• Key concept: Coastal Plains in India • Essential for UPSC CSE Prelims, State PSCs, SSC CGL & Railway exams. • Comprehensive analytical coverage and factual pointers provided below.

coastal plains in India

• The coastline of India is about 7517 Km long.
• 6100 km of mainland coastline and 1417 km of Indian islands.
• 13 States and UTs have coastal plains in India
• The coastline of the India States & UTs wise:
  • Gujarat – 1215 Km
  • Andhra Pradesh – 974Km
  • Tamil Nadu – 907 Km
  • Maharashtra – 652.6 Km
  • Kerala – 569.7 Km
  • Odisha – 476.4 Km
  • Karnataka – 280 Km
  • Goa (with Daman & Diu) – 160.5 Km
  • West Bengal – 157.5 Km
  • Puducherry – 30.6 Km (UT)

Western Coastline of India

• Kutch and Kathiawar coast
• Gujarat Plain
• Konkan coast
• Goan coast
• Malabar coast

Eastern Coastline of India

• Utkal Plain
• Andhra Plain
• Coromandel Coast

Western Coastal Plains of India

• It extends from Rann of Kutch in the north to Cape Comorin (Kanniyakumari).
• Western coastal plains in India are an example of a submerged coastal plain.
• Because of this submergence, it is a narrow belt with an average width of about 65 km
• It provides natural conditions for the development of ports and harbors.
• Kandla, Mazagaon, JLN port Navha Sheva, Marmagao, Mangalore, Cochin, etc. are some important natural ports located along the west coast.
• Western coastal plains of India are narrow in the middle and get broader towards the north and south.
• Rivers flowing through this coastal plain do not form any delta but a few estuaries.
• The estuaries of the Narmada and the Tapi are important.

Kutch & Kathiawar Coast

• Kutch Coast is an extension of the Peninsular plateau (made of the Deccan Lava).
• It is treated as part of the Western coastal plains of India as they are now levelled down.
• The Kutch Peninsula was an island surrounded by seas and Kutch lagoons.
• These seas and lagoons were later filled by sediment brought by the Indus River which used to flow through this area.
• Lack of rains in recent times has turned it into an arid and semi-arid landscape.
• Salt-soaked plain to the north of Kutch is the Great Rann.
• Its southern continuation, known as the Little Rann lies on the coast and southeast of Kutch.
• The Kathiawar Peninsula lies to the south of the Kutch.
• The Gir Range is located in the southern part of the Kathiawar peninsula.
• It is covered with dense forests and is famous as the home of the Gir lion.
• Mt. Girnar (1,117 m) is the highest point and is of volcanic origin.

Gujarat Plain

• The Gujarat Plain lies east of Kutch and Kathiawar and slopes towards the west and south-west.
• Formed by the rivers Narmada, Tapi, Mahi and Sabarmati
• The plain includes the southern part of Gujarat and the coastal areas of the Gulf of Khambat.
• The eastern part of this plain is fertile enough to support agriculture

Konkan Coast

• The Konkan coast is located in the south of the Gujarat plain.
• Konkan coast extends from Daman to Goa.
• It is a 720 km long coastline.
• This is the most submerged coastal plains of India.
• Konkan coast has some features of marine erosion including cliffs, shoals, reefs and islands in the Arabian Sea.
• The Thane creek around Mumbai is an important coastline of India which provides an excellent natural harbour.

Goan Coast

• Coast of Goa and Karnataka
• It is the narrowest coastal plain with an average width of 8-25 km, the maximum being 70 km near Mangalore.
• Sharavati river makes Gersoppa (Jog) Falls which is 271 m high.

Malabar Coast

• The Kerala Plain is also known as the Malabar Plain.
• Between Mangalore and Kanniyakumari.
• It is a wider and low-lying plain.
• The existence of lakes, lagoons, backwaters, spits, etc. is a significant characteristic of the Malabar coast.
• The backwaters, locally known as kayals are the shallow lagoons
• Largest among these is the Vembanad Lake
• Every year the famous Nehru Trophy Vallamkali (boat race) is held in Punnamada Kayal in Kerala.

