India Physiography – The Northern Indian Plains

India can be divided into following physical divisions viz.

The Northern Mountains
The North Indian Plain
The Peninsular Plateau
Great Indian Desert
The Coastal Regions
Islands

The North Indian Plain

Formed by depositional work of Rivers viz. Indus, Ganga & Brahamputra
2400 km long & varying in width from 240 to approx. 320 km.
Divided into three sections, viz. the Punjab Plain (Indus), the Ganga Plain and the Brahmaputra Plain

Punjab Plains	Formed by the Indus and its tributaries with major portion of this plains in Pakistan.
Ganga Plains	Between Ghaggar and Tista rivers (Haryana, Delhi, UP, Bihar, part of Jharkhand and West Bengal lie in the Ganga plains)
Brahmaputra Plains	From Tista to Dihang with major portion lying in Assam

Also read: India Physiography – The Northern Mountains (Himalyas)

Northern plains subdivisions

Bhabhar

Lies along foothills of Shiwaliks, From Indus to Tista
Laid down by streams coming from hills
Comprises of pebble studded rocks (Highly porous bed plain)
Due to high porosity, streams disappear here

Tarai

Lies south of Bhabhar & runs parallel to it
Marked by re-emergence of underground streams of Bhabhar belt
Highly alluvial & agricultural land
Has a high-water table due to groundwater percolating down from the adjacent zone

Khadar

Flood plains with newer alluvium deposited by flood almost every year
Marked with fertile soil
Zone of intensive agriculture
Non porous, clayey and loamy

Bhangar

Alluvial terrace lying above the level of flood plains
Composed of the oldest alluvial soil
coarse in nature, contain kankar (lime nodules), pebbles, gravels
Soil of this region is locally known as kankar viz. calcareous concretions

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