Indus-Ganga-Brahmaputra Plains: The Alluvial Landscape

Abstract

The vast alluvial plains of the Indus-Ganga-Brahmaputra river systems form one of the three major geomorphic provinces of the landmass of the Indian subcontinent. Drained by these three large rivers, these plains show significant variations in terms of landform development due to significant hydrological differences and variable tectonic-geomorphic regimes of their hinterlands. These plains have accumulated several kilometers of alluvial sediments over Quaternary timescales and are underlain by Siwaliks or older basement. Distinctive river processes in these three basins have often resulted in severe fluvial hazards such as floods, bank erosion, and rapid migration affecting millions of people.