Rivers and Drainage

Jharkhand's rivers rise on the plateau and flow out in three directions — east into the Ganga through the Damodar, east-south-east through the Subarnarekha, and north into the Ganga through the Sone system. All of them drain into the Bay of Bengal.

Damodar — about 592 km | Subarnarekha — about 395 km | All drainage reaches the Bay of Bengal

The main rivers

The Damodar

• Rises at Khamarpat hill on the plateau, in the Latehar side
• Length about 592 km; flows east into West Bengal
• Known as the sorrow of Bengal because of its floods before the damsबार-बार पूछा जाता है
• Main tributaries — Barakar, Konar, Jamunia, Bokaro
• Its valley carries the state's coal belt and its main industrial towns
• The Damodar Valley Corporation was set up on 7 July 1948

The Subarnarekha

• Rises near Nagri in Ranchi district; the spot is called Rani Chuan
• Length about 395 km; flows through Jharkhand, West Bengal and Odisha
• Tributaries include the Kharkai, Kanchi, Harmu and Roro
• Forms the Hundru Falls, a drop of about 98 metres
• Its name means streak of gold, from gold traces found in its sands
• Jamshedpur stands at the meeting of the Subarnarekha and the Kharkai

Drainage pattern

• The plateau acts as a water divide sending rivers in several directions
• Northern rivers such as the North Koel drain into the Sone and then the Ganga
• Eastern rivers such as the Damodar and Mayurakshi drain directly toward the Ganga
• Southern rivers such as the South Koel and Sankh feed the Brahmani in Odisha
• The drainage is largely dendritic, following slope and rock structure
• Rivers are mostly rain-fed, so flow falls sharply after the monsoon

Points that get asked

• Longest river within the state — the Damodar
• River called the sorrow of Bengal — the Damodar
• River rising near Ranchi — the Subarnarekha
• Largest tributary of the Damodar — the Barakar
• Rivers joining to form the Brahmani — South Koel and Sankh