern Asia.
They are one of the world's youngest mountain ranges and extend almost uninterrupted for 2,500 m
(8,202 ft), covering an area of 500,000 km2 (193,051 sq mi). The Himalayas extend from Jammu and
Kashmir in the west to Arunachal Pradesh in the east. These states along with Himachal Pradesh,
Uttarakhand, and Sikkim lie mostly in the Himalayan region. Numerous Himalayan peaks rise over
7,000 m (22,966 ft) and the snow line ranges between 6,000 m (19,685 ft) in Sikkim to around
3,000 m (9,843 ft) in Kashmir. Source [33] ] Himalaya ranges of hills are the boon to the nation of
India. Apart from this range of hills serving people in preventing the cold wind, supporting the
monsoon, making the north Indian belt a fertile land and irrigating the same, it has a great potency
to provide the water to the entire nation, that we need to utilize in a nature friendly way. The large
area of land at a higher level which the Himalaya occupies makes the rivers to flow for ever and this
can be utilized to irrigate the entire nation.
3.4. F&F – The Himalayas.
[From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kanchenjunga -- on the Sikkim–Nepal border -- is the highest point in the area administered by India.
Most peaks in the Himalayas remain snowbound throughout the year. The lowest was −45 °C
(−49 °F) in Kashmir. The Himalayas act as a barrier to the frigid katabatic winds flowing down from
Central Asia. Thus, North India is kept warm or only mildly cooled during winter; in summer, the
same phenomenon makes India relatively hot. The Himalaya has several parallel ranges. The Shiwalik
or outer Himalaya rise to about 1,000 meters adjacent to the North Indian plains; Most of the rock
formations are young and highly unstable, with landslides being a regular phenomenon during the
rainy season. Just to the north the Mahabharat or Lesser Himalaya rise to about 2,000 meters,
occasionally 3,000. Many of India's hill stations are located on this range, which is about 100km
south of the highest peaks. Finally, the Trans-himalaya rise to about 6,000 meters between the main
Himalayan range and the valley of the Brahmaputra in Tibet. The climate varies from subtropical in
the foothills to alpine at the higher elevations of these mountain ranges. According to earthquake
hazard zoning of India, tectonic plates beneath the earth's surface are responsible for yearly
earthquakes along the Himalayan belt and in northeast India. This is a high-risk area, classified as
Zone V.
Mt. Kanchenjunga in Sikkim. Source [33] ]
Whatever may be the heights of the mountains and whatever may be the number of mountains, our
aim is to make the water generated from it in an effective way for the welfare of the people. Since
most of the human habitat are present in the area which are less than 1000mts AMSL. And all the
areas which are more than 1000mts AMSL will naturally have better raining and the availability of
water will be good. If the people want more water in this area even in summer then they have to
store the water in reservoirs and lake and usually they are plenty in number above 1000mts AMSL. A
continuous land for creation of canals at the same level will not be available in the areas more than
1000mts AMSL. So all the RCS canal are done below 1000mts AMSL. In this way no RCS canals will be
present at the snow filled area and no water in the canal becomes the ice. All the canals are done at
safe flat sides of the hills or over a flat surface making sure that both the walls gats adequate earth
support on either the sides. Aqueducts, underground canals and dams / reservoirs are avoided in
RCS. If there is depressed area in the RCS path that need to pass then stable structures like U tube or
Bi dams are constructed not the aqueducts.
3.5. F&F – Himalayan peaks.
[From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Karakoram is situated in the disputed region of Kashmir. It has more than sixty peaks above
7,000m (22,960 ft), including K2, the second highest peak in the world (8,611 m, 28,251 ft). K2 is just
237 m smaller than the 8,848 m tall Mount Everest. The range is about 500 km (300 mi) in length
and is the most heavily glaciated part of the world outside of the polar regions. The Siachen Glacier
at 70 km and the Biafo Glacier at 63 km rank as the world's second and third-longest glaciers outside
the polar regions. It is bounded in the northeast by the edge of the Tibetan Plateau and on the north
by the Wakhan Corridor and the Pamir Mountains. Just to the west of the northwest end of the
Karakoram lies the Hindu Raj range, beyond which is the Hindu Kush range. The southern boundary
of the Karakoram is formed by the Gilgit, Indus and Shyok rivers, which separate the range from the
northwestern end of the Himalayas.