Eastern Coastal Plains of India

• The Eastern coastline is extended from the Subarnarekha river along the West Bengal-Odisha border to Kanniyakumari.
• The Eastern coastal plain of India is broader and is an example of an emergent coast.
• There are well-developed deltas on the eastern coastline of India
• Deltas formed by the rivers flowing eastward into the Bay of Bengal, include Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri
• The Eastern coastline of India is emergent in nature and the continental shelf extends up to 500 km into the sea.
• It makes it difficult for the development of good ports and harbours.
• This plain is known as
  • Northern Circars – Mahanadi to Krishna river
  • Carnatic – Krishna to Cauvery river

Utkal Plain

• The Utkal Plain comprises coastal areas of Odisha.
• It includes the Mahanadi river delta.
• The most prominent physiographic feature of this plain is Chilika Lake.
• It is the biggest lake in the country and its area varies between 780 sq km in winter to 1,144 sq km in the monsoon months.

Andhra Plain

• South of the Utkal Plain and extends up to Pulicat Lake.
• Pulicat lake has been barred by a long sand spit known as Sriharikota Island
• The two deltas of Godavari and Krishna have merged with each other and formed a single physiographic unit.
• The combined delta has advanced by about 35 km toward the sea in recent years.
• Kolleru Lake which was once a lagoon at the shore but now lies far inland.
• This coastline of India lacks good harbours except for Vishakhapatnam and Machilipatnam.

Coromandel Coast

• Coromandel Coast of Tamil Nadu Plain stretches from Pulicat lake to Kanniyakumari.
• Pulicat Lake is the 2nd largest brackish water lagoon in India.
• The fertile soil and large-scale irrigation facilities have made the Cauvery delta (Thanjavur) the granary of South India.
• Coromandel Coast or Payan Ghat plain stretches from Krishna delta to Kanyakumari

Significance of the Coastal Plains in India

• Large parts of the coastal plains in India are covered by fertile soils on which different crops are grown.
• Coconut trees grow all along the coastline of India.
• The entire length of the coastline of India is dotted with big and small ports which help in carrying out trade.
• The sedimentary rocks of these plains are said to contain large deposits of mineral oil (KG Basin).
• Sands of Malabar coast have large quantities of Monazite sand, which can be used for nuclear power.
• Fishing is an important occupation of the people living in the coastal plains of India.
• Low-lying areas of Gujarat are famous for producing salt.
• Kerala’s backwaters are important tourist destinations.
• Goa provides good beaches. This is also an important tourist destination.

Some Important Beaches

• Marina, TN – The longest beach in India
• Kovalam, Kerala – Monazite and Limonite found here
• Girgaum Chowpatti, MH – Famous for Ganesh Chaturthi
• Alappuzha, Kerala – Venice of the East

• Key concept: Mountain Ranges in India • Essential for UPSC CSE Prelims, State PSCs, SSC CGL & Railway exams. • Comprehensive analytical coverage and factual pointers provided below.

In this article, You will read the List of Mountain Ranges, Hills, and Plateaus in India – for UPSC IAS.

Mountain Ranges In North India – North to South

Mountain Ranges	States	Highest Peak	Remarks
Saltoro Mountains	Ladakh	Saltoro Kangri	Sub-range of the Karakoram
Karakoram	PoK, Ladakh	Godwin-Austen or K2 8,611 m	The highest peak in India
Deosai Mountain	J&K
Ladakh Range	J&K
Zanskar Range	J&K	Kamet Peak 7,756 m
Pir Panjal Range	J&K, Himachal Pradesh	Indrasan 6,221 m
Zabarwan Range	J&K		Part of Pir Panjal
Dhauladhar Range	J&K
Kishtwar Himalaya	J&K	Bharanzar
Garhwal Himalaya	Uttarakhand
Dundwa Range	Northern UP		Part of Sivalik Hills

