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UPSC Prelims 1981 · Indian Geography · India’s Land and Borders
Himalayan rivers are perennial because
- (a) They flow from inexhaustible springs in the Himalayas
- (b) They are fed in summer by melting snow of Himalayas
- (c) There is continuous rain throughout the year in the catchment areas
- (d) None of the above
Show the answer and explanation
Answer: (b) They are fed in summer by melting snow of Himalayas
Summer snowmelt from Himalayan glaciers keeps them flowing when rain stops — perennial.
The idea
A perennial river continues flowing through the year because its water supply does not depend only on that season’s rain. Himalayan drainage combines rainfall with snowmelt, glacier melt and groundwater. The proportions differ among rivers and across the seasons.
Snow stores winter precipitation → Warm-season melting releases water → Monsoon adds rainfall → Groundwater sustains base flow → Sources overlap through the year → Main river flow persists
Why the others are wrong
(a) Springs don’t supply most of their water.
(c) The Himalaya doesn’t get rain all year.
Also know
Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra are the major Himalayan systems. Some peninsular rivers also maintain dry-season flow through groundwater or reservoirs, so “peninsular” does not automatically mean dry. A seasonal tributary and a perennial main river can belong to the same basin.
🔒 Himalayan rivers: snow + rain (perennial). Peninsular: rain only (seasonal).
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