Page 22 - SST Class 04

Kaveri. The Godavari is the largest river in the Know It!
Deccan. The Narmada and the Tapi flow from east to v The Godavari is considered
west and drain into the Arabian Sea. sacred and is called Dakshin
Ganga.
The rivers in the Deccan Plateau are seasonal and
mostly carry rainwater. They flow swiftly and make
many waterfalls on the course. Dams have been built on them to store water and
generate electricity. The important ones include the Hirakud Dam on the Mahanadi
River, the Mettur Dam on the Kaveri River and the Nagarjunasagar Dam on the
Krishna River.

Know It!

v The Jog Falls are the highest in India and are located on the Sharavati River in Karnataka.

The Deccan Plateau is rich in minerals, including gold, iron ore, mica etc. The gold
mines in Kolar (Karnataka) are an important source of gold.

The Deccan Plateau extends over the states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu
and Andhra Pradesh.

The soil here is rocky, which is not very fertile. The important soils found here are
black soil and red soil. These soils are good for cotton and sugarcane crops. Other
important crops grown here are oilseeds, groundnut, spices, pulses etc.

peninsula : an area joined to the mainland and mostly surrounded by water.
plateau : an area of flat land higher than the surrounding areas.
waterfall : a river or stream falling over a cliff or rock.
dam : a wall built across a river to store water and/or generate electricity.

Facts

• Central and South India is plateau for the most part.
• The peninsular India can be divided into Malwa Plateau and Deccan Plateau.
• The Malwa Plateau is located in the northern peninsula.

• The Deccan Plateau is triangular in shape and comprises a number of hills.
• The important rivers in the Deccan Plateau include the Godavari, the Narmada, the Krishna, the Tapi
and the Kaveri.
• The soil in the plateau is rocky; it is rich in minerals.

22 Contemporary Social Science-4