CIVIL SERVICES EXAM PRELIMS

GS PUNJAB GK

GEOGRAPHY OF PUNJAB
GEOGRAPHICAL AND AGRO CLIMATIC REGIONS, RIVER, WATER RESOURCES, SHARING

OF

WATER,

DEMOGRAPHICS, HUMAN DEVELOPMENT INDICES.

1. GEOGRAPHICAL AND AGRO CLIMATIC REGIONS

INTRODUCTION

Punjab, the grain bowl of India is situated on the North West part of India.

LOCATION
Latitude
Longitude

o
o

29'30" N to 32'32" N
73'55" E to 76'50" E

Geographical Area = 50,362 sq. km = 1.54% of the total geographical area of India.
o

Rural Area

48265 (96%)

Urban Area 2097 (4%)

o Forests Area 3058 (6%)

Average elevation = 300 metre from the mean sea level

15th most populated state in India.

19th largest state in the country in terms of area.
State Bird
Baz (Eastern Goshawk State
Animal
Black Buck (Kala hiran)
State tree Shisham (called 'tahli' in Punjabi)

PHYSIOGRAPHY OF PUNJAB
The word Punjab is a combination of two Persian words, "Purif meaning five and "aab" meaning
water.

Punjab means the land of five major rivers = Sutlej, Beas, Ravi, Jhelum and Chenab.
Most of the land of Punjab is fertile with alluvial plain and irrigated by canals.
Punjab's arid southern border edges touches the Thar, or Great Indian, Desert. Thus, the south-east

region being semi-arid and desert landscapes.

The Siwalik Range rises sharply in the north of the state.
A belt of swelling hills extends along the northeast at the foot of the Himalayas.
Punjab tails under seismic zones 1, 3, and 4.
Zones 2 and 3 are referred to as Low Damage Risk Zone while zone IV referred to as high damage
risk zone.

SOILS OF PUNJAB
Soil characteristics are influenced to a very limited extent by the topography,
vegetation and parent rock.

Variation in soil characteristics are much more pronounced because of the regional
climatic differences.

REGIONAL DIVISIONS

Punjab is divided into three distinct regions on the basis of soil types.

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The two major rivers Beas and Sutlej flowing in the northern half of the state divide
the state into these three regions.

The regions are:

O

CENTRAL PUNJAB

EASTERN PUNJAB

SOUTH-WESTERN PUNJAB

A. MAJHA (MIDDLE=CENTRAL PUNJAB)

Majha, means middle, is the traditional name given to the the Central Punjab.

Historically, Majha region was the central part of the undivided Punjab comprising the plains
lying to the north of river Sutlej.

Majha region in Punjab starts northward from the western bank of river Beas and stretches up to
the boundary between India and Pakistan.

This region comprises Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Pathankot and Tarn Taran districts in the north
western part of Punjab.

17% of total area of Punjab = Amritsar, Taran Taran and Gurdaspur district.

B. DOABA (EASTERN PUNJAB)

Doaba, literally translates to "land between two rivers", is the region surrounded by Beas
and Sutlej rivers in northern Punjab.

Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala, Jalandhar and SBS Nagar districts form the Doaba region.

Doaba is one of the most fertile regions of the country and was the centre of the Green
Revolution in India.

It remains as one of the largest per capita producers of wheat in the world.

17.6 % of total area of Punjab = Hoshiarpur, Nawanshahar, Jalandhar, Kapurthala.

C. MALWA (SOUTH-CENTRAL PUNJAB)

Malwa is the region of Punjab and parts of Haryana between the Sutlej and Yamuna rivers.

People of Malwa are known for being great fighters, and warriors.

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Area makes up the majority of the Punjab region consisting of 14 districts and has the
most fertile land.

Known for production of cotton and horticultural crops, especially kinnow, the citrus fruit
of North India.

66.6% of total area of Punjab

PHYSICAL FEATURES

The State is endowed with semi humid to semi arid climatic conditions.

The southwest monsoon brings in maximum of the rainfall to the State during July to mid
September.

Average annual rainfall = 435.6 mm

The State of Punjab has been classified into 3 agro-climatic zones on the basis of

homogeneity,

rainfall pattern,

distribution,

soil texture,

cropping patterns.

These zones are divided for Western Himalayas Region and Trans-Gangetic Plains
Region as below:

A. THE ZONE-I (KANDI AREA)

Located in the foothills of Shivalik Hills and is characterized by sub mountainous undulating

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plains.

Receives an average annual rainfall of more than 1000 mm.

The rainwater runoff is very high at the upper hills, leading to floods and heavy soil erosion.

This region is dominated by paddy/maize crop culture in kharif season and wheat cultivation in
Rabi season.

Irrigation facilities are comparatively less developed in this part.

B. THE ZONE-II (CENTRAL PLAINS)

Characterized by fertile plain lands.

It has a well-knit irrigation system and has increased coverage of area under high yielding
varieties.

Consumption of chemical fertilizers and cropping intensity is highest in this zone.

Paddy and wheat are dominant crops in this zone.

The paddy-wheat crop rotation has adversely affected the soil health as well as the underground
water table in the region.

The depleting water table has forced the farmers to install submersible pumps thus further
pushing up cost of cultivation.

C. THE ZONE-II (SOUTH WESTERN ZONE)

Known as the cotton belt of the State.

This region is prone to water logging and its ground water quality is saline and unfit for
irrigation.

Because of this there is decline in productivity of cotton attributed to water logging problems
and menace of pests, this important kharif crop is being gradually replaced with long grain
variety paddy.

The shift from cotton to paddy has led to increased soil salinity, lesser percolation of water and
the resultant high humidity has manifested increased insect population.

