India is a fortunate in having several large rivers. Rivers are considered an important natural resources as they form the basis for the development of all economic activities like agriculture, industry, power, fisheries, transport etc. They are the major source of domestic water supply both in rural and urban areas. The rivers of India broadly divided into two major groups. They are (i) Himalayan rivers (Ganga, Sindhu and Brahmaputra) (ii) Peninsular rivers (Godavari, Krishna, Tungabadra, Mahanadhi, Kaveri, Narmada and Tapathi) etc.

IMPORTANT POINTS
 The drainage of India has evolved and adjusted itself with the evolution of the three physiographic units.
(i) The Himalayas
(ii) Peninsular Plateau and
(iii) The Indo Gangetic plain
* On the basis of origion, the drainage system in India can be broadly divided into two categories. They are (1) Himalayan rivers and (2) The peninsular rivers.
* The Himalayan rivers, the Indus, the Ganga and the Brahmaputra are perennial.
 *The Indus originates in the northern slopes of Kailash range in Tibet near lake Mansarovar. Indus enters Indian territory in Jammu and Kashimir.
 *The main tributaries of the Indus are Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas and Sutlej.
 *The Ganga has two sources. One is Gangotri (Bhagirathi) and second one is Alakananda. The Ganga is joined by large tributaries.
 *A majority of the tributaries of Ganga originate in the Himalayas but, some of them have their source in the peninsular plateau like the Chembal, the Sind, the Betwa, the Ken and the Son.
 *The Brahmaputra also known as "Tsangpo". The Brahmaputra in Tibet raises from the snout of the Chemayungdung glacier of the Kailas range near Mansarovar.
 *Indus and Brahmaputra carve out deep 'V' shaped valleys.
 *The Godavari, the Krishna, the Mahanadi and the Kaveri are the peninsular rivers. The Western Ghats are the water divide between the major peninsular rivers, discharging their water in the Bay of Bengal.
 *The Godavari is the largest peninsular river system.
 *Surface flow includes rivers, streams, canals and other flows on the surface of water.
 *The total amount of water added to the atmosphere from both evaporation and transpiration is called evapotranspiration.
 *Water used for drinking, cooking, washing, cleaning and for animals is vital need.
 *Tungabhadra shared by the two southern states of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh is a tributary of the larger river system of Krishna.
* Ground water extraction cannot be controlled at a small unit or within a village boundary.
 *Current laws on ground water use are out dated and in appropriate.
 *A portion of the rainfall percolates into the soil and travels to the under ground strata and recharges the aquifers.
 *A number of water harvesting structures were also built in the village check dams, percolation tanks and loose boulder structures in Hiware Bazar.
* Current laws on ground water use are in appropriate because the basic link between access to ground water and land ownership on which these rules are flawed.