Drainage System in Asia

The drainage system of Asia is primarily referred to as the drainage basins of Asia. This area collects water by performing precipitation and drains it into common outlets like bays, rivers, or any other running body of water. This drainage basin includes all the surface water available in snowmelt, sleet, rain runoff, and groundwater under the earth’s surface. Considering the Asian geography, the drainage system of India and the drainage system of the Harappan civilization can be prominent sources of describing the drainage system of Asia. This article will deliver proportionate information on the drainage system of Asia with the help of considerable resources driven from the Harappan civilisation and India.

The drainage system in Asia

If we talk specifically about the Southeast region of Asia, then it is drained by five rivers. Collectively these rivers constitute a major rivers system for the drainage of southeast Asia. These five rivers are

• Irrawaddy
• Salween
• Chao Phraya
• Mekong
• Red Rivers

Out of these five rivers, the largest system of three rivers, namely Irrawaddy, Mekong, and the Salween, originates from the Plateau of Tibet. The formation of these three rivers means that the middle and upper drainage basins do not have broad catchment areas. This consists of several streams for closely spaced valleys.

The drainage system of India:

The drainage system of India is a collective number of big and small rivers. These rivers that perform the drainage system function in India result from the evolution of three major physiographic units and the characteristics and nature of precipitation. This is commonly referred to as the Himalayan drainage system consisting of rivers like the Ganga, the Indus, and the Brahmaputra. The drainage system of India is biassed towards the Bay of Bengal, with a huge 90% of the total surface water being drained into it. The remaining 10 per cent is drained into the Arabian Sea.

The Himalayan drainage system

There has been a record of India’s long geographical history of the Himalayan drainage system. It is a collection of three main river systems:

1. Ganga River System.
2. Indus River System.
3. Brahmaputra River System.

Let us move to a detailed description of these water bodies leading the drainage system in India.

Ganga River System is a combined river system with Alaknanda and Bhagirathi as sub-parts. Devprayag happens to be the meeting point of both these rivers that originate from Gangotri Glacier. The Indus River System includes sub-parts like Jhelum, Rabi, Sutlej, Chenab, Beas, etc. It is one of the largest rivers, with a length of 3600 Km. The third river system is the Brahmaputra which holds fourth place in terms of the largest volume of water with its drainage in three countries, namely, Tibet, India, and Bangladesh.

The Peninsular Drainage System

Several rivers perform the peninsular drainage system. The central Indian hills give rise to Narmada and Tapi rivers, which later join the Arabian sea. Narmada and Tapi flow between Vindhya and Satpura ranges and south, respectively.

The Drainage System of the Harappan Civilization

The Harappan civilisation had so much to look up to in city planning. The drainage system of the Harappan civilisation is also a thing that can be resourceful in discussing the drainage system of Asia. The Harappan city was divided between Citadel, also referred to as the upper town, and the lower town. The drainage system of the Harappan civilisation is the best-known drainage system of ancient times.

A few main and considerable facts about the drainage system of the Harappan civilisation are

1. They did brickwork to strangle the leakage of dirty water.
2. They utilised wooden screens to control the washing away of solid wastes.
3. They used to build drains on either side of the road.
4. The Drainage System of the Harappan civilisation used stones to cover them, and these could be removed at the time of cleaning.

Conclusion

The drainage system of Asia is a collection of rivers that performs the drainage with the help of several naturally occurring activities like precipitation of groundwater. With naturally occurring precipitation of groundwater in landmasses facilitates the collection and draining of water and keeps up the drainage system of Asia. The Indian drainage system is generally bi-functional as it has two important water bodies working for the same function. This article provides you with the best comprehensive understanding of the drainage system and particularly the drainage system of Asia.