West-Flowing Peninsular Rivers
| River | Origin | Length (km) | Mouth | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Narmada | Amarkantak (MP) | ~1,312 | Gulf of Khambhat | Rift valley between Vindhya and Satpura; Dhuandhar falls (Jabalpur); Sardar Sarovar (Gujarat), Omkareshwar, Indira Sagar; estuary at Bharuch |
| Tapi (Tapti) | Multai, Betul (MP) | ~724 | Gulf of Khambhat (Surat) | Rift valley south of Satpura; Ukai dam; Purna tributary |
| Mahi | Vindhyas (Dhar, MP) | ~580 | Gulf of Khambhat | Crosses the Tropic of Cancer twice; Kadana, Mahi Bajaj Sagar |
| Sabarmati | Aravalli (Rajasthan) | ~370 | Gulf of Khambhat | Ahmedabad; Gandhi Ashram; Dharoi dam |
| Luni | Ajmer (Aravalli) | ~495 | Rann of Kutch | Only river of the Thar; salty |
| Periyar | Sivagiri hills (Western Ghats) | 244 | Vembanad | Longest in Kerala; Idukki, Mullaperiyar |
| Bharathapuzha (Ponnani) | Anamalai | ~209 | Arabian Sea | Palakkad gap |
| Pamba | Pulachimalai | ~176 | Vembanad | Sabarimala |
| Mandovi (Mahadayi) | Karnataka (Bhimgad) | ~77 | Goa | Dudhsagar falls (~310 m); Mahadayi dispute |
| Zuari | Karnataka-Goa | ~92 | Goa | Zuari bridge, Mormugao |
| Sharavati | Shimoga | ~128 | Honnavar | Jog (Gersoppa) Falls (~253 m) |
| Kali, Netravati, Kalindi | Karnataka | - | Arabian Sea | Dandeli, Kaiga, Mangalore |
Why estuaries and not deltas?
West-flowing rivers have a short, steep course, fast flow and the sea there is deeper; they carry little silt. Narmada and Tapi flow in rift valleys (faults) with no tributaries of importance, and enter the sea in estuaries.
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.