Rajasthan Geography: Rivers, Soils and Water Resources

It starts from the Harike Barrage at Harike, a few kilometers below the confluence of the Satluj and Beas rivers in the Indian state of Punjab and terminates in irrigation facilities in the Thar Desert in the north west of Rajasthan state.

Rajasthan is known for its inland drainage systems, where rivers do not reach the sea but instead terminate in salt lakes or disappear into the sands of the desert.

The Ghaggar is an intermittent river in India, flowing during the monsoon season. It originates in the village of Dagshai in the Shivalik Hills of Himachal Pradesh at an elevation of 1,927 meters above mean sea level and flows through Punjab and Haryana states into Rajasthan. 

Because of its high altitude Mt.Abu is cold place.

Arabian sea branch,

The western part of Rajasthan is one of the least rainfall receiving regions in India.

Bay of Bengal branc,

The hottest of all seasons, summer extends in Rajasthan from April to June. During summers, the temperature in Rajasthan is very high and it ranges somewhere between 32 degree Celsius and 46 degree Celsius. The place has an average temperature of 38 degree Celsius. The only place in the state which has a lower temperature during this season is Mt Abu. At day, hot winds blow from the west and these winds are called ‘Loo’.

The Shelter belts have stablished sand dunes in the states of Rajasthan. Wind erosion is a very serious problem in the Rajasthan region , particularly during the summer months when the dry and barren soils are exposed to strong wind. Shelter belts have been found to be extremely useful in increasing productivity of agricultural land in arid and semi arid regions.

The soils of Western Rajasthan are typically arid and sandy, often containing high levels of calcium carbonate, which forms kankar nodules in the soil profile.

• India is divided into different climatic conditions. These varied climatic conditions in India is contributed by the latitudinal difference.
  
• Saurashtra, Kachchh, and Rajasthan are the regions that experience an arid climate with low or no rains and too dry to separate vegetation.
  

Godavari, India's second longest river after the river Ganga and is one among the peninsular rivers. The river Godavari is often referred to as Vridha Ganga because of its large size and extent among the peninsular rivers.

Ranjit Sagar Dam is hydroelectric project on river Ravi. It is shared by Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir. Its height is 160m and it is used for both irrigation as well as power generation.

Black soil, also known as Regur soil, is primarily formed by the weathering of basaltic rocks found in the Deccan Plateau region. Other soil types like alluvial or red soil have different parent materials and formation processes.

The Chambal River is a tributary of the Yamuna River in central India, and thus forms part of the greater Gangetic drainage system. The river flows north-northeast through Madhya Pradesh, running for a time through Rajasthan, then forming the boundary between Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh before turning southeast to join the Yamuna in Uttar Pradesh.

There are many Rajasthan rivers, which flow across the state. Most of these rivers are seasonal. Ghaggar is the intermittent stream, which flows through Rajasthan and disappears at the heart of the Thar Desert. Some of the other important Rajasthan Rivers are Kali, Banas, Banganga, Parvati, Gambhiri, Mahi, Kakni, Jokham, Sabarmati, Katli, Sabi and Mantha.

The Sabarmati river is one of the major rivers in the western India. It originates in Dhebar lake in Aravalli Range of the Udaipur District of Rajasthan and meets the Gulf of Cambay of Arabian Sea after travelling 371 km in a south-westerly direction across Gujarat. The river flows through Gujarat except initial 9.5 km.

Bay of Bengal lies on eastern side of India. All the rivers that flow into this Sea forms Bay of Bengal Drainage system. The rivers that constitute Bay of Bengal Drainage system are Parvati, Banas, Bedach and their tributaries. These originate from eastern side of Aravalli Mountains. Among the given options Mahi does not fall under Bay of Bengal Drainage system.

The Internal Drainage Basin is described by rivers/streams draining into a group of inland water bodies (lakes) that are located around the north-central part of the country. The system, mainly of troughs and faults runs southward from lake Natron at the border with Kenya to central Tanzania in the Bahi depression and varies in width from 30-90 km.

The basin extends over large areas in Rajasthan and Gujarat and covers whole of Diu having an area of 321,851 Sq.km with maximum length and width of 865 km and 445 km. The basin is bounded by Aravalli range and Gujarat plains on the east, by Rajasthan desert on north, and by the Arabian Sea on the south and the west. Luni is the major river system of the basin and it originates from western slopes of the Aravalli ranges at an elevation of 772 m in Ajmer district of Rajasthan. The total length of the river is 511 km and it drains a total area of 32,879 Sq.km. The river flows up to Rann of Kutch forming a delta where the water spreads out and does not contribute any runoff. The main tributaries of Luni joining from left are the Lilri, the Guhiya, the Bandi (Hemawas), the Sukri, the Jawai, the Khari Bandi, the Sukri Bandi and the Sagi whereas the Jojri joins it from right.

