Garudeshwar, shows that the maximum flow is of the order of , cusecs, while the minimum flow is only cusecs. The Godavari has the minimum discharge in May, and the maximum in July-August. After August, there is a sharp fall in water flow although the volume of flow in October and November is higher than that in any of the months from January to May. The mean maximum discharge of the Godavari at Polavaram is , cusecs while the mean minimum flow is only cusecs.
These figures give an idea of the regime of the river. E XTENT OF U SABILITY OF R IVER W ATER The rivers of India carry huge volumes of water Table . : Comparison between the Himalayan and the Peninsular River Sl. No.
Aspects Himalayan River Peninsular River . Place of origin Peninsular plateau and central highland . Nature of flow Seasonal; dependent on monsoon rainfall . Type of drainage Super imposed, rejuvenated resulting in trellis, radial and rectangular patterns .
Nature of river Smaller, fixed course with well-adjusted valleys . Catchment area Relatively smaller basin . Age of the river Old rivers with graded profile, and have almost reached their base levels Himalayan mountain covered with glaciers Perennial; receive water from glacier and rainfall Antecedent and consequent leading to dendritic pattern in plains Long course, flowing through the rugged mountains experiencing headward erosion and river capturing; In plains meandering and shifting of course Very large basins Young and youthful, active and deepening in the valleys per year but it is unevenly distributed both in time and space. There are perennial rivers carrying water throughout the year while the non-perennial rivers have very little water during the dry season.
During the rainy season, much of the water is wasted in floods and flows down to the sea. Similarly, when there is a flood in one part of the country, the other area suffers from drought. Why does this happen? Is it the problem of availability of water resource or that of its management?
Can you suggest some measures to mitigate the problems