India’s peninsular rivers, like the Godavari, Krishna, and Kaveri are perennial. That means they flow through the year. They get the water by monsoon rains and also get water from reservoirs and dams. The Western Ghats gets a lot of rain during the monsoon and that is how these rivers keep flowing.

On the other hand, most of India’s northern rivers on the Indo-Gangetic Plains like the Ganga and Yamuna are perennial as they depend heavily on rainwater as well as melting snow from the Himalayas. In summers, their flow reduces too much.

The socio-economic impact of these differences is huge. The perennial rivers in the northern region provide water throughout the year for agriculture, drinking and industrial needs. Since the availability is assured, crops are planned around the year. This ensures food security and sustains millions of livelihoods.
Seasonal rivers in the Indo-Gangetic Plains, however, pose both. During the dry season, these rivers can suffer from water scarcity affecting agriculture and crop production leading to farmers’ economic stress. On the other hand, during monsoon season, these rivers become flood prone and cause damage to crops, houses and physical infrastructure which requires to be managed through the construction of dams and irrigation systems for efficient storage and distribution.

Perennial rivers tend to have more stability and economic value, while seasonal rivers need more management to reduce the risks of water shortage and flood.