Bay of Bengal lies on eastern side of India. All the rivers that flow into this Sea forms Bay of Bengal Drainage system. The rivers that constitute Bay of Bengal Drainage system are Parvati, Banas, Bedach, Chambal, Kalsindhi and their tributaries. These originate from eastern side of Aravalli Mountains. 

The river which becomes extinct on land or drains its water into a lake forms internal drainage system. Examples of the rivers which constitute internal drainage system are Ghagar, Banganga, Kantali, Saabi, Ruparail, Menda etc. 

Arabian Sea lies towards the western side of
India. All the rivers that flow into this Sea forms Arabian Sea Drainage
system. Examples of the rivers that flow towards western side into Arbian Sea
are Sabarmati, Mahi, Luni. 

Arabian Sea lies towards the western side of India. All the rivers that flow into this Sea forms Arabian Sea Drainage system. Examples of the rivers that flow towards western side into Arbian Sea are Sabarmati, Mahi, Luni. Among the given opitons Parvati River is not included in Arabian Sea Drainage system. It falls under Bay of Bengal Drainage system.

River Banganga originates in the Aravali hills, near Arnasar and Bairath in Jaipur District. The total length of the river is 240 km. The main tributaries are Gumti Nalla and Suri River, joining the river on its right bank, and Sanwan and Palasan Rivers, meeting the river on its left bank.

Keoladeo Ghana National Park which is situated at the confluence of the Gambhir and Banganga rivers in the Bharatpur district of Rajasthan, the sanctuary was originally a natural depression prone to seasonal flooding. Over a period of time it developed into a lush, thriving system of freshwater marshes that attracted a large and diverse population of migratory birds. The Maharajas of Bharatpur added some bunds (dykes) and developed it as a duck shooting reserve.

The Indira Gandhi Canal is one of the largest canal projects in India. It starts from the Harike Barrage at Harike in Punjab and terminates in irrigation facilities in the Thar Desert of Rajasthan. Previously known as the Rajasthan Canal, it was renamed the Indira Gandhi Canal in 1985 following the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

The river which becomes extinct on land or drains its water into a lake forms internal drainage system. Examples of the rivers which constitute internal drainage system are Ghagar, Banganga, Kantali, Saabi, Ruparail, Menda etc. Among the given options, the river which does not contribute to the internal drainage system is Banas. This river falls under Bay of Bengal Drainage system.

The Chambal River is a tributary of the Yamuna River in central India, and thus forms part of the greater Gangetic drainage system. The 960 kilometers long Chambal River originates from the Singar Chouri peak on the northern slopes of the Vindhyan escarpment, 15 kilometers South-West of Mhow in Indore District, Madhya Pradesh, at an elevation of about 843 meters. The river flows first in a northerly direction through Madhya Pradesh for about 346 kilometers and then takes north-easterly direction for 225 kilometers through Rajasthan.

Triveni is the juncture of Banas, Bechad and Menaal River. This juncture is located in Bhilwara of Rajasthan. Banas is the tributary of Chambal River which originates in the Khamnour hills in Rajasmund. 

The river which becomes extinct on land or drains its water into a lake forms internal drainage system. Examples of the rivers which constitute internal drainage system are Ghagar, Banganga, Kantali, Saabi, Ruparail, Menda etc.

A barrage is a type of low-head, diversion dam which consists of a number of large gates that can be opened or closed to control the amount of water passing through the structure, and thus regulate and stabilize river water elevation upstream for use in irrigation and other systems. 

Rajasthan is characterized by an arid climate, which leads to the formation of sandy, desert soil. This soil type is dominant in the western parts of the state.

The Luni River is the only significant river system in the arid region of the Thar Desert in Rajasthan. It originates in the Pushkar valley and flows towards the Rann of Kutch.

Soil that has very little capacity to hold water is sandy soil. Sandy soils have low moisture storage. High evaporation and low capacity limit the availability of rainwater for plant use.

Ganganagar (SGNR) is a planned city and the northernmost city of Rajasthan, situated near borders of Rajasthan and Punjab states. The place consists of Alluvium. It consists of alluvial and Aeolian soil as it is flooded by Ghaggar River.

