The Western Ghats is the main watershed in the Peninsula. Major rivers of the Peninsula such as the Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, Cauvery flow eastwards on the plateau and drain into the Bay of Bengal. These rivers have built huge deltas near their mouths.
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Rivers which flow westwards from the Western Ghats are generally small. Narmada and Tapi (or Tapti) are the important west flowing streams which occupy structural depressions.
Classification of Peninsular Rivers:
These rivers can be divided into three drainage systems.
(i) Towards the Ganga:
Chambal, Betwa, Ken, Sind, Sone. These rivers rise in the Vindhya Range and Join the Yamuna or the Ganga.
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(ii) Towards the Arabian Sea:
Narmada and Tapi are two large rivers, flowing westwards between the Vindhya and the Satpura ranges and flow into Arabian Sea. The Luni, Sabarmati and Mahi are short and swift rivers.
(iii) Towards the Bay of Bengal:
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The Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri rise in the Western Ghats and flow into Bay of Bengal.