The Patkai, or Purvanchal, are situated near India's eastern border with Myanmar. They were
created by the same tectonic processes that led to the formation of the Himalaya. The features of
the Patkai mountains are conical peaks, steep slopes and deep valleys. The Patkai ranges are not as
rugged or tall as the Himalayas. There are three hill ranges that come under the Patkai: the PatkaiBum, the Garo–Khasi–Jaintia and the Lushai hills. The Garo–Khasi range is in Meghalaya.
Mawsynram, a village near Cherrapunji lying on the windward side of these hills, has the distinction
of being the wettest place in the world, receiving the highest annual rainfall. Source [33] ]
The rain on these hills and the water generated from all these hills by melting of slow will supply
water to the RCS. The structures like GRE, GUC, GUT, YUC, YUT PC4 and FPC4 will be able to receive
this water at multiple points and will be distributing the water all over the nation.
3.6. F&F – Aravalli range of hills.
[From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Aravali Range is the oldest mountain range in India, running from northeast to southwest across
Rajasthan in western India, extending approximately 500 km (311 mi). The northern end of the range
continues as isolated hills and rocky ridges into Haryana, ending near Delhi. The highest peak is
Mount Abu, rising to 1,722 m (5,650 ft), lying near the southwestern extremity of the range, close to
the border with Gujarat. The Aravali Range is the eroded stub of an ancient folded mountain system
that was once snow-capped. The range rose in a Precambrian event called the Aravali-Delhi orogen.
The range joins two of the ancient segments that make up the Indian craton, the Marwar segment to
the northwest of the range, and the Bundelkhand segment to the southeast.Source [33] ]
The southern end of the YUT ends at the northern end of the Aravalli range of hills at the height of
700mts AMSL. The creation of YUT is necessary because the area between the Aravalli range of hills
and the Himalaya range of hills is a depressed area and on the east of this depressed area yamuna is
flowing and on to the west the Thar Desert is going to come. So to shift the water from the YUC to
FPC1 starting point in Rajasthan, Aravalli range of hills we need to create a connecting channel that
is YUT. For the sake of maintenance of YUT like cleaning, removing the silt and so on it is better to
shift the YUT to little west so that the waste water and the silt will flow towards the desert and to
the rivers like Luni, Bandi, Sucri, Jawai and Sabarmati. YUT is preferred to be created to little west of
the depressed area because major city like Delhi comes to the east of the YUT. Since the Aravalli
range of hills extends from north east to south west the FPC1 runs on the east surface of the flat
land of the Aravalli range of hills at the height of 500mts AMSL. Even though there are hills with the
height of 1722mts AMSL like Mount Abu, we will not be getting the continuous flat land for creation
of safe canal more than the level of 500mts AMSL. Even then we need to crate minor U tubes or
bidams in this path to overcome the areas which are depressed slightly less than 500mts AMSL. In
this way the water from the end of the YUT will flow from the northern end of Aravalli range of hills
to southern end of Aravalli range of hills in Rajastan – Madhya Pradesh to the Vindya range of hills in
Madyapradesh.
Another extension of FPC1 that is the west extension of FPC1 (WEFPC1) will receive the water from
all the west flowing rivers of Rajasthan and Gujarath and this will also feed the all the areas of
Rajasthan and Gujarath which are less than 500 mts AMSL. This is going to connect with the FPC1 at
the north and south ends of Aravalli range of hills at 500mts AMSL.
