Physical Geography of Chhattisgarh — CGPSC GS Paper III Part 3
Weightage: Part 3 of GS Paper III is Chhattisgarh geography, one third of a 200-mark paper. Its physical features list location, geological structure, physical divisions, drainage, climate, soil, vegetation, wildlife and protected areas, forest policy and conservation. This chapter covers those; the next covers population, agriculture, minerals, energy, industry, transport and tourism.
1. Location and size
Chhattisgarh lies in central-eastern India, with an area of about 1.35 lakh sq km. It is the ninth largest state by area. It borders seven states: Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand in the north, Madhya Pradesh in the west, Maharashtra and Telangana in the south-west and south, Andhra Pradesh in the south, and Odisha in the east.
It is a landlocked state, and the Tropic of Cancer passes through its northern part. The state's location on the Deccan plateau's northern edge, well inland, explains both its extreme summers and its heavy dependence on the monsoon.
2. Geological structure
The state's rocks are among the oldest in India, and the geology explains its minerals.
| Formation | Where | What it gives |
|---|---|---|
| Archaean (Bastar craton) | Bastar and the south | Iron ore, tin, granite and gneiss |
| Proterozoic (Chhattisgarh Supergroup) | The central plain | Limestone, dolomite and shale |
| Gondwana | Northern coalfields | Coal (Korba, Raigarh, Surguja) |
| Deccan trap | North-west, near Kabirdham | Basalt and black soil |
The exam usually asks for the pairing: which rock system yields which mineral.
3. The three physiographic regions
The state divides into three regions, from north to south.
- Northern hills (Surguja region): the edge of the Baghelkhand and Chota Nagpur upland, made up of plateaus called pats, including Mainpat, Samri Pat and Jashpur Pat. It is drained by the Rihand and the Kanhar towards the Ganga system. Mainpat is a cool hill station, often called the "Shimla of Chhattisgarh".
- Chhattisgarh plain (central): the upper basin of the Mahanadi and its tributaries, covering Raipur, Bilaspur and Durg. This saucer-shaped plain of limestone and shale is the state's rice bowl.
- Bastar plateau (south): a part of the Dandakaranya, drained by the Godavari and Indravati. The Bailadila range with its iron ore, the Abujhmad hills and dense forest belong here.
The Maikal range touches the north-west near Kabirdham.
Highest peak. The standard answer is Nandiraj in the Bailadila range at about 1,276 m. Some lists give Gaurlata in Samri Pat at about 1,225 m, so check which your source uses.
4. Drainage
The rivers belong to four basins, and the exam expects river, origin and destination.
| Basin | Main rivers | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Mahanadi (largest share) | Seonath (Shivnath), Hasdeo, Mand, Jonk, Ib, Kharun, Pairi, Sondur | The Mahanadi rises near Sihawa in Dhamtari district and flows into Odisha, then the Bay of Bengal |
| Godavari | Indravati, Sabari (Kolab) | Drains the Bastar plateau; Indravati forms the Chitrakote Falls |
| Ganga (Son system) | Rihand, Kanhar, Gopad, Banas | Drains the northern hills |
| Brahmani | Sankh | A small area in the north-east |
The Mahanadi is the state's chief river, and the Seonath is usually listed as its longest tributary in the state. The Hasdeo feeds the Minimata Bango dam at Korba, and the Indravati creates Chitrakote, commonly described as the widest waterfall in India. The Tirathgarh Falls lie in the Kanger Valley National Park in Bastar.
5. Climate
The climate is tropical, with three seasons: a hot summer from March to June, a monsoon from late June to September or October, and a mild winter from November to February.
Average rainfall is about 1,300 mm by the commonly quoted figure, and it varies from year to year and place to place, with the higher totals in the Bastar and Surguja uplands. Summer temperatures can rise very high on the plains, while Mainpat, Ambikapur and Samri are among the coolest places.
The monsoon decides the rice crop, so rainfall variation is the main climate risk.
