River Basins and Inter-State Disputes
Basins by size (approximate area)
| Basin | Area (lakh sq km) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Ganga | ~8.6 | Largest |
| Indus (in India) | ~3.2 | |
| Godavari | ~3.1 | Largest peninsular basin |
| Krishna | ~2.6 | |
| Brahmaputra (in India) | ~2.0 | |
| Mahanadi | ~1.4 | |
| Narmada | ~0.99 | |
| Kaveri | ~0.8 | |
| Tapi | ~0.65 |
Inter-state river water disputes
| River | States | Tribunal / status |
|---|---|---|
| Kaveri | Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry | Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (1990; award 2007); SC 2018 modified; Cauvery Water Management Authority |
| Krishna | Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana | Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal I (1969) and II (2004) |
| Godavari | Maharashtra, AP, Karnataka, MP, Odisha, Telangana | Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal (1969) |
| Narmada | MP, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan | Narmada Water Disputes Tribunal (1969-79); Sardar Sarovar |
| Mahadayi (Mandovi) | Goa, Karnataka, Maharashtra | Mahadayi Tribunal (2010; 2018) |
| Ravi-Beas | Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan | Eradi Tribunal (1986); SYL canal |
| Vansadhara | Odisha, AP | Tribunal (2010) |
| Mullaperiyar | Kerala and Tamil Nadu | Dam; Supreme Court |
- Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956 established tribunals (Article 262, Parliament can legislate on inter-state river disputes). The Inter-State River Water Disputes (Amendment) Act, 2019 (Bill introduced to set up a single permanent tribunal; check current status).
- River Boards Act, 1956.
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.