The Coastal Plains in India

Narrow coastal lowlands surround peninsular India’s plateau. These lowlands arose from the seabeds next to the land, as shown by raised beaches of 30 to 50 meters in height and wave-cut features above the high watermark. The Arabian Sea washes the plains on the west, the Bay of Bengal washes the plains on the east, and the Indian Ocean hits the southern tip of the plains in Kanyakumari.

The west coast is narrower but wetter than the east coast, considerably larger but dry. There are several river deltas on the east coast, including the Mahanadi, Krishna, Godavari, and Cauvery, but none on the west coast. The five southern states’ granaries are formed by these deltas.

Several river deltas on the east coast, including the Mahanadi, Krishna, Godavari, and Cauvery, but none on the west coast. The five southern states of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, and Puducherry share these deltas as a ‘granary.’ Spices, nuts, coconuts, palms, and other tropical plants grow abundantly along the western coastal strips.

The coastal plains are a short strip that runs for roughly 6,000 kms from the Ganga-Brahmaputra delta (east) to the Rann of Kuchchh (west), between the margins of the Peninsular Plateau and India’s coastline.

The Coastal Plain Of The West

It is between the coast of the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats, whereas the East Coastal Plain lies among the Eastern Ghats and the Bay of Bengal coast. The southernmost tip, Kanyakumari, is where these coastal plains meet.

The West Coastal Plains: The narrow west coastal plains stretch from Kanyakumari (south) to Rann of Kachchh (north), have a moderate width of 65 kms. It is relatively slim in the centre and slightly wider towards the north and south. We can classify it into the following sections based on relief and structure. Lagoons and oceans border the Peninsula of Kachchh. The substance carried by the River Indus, which flowed via this region, eventually filled these lagoons and seas. Hence, the island joined with the landmass, resulting in the formation of a rather large plain.

Some researchers do not believe it to be a portion of the plains of the west coast and instead consider it a distinct entity. Other geographers believe Kathiawar and Kachchh to be a portion of the plateau’s Peninsula since Kathiawar is composed of Deccan Lava plus the Kachchh region contains tertiary rocks.

According to them, the actual west coastal plain stretches for 1600 kms between Kanyakumari and Surat. However, it is primarily a plain located near India’s west coast. As a result, one should consider it a portion of Coastal Plains of West.

The most extensive peak, Mt. Gimar (1,117 metres), is thought to be volcanic. The Gir Range is present in the peninsula’s southern Kathiawar region. Everyone knows it as the abode of Gir lions and is covered and surrounded by lush woods.

The Gujarat Plain, stretching east of Kathiawar and Kuchchh, slopes west and southwest. It’s almost as though Indo-Gangetic situations had made their way onto the Peninsula. The plain, formed by multiple rivers including Narmada, Mahi, Tapi, and Sabarmati, encompasses Gujarat’s southern half and the Gulf of Khambhat’s coastal sections.

The Eastern coastal plains

The Eastern Coastal Plains go from the river Subamarekha through the Orissa- West Bengal edge to Kanyakumari and are situated between India’s east coast and the Eastern Ghats. The rivers Krishna, Godavari, Mahanadi, and Cauvery, which comprise the most significant deltas, form considerable plain portions due to the alluvial fills of littoral zones.

The Eastern Ghats form its western limit, defined by outlines of 100 kilometres (Andhra Pradesh), 75 kilometres (Orissa), and 150 kilometres (Tamil Nadu). Conversely, the Western Coastal Plains are expansive plains with a moderate width (120 kms). However, they can stretch up to 200 kms.

Between the Krishna and Mahanadi rivers, people call this plain the Northern Circars, and between Krishna and Kaveri rivers, it is known as the Carnatic. The plain separates into three parts based on physiographic differences.

The Utkal Plain, which encompasses Orissa’s coastal areas, is 400 kms long. The Mahanadi delta, including Cuttack on top of it, is included. This delta has a heavy layer of alluvium. The Chilka Lake, located in the Mahanadi delta’s south, is this plain’s most conspicuous physiographic feature.

This lagoon, located on the coast of Orissa, is around 70 kilometres long, with a maximum width of almost 22 kilometres in the northeast and a maximum width of 7 kilometres in the southwest. This lake is the country’s largest lake, ranging from 780 square kilometres in winters to 1,144 square kilometres during the monsoon season. Low hills spot the plain south of Chilika Lake. The Andhra Plain stretches up to Pulicat Lake, 40 kilometres from Chennai.

Conclusion 

Fertile soils cover large areas of India’s coastal plains, which people use to cultivate various crops. The primary crop in these areas is rice. The whole coast’s length has small and large ports that aid in trade. These ports handle almost 98 per cent of our overseas trade. Large amounts of mineral oil exist in the plains’ sedimentary strata. The Kerala coast’s sands are rich in monazite, which people use in nuclear energy. Fishing is a significant income source for people who live around the coast. Gujarat’s low-lying parts are notable for delivering salt.