About Coastal Plains of India
The coastal plains of India lie on both sides of peninsular India. The eastern coastal plains of India are along the Arabian Sea and the western coastal plains of India are along the Bay of Bengal. The eastern coastal plains extend from West Bengal to the southernmost point of Kanyakumari and the western coastal plains extend from the Rann of Kutch in Gujarat to the southernmost point of Kanyakumari. As it is clear the coastal plains of India meet at the peninsular tip at Kanyakumari, also the southernmost tip of the Indian mainland. The coastal plains of India exist in-between the long-range mountain ranges and the water bodies on each side. The eastern coastal plains exist in-between the Eastern Ghats and the Bay of Bengal and the western coastal plains exist between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea.
In India, the coastal regions are known for trade, agriculture, tourist centers, industrial centers, salt making, and fishing. They offer crucial hinterlands for the large ports. Different parts of the Indian coastal plains own fertile and rich soil where apart from the tice several other crops can be grown.
A coastal plain is called a low-lying and flat land that is adjacent to the sea coast. The coastal plains in India lay on either side of the Deccan Plateau with the eastern and western coast of India. The total extension of these two is 6150 km from the Rann of Kutch from the west to West Bengal.
What is a Coastal Plain?
A coastal plain is a flat low-lying area of land, which is adjacent to the sea coast. Geographically speaking, a coastal plain is a low-relief landmass that is surrounded by the sea or an ocean on one side and the highlands on the other. Thus, they are bounded seaward because of the shoreline and landward because of the highlands. As one follows from the sea to the highlands, there is a gradual increase in the elevation of the land area rising gently in a series of flat-land terraces separated by scraps or hills with altitudes reaching 100m-300m.
Western Coastal Plains
The western coastal plain is sandwiched between the Arabian sea and Western ghats. It is called a narrow plain. It comprises a three-section, Konkan (Mumbai Goa) is the northern part of India. Kannad Plain is the central stretch while the Malabar coast is known as the Southern Stretch.
Eastern Coastal Plains
The eastern coastal plain with the Bay of Bengal is leveled and wide. In the northern part, this is called the Northern Circar while the southern part is called the Coromandel Coast. The large rivers like Mahanadi, the Krishna, the Godavari and the Kaveri have also built enormous deltas on the coast. Chilika lake is a crucial feature of the eastern coast.
This is an overview of these two types of coastal plains, you will get the detailed definition of these two prepared by the Vedantu experts below.
Coastal Plains of India and How are they Formed?
The story of the coastal plains of India and how they are formed is an interesting one from the viewpoint of geography. The Indian subcontinent was part of a supercontinent called the Gondwanaland about 140 million years ago. As the supercontinent split, the Indian tectonic landmass got isolated and over millions of years traveled towards the Eurasian plate and eventually combined with it. Thus, the regular and quite straight coastline of India is the result of the breaking up of the Gondwanaland during the Cretaceous period. Because of this breaking, it not only gave rise to the coast-line in the south but with it the coastal plains of India also came into existence.
As is already known the coastal plains of India are divided into the following two coastal plains:
Eastern Coastal Plains
Western Coastal Plains
Both the coastal plains together form a coastline of 7516.6km. This coastline includes the Indian mainland coastline with a length of 6100km and the shorelines of the Lakshadweep and Andaman-Nicobar islands. The coastal plains of India are a part of 13 state and union territories of India. Altogether the coastal plains is a result of a beautiful formation of landmass because of the location of the three huge water bodies surrounding the Indian subcontinent.
Both the eastern coastal plains and western coastal plains are shown in the given figure:
Both the coastal plains are further explained below:
Eastern Coastal Plains
The eastern coastal plains stretch from West Bengal in the north to the southern tip of Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu, in the south. The coastal plains also include the states of Andhra Pradesh and Orissa. As mentioned above they lie between the Eastern Ghats and the Bay of Bengal. The region covers deltas formed by the rivers of Mahanadi, Krishna, Godavari, and Kaveri spread throughout the southeast peninsula. These deltas of the eastern coastal plains are very fertile. An example of this is the delta of the river Krishna which is known as the ‘Granary of South India’.
The eastern coastal plains can be further subdivided into the following three coasts:
The Utkal Coast: They extend from Chilka Lake to the Kollur Lake covering a very wide area. It is the recipient of heavy rainfall owing to the Eastern Ghats. Rice, coconut, and banana are some of the major crops for cultivation.
Andhra Coast: It extends from Kollur Lake in the north to Pulicat Lake in the south. It covers the basin area of the Krishna and Godavari rivers.
Coromandel Coast: It falls in between Pulicat Lake and Kanyakumari. It also received high rainfall because of the northeast monsoon, especially during the winter season.
When asked to name the states union territories forming the eastern coastline the answer can be given from above as West Bengal, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Western Coastal Plains
The western coastal plains extend from Gujarat in the north to the state of Kerala in the South. In-between it covers the states of Maharashtra, Goa, and Karnataka. Although it covers a length of 1500 km, the western coastal plains are very narrow as compared to their counterpart in the east with a width of 10 km to 25 km. The Bombay Coast is the widest area of the western coastal plains. Significant features of these coastal plains include oil-rich areas and beautiful lagoons in the Malabar Coast which are attractive tourist destinations. Even they receive heavy rainfall due to the Western Ghats during the southwest monsoon.