3.7. F&F – Vindya range of hills.
[From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Vindhyas in central India
The Vindhya range runs across most of central India, extending 1,050 km (652 mi). The average
elevation of these hills is 3,000 m (9,843 ft). They are believed to have been formed by the wastes
created by the weathering of the ancient Aravali mountains. It geographically separates northern
India from southern India. The western end of the range lies in eastern Gujarat, near its border with
Madhya Pradesh, and runs east and north, almost meeting the Ganges at Mirzapur. Source [33] ]
The average elevation of Vindya range of hills may be 3000mts AMSL, but we are not going to get
the flat safe area continuously at this level for the creation of PC and the ideal height that we get in
this area is 500mts AMSL. The FPC1 will pass at the northern slope of Vindya range of hills
intersecting all the tributaries of Yamuna which it receives from the south and some of the south
tributaries of river Ganga. Thus Vindya range of hills helps the FPC1 to flow from Rajasthan to
Madhya Pradesh. We are not going create canal not at the highest possible place, it is because: 1.
The rain that fall on the higher area needs to fill the canal, 2. Most of rivers and the tributaries at the
beginning are not flowing rivers and tributaries, 3. Non availability of continuous, wider and safe
place at higher levels, 4. Most of the time the higher areas will have their own reserve of water
because of more rain over there.
3.8. F&F – Satpura range of hills.
[From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Satpura Range begins in eastern Gujarat near the Arabian Sea coast and runs east across
Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh to Chhattisgarh. It extends 900 km (559 mi) with many of its peaks
rising above 1,000 m (3,281 ft). It is triangular in shape, with its apex at Ratnapuri and the two sides
being parallel to the Tapti and Narmada rivers. It runs parallel to the Vindhya Range, which lies to
the north, and these two east-west ranges divide the Indo-Gangetic plain from the Deccan Plateau.
Located north of River Narmada. Source [33]]
The peak elevation of Satpura range of hills may be 1000mts AMSL, but we are not going to get the
flat safe area continuously at this level for the creation of PC and the ideal height that we get in this
area is 500mts AMSL. The FPC1 will pass at the eastern areas of Satpura range of hills intersecting
some of the tributaries of Tapti and Narmada which it receives from the east. The water from the
tributaries of river Tapti and Narmada above 500mts AMSL will fill the water to FPC1 and FPC1 will
feed the tributaries and river Tapti and Narmada below 500mts AMSL. Thus Satpura range of hills
helps the FPC1 to flow from Madyapradesh to Maharastra. The PC in the depressed area between
Satpura range of hills and the sahyadri range of hills needs to be connected with U tube or bi dam.
3.9. F&F – Sahyadri range of hills.
[From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Western Ghats near Matheran
The Western Ghats or Sahyadri mountains run along the western edge of India's Deccan Plateau and
separate it from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea. The range runs approximately
1,600 km (994 mi) from south of the Tapti River near the Gujarat–Maharashtra border and across
Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu to the southern tip of the peninsula. The
average elevation is around 1,000 m (3,281 ft). The Anai Mudi in the Anaimalai Hills at 2,695 m
(8,842 ft) in Kerala is the highest peak in the Western Ghats. Source [33]]
Even thought the average height of the Sahyadri range of hills is about 1000mts AMSL, we are not
going to get a flat continuous area at this level and thus we need to identify the continuous flat land
that is 500mts AMSL, thus the FPC1 extends in to the south India travelling from Maharashtra in to
Karnataka intersecting the tributaries of River Godavari and Krishna at 500mts AMSL receives water
from all the tributaries of river Godavari and Krishna and supply water to all the area which are less
than 500mts AMSL. This FPC1 continues further down in to south India intersecting the tributaries of
river Cauvery – Vaigia – till the south end of the nation, receives the water from its higher side and
distributes water to all the area which is less than 500mts AMSL. Thus Sahyadri range of Western
Ghats helps the water in the FPC1 to move from Maharashtra to Karnataka to Tamilnadu to Kerala.
FPC1 will move east to the range of Sahadri hills. We will get a depressed area in this course in
Palakhad district of Kerala and Coimbatore district of Tamilnadu where we may have to do U tube or
Bidam to cross this depressed area by the FPC1.