Ganganagar (SGNR) is a planned city and the northern-most city of the Indian state of Rajasthan, situated near borders of Rajasthan and Punjab states. The place consists of Alluvium. It is loose, unconsolidated (not cemented together into a solid rock) soil or sediments, which has been eroded, reshaped by water in some form. It is fertile and supports agriculture. 

Brown
soils are found in desert areas of Rajasthan. The colour of soils ranges from greyish
brown too yellowish brown. Major areas
of these soils are in catchment of Banas River. Brown soils are rich in calcium
but it has poor organic matter. As the ground water are saline, soils irrigated
with these water have accumulated salts.

Red loam soils of Rajasthan are rich in Iron Oxide. It is a type of soil that develops in a warm, temperate, moist climate. They are usually poor growing soils, low in nutrients and humus and difficult to cultivate because of its low water holding capacity. Red soils are generally derived from crystalline rock. 

As Rajasthan is mostly covered by desert, it has sandy soil to the most extent. Soil that has very less capacity to hold water is sandy soil. Sandy soils have low moisture storage. High evaporation & low capacity limit the availability of rain water for plant use. 

The largest area in Rajasthan is occupied by desert soil, which covers the area west of the Aravallis up to the Pakistan border. The entire area is ill watered and unproductive and characterized with sand dunes, hillocks and rock outcrops. The soils contain about 90 to 95 per cent sand and about 5 to 7 per cent clay.

In
arid and semi-arid areas, evaporation is always greater than precipitation.
Under such circumstances, two main factors determine the nature and properties
of soils. Firstly, there is very little vegetation and the soils lack humus content.
Hence the soils are invariably of light colour. Secondly, the excess of
evaporation makes soils lime accumulating. Thus they are bound to be pedocal in
nature. This is the main reason behind the formation of Pedocal soil in
Rajasthan.

Though there is very less fertility in desert soils to support agriculture, the presence of Phosphates and Nitrate components make the desert sands fertile for agricultural crops where water supply is regular.

In Rajasthan, both granite and sandstone give birth to sandy soil. Sandy soils have low moisture storage. High evaporation and low capacity limit the availability of rainwater for plant use. As Rajasthan is mostly covered by desert, it has sandy soil to the most extent.

Desert
soils range from red to brown in color. They are generally saline in nature.
Desert soils lack humus due to lack of vegetation in desert areas. Humus is a dark, organic material that forms in soil when plant and animal matter decays.  If there will be a lack of vegetation, then no humus will form in desert soils.

Soil formation is influenced by factors such as parent rock, climate, time, relief, and organisms. Soil texture is a property of the soil itself, not a factor that causes its formation.

There are multiple reasons behind Rajasthan receiving scanty rainfall. Firstly the Arabian Sea Branch of South West Monsoon that causes rains in Western and South-Western India runs parallel to the Aravalli range and thus hardly causes any rainfall as the winds do not get interrupted.

This is a duplicate question of 468427 with identical content. Western Rajasthan soils are calcium-rich due to arid conditions and calcium-bearing parent materials. The high calcium content is characteristic of desert soils in this region.

Rajsthan Canal Project is also known as Indira Gandhi Canal Project. It was renamed Indira Gandhi Canal on November 2, 1984 after the assassination of Indira Gandhi. It starts from Harike Barraj at Sultanpur, a few Kilometers below the coinfluence of river Satluj and Beas in Punjab state. It is the longest man made canal of not only India but also Asia. It cover three Indian states : Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan.

To check the expansion of Thar desert Afforestation methods is expected to yield the best results. It reduces the pollution level. It minimizes the effect of drought and Global Warming. It helps the factories to have a proper use of plant items without leaving a bad effect in the society and environment. It minimizes the effect of soil erosion.

B. Camels

The Raika are a subgroup of the Rebari, the largest pastoral group of Western India that is concentrated in Rajasthan and Gujarat and estimated to number about 500,000-800,000 people .  The Raika consist of two groups that do not intermarry, the Maru and Godwar Raika. The Maru Raika are most densely distributed around Jodhpur and in Pali district of Rajasthan, whereas the Godwar Raika can be found in southern Pali district and in Sirohi district. According to their myth of origin, the first Raika was specifically created by Lord Shiva (an Indian God) to take care of the one-humped camel.

