Formation of the Northern Plains
The Northern Plains (Indo-Gangetic-Brahmaputra Plains) are a vast, almost flat lowland between the Himalaya and the Peninsula.
Formation
- After the Himalaya rose, a deep trough, the foredeep, formed at its foot. Rivers poured sediments into it for millions of years, forming alluvium; the plain is mainly river-made.
- Three river systems built it: Indus (west), Ganga (centre), Brahmaputra (east).
- The plain is about 2,400 km long and 240-320 km wide (about 7 lakh sq km); the alluvium is up to a few thousand metres thick in the deepest part.
- The slope is very gentle, so rivers meander, braid and flood; a delta forms at the end.
- Very little relief: highest points are only 200-300 m.
Four belts across the plain (north to south)
| Belt | Width / position | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Bhabar | 8-16 km wide, at the foot of the Shiwalik | Pebbles and boulders dropped by streams; the streams disappear underground |
| Terai | 20-30 km wide, south of Bhabar | Marshy, damp; streams reappear; thick forests and wildlife (Dudhwa, Corbett); cleared for farming |
| Bhangar | Older alluvium | Above flood level; terraces; contains kankar (calcium nodules); less fertile; rich in clay |
| Khadar | Newer alluvium | Floodplain; renewed each year by silt; very fertile; best for wheat, rice, sugarcane |
Other features
- Reh / Kallar / Usar: saline efflorescence on the surface in Punjab, Haryana, UP after irrigation without drainage.
- Ravines (badlands) of the Chambal (Morena, Bhind), Yamuna and Son.
- Bhur: sandy ridges in western UP.
- Doabs: land between two rivers (Ganga-Yamuna Doab).
- Oxbow lakes, levees, meanders, braided channels are typical.
Keep practising
Notes are only half the work. Test yourself with questions and discuss doubts with other aspirants.
Prepared for exam revision from NCERT, standard geography textbooks, the Census of India 2011, the India State of Forest Report, IMD, Ministry of Agriculture and other official sources. Maps are schematic teaching maps, not Survey of India maps, and zone boundaries are approximate. Figures such as production, capacity, counts of parks and ports, and census status change, so check the latest official source before relying on them. Found a mistake? Tell us.