6. Soils
The state uses four local soil names alongside the standard classification.
| Local name | Type | Typical crop and area |
|---|---|---|
| Bhata | Gravelly laterite, poor and acidic | Uplands; millets and pulses |
| Matasi | Yellow-brown loam | Mid-lands; paddy |
| Dorsa | Mixed black and red loam | Lowlands; paddy and other crops |
| Kanhar | Deep black clay | Kabirdham and nearby; wheat, gram and other rabi crops |
Red-yellow soils cover the largest area, and they suit paddy. Black soil, formed from the Deccan trap, is confined to the north-west.
7. Forests, wildlife and protected areas
Chhattisgarh is one of the most forested states. Its forest cover is about 41 per cent of its area by the Forest Survey of India's biennial report, and its recorded forest area is about 44 per cent. Only two states have a larger forest cover in area. Confirm the figure in the latest report.
The main types are tropical moist deciduous forest dominated by sal, and dry deciduous forest with teak. Sal (Shorea robusta) is the state tree, the wild water buffalo the state animal, and the hill myna of Bastar the state bird.
- National parks (3): Indravati (Bijapur), Kanger Valley (Bastar, with the Kotumsar cave) and Guru Ghasidas.
- Wildlife sanctuaries (about 11): including Achanakmar, Barnawapara, Bhoramdev, Pamed, Udanti, Sitanadi, Bhairamgarh, Semarsot, Badalkhol, Gomarda and Tamor Pingla.
- Tiger reserves: Indravati, Achanakmar, Udanti-Sitanadi, and the newer Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla, so four notified as of 2025.
The counts change as areas are notified, so state the year.
Worked example 7.1 (a 15-mark answer, ~175 words). "Describe the physiographic divisions and drainage of Chhattisgarh."
Model answer. Chhattisgarh has three physiographic regions. The northern hills of Surguja, with plateaus such as Mainpat and Samri Pat, are drained by the Rihand and Kanhar towards the Ganga. The central Chhattisgarh plain is the upper basin of the Mahanadi, a saucer-shaped plain of limestone and shale that forms the state's rice bowl. The southern Bastar plateau, part of the Dandakaranya, carries the Bailadila range with its iron ore and is drained by the Indravati and Sabari towards the Godavari.
Four river basins drain the state: the Mahanadi, which rises near Sihawa in Dhamtari and takes the Seonath, Hasdeo, Jonk and others; the Godavari; the Ganga (Son); and the small Brahmani.
The highest point is Nandiraj in the Bailadila range at about 1,276 m.
Common traps CGPSC sets here
- Placing the Mahanadi's source in Bastar. It rises near Sihawa in Dhamtari district.
- Confusing the Indravati's basin. It is a Godavari tributary, not a Mahanadi one.
- Assuming one highest peak. Sources give Nandiraj (about 1,276 m) or Gaurlata (about 1,225 m).
- Quoting forest cover as recorded forest area. They are different measures, near 41 and 44 per cent.
- Using an old tiger-reserve count. It grew with the newer Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla reserve.
Memory aids
- "North Ganga, centre Mahanadi, south Godavari": the three drainage zones.
- "Bhata, Matasi, Dorsa, Kanhar": local soils from poor to rich.
- "Sal, buffalo, hill myna": tree, animal and bird.
Summary
Chhattisgarh is a landlocked state of about 1.35 lakh sq km with three physiographic regions: the northern hills, the central Mahanadi plain and the Bastar plateau. Rivers belong to the Mahanadi, Godavari, Ganga and Brahmani basins.
The climate is tropical monsoon, and the soils include bhata, matasi, dorsa and kanhar. Forests cover about two-fifths of the state, with three national parks, about eleven sanctuaries and four tiger reserves.
Exam protocol
- Give a river with its origin, basin and destination.
- Pair each soil with its area and crop.
- Quote forest cover and protected-area counts with the year of the source.
