In this article, we discuss the coastal plains of India. This topic is very important for various competitive exams such as UPSC, SSC, and State competitive exams.
The Indian coastline is about 7516.5 km long in which the coastal boundary of the mainland is about 6100 km and the coastal boundary of islands is about 1197 Km.
The Indian coastline touches 13 states and union territories. The coastal plains of India are present on both sides of peninsular India.
The eastern coastal plains of India are located along the Bay of Bengal and the western coastal plains are located along the Arabian sea.
The Indian coastline is straight and regular and not indented. Hence it does not offer a good site for natural harbors.
What are coastal plains?
A flat low-lying area of land adjacent to the sea coast is called coastal plains.
Eastern Coastal Plains of India:
It extends from the Ganga delta to Kanyakumari. It is made by deltas of rivers like Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, and Cauveri.
These deltas are very fertile for Agriculture. The delta of river Krishna is also called Granary of South India.
In Odisha, it is known as the Utkal coast. Utkal coast is present between Chilika lake and Kolleru Lake.
From the southern limit of the Utkal plain, stretch the Andhra coast. Andhra coast is present between the Kolleru Lake and Pulicat Lake.
In the south of Andhra plain, the Tamilnadu coast is present. The Tamilnadu coast and part of Andhra coast together known as Coromandal coast or payan ghat. Coromandal coast is present between Pulicat Lake and Kanyakumari in Tamilnadu.
Western Coastal Plain of India:
The western coastal plain of India is started from Gujarat in the North and passes through Maharashtra, Goa, and Karnataka, and ends in Kerala in the south.
The western coastal plains of India is divided into 4 parts -
1.Kutch and Kathiawar coast - Kutch is a gulf formed by the deposition of silt by the Indus river. Kathiawar is situated to the south of kutch.
2.Konkan coast - It is between Daman in the North and Goa in the south.
3.Kanada coast - It is between Marmagaon in the North and Mangalore in the south.
4.Malabar coast - It is between Mangalore to Kanyakumari.
Significance of Coastal Plain of India:
1.Coastal plain of India is more fertile so it is best for agriculture.
2.Fishing is more popular in the coastal areas and the occupation of most of the people in this area.
3.Ports in the Indian coastline area are helpful for trading.
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