Mountain Ranges in Central India – West to East

Mountain Ranges	States	Highest Peak	Remarks
Girnar Range	Gujrat
Aravalli Range	Gujrat Rajasthan Haryana Delhi	Guru Shikhar	oldest fold mountains in India
Malwa Plateau	MP Rajasthan
Rajpipla Hills	Gujrat		Part of Satpura
Gawilgarh Hills	Maharashtra MP		Part of Satpura
Mahadeo Hills	MP	Mount Dhupgarh	Part of Satpura
Bhanrer Range	MP		Part of Vindhya
Bhander Plateau	MP
Maikal Hills	Chhattisgarh		Part of Satpura
Kaimur Range	Jabalpur, MP		Part of Vindhya
Baghelkhand Plateau	UP
Sonpar Hills	MP
Vindhya Range	Gujrat MP UP Bihar Chhattisgarh	Sad-bhawna Shikhar or Kalumar peak
Satpura Range	Gujarat Maharashtra MP Chhattisgarh	Mount Dhupgarh

Chota Nagpur Plateau – North to South

Mountain Ranges	States
Rajmahal Hills	Jharkhand
Hazaribagh Plateau	Jharkhand
Mailan Hills	Chhattisgarh
Ranchi Plateau	Jharkhand
Hazaribagh Hills	Jharkhand Chhattisgarh
Ramgarh Hills	Chhattisgarh
Garhjat Hills	Jharkhand Chhattisgarh Odisha

Mountain Ranges in North East India

Mountain Ranges	States	Highest Peak	Remarks
West to East & South to North
Dafla Hills	Arunachal Pradesh		Part of Purvanchal
Miri Hills	Arunachal Pradesh
Abor Hills	Arunachal Pradesh
Mishmi Hills	Arunachal Pradesh
Kangchenjunga	Nepal Sikkim	3rd highest mountain in the world 2nd in India	Part of eastern Himalayas
West to East
Garo Hills	Meghalaya
Khasi Hills	Meghalaya	Shyllong 1,968 m	Shillong city situated on it
Jaintis Hills	Meghalaya
Mikir Hills	Assam
Rengma Hills	Assam
North to South
Patkai Bum	Arunachal Pradesh
Naga Hills	Nagaland	Mount Saramati
Langpangkong Range	Nagaland
Barail Range	Assam Nagaland		Part of Purvanchal
Laimatol Range	Manipur
Bhuban Hills	Assam Mizoram
Atharamura Range	Tripura		Part of Siwalik Hills
Lushai Hills or Mizo Hills	Mizoram	Phawngpui	Blue Mountain

Western Ghats Mountains  – North to South

Mountain Ranges	States	Highest Peak	Remarks
Satmala Hills	Maharashtra	Dhodap
Ajanta Hills	Maharashtra
Harishchandra Range	Maharashtra	Harischandragarh
Balaghat Range	Maharashtra
Kudremukh	Chikkamagaluru, Karnataka	Kudremukha
Baba Budan Hills	Karnataka	Mullayanagiri 1930 m	kurinji blooms
Nilgiri Mountains	Tamil Nadu	Doddabetta 2,637 m	Eastern & Western Ghats meet
Akamala Machad Hills	Thrissur, Kerala		Vazhani sanctuary Vazhani Dam
Anaimalai Hills	Tamil Nadu Kerala	Anamudi 2,695 m	Anamudi is the highest peak in south India World Heritage Site
Palani Hills	Tamil Nadu Kerala	Vandaravu
Cardamom Hills	Tamil Nadu Kerala		cardamom spice cultivation
Varushnad Hills	Tamil Nadu		Part of Cardamom

Eastern Ghats Mountains – North to South

Mountain Ranges	States	Remarks
Nayagarh Hills	Orissa
Bastar Plateau	Chhattisgarh
Nallamala Hills	AP Telangana
Erramala Hills	Andhra Pradesh
Velikonda Range	Andhra Pradesh
Palkonda Range	Andhra Pradesh
Seshachalam Hills	Andhra Pradesh	Tirupati City
Nagari Hills	Andhra Pradesh
Javedi Hills	Tamil Nadu
Melagiri Range	Tamil Nadu
Shevaroy Hills	Tamil Nadu
Panchaimalai Hills	Tamil Nadu
Sirumalai Hills	Tamil Nadu

Further Reading:

• Highest Mountain Peaks in India state-wise.

