Himalayan rivers such as the Ganga, Indus and Brahmaputra are examples of:

Perennial rivers flow throughout the year. The major Himalayan rivers, such as the Ganga, Indus and Brahmaputra, are perennial because they are fed by both rainfall and the melting of snow and glaciers.

Why Himalayan rivers are perennial:

• They rise in high mountains with permanent snowfields and glaciers.
• In summer, when rainfall is low in the plains, melting snow and ice feed the rivers.
• In the monsoon season, heavy rainfall adds more water.
• So, they have water all year round, though their flow is much higher during the monsoon.

Features of Himalayan rivers:

• They are long and have large basins.
• They flow through steep mountain valleys before reaching the plains.
• In the plains, they form meanders, floodplains and large deltas.
• They carry huge loads of silt, which make the northern plains very fertile.
• They are suitable for irrigation through canals and for hydroelectric power.

Peninsular rivers:

• Most rivers of the Peninsular Plateau, such as the Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri, are mainly rain-fed.
• Their flow falls sharply in the dry season, and smaller ones may dry up completely; so they are often described as seasonal or non-perennial.
• They flow through old, stable land, with shallower valleys and shorter courses.
• Many have waterfalls and rapids where they descend from the plateau.

Comparison:

• Himalayan rivers: snow-fed and rain-fed; perennial; young, actively eroding; long courses; large deltas.
• Peninsular rivers: mainly rain-fed; seasonal; old, mature; shorter courses.

Inland drainage:

Some rivers, such as the Luni in Rajasthan, do not reach the sea and end in lakes, marshes or deserts.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Seasonal (ephemeral) rivers flow only during the rainy season.
• ✗Intermittent desert streams flow only after rain.
• ✗Rivers of inland drainage do not reach the sea.