The Southern Plateaus

We all know that plateaus are highlands with a flat top. The southern plateaus in India lie southwards of the northern plains. They are bordered by many hill ranges. The land is triangular in shape. In the southern plateaus, the rivers are shorter as compared to the northern plains. They flow with great speed and form waterfalls. The southern plateaus are home to Jog Falls, the second highest plunge waterfall* in Asia. Jog Falls lie in Karnataka. The southern plateaus are divided by River Narmada into two parts, namely, the Central Highlands (north) and the Deccan Plateau (south).

The Central Highlands

This region is bordered by the Aravalli Hills towards the north-west and the Vindhya Range to the south. The Chota Nagpur Plateau and the Rajmahal Hills lie on its east and north-east, respectively. The Malwa Plateau is located at the centre. Chenab, Betwa and Son are some rivers of this region. They join Ganga and Yamuna from the south. The Chota Nagpur Plateau spreads over Jharkhand, north-eastern Chhattisgarh and northern Odisha. This region is rich in minerals, such as coal, among many others.

The Deccan Plateau

This plateau extends from River Narmada to India’s southern peninsular tip. The highest peak here is Anai Mudi. The Deccan Plateau is surrounded by the Western and Eastern Ghats. Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri are rivers that flow eastwards from the Western Ghats. These ghats coincide at Nilgiri Hills. The rivers flowing from the Western Ghats break the Eastern Ghats into small hill ranges. A majority of these rivers flow into the Bay of Bengal. River Godavari is the longest river in this plateau.

Life here

The southern plateaus of India stretch over Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Maharashtra. These states are rich in minerals, such as iron ore, copper and manganese. Mining is an important activity here, giving rise to many industries. Jamshedpur in Jharkhand is a prominent industrial city. Many people engage in farming. They grow various