• Key concept: Ramsar Convention on Wetlands • Essential for UPSC CSE Prelims, State PSCs, SSC CGL & Railway exams. • Comprehensive analytical coverage and factual pointers provided below.

The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands is one of the most significant intergovernmental treaties for environmental conservation. For IAS aspirants, understanding this topic is crucial as it frequently appears in GS Paper III (Environment) and the Prelims examination.

As of March 2026, India has significantly expanded its wetland network, reinforcing its commitment to "wise use" and biodiversity conservation.

Read: RAMSAR Sites

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1. What is the Ramsar Convention?

The Ramsar Convention, formally known as the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat, was adopted in the Iranian city of Ramsar in 1971. It came into force in 1975.

Key Objectives

• Wise Use: Promoting the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands.
• List of Wetlands of International Importance: Identifying and protecting sites that are critical for global biological diversity.
• International Cooperation: Collaborative management of shared (transboundary) wetland systems.

Three Pillars of the Convention

1. Work towards the wise use of all their wetlands.
2. Designate suitable wetlands for the Ramsar List and ensure their effective management.
3. Cooperate internationally on transboundary wetlands and shared species.

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2. Ramsar COP15: Recent Developments (2025)

The Conference of the Contracting Parties (COP) is the policy-making organ of the Convention, meeting every three years.

• COP15 Location: Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.
• Dates: July 23–31, 2025.
• Major Outcome: India presented a resolution on "Sustainable Lifestyles for Wetlands", emphasizing the link between human behavior (inspired by Mission LiFE) and ecosystem health.
• Theme: "Protecting Wetlands for Our Common Future."

Timeline of Recent COPs

COP	Year	Location
COP13	2018	Dubai, UAE
COP14	2022	Wuhan (China) & Geneva (Switzerland)
COP15	2025	Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

UPSC Perspective: Note that India has never hosted a Ramsar COP. However, India remains a lead advocate for wetland conservation in South Asia, currently ranking 1st in Asia by the number of sites.

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3. Ramsar Sites in India: 2026 Status

As of March 2026, India has 98 Ramsar Sites, covering approximately 1.38 million hectares. The growth has been monumental, with a ~276% increase in designated sites since 2014.

Latest Additions (January - February 2026)

1. Patna Bird Sanctuary (Uttar Pradesh): Located in the Etah district; a critical habitat for migratory birds and the vulnerable Mugger Crocodile.
2. Chhari-Dhand (Gujarat): A seasonal saline wetland in the Kutch district, vital for the Sociable Lapwing (Critically Endangered).

Key Statistical Highlights

• State with Highest Sites: Tamil Nadu (20 sites), followed by Uttar Pradesh (11).
• Largest Ramsar Site: Sundarban Wetland (West Bengal) – ~4,230 sq. km.
• Smallest Ramsar Site: Renuka Lake (Himachal Pradesh) and Vembannur Wetland Complex (Tamil Nadu).
• Oldest Sites (1981): Chilika Lake (Odisha) and Keoladeo Ghana National Park (Rajasthan).

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4. Mission Sahbhagita & Wise Use

Launched in 2022 by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Mission Sahbhagita aims to enable a "Whole-of-Society" approach.

• Objective: To promote participatory conservation where local communities lead the management of wetlands.
• Focus: Enhancing livelihoods, water security, and climate resilience through community ownership.
• The "Amrit Dharohar" Scheme: Announced in the Union Budget to promote the unique conservation values of Ramsar sites through eco-tourism and income generation for local communities.

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Prelims & Mains Pointer

Prelims Fact File

• Ratification: India signed the convention on February 1, 1982.
• Montreux Record: A register of Ramsar sites where changes in ecological character have occurred or are likely to occur. Currently, two Indian sites are on it: Keoladeo National Park and Loktak Lake. (Note: Chilika Lake was removed from the record in 2002).
• World Wetlands Day: Observed on February 2nd annually.

Potential Mains Question

Q. "The designation of a wetland as a Ramsar site is not just a title but a commitment to 'wise use'. In light of the recent expansion of Ramsar sites in India, discuss the challenges in balancing ecological conservation with local livelihood needs." (150 Words, 10 Marks)