3.10. F&F – Eastern ghats.
[From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Eastern Ghats are a discontinuous range of mountains, which have been eroded and vivisected
by the four major rivers of southern India, the Godavari, Mahanadi, Krishna, and Kaveri. These
mountains run from West Bengal to Orissa, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, along the coast and
parallel to the Bay of Bengal. Though not as tall as the Western Ghats, some of its peaks are over
1,000 m (3,281 ft) in height. The Nilgiri hills in Tamil Nadu are the junction of the Eastern and
Western Ghats. Source [33] ]
Since the eastern Ghats are the discontinuous range of hills the FPC1 and the FPC4 will run either on
the east or west to these mountains depending upon the areas available in a continuous manner at
the level of 500 and 300mts AMSL respectively, and these primary channels will receive the water
from the higher side and will distribute the water to the lower side as per our requirement.
3.11. F&F – Indo gangetic plain.
[From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Main article: Indo-Gangetic plain
The Indo-Gangetic plains, also known as the "Great Plains," are large floodplains of the Indus and the
Ganga-Brahmaputra river systems. They run parallel to the Himalaya mountains, from Jammu and
Kashmir in the west to Assam in the east and draining most of northern and eastern India. The plains
encompass an area of 700,000 km² (270,000 mile²) and vary in width through their length by several
hundred kilometers. The major rivers of this system are the Ganga (Ganges) and the Indus along with
their tributaries; Beas, Yamuna, Gomti, Ravi, Chambal, Sutlej and Chenab.
Extent of the Indo-Gangetic plain across South Asia.
The great plains are sometimes classified into four divisions:
The Bhabar belt — is adjacent to the foothills of the Himalayas and consists of boulders and pebbles
which have been carried down by the river streams. As the porosity of this belt is very high, the
streams flow underground. The bhabar is generally narrow about 7-15 km wide.
The Terai belt — lies next to the Bhabar region and is composed of newer alluvium. The
underground streams reappear in this region. The region is excessively moist and thickly forested. It
also receives heavy rainfall throughout the year and is populated with a variety of wildlife.
The Bangar belt — consists of older alluvium and forms the alluvial terrace of the flood plains. In the
Gangetic plains, it has a low upland covered by laterite deposits.
The Khadar belt — lies in lowland areas after the Bangar belt. It is made up of fresh newer alluvium
which is deposited by the rivers flowing down the plain.
The Indo-Gangetic belt is the world's most extensive expanse of uninterrupted alluvium formed by
the deposition of silt by the numerous rivers. The plains are flat and mostly treeless, making it
conducive for irrigation through canals. The area is also rich in ground water sources.
The plains are one of the world's most intensely farmed areas. The main crops grown are rice and
wheat, which are grown in rotation. Others include maize, sugarcane and cotton. The Indo-Gangetic
plains rank among the world's most densely populated areas. Source [33] ]
Most of the river water of the River Ganga will be feed to the FPC1. The water of the river Ganga will
be raised from its base level at 450mts AMSL to 900mts AMSL by constructing a simple dam like
structure (It is not a reservoir but it is to raise the level of water to higher level in order to shift the
water to Yamuna river basin by gravity) in its path called GRE. The canal from the GRE to GUT is
called GUC. GUT shifts the water from Ganga river basin to Yamuna River basin. This way the hills on
the sides of River Ganga proximal to Hrushikesh will help the river to raise / elevate. Since this is a
narrow space we need not construct big structures. The Himalayan range of hills which forms the
south border for the west ward flowing river Ganga proximal to Hrushikesh is about 1000 to
1500mts AMSL and they are not snow filled, and we will get sufficient flat surface for the creation of
canals at this place. Thus the water which is going to cause the flood at the lower places after
convergence will be diverted at this place and will be used in a useful way. But we have to maintain
good flow of water in the river Ganga below the level of Haridwar and in the river Yamuna below the
level of Yamuna nagar (To be more precise 300mts AMSL) and this flow will be maintained by River
Brahmaputra by FPC4. The south mountains range of Himalayan hills from Arunachal pradesh to
Himachal pradesh will support the FPC4 to run at the level of 300mts AMSL. Without much
disturbance to the present population and to the cities we can create all these canal and make use
of all the possible water effectively.
3.12. F&F – Thar desert.
[From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Thar Desert
Desert tribes living in the Thar Desert near Jaisalmer, India.
