What are rivers ?

• A river is a body of water with current moving in one general direction. They can vary in size, with smaller versions of rivers being referred to as streams, creeks, or runs. The water in a river flows into either a larger river, a bay, or ocean. Rivers themselves are fed by smaller rivers or streams. Rivers are important habitat to many different types of plants and wildlife.

• • Rivers have been of fundamental importance throughout

the human history. Water from the rivers is a basic natural resource, essential for various human activities. Therefore, the river banks have attracted settlers from ancient times. These settlements have now become big cities. Using rivers for irrigation, navigation, hydro-power generations of special significance for country like India, where agriculture is the major source of livelihood of the majority of its population

What Role do the Rivers Play in Our Economy?Role of Rivers in the Economy:

• Rivers have remained important through the ages.• The areas along the banks of rivers have witnessed great cultural and economic

progress since ancient times.• Rivers are integral parts of our folklore and folk-songs.• River water is a basic natural resource.• It is essential for human, agricultural and industrial activities.• Rivers deposits alluvial soils.• They provide the most productive agricultural lands to the country.• The Ganga, the Kaveri and other deltas have traditionally been the rice growing

areas.• An agriculture-dependent on the vagaries of the monsoon; get irrigation water

from rivers. Hence rivers are the backbone of the developement of Indian agriculture.

• Rivers valleys have dense and concentrated settlements.

• Most of the large cities are located on the banks of rivers.• Rivers provide us with essential water supplies.• They also receive, dilute and transport wastes from settlements. Hence they prove to

be biggest cleaners to towns and cities.• Industrial development has flourished along rivers because numerous industrial

processes depend on water.• Water is used as raw material.• It is used to cool down the hot things.• It is used in generation of electricity.• Rivers provide primary channels of inland waterways in the form of navigable

waterways.• They also indirectly through their flat lands, where roads, railways lines and other

routes are built.• . Rivers are also being used for recreation; tourist promotion and fishing activities in a

big way.