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Zon Agro Climatic Zone Districts Covered

e
I

Sub mountainous Zone

or Kandi area

Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Hoshiarpur & Ropar

II

Central Alluvial Zone

or Central Plains

Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Patiala,

Mohali, Saheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, Barnala & Sangrur

III

Southern Dry Zone

Bathinda, Faridkot, Ferozepur, Fazilka, Mansa, Fatehagarh Sahib,

Moga and Muktsar.

CLIMATE

The three major seasons in Punjab are:

O

SUMMER

The climate of the plains is excessively hot and dry between April and August,
with temperatures as high as 49 C.

In June the average temperature is 34 C occasionally climbing as high as 45 C.

RAINY

The rains of the monsoon season begin at the end of June and continue till
August. Annual rainfall ranges from about 915 mm in the north to 102 mm in the
south.

WINTER

Winters are cool with some frosts. The average temperature in January is 13 C,
although at night the temperature sometimes lowers to freezing.

Annual average rainfall ranges from 1250 mm in the north to 350 mm in the southwest.

More than 70 percent of the annual rainfall occurs during the monsoon season from July to
September.

2. RIVER, WATER RESOURCES, SHARING

OF

WATER

DRAINAGE

Punjab is situated between the great systems of the Indus and Ganges rivers.

After partition of Indian in 1947, Indus water Treaty-1960 restricted Indias rights of usage to
only three Eastern rivers (Sutlej, Ravi and Beas), the three Western rivers (Indus, Chenab
and Jhelum) were earmarked for exclusive usage of Pakistan.

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Thus, the Indian Punjab was left with only three rivers-Sutlej, Beas and Ravi after
partition.

SUTLEJ
It rises on the north slope of the Himalayas in Lake La'nga in southwestern Tibet, and

crosses Himachal Pradesh before beginning its fl ow through the Punjab plain
near Mengel.
Continuing southwestward in a broad channel, it receives the Beas River at Harike and

forms a part of the India-Pakistan border before entering Pakistan at Suleimanki and
joins the Chenab River west of Bahawalpur to form Panjnad, the link between the Five
Rivers and the Indus.

BEAS
o

River has a very short course rising from Seas Kund near Rohtang Pass in Himachal to
its confluence with Sutlej. River Ravi originates in the Himalayas in the Chamba
district of Himachal Pradesh following a north-westerly course. It turns to the southwest, near Dalhousie, - and then cuts a gorge in the Dhaola Dhar range entering the
Punjab plain near Madhopur. it then flows along the Indo-Pak border for some distance
before entering Pakistan and joining the Chenab River. On the southern margins of
Punjab runs a seasonal river Ghaggar which is believed to be same as Vedic river
Saraswati.

DRAINAGE

Punjab does have a very well developed and interlinked river system and widespread 14500 kms
long Canal Systems.

PRE-INDEPENDENCE CONSTRUCTION
o

Construction of upper Bari Doab Canal from river Ravi at Madhopur,

Sirhind Canal from river Sutlej at Ropar,

Eastern Canal & Bikaner Canal from river Sutlej at Hussainiwala

POST INDEPENDENCE CONSTRUCTION

o

Multipurpose project Bhakra Dam on river Sutlej,

Pong Dam on river Beas,

Beas Sutlej Link Project and Ranjit sagar Dam on river Ravi

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o

Nangal Hydel Channel,

Anandpur Sahib Hydel Channel,

Bhakra Canal System,

Mukerian Hydel Channel,

Shah Nehan Barrage,

Harike Barrage etc.

3. DEMOGRAPHICS & HUMAN DEVELOPMENT INDICES

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DEMOGRAPHIC PARTICULARS
(AS PER 2011 CENSUS)

OF

PUNJAB & INDIA

Particulars
Total Population (lakh)

Punjab

India

277.04

12101

37.5
62.5
13.7

31
69
17.6

893

940

846
550

914
382

Highest(Hoshiarpur)
Lowest(Mansa)

76.7

74

Male Literacy (%)

Female Literacy (%)

81.5
71.3

82.1
65.5

Lowest population(Barnala)
5.96 (2.2%)
Highest population (Ludhiana) 34.88 (12.6%)

Urban Population (%)

Rural Population (%)
Decadal Growth (%)
Sex Ratio
Highest(Hoshiarpur)
Lowest(Bathinda) 865

962

Child Sex Ratio(0-6 age group)

Density
Highest (Ludhiana)
Lowest Sri Muktsar Sahib)

Total Literacy (%)

975
348

Punjab is the home for 2.77 crore (2011 census) people, constituting 2.29% of the total

population, on the surface of 1.54% of the country.

The decadal growth rate of population has reduced to 13.73% during 2001-11 from 20.1%

during the previous decade.

Two thirds of the states population lives in rural areas.
Like many other states of the country, males outnumber the females in Punjab with the sex

ratio at 893 against all India figure of 940.

The state is more densely populated (550 persons/km2) than the country average (382

persons/km2).
The overall literacy in Punjab is better than the national average of 74% and this is more

prominent in female literacy rate.

Among the districts, Hoshiarpur district has the highest literacy rate with 85% while Mansa

has the lowest literacy rate at 62.8%.

Work participation among females is low in the state.
Though agriculture is the predominant economic activity in the state, this accounts for only

39% of the states work force against about two third at national level.
Migration of rural people to foreign countries in search of jobs has reduced the available

work force to agriculture.

Shortage of farm labour has prompted farmers of the state to go for farm mechanization in

a big way.
Punjab is having the lowest BPL rate (15.9%) among the states in India (21.8%).

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