Main article: Thar Desert
The Thar Desert (also known as the Great Indian Desert) is world's seventh largest desert; it forms a
significant portion of western India and covers an area of 238,700 km² (92,200 mile²). The desert
continues into Pakistan as the Cholistan Desert. Most of the Thar Desert is situated in Rajasthan,
covering 61% of its geographic area.
About 10 percent of this ecoregion is composed of sand dunes, and the other 90 percent of craggy
rock forms, compacted salt-lake bottoms, and interdunal and fixed dune areas. Annual temperatures
can range from near-freezing in the winter to more than 50(C during the summer. All rainfall is
associated with the short July-September southwest monsoon that brings a mere 100-500 mm of
precipitation. Water is scarce and occurs at great depths, from 30 to 120 m below the ground level.
Rainfall is precarious and erratic, ranging from below 120 mm (4.72 inches) in the extreme west to
375 mm (14.75 inches) eastward. The soils of the arid region are generally sandy to sandy-loam in
texture. The consistency and depth vary according to the topographical features. The low-lying
loams are heavier and may have a hard pan of clay, calcium carbonate or gypsum. Because of the
low population density, the effect of the population on the environment is relatively less compared
to the rest of India. Source [33] ]
The west extension of the FPC1 will supply water to the people of the Rajasthan, Haryana, Gujarath
and some parts Of Madhya Pradesh to the extent they want for the purposes like Irrigation,
industrial and domestic purposes. If the soil is sandy and if the water is not flowing to the place
required then we may have to do alternate methods to shift the water to the place where we
require like ‘Pipe line system’ and all the possible water related which is going to generate income to
the people over there can be done with RCS.
3.13. F&F – Central high lands.
[From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Highlands
The Central Highlands are composed of three main plateaus — the Malwa Plateau in the west, the
Deccan Plateau in the south (covering most of the Indian peninsula) and the Chota Nagpur Plateau in
the east.
Source [33 ]
These central highlands will also participate in the work of RCS either in filling or draining of water,
the higher end area will fill the water to the RCS and the lower end area will receive the water from
the RCS.
3.14. F&F – Malwa plateau.
[From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Highlands: The Malwa Plateau is located in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. The average
elevation of the Malwa plateau is 500 meters, and the landscape generally slopes towards the north.
Most of the region is drained by the Chambal River and its tributaries; the western part is drained by
the upper reaches of the Mahi River. Source [33]]
The Malwa plateau in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarath will supply water to the FPC1 and
FPC1WE when there is rain in this plateau which is above 500mts AMSL where FPC1 and the FPC1WE
will be running at the level of 500mts AMSL. And all the areas of this high land and the area around it
which are less than 500mts AMSL will get the water from FPC1 and FPC1WE including the Chambal
and Mahi river.
3.15. F&F – Deccan plateau.
[From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Highlands: Deccan Plateau: The Deccan Plateau is a large triangular plateau, bounded by the
Vindhyas to the north and flanked by the Eastern and Western Ghats. The Deccan covers a total area
of 1.9 million km² (735,000 mile²). It is mostly flat, with elevations ranging from 300 to 600 m (1,000
to 2,000 ft). The average elevation of the plateau is 2,000 feet (600 m) above sea level. The surface
slopes from 3,000 feet (900 m) in the west to 1,500 feet (450 m) in the east. It slopes gently from
west to east and gives rise to several peninsular rivers such as the Godavari, the Krishna, the Kaveri
and the Narmada, which drain into the Bay of Bengal. This region is mostly semi-arid as it lies on the
leeward side of both Ghats. Much of the Deccan is covered by thorn scrub forest scattered with
small regions of deciduous broadleaf forest. Climate in the Deccan ranges from hot summers to mild
winters. Source [33] ]
Deccan plateau is an uneven area for the creation of flat canal. The southern districts of Karnataka
are at higher level where good number of people lives. Since the land in the southern Maharashtra
and the north Karnataka are not as high as south Karnataka it is not possible to bring the water of
ever flowing rivers like Ganga and Yamuna to the south Karnataka. So the people of south Karnataka
has to entirely depend on the water of River Cauvery for their and this water they need not share
with the states like Tamilnadu when once the work of FPC1 is over. The river Cauvery will fulfill the
need of the water in south Karnataka through RCS and the entire drought prone lands of south
Karnataka can be irrigated well with the water of River Cauvery. Maharashtra, Orissa, Chhattisgarh,
North Karnataka, Andrapradesh, Tamilnadu, Kerala where the lands are less than 500mts AMSL will
adequate water from FPC1.
