Rivers of Rajasthan

The State of Rajasthan is one of the driest states of the country and the total surface water resources in the state are only about 1% of the total surface water resources of the country. The rivers of the state are rain-fed and identified by 14 major basins divided into 59 sub-basins. The Aravalli range forms the main watershed for Rajasthan, dividing the drainage into the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. The rivers of Rajasthan can be divided into three main types based on their drainage pattern, they are:

Rivers that drain into Arabian sea,
Rivers that drain into bay of bengal and
Rivers with inland drainage.

The Luni river system that rises from the western slopes of the Aravalli Range (near Ajmer) flows through the semi-arid transitional plains into the Rann of Kutch and Arabian Sea, while the Banas and other streams, rising from the eastern slopes of the Aravallis, join the Chambal. The Chambal, then flows into the Yamuna-Ganga river system which drains into the Bay of Bengal. The main watercourses like the Sabarmati, Banas, etc. and the tributaries of the Luni, are more or less parallel to the Aravalli Range.

State has 7 major reservoirs and 41 rivers. Additionally, rivers in the state are mostly seasonal with only two river basins (Chambal and Mahi) being perennial.