Editing Geography of India (section)

====Water bodies====
{{Main|Rivers of India}}
[[File:Teestavalley.jpg|thumb|[[National highways of India|National Highway]] [[List of National Highways in India|31A]] winds along the banks of the [[Teesta River]] near [[Kalimpong]] ([[West Bengal]]), in the [[Darjeeling]] Himalayan hill region.]]
India has around 14,500&nbsp;km of inland navigable waterways.<ref name="IWAI">{{cite web |title=Introduction to Inland Water Transport |url=http://iwai.gov.in/introduction.htm |publisher=Government of India |access-date=19 November 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120709231653/http://iwai.gov.in/introduction.htm |archive-date=9 July 2012}}</ref> There are twelve rivers which are classified as major rivers, with the total catchment area exceeding {{convert|2528000|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}.<ref name="manorama3" /> All major rivers of India [[Source (river or stream)|originate]] from one of the three main [[water divide|watersheds]]:<ref name="manorama3" />
* The Himalaya and the Karakoram ranges
* Vindhya and Satpura range in central India
* Sahyadri or Western Ghats in western India

The Himalayan river networks are snow-fed and have a perennial supply throughout the year. The other two river systems are dependent on the monsoons and shrink into rivulets during the dry season. The Himalayan rivers that flow westward into [[Punjab, India|Punjab]] are the [[Indus River|Indus]], [[Jhelum River|Jhelum]], [[Chenab River|Chenab]], [[Ravi River|Ravi]], [[Beas River|Beas]], and [[Sutlej]].<ref name="manorama4" />

The [[Ganges]]-[[Brahmaputra River|Brahmaputra]]-[[Meghna River|Meghana]] system has the largest catchment area of about {{convert|1600000|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}.<ref name="Elhance1999">{{cite book|last=Elhance|first=Arun P.|title=Hydropolitics in the Third World: conflict and cooperation in international river basins|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uB0ZSZjTECsC&pg=PA156|year=1999|publisher=US Institute of Peace Press|isbn=978-1-878379-91-7|pages=156–158}}</ref> The [[Ganges Basin]] alone has a catchment of about {{convert|1100000|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}.<ref name="manorama3" /> The Ganges originates from the [[Gangotri Glacier]] in Uttarakhand.<ref name="manorama4" /> It flows southeast, draining into the Bay of Bengal.<ref name="manorama3" /> (The [[Yamuna]] and [[Gomti]] rivers also arise in the western Himalayas and join the Ganges in the plains.<ref name="manorama3" /> The Brahmaputra originates in [[Tibet]], [[People's Republic of China|China]], where it is known as the [[Yarlung Tsangpo River]]) (or "Tsangpo"). It enters India in the far-eastern state of [[Arunachal Pradesh]], then flows west through [[Assam]]. The Brahmaputra merges with the Ganges in Bangladesh, where it is known as the [[Jamuna River (Bangladesh)|Jamuna River]].<ref name="manorama3" /><ref name="britannica">[https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/77154/Brahmaputra-River/48053/Physical-features Brahmaputra River] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120125101600/http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/77154/Brahmaputra-River/48053/Physical-features |date=25 January 2012 }}, Encyclopædia Britannica</ref>

The [[Chambal River|Chambal]], another tributary of the Ganges, via the Yamuna, originates from the Vindhya-Satpura watershed. The river flows eastward. Westward-flowing rivers from this watershed are the [[Narmada River|Narmada]] and [[Tapti River|Tapi]], which drain into the Arabian Sea in Gujarat. The river network that flows from east to west constitutes 10% of the total outflow.{{clarify|date=May 2011|reason=10% of the what total outflow? paragraph also a bit confusing—easy to read it as saying the Narmada and Tapi are tributaries of the Chambal.}}

[[File:Papikondalu view 04.jpg|thumb|The [[Godavari River]] at [[Papi Hills]]]]
(The Western Ghats are the source of all Deccan rivers, which include the through [[Godavari River]], [[Krishna River]] and [[Kaveri River]], all draining into the Bay of Bengal. These rivers constitute 20% of India's total outflow).<ref name="manorama4">{{cite book | title = Manorama Yearbook 2006 ''(India – The Country)''| pages =518}}</ref>

The heavy southwest monsoon rains cause the Brahmaputra and other rivers to distend their banks, often flooding surrounding areas. Though they provide rice paddy farmers with a largely dependable source of natural irrigation and fertilisation, such floods have killed thousands of people and tend to cause displacements of people in such areas.

Major gulfs include the [[Gulf of Cambay]], [[Gulf of Kutch]], and the [[Gulf of Mannar]]. Straits include the [[Palk Strait]], which separates India from Sri Lanka; the [[Ten Degree Channel]], which separates the Andamans from the Nicobar Islands; and the Eight Degree Channel, which separates the Laccadive and Amindivi Islands from the Minicoy Island to the south. Important capes include the [[Kanyakumari]] (formerly called Cape Comorin), the southern tip of mainland India; [[Indira Point]], the southernmost point in India (on [[Great Nicobar]] Island); [[Rama's Bridge]], and [[Point Calimere]]. The Arabian Sea lies to the west of India, the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean lie to the east and south, respectively. Smaller seas include the [[Laccadive Sea]] and the [[Andaman Sea]]. There are four [[coral reef]]s in India, located in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the Gulf of Mannar, Lakshadweep, and the Gulf of Kutch.<ref name="manorama5" /> Important lakes include [[Sambhar Lake]], the country's largest saltwater lake in Rajasthan, [[Vembanad Lake]] in Kerala, [[Kolleru Lake]] in Andhra Pradesh, [[Loktak Lake]] in [[Manipur]], [[Dal Lake]] in Kashmir, [[Chilka Lake]] (lagoon lake) in Odisha, and [[Sasthamkotta Lake]] in Kerala.