Tag: along the plains

The Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta is the largest river delta in the world. It is also known as the Sunderbans Delta, Ganges Delta, the Brahmaputra Delta, or the Bengal Delta. The Ganges River Delta is located in the Indian subcontinent countries of India (West Bengal) and Bangladesh.

The Ganges Delta is among the most fertile regions in the world. Along the coast, the width of the delta is approximately 350 km. The distance from the confluence of the Brahmaputra and the Ganges to the coast is some 250 km. 

The world's largest mangrove ecoregion of the Sundarbans covers an area of 20,400 sq. km.  The dominant mangrove species Heritiera fomes is locally known as sundri or Sundari. 

The Ganga-Brahmaputra Plain widens From west to east. The Ganga Brahmaputra basin is situated at 10°N to 30°N in the sub-tropical region. The basin is formed as a result of the many tributaries from Ganga and Brahmaputra river.

Tarai, also spelled Terai, a region of northern India and southern Nepal running parallel to the lower ranges of the Himalayas. A strip of undulating former marshland, it stretches from the Yamuna River in the west to the Brahmaputra River in the east. At its northern edge are numerous springs forming several streams, including the important Ghaghara River, which intersect the Tarai (meaning “Moist Land”) and are responsible for its marshy character. Interspersed with the Tarai is the Bhabar, which is a region of coarse gravel and shingle deposits supporting sal (Shorea robusta) forests. Drainage and cultivation of the area, once extremely malarial, have diminished the marshlands.

Ganga Delta,

Indo-Gangetic Plain, also called North Indian Plain, extensive north-central section of the Indian subcontinent, stretching westward from (and including) the combined delta of the Brahmaputra River valley and the Ganges (Ganga) River to the Indus River valley. The region contains the subcontinent’s richest and most densely populated areas. The greater part of the plain is made up of alluvial soil, deposited by the three main rivers and their tributaries. The eastern part of the plain has light rains or drought in the winter, but in summer rainfall is so heavy that vast areas become swamps or shallow lakes. The plain becomes progressively drier toward the west where it incorporates the Thar (Great Indian) Desert.

The Northern Plain was formed by the deposits brought in by the three major rivers and their tributaries.

1. The Indus 

2. The Ganga 

3. The Brahmaputra  

Alluvium was deposited at the foothills of the Himalayas for millions of years. These deposits are now the fertile Northern Plains.

• Northern Plains area is roughly 7 lakh sq. km. in size. 
  
• It is 2400 km long and 240 to 320 km broad.
  
• The Northern Plains spreading from Assam to Punjab has a length of around 2400 km and the width ranges between 150 km to 300 km, varying in different regions. It can be found in Bihar, Punjab, Assam, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, parts of Delhi and Haryana. 

The Northern Plain was formed by the interplay of the three major river systems, the Indus, the Ganga and the Brahmaputra along with their tributaries. It is composed of alluvial soil, it is about 2400 km long and about 240 to 320 km broad. With a rich soil cover combined with adequate water supply and favorable climate it is agriculturally a very productive part of India. It is divided into three sections, viz. the Punjab Plain, the Ganga Plain and the Brahmaputra Plain.