India Physiography – The Northern Indian Plains

India can be divided into following physical divisions viz.

• The Northern Mountains
• The North Indian Plain
• The Peninsular Plateau
• Great Indian Desert
• The coastal Regions
• Islands

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The North Indian Plain

• Formed by depositional work of Rivers viz. Indus, Ganga & Brahamputra
• 2400 km long & varying in width from 240 to approx. 320 km
• Divided into three sections, viz. the Punjab Plain (Indus), the Ganga Plain and the Brahmaputra Plain

Punjab Plains	Formed by the Indus and its tributaries with major portion of this plains in Pakistan
Ganga Plains	Between Ghaggar and Tista rivers (Haryana, Delhi, UP, Bihar, part of Jharkhand and West Bengal lie in the Ganga plains)
Brahmaputra Plains	From Tista to Dihang with major portion lying in Assam

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Northern plains subdivisions

Bhabhar  Lies along foothills of Shiwaliks, From Indus to Tista Laid down by streams coming from hills Comprises of pebble studded rocks (Highly porous bed plain) Due to high porosity, streams disappears here	Tarai  Lies south of Bhabhar & runs parallel to it Marked by re-emergence of underground streams of Bhabhar belt Highly alluvial & agricultural land Has a high water table due to groundwater percolating down from the adjacent zone
Khadar  Flood plains with newer alluvium deposited by  flood almost every year Marked with fertile soil Zone of intensive agriculture Non porous, clayey and loamy	Bhangar Alluvial terrace lying above the level of flood plains Composed of the oldest alluvial soil coarse in nature, contain kankar (lime nodules), pebbles, gravels Soil of this region is locally known as kankar  viz. calcareous concretions