Coastal Plains in India

A low-lying flat expanse of land near the seashore is known as a coastal plain. A low-relief continent surrounded on one side by the sea or an ocean and on the other by hills is known as a coastal plain. As a result, they are hemmed in by the shoreline on the seaward side and the highlands on the landward side. As one travels from the sea to the highlands, the elevation of the land area gradually rises in a sequence of flat-land terraces divided by scraps or hills with altitudes ranging from 100 to 300 metres. The coastal plains of India include 2 types:

1. Eastern coastal plains of India
2. Western coastal plains of India

Eastern Coastal Plains

The eastern coastal lowlands span from West Bengal to Tamil Nadu, passing via Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. Important rivers like Mahanadi, Krishna, Godavari, and Cauvery have deltas in the eastern coastal plain. Agriculturally, the deltas are exceedingly fertile and productive. The Krishna River Delta has gained the moniker “South India’s Granary” as a result of this. The eastern coast is divided into three sections-

1. Utkal coast: The Utkal coast extends between Chilika Lake and kolleru lake, they are much wider than the western coastal plains and experience heavy rainfall.
2. Andhra coast: They extend from Kolleru Lake and Pulicate Lake. They form basin areas in Krishna and Godavari rivers.
3. Coromandel coast: They extend from Pulicat Lake and Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu and remain dry in summers and receive rainfall in winters because of north-east monsoons.

Western Coastal Plains

From Kerala to Gujarat, they pass through Karnataka, Goa, and Maharashtra. The western coastal plains stretch for around 1,500 kilometres with widths varying from 10 to 25 kilometres. Near the coast of Mumbai, the West Continental Shelf is at its widest. Oil is abundant in this area. The Malabar Coast is a famous tourist destination because of its gorgeous lagoons. The four portions of the western shore are as follows:

1. Kachchh and Kathiawar coast: They are formed due to the deposition of silt by indus and covered with shallow water during monsoons and are divided into Great Rann and Little Rann.
2. Konkan coast: They extend between Daman in the north to Goa in the South.
3. Kanada coast: It extends from Marmagaon and Mangalore.
4. Malabar coast: It extends from Mangalore to Kanyakumari and the coast is relatively broad.

The coastline of India measures 7516.6 km long and also covers 6100 km of mainland coastline which includes Andaman, Nicobar and Lakshadweep Islands. The Indian coastline touches about 13 states and Union Territories the western coast is along the Arabian Sea and the eastern coastal plains are located along the Bay of Bengal. Coastal plains in India are known for agriculture, trade, tourists, industries, fishing and salt making. A coastal plain is also known as a low-lying area and flatland, which is adjacent to the sea coast.