Although Raika identity remains closely associated with the camel, they have diversified into sheep, goat, cattle, and even buffalo keeping. This caste provides an important service to farmers and rural poor by providing drought animals (camels and bullocks), as well as cows with good milk yields. As large-scale producers of sheep, many of which are exported to the Middle East, they also generate substantial amounts of foreign currency for India.

B. Lack of vegetation

The main cause of soil erosion is the removal of vegetation. Vegetation
removal takes place due to removal of forest covers and exposes the topsoil to water and wind. Unscientific
farming has also led to barren lands.

The crystalline granites produce laterite type of soils in moist parts. Laterite is a rock type soil rich in iron and aluminium, and is commonly considered to have formed in hot and wet tropical areas. Nearly all laterites are of rusty-red coloration, because of high iron oxide content. 

The largest area in Rajasthan is occupied by desert soil, which covers the area west of the Aravallis up to the Pakistan border. The entire area is ill watered and unproductive and characterized with sand dunes, hillocks and rock outcrops. The soils contain about 90 to 95 per cent sand and about 5 to 7 per cent clay. Among the given options both the statements are true which says that the percentage of calcium carbonate is high and has very low organic content.

Alluvial soil which occupies Alwar, Bharatpur, Jaipur and Sawai Madhopur and the central part of Ganganagar district is deficient in Lime, Phosphoric acid, Humus. It varies from clayey to sandy loam in texture. The top soil contains 'kankar’ which lie either on sands or sandy clays. A wide variety of crops including wheat, rice, cotton and tobacco are grown in this soil.

Formation of soil is called pedogenesis. Soil formation is the process of soil formation from its parental material. In addition to the soil parent material, soil formation is also dependent upon other prevailing processes like climate, relief, etc.

Dark lava soils are also called as black soils or black cotton soils. These are present in the Bhilwara district and the major parts of Udaipur district, Chittaurgarh district, Sirohi district and the tract of Aravali Hills forms a part of inter-mountain plateau an consists of dark- lava soils. Major cash crops like cotton and sugarcane are grown in this black soil region. 

The Hadauti plateau is fertile with black soil due to the presence
of Chambal River and its tributaries Kalisindh, Parvati and Chakan. The
soil is alluvial. The Hadoti region consists of the districts of Bundi, Baran, Jhalawar and Kota.

In natural depressions like Pachpadra, Sambhar, Ranns of Jalore of Rajasthan saline sodic salts are found. color of these soils are dark grey to pale brown. Water table is sometime close to surface. Cultivation is not possible due to the impeded drainage and high degree of salinity. The only vegetation consists of some salt tolerant grasses and shrubs

Hill soils that are present at foot hills of Aravallis are also called as lithosols. Dungarpur, Banswara & parts of Udaipur, Chittorgarh districts have such soils. These soils are reddish in colour with granular/crumb structure & well drained. These soils have rich content of iron-oxide and devoid of calcium salts because calcium salts soluble in water and are easily washed away. Soils are suitable for maize, chillies, wheat, barley and rapeseed cultivation.

The crystalline granites produce non-laterite type of soils in drier areas. These include tropical sandy like desert soils and clayey soils which are gravelly in some places 

Ferruginous red soil which occupies central and southern part of Udaipur district and the entire Dungarpur district is poor in Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Humus. Red soil had been formed from ancient crystalline and metamorphic rocks. The characteristics of this soil are light texture, porous and friable structure. 

Saline sodic soils that are found in Pachpadra, Sambhar, Ranns of Jalore of Rajasthan are also called as Solonchaks. Colour of this soil is dark grey to pale brown. Water table is sometime close to surface. Cultivation is not possible due to the impeded drainage and high degree of salinity. The only vegetation consists of some salt tolerant grasses and shrubs.

Formation of soil is called pedogenesis. Soil
formation is the process of soil formation from its parental
material. In most of the cases colouration, mineral composition and texture of
the soil is determined by its parental material. In addition to the soil parent
material, soil formation is also dependent upon other prevailing processes like climate mainly temperature and rainfall.

Aeolian soil is the wind deposited materials that consist primarily of sand or silt-sized particles. These materials tend to be extremely well sorted and free of coarse fragments. CaO content in such soils varies from 1.0-1.5 per cent.

Formation of soil is called pedogenesis. Soil formation is nothing but the process of soil formation from its parental material. In most of the cases colouration, mineral composition and texture of the soil is determined by its parental material. In addition to the soil parent material, soil formation is also dependent upon other prevailing processes like Climate, Relief etc.