Key Facts about Narmada River

About Narmada River:

• It is the largest west-flowing river in peninsular India.
• Of the major rivers of peninsular India, only the Narmada, the Tapti, and the Mahirun from east to west.
• Course:
  • The origin of the river is a tiny reservoir named Narmada Kund, which is situated on the Amarkantak Hill in East Madhya Pradesh at an elevation of 1,057 m (3,467.8 ft). 
  • The river flows through Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat between Vindhya and Satpura hill ranges before falling into the Gulf of Cambay in the Arabian Sea about 10 km north of Bharuch, Gujarat.
• Length: The total length of the river from source to sea is 1312 kilometres (815 miles). It is the fifth longest river of India.
• The Narmada basin extends over an area of 98,796 sq. km., which is nearly 3% of the total geographical area of the country.
• The basin is bounded on the north by the Vindhyas, on the east by the Maikala range, on the south by the Satpuras, and on the west by the Arabian Sea.
• The Tropic of Cancercrosses the Narmada basin in the upper plains area, and a major part of the basin lies just below this line.
• It is one of the rivers that flow in a rift valley and acts as a divider between north India and south India.
  • These rift valleys are the result of the faulting that took place when the northern flank of the Peninsula suffered subsidence.
• The river has numerous waterfalls, notably the Dhuandhar Falls, southwest of Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh. 
• Tributaries:
  • The main tributaries of Narmada River namely, Hallon River, Banjar River, Barna River, and Tawa River are the main source of water, irrigation and other resource-based activities in central India.
  • The Tawa River is the longest tributary of the Narmada River. 

Q1: What is the Gulf of Cambay?

The Gulf of Khambhat (also known as the Gulf of Cambay) is an inlet of the Arabian Sea along the west coast of India, in the state of Gujarat. It divides the Kathiawar Peninsula from the south-eastern part of Gujarat.

Source: Gujarat: Seven members of family feared drowned in Narmada river