The western coastal plains can be further divided into the following areas:
Kachchh and Kathiawar Coast: Kachchh formed from the silt deposition by the Indus is covered with shallow water during the monsoon season. It is divided into the Great Rann of Kutch and the Little Rann of Kutch in the east. Located to the south of Kutch comes the Kathiawar coast.
Konkan Coast: It extends from Daman union territory in the north to the state of Goa in the south. The major crops that grow in these coastal areas are rice and cashew nuts.
Kanada Coast: An iron-rich area this region lies in-between the Marmagaon and Mangalore regions.
Malabar Coast: Extending between Mangalore and Kanyakumari it is a relatively broad area and is well-known for the lagoons running parallel to the southern coast in Kerala.
In India, coastal plains do not offer many port areas but host many attractive sites for tourist destinations. Along with that, they are recipients of high rainfall and thus are centers of many economical, agricultural, and pisciculture activities. A very brief description of the coastal plains of India is given in this article which also offers an insight into the peculiarities of the Indian landmass.
Several crops depend on the coastal regions in India, so their importance must be well-known by each citizen. As discussed above, different regions support the cultivation of different crops, so a fair idea about it could help students gain better marks in their examination. The aim of Vedantu experts is not only to help the students gain better marks, but they also gain knowledge about the different parts of the country.
FAQs on Coastal Plains of India
1. What are the Coastal Plains of India and where are they located?
The Coastal Plains of India are extensive stretches of flat, low-lying land situated along the Indian coastline. They are broadly divided into two main parts: the Western Coastal Plains, which lie between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea, and the Eastern Coastal Plains, which are located between the Eastern Ghats and the Bay of Bengal. These plains are formed by alluvial deposits from rivers and the action of sea waves.
2. How are the Eastern and Western Coastal Plains of India different from each other?
The Eastern and Western Coastal Plains differ significantly in their geography and features:
Width: The Eastern Coastal Plain is generally wider and more level than the Western Coastal Plain, which is narrow and uneven.
Rivers and Deltas: The Eastern Plain is drained by large rivers like the Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, and Kaveri, which form extensive, fertile deltas. In contrast, the Western Plain has short, swift rivers that form estuaries instead of deltas.
Coastline: The Eastern coastline is an emergent coast, resulting in a smooth shoreline with fewer natural harbours. The Western coastline is a submergent coast, which is indented and provides several natural harbours like Mumbai and Kochi.
3. What are the major subdivisions of the Western and Eastern Coastal Plains?
The Coastal Plains are divided into several sections based on their geographical location.
The Western Coastal Plain is divided into three main parts from north to south:
The Konkan Coast (Mumbai to Goa)
The Kannad Plain (in Karnataka)
The Malabar Coast (in Kerala)
The Eastern Coastal Plain is divided into two main parts:
The Northern Circars (the northern part, including the Utkal Coast in Odisha)
The Coromandel Coast (the southern part, from Andhra Pradesh to Tamil Nadu)
4. Why is the Eastern Coastal Plain wider and more suitable for agriculture than the Western Coastal Plain?
The Eastern Coastal Plain is wider because it has been formed by the extensive alluvial deposits from large, east-flowing rivers like the Mahanadi, Godavari, and Krishna. These rivers flow over gentle slopes, carry vast amounts of sediment, and build up large deltas. This process creates a broad, fertile landscape ideal for agriculture, especially rice cultivation. The Western Coastal Plain is narrower because the rivers flowing from the Western Ghats are short and swift, carrying less sediment and thus forming smaller estuaries rather than large deltas.
5. What is the economic importance of the Coastal Plains of India?
The Coastal Plains are of immense economic importance to India. Their fertile lands support intensive agriculture, with major crops like rice, coconut, and spices. The numerous ports along both coasts, such as Mumbai, Chennai, and Kochi, are crucial for national and international trade. The coastline also supports a large fishing industry, and the beautiful beaches and backwaters make it a hub for tourism. Additionally, these regions are rich in resources like salt, and the sands of the Kerala coast contain valuable monazite.
6. How do the rivers flowing through the Coastal Plains influence their characteristics?
Rivers are the primary architects of the coastal plains. On the east coast, long, slow-moving rivers create vast, fan-shaped deltas that are extremely fertile and agriculturally productive. On the west coast, the short, fast-flowing rivers do not form deltas; instead, they create deep, funnel-shaped estuaries. While not as agriculturally expansive as deltas, these estuaries are biologically rich ecosystems and often serve as excellent natural harbours, facilitating maritime trade.
7. What are some unique geographical features, like lagoons and backwaters, found in the Coastal Plains?
The Coastal Plains are home to unique water bodies. The Eastern Coastal Plain features large lagoons, such as Chilika Lake in Odisha and Pulicat Lake in Andhra Pradesh, which are shallow bodies of saltwater separated from the sea by sandbars. The Western Coastal Plain, particularly the Malabar Coast in Kerala, is famous for its backwaters (kayals). These are a network of interconnected canals, lakes, and inlets lying parallel to the coast, which are vital for local transport and a major tourist attraction.
8. How do the Coastal Plains relate to the Ghats that border them?
The Coastal Plains and the Ghats have an inseparable geographical relationship. The Western and Eastern Ghats act as the inland boundary for the plains and are the source of most rivers that flow through them, depositing the sediment that forms the plains. The Ghats also heavily influence the climate of the plains. For instance, the Western Ghats cause heavy orographic rainfall on the Western Coastal Plain while creating a rain shadow on the Deccan Plateau, which lies further inland.
