Page 289 - New Medley 4 Semester 1

entering Bangladesh. In Bangladesh, the Brahmaputra river joins the Padma

river and forms the largest delta in the world, called the Sundarbans.
The Ganga and the Brahmaputra rivers fall into the Bay of Bengal.

The Northern Plains of India are very fertile and hence very thickly
populated. Many cities and towns have developed along the banks of

the rivers. Some of them are Ludhiana, Delhi, Agra, Kanpur, Lucknow,
Prayagraj (Allahabad), Varanasi, Patna, Kolkata and Guwahati. The states

which lie in the Northern Plains are Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh,
Bihar, West Bengal, Assam and Tripura.

Punjab

Punjab lies in the Satluj River Basin. The

Satluj, Beas and Ravi rivers provide water
for irrigating the fertile land. Farming

is the main occupation. The main crops
grown are wheat, rice and sugarcane.

Chandigarh, a planned city, is the capital Golden Temple
of Punjab. Amritsar is famous for the Golden Temple. Other big cities

are Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Patiala, Bathinda, Ferozpur, etc.

The important festivals celebrated in Punjab are Gurpurab, Baisakhi,

Diwali and Holi. Bhangra and Gidda are popular folk dances. Punjabi,
Hindi and English are spoken here. Makki ki roti, sarson ka sag, dal,

vegetables, butter, curd and lassi are popular. Men wear kurta-lungi,
while the women wear salwar-kameez.

• Critical thinking

Tick () the correct options.
1. The area watered by a river and its tributaries is called (river basin/river source).
2. The Bhakra Dam is built on the (Ganga/Satluj).
3. The Brahmaputra originates near the (Gangotri Glacier/Mansarovar Lake).

Haryana

Haryana also lies in the Satluj River Basin. The Satluj and the Yamuna
rivers provide water for irrigation. Wheat, rice, oilseeds, cotton and

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