3.16. F&F – Chota Nagpur Plateau.
[From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Highlands: The Chota Nagpur Plateau is situated in eastern India, covering much of Jharkhand and
adjacent parts of Orissa, Bihar and Chhattisgarh. Its total area is approximately 65,000 km²
(25,000 mile²) and is made up of three smaller plateaus — the Ranchi, Hazaribagh, and Kodarma
plateaus. The Ranchi plateau is the largest, with an average elevation of 700 m (2,300 ft). Much of
the plateau is forested, covered by the Chota Nagpur dry deciduous forests. Vast reserves of metal
ores and coal have been found in the Chota Nagpur plateau. The Kathiawar peninsula in western
Gujarat is bounded by the Gulf of Kutch and the Gulf of Khambat. The natural vegetation on most of
the peninsula is xeric scrub, part of the Northwestern thorn scrub forests ecoregion. Source [33]]
The east extension of FPC1 which runs at the level of 500mts AMSL, which almost circumscribe the
Chota Nagpur Plateau, will receive the water from the area which are above 500mts AMSL and will
supply water to all the areas which are less than 500mts AMSL. The route of the primary canal can
be changed if that area contains some ore and that needs to be excavated, in this case we may have
to dig the canal with different depth or Bi dams needs to be created. If some small tributary is
contaminated that can be flushed with the water of the RCS. All the industries will get sufficient
water for their activity.
3.17. F&F – Western India.
[From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In western India, the Kutch region in Gujarat and Koyna in Maharashtra are classified as a Zone IV
region (high risk) for earthquakes. The Kutch city of Bhuj was the epicentre of the 2001 Gujarat
earthquake, which claimed the lives of more than 20,000 people and injured 166,836 while
destroying or damaging near a million homes. The 1993 Latur earthquake in Maharashtra killed
7,928 people and injured 30,000. Other areas have a moderate to low risk chance of an earthquake
occurring. Source [33]]
The minor earthquakes causing damage to the canal and U tubes are unlikely, since they will be
created at or below the level of earth. Bi dams may be little elevated structures above the surface of
the earth, so they need to be constructed with quality work, but they will not have back water like
present reservoirs thus the pressure on the walls will not be very high. Damage to any of the
structures can be immediately identified with RCS soft ware and the proximal and the distal gates
will be automatically closed with the RCS control centre. If the sign of Earth quake is identified in
some area before its onset, then the water in that segment of canal which is prone for earthquake
can be completely emptied within few hours and can be refilled when ever everything clears.
3.18. F&F – Eastern coastal plain.
[From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Coasts: The Eastern Coastal Plain is a wide stretch of land lying between the Eastern Ghats and the
Bay of Bengal. It stretches from Tamil Nadu in the south to West Bengal in the north. The Mahanadi,
Godavari, Kaveri and Krishna rivers drain these plains and their deltas occupy most of the area. The
coastal regions exceed 30 °C (86 °F) coupled with high levels of humidity. The region receives both
the northeast and southwest monsoon rains. Annual rainfall averages between 1,000 mm (40 in) and
3,000 mm (120 in). The width of the plains varies between 100 to 130 km (62 to 80 miles). The plains
are divided into six regions — the Mahanadi delta, the southern Andhra Pradesh plain, the KrishnaGodavari deltas, the Kanyakumari coast, the Coromandel Coast and sandy coastal. Source [33] ]
With RCS the area occupied by the river delta will decrease it is because most of the river water
reaching the sea at river delta is going to decrease and the water will reach the sea at multiple points
all along the course to the coast may be one in 5 to 10 kilometers.
With VPA and MV in the coastal area we can implant more trees and make the temperature little
less for the people living over there.
