Introduction

India is a vast country characterized by great diversity in its physical features. According to one estimate, 29.3 percent of the area of India is occupied by mountains and hills, 27.7 per cent by plateaus and 43 per cent by plains.

The Northern plain extends from west to east, between Himalayas in the north and Great Indian Plateau in the south. The plain extends from the arid and semi-arid areas of Rajasthan in the west to Brahmaputra valley in the east. This plain is very fertile and thus a very sizable part of the Indian population lives in this region.

Features of Northern Plains of India:

The following are the features of Northern Plains of India: 

• The Northern plain of India runs for roughly 2400 kilometres from west to east, and from north to south, it stretches for 240 to 320 kilometres. . In some parts, the depth of the sediments is as much as 2000 to 3000 metres
• Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra are the major rivers of Northern Plains of India
• It has a total size of around 5,80,000 square kilometres. The rivers of northern plains of India :Indus Ganga Brahmaputra Plain and its tributaries brought sediments or alluvial deposits down from the Himalayas, forming the Northern Plain of India
• Before the Indian Plate met with the Eurasian Plate, rivers that flowed into the Tethys Sea deposited massive volumes of sediment in the Tethys Geosyncline
• After the upliftment of the Himalayas, sediments and debris carried down by the rivers started to gather there to form the massive alluvial plain in the northern plain of India. This widespread plain is level and monotonous; some local diversities characterise it

There are diverse relief features in the vast Northern Plains. According to these variations in relief features, the Northern plains can be divided into four regions.

Bhabar

• Bhabar is a porous, thin strip found in the Great Plains’ northernmost reaches. It’s around 8-16 kilometres wide and runs east-west along the Shivaliks’ foothills (alluvial fans)
• Rivers descending from the Himalayas deposit their cargo in the shape of alluvial fans alongside the foothills. The Bhabar belt was formed when these alluvial fans combined. Bhabar’s porosity is one of its most distinguishing characteristics. The deposition of enormous amounts of pebbles and rock debris through the alluvial fans causes this porosity
• Due to the apparent porosity, the streams fade as they reach the Bhabar region. As a result, save during the rainy season, the area is distinguished by dry river courses
• The Bhabar belt is narrow in the east but wide in the west and north-west hilly regions. Only giant trees with large roots flourish in this region, which is unsuited for cultivation
• The Terai belt is located south of the Bhabar belt. The Terai is a poorly drained, wet (marshy) and densely forested narrow track running parallel to Bhabar to the south. The Terai stretches for roughly 15-30 kilometres
• Subsurface streams from the Bhabar belt resurface in this area. This highly forested area is home to a diverse assortment of animals. Kaziranga National Park in Assam and Jim Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand are parts of the Terai area
• Since the eastern parts of the Terai receive a more significant amount of precipitation than the western parts, the Terai is more evident in the east. The majority of Terai terrain, particularly in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, has been converted to agricultural land, yielding good sugarcane, rice, and wheat crops

Alluvial Plains: 

• New and old alluvium deposits define the Terai belt’s southern reaches. Bhanger and Khadar are the new names for the alluvial plains
• These plains have sandbars, meanders, oxbow lakes, and braided channels, typical of mature fluvial erosional and depositional features
• The riverine islands and sandbars of the Indus ganga Brahmaputra plains are well-known. Floods and fluctuating river patterns are common in these areas

Bhangar: 

• Bhangar is an older alluvium that forms terraces above the floodplain beside riverbeds. The decks are frequently covered in calcareous stone-like pebbles known as ‘Kankar’
• Regional versions of Bhangar include the ‘Barind plains’ in Bengal’s delta region and the ‘bhur formations’ in the middle Ganga and Yamuna doab
• Bhur refers to a raised land area along the Ganga River’s banks, particularly in the upper Ganga-Yamuna Doab. During the hot, dry months of the year, this is generated by the buildup of wind-blown sands

Khadar: 

• The flood plains along the riverbanks are formed by Khadar, which is made up of novel alluvium. River floods produce a new layer of alluvium practically every year. As a result, they are the Ganga region’s most fertile soil
• The world’s most incredible delta is formed in these plains. One of the most notable examples is the Sundarbans delta
• Apart from these features of Northern Plains of India, they are primarily featureless, rising barely 100-150 metres above sea level on average

Conclusion

Factors like fertile soil, favourable climate, and flat surface have made this plain very important. These conditions are favourable for development of irrigation infrastructure, construction of roads and railways. Due to these developments, northern plains support heavy concentration of population in the states of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal. Northern plains also have social and religious significance. For example the Ganga is considered sacred by everyone from Haridwar to Mathura. Due to fertile soil, perennial rivers and favourable climate plains have supported agricultural and industrial development of this region.