MAJOR MOUNTAIN RANGES AND PEAKS OF INDIA

PRERNA FOR IAS

         Mehnat Aapki, Guidance Humari

         Roz ki Prelims Practice — Experts ke Saath

MAJOR MOUNTAIN RANGES AND PEAKS OF INDIA

1. Introduction

• India has a highly diverse relief structure consisting of young fold mountains, old residual mountains, plateaus, hills and coastal ranges.
• NCERT broadly identifies the Himalayan Mountains, Northern Plains, Peninsular Plateau, Indian Desert, Coastal Plains and Islands as the major physiographic divisions of India.
• Mountains influence climate, rainfall, drainage, biodiversity, agriculture, settlement and national security.

2. Himalayan Mountain System

• The Himalayas form India’s most extensive and highest mountain system and stretch across the northern boundary of the country.
• They are young fold mountains, geologically much younger than the Peninsular uplands.
• The Himalayas include parallel ranges such as the Himadri or Great Himalaya, Himachal or Lesser Himalaya and Shiwalik.
• They contain several of the world’s highest peaks and are the source region of major rivers such as the Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra.

3. Kangchenjunga and Other High Himalayan Peaks

• Kangchenjunga, situated on the India–Nepal border in the Sikkim Himalaya, rises to about 8,586 metres.
• It is generally recognised as the highest mountain peak associated with India and the third-highest mountain in the world.
• Nanda Devi, at about 7,816 metres, is one of the highest peaks located entirely within India.
• For examination purposes, the status of K2 (8,611 m) should be stated carefully because it lies in the Karakoram in territory presently administered by Pakistan and claimed by India.

4. Karakoram Range

• The Karakoram Range lies to the north-west of the main Himalayan system and contains some of the world’s greatest concentrations of high mountains and glaciers.
• Important features include K2, the Siachen Glacier and several very high passes and peaks.
• Its location gives the region exceptional strategic and geopolitical significance.

5. Aravalli Range

• The Aravallis are among the oldest fold-mountain systems of India and extend broadly from the Delhi region through Rajasthan towards Gujarat.
• Their highest point is Guru Shikhar near Mount Abu, at approximately 1,722 metres.
• In Rajasthan, the Aravallis form an important watershed and physiographic divide, separating the arid north-west from the relatively better-watered south-east.

6. Vindhya and Satpura Ranges

• The Vindhya Range lies mainly north of the Narmada valley and forms part of the Central Highlands.
• The Satpura Range lies largely south of the Narmada and extends across central India.
• The Narmada flows through the structural depression between the Vindhya and Satpura systems.
• The Dhupgarh peak, near Pachmarhi in Madhya Pradesh, is the highest point of the Satpura system, at about 1,350 metres.

7. Western Ghats

• The Western Ghats or Sahyadris form the steep western edge of the Deccan Plateau and run roughly parallel to India’s western coast.
• They are higher and more continuous than the Eastern Ghats and exert a major influence on the south-west monsoon.
• Anamudi, in Kerala, at about 2,695 metres, is the highest peak of the Western Ghats and the highest point of Peninsular India.
• The Western Ghats are also a globally important biodiversity hotspot.

8. Eastern Ghats and Nilgiri Hills

• The Eastern Ghats are discontinuous hills along the eastern margin of the Peninsular Plateau and are cut across by major rivers such as the Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri.
• The Nilgiri Hills occur where the Western and Eastern Ghats broadly converge in southern India.
• Doddabetta, about 2,637 metres high, is the highest peak of the Nilgiri Hills.

9. Purvanchal and North-Eastern Hills

• The Himalayan system bends southward in the north-east and continues through the Patkai, Naga, Manipur and Mizo hills, collectively associated with the Purvanchal region.
• These hills are characterised by dense forests, heavy rainfall and complex terrain.
• They also have considerable strategic importance because of India’s international boundaries in the north-east.

10. Overall Significance

• Indian mountains act as climatic barriers, watersheds and river sources, while supporting forests, biodiversity, tourism, agriculture and hydropower.
• The Himalayas strongly influence the monsoon and protect northern India from extremely cold continental winds.
• The Western Ghats cause heavy orographic rainfall along the western coast, while the Aravallis, Vindhyas and Satpuras influence drainage and regional climate.
• Mountain ecosystems are increasingly vulnerable to landslides, deforestation, unplanned construction, glacier retreat, tourism pressure and climate change.
• Their conservation is therefore essential for India’s water security, ecological stability, disaster resilience and sustainable development.