3.19. F&F – Western coastal plain.
[From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Western Coastal Plain is a narrow strip of land sandwiched between the Western Ghats and the
Arabian Sea, ranging from 50 to 100 km (30 to 60 miles) in width. It extends from Gujarat in the
north and through Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka and Kerala. Numerous rivers and backwaters
inundate the region. Originating in the Western Ghats, the rivers are fast-flowing and mostly
perennial, leading to the formation of estuaries. Major rivers flowing into the sea are the Tapi,
Narmada, Mandovi and Zuari. The coast is divided into the Konkan, which is situated in Maharashtra,
Goa and northern parts of Karnataka; the Kanara in Karnataka and the Malabar Coast in Kerala.
Vegetation is mostly deciduous, but the Malabar Coast moist forests constitute a unique ecoregion.
Source [33] ]
In the beginning, I am concentrating more on east flowing rivers because the area in the central
India are more prone for drought.
It is also possible to create RCS for west flowing rivers, but the area that is going to benefit by it will
be less (that is 50 to 100 kilometer width) and this area is not much drought prone.
If required the excess water which generates in the west flowing rivers during the seasons of flood
can be fed to east flowing rivers by creating short communicating canals between the west flowing
rivers and primary channels which is present on the east side of the western Ghats and the length of
these communicating canals will be less since the primary canals running on the east side of the
western Ghats are closer to west flowing rivers.
The water of the FPC1 can be used to irrigate some of the areas in the western coast through the
extensions of the primary canals or from secondary canals. The examples are the west extension of
FPC1 will irrigate the coastal areas in the Gujarath and Maharashtra, the coastal area of the
Narmada and Tapi river delta can be irrigated with the secondary channels created from the FPC1,
the coastal areas of the Kerala which is west to Palakkad district can be irrigated with the secondary
channels created from FPC1 and these secondary channels will move north west and south west in
Malabar coastal area. Thus all these coastal areas will get water all the time of the year.
3.20. F&F – Islands.
[From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Islands
Aerial view of the Andaman Islands
The Lakshadweep and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are India's two major island possessions
having the status of union territories. The Lakshadweep islands lie 200 to 300 km (124 to 186 miles)
off the coast of Kerala in the Arabian Sea with an area of 28 km² (11 sq mi). They officially consist of
12 atolls, 3 reefs and 5 submerged banks, with a total of about 36 islands and islets. The reefs are in
fact also atolls, although mostly submerged, with only small unvegetated sand cays above the high
water mark. Indira Point, India's southernmost land point is situated in the Nicobar islands, and lies
just 189 km (117 miles) from the Indonesian island of Sumatra to the southeast. The highest point is
Mount Thullier at 642 m (2,140 ft).
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are located between 6o and 14o North latitude and 92o and 94o
East longitude. They consist of 572 isles, lying in the Bay of Bengal near the Myanmar coast. It is
located 1255 km (780 miles) from Kolkata (Calcutta) and 193 km (120 miles) from Cape Negrais in
Myanmar. The territory consists of two island groups, the Andaman Islands and the Nicobar Islands.
The Andaman islands number 204 and have a total length of 352 km (220 miles). India's volcanoes lie
in the Andaman islands. The Barren Island is an active volcano, having last erupted in May 2005. The
Narcondum is a dormant volcano and there is a mud volcano at Baratang.
Significant islands just off the Indian coast include Diu, a former Portuguese enclave; Majuli, Asia's
largest freshwater island; Elephanta in the Bombay Harbour; and Sriharikota barrier island in Andhra
Pradesh. Salsette Island is India's most populous island on which the city of Mumbai (Bombay) is
located. Forty-two islands in the Gulf of Kutch constitute the Marine National Park. Source [33] ]
To begin with we may not be doing any active things like RCS in these Islands, but creation of RCS VPA – MV – MN in the nation will lead to national economic growth and thus the nation can invest
more money on these islands for development.
VPA can be created even in these islands will make the people to work better and people will earn
better through cooperation.
Different VPA can organize holiday trips to these islands and can spend some time over there.
Sources:
[33]Geography of India - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.mht.