The Northern Plains of India are made of alluvial soil (alluvium) — sediments deposited by rivers over millions of years. Alluvial soil is of two types: Bhangar (older alluvium) and Khadar (newer alluvium). They differ in age, location, fertility, and composition. This is an important topic in Class 9 NCERT Geography (India — Physical Environment).
Bhangar: older alluvium — higher areas, away from river, contains kankar, less fertile.
Khadar: newer alluvium — near river banks, flood plains, no kankar, more fertile.
Kankar = lime/calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) nodules — found in Bhangar, not Khadar.
Khadar is renewed by annual floods; Bhangar is not renewed.
Alluvial soil covers ~43% of India's land area.
Northern Plains are formed by sediments from Indus, Ganga, Brahmaputra river systems.
Khadar areas are best for agriculture: wheat, sugarcane, paddy, jute.
Class 9 NCERT Geography: Drainage chapter covers these concepts.
Feature | Bhangar | Khadar Type | Older alluvium | Newer alluvium Location | Higher areas, away from river banks | Low-lying areas, near river banks and flood plains Renewal | Not renewed by floods | Renewed annually by floods Fertility | Less fertile than Khadar | More fertile than Bhangar Texture | Coarser texture | Finer texture Lime nodules | Contains kankar (lime/calcium carbonate nodules) | No kankar (lime nodules) Colour | Dark, slightly brownish | Light coloured Composition | Older deposits, compacted | Fresh, fine sediments Uses | Used in construction (kankar) | Used for agriculture Height | Lies above the flood level | Lies at/below flood level Examples/Location | Upland areas of the Ganga plain | Active flood plains of rivers like Ganga
Bhangar (Older Alluvium): • The oldest alluvial formation in the Northern Plains • Found in the upland areas — farther from present riverbeds • NOT flooded during monsoon — lies above the flood level • Contains kankar: nodules of impure calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) — lime nodules • Kankar is used in construction and road-building • Less fertile than khadar because it lacks fresh mineral nutrients • Darker colour than khadar • Name 'Bhangar': derived from 'Bhang' (broken/elevated) in some sources — higher terrain
Khadar (Newer Alluvium): • Recently deposited alluvium — much younger than Bhangar • Found in flood plains close to river channels • Flooded and refreshed almost every year during monsoon • Does NOT contain kankar (no lime nodules) • More fertile than Bhangar because annual floods bring fresh mineral-rich sediments • Finer texture — smaller particle size • Lighter colour — fresh deposits • Supports agriculture well — especially for wheat, sugarcane, rice
About Alluvial Soil: • Alluvial soil covers about 43% of India's total land area • Found mainly in the Ganga-Brahmaputra plains, river deltas, and coastal plains • Most productive soil in India — source of much of India's agricultural output • Rivers bring alluvial deposits from the Himalayas (mainly Indus, Ganga, Brahmaputra systems)
Why Northern Plains are fertile: • Three major river systems: Indus, Ganga, Brahmaputra • Millions of years of sediment deposition • Khadar (newer alluvium in flood plains) is regularly renewed • Rich in potash, phosphoric acid, and lime
Crops grown in alluvial areas: • Khadar areas: wheat, sugarcane, paddy, jute • Bhangar areas: less intensive farming
Important rivers depositing alluvium: • Sutlej, Ravi, Beas, Chenab (Punjab Plain) • Ganga, Yamuna, Ghaghra, Gandak (Ganga Plain) • Brahmaputra (Assam)
Alluvial soil elsewhere: • Coastal alluvial plains: eastern coast (Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri deltas) • River valleys: Damodar, Mahanadi
Bhangar is older alluvium found in higher areas away from rivers; it contains kankar (lime nodules) and is less fertile, not renewed by floods. Khadar is newer alluvium found in low-lying flood plains near rivers; it has no kankar, is more fertile, and is renewed annually by flood waters. Both are types of alluvial soil in India's Northern Plains.
Kankar are impure nodules of calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) — lime nodules — found in Bhangar (older alluvium). They form as calcium carbonate precipitates over time in the compacted older sediments. Kankar is NOT found in Khadar (newer alluvium). It is used in construction and road-building.
Khadar is more fertile than Bhangar. Khadar flood plains are annually refreshed by floods that bring fresh, mineral-rich sediments from the Himalayas. Bhangar is older, more compacted, and does not receive fresh sediments — making it relatively less fertile.
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