GEOGRAPHICAL DIVISION OF PUNJAB

The whole Punjab region may be divided into the following landform types:

1. The Shivalik Hills

2. The dissected foot-hill zone/ Kandi zone

3. The Alluvial Plains

4. South-Western Sand Dunes

The Shivalik Hills

The Shivalik hills were formed during the latest phase of Himalayan orogeny. These deposits belong
to upper Miocene to Lower Pleistocene in age.

These are alluvial detritus derived from sub-aerial waste of mountains swept down by numerous
rivers and streams and deposited at their footsteps.

Later these deposits were involved in the Himalayan orogeny and were folded and uplifted.

They are composed of coarsely bedded sandstones, sand rock, conglomerates, schists, clays, shales,
etc.

The thickness of deposits varies from 4500 to 5200 m.

The Shivalik hill tract is 5 to 12 km in width and hills has generally elevation range between 400 m
and 700 m above sea level.

It extends between river Ravi in the north and river Ghaggar, near Chandigarh in the south, for
roughly 280 kms.

Between river Ravi and river Ghaggar, the continuity of Shivalik hills is broken by rivers Beas and
Satluj.

This division covers nearly 2.6% of the total area of the state.
The Shivalik hills covers the Easternmost areas of five districts. These are Pathankot, Gurdaspur,
Hoshiarpur, Rupnagar and Nawanshahr. Chandigarh is located near the foothills of the Shivalik range
of Himalayas in North-West India

The Shiwaliks in Punjab are in the form of two ranges separated from each other by river Satluj in
district Ropar.

The first range runs from river Ravi to river Satluj in the districts of Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur,
Nawanshahr and Nurpur Bedi block of Ropar.It is about 180 kms long and average width is 6 to 8
kms. This range widens in the middle to the east of Garhshankar town of Hoshiarpur district to form
a plateau like upland called Beet Manaswal. The average height of the upland is 12-15 kms. The
range then narrows southward to abruptly terminate near the Nurpur Bedi block.

The second range runs to the south-east of first range and river Satluj. This range extends between
river Satluj near Nangal township in the north to river Ghaggar near Chandigarh in the south to
break in the north-centre by river Sirsa.

The Kandi Area

The Shiwalik Hills on their west and to the east of Nurpur Bedi block in the Rupnagar district,
degrade into a dissected, rolling and porous and coarse-grained material formed upland plain called
the Kandi.

It extends in the form of a narrow and long belt along the entire length of the Shiwalik Hills under
different names, such as Kandi, Ghar (west of Shiwaliks in Ropar district and to the south of Sirsa
river), and Changar (Anandpur Sahib block).

It covers 8.5% area of the total land area of Punjab.

It runs along Shiwalik hills as narrow belt with an average width of 10-12 kms and extends from 300
to 400 meter of contour height.

This dissected plain lies roughly to east of Pathankot-Hoshiarpur-Ropar-Chandigarh Road, with gaps
formed by the flood plains (Bet) of rivers Beas and Satluj upto the Shiwalik Hills proper.
The level of underground water is very low in the area. Kandi area near Anandpur Sahib is known as
'Changar' and in the region near Sarsa river it is known as ‘Ghar’.

The region slopes primarily South-westwards and numerous choes pass through the region from the
Shiwaliks towards the alluvial plains of Punjab.

Many choes disappear in the region without joining any mainstream river or stream.

As a result, the region is badly dissected with numerous seasonal and ephemeral choes and khad
(sandy beds of stream), devastating the region with pebbles and sand and shifting courses.

This region is akin to Bhabbar, a piedmont plain resulting from the coalescence of several alluvial
fans at the foothills of Shiwaliks.

The Choes have formed their small valleys and raised terraces, which contain fertile cultivated land
and small settlements. These valleys are called Khols.

The deposits are young, coarse textured and highly stratified, with sand mainly mixed with pebbles
or gravel at places and relatively fine sand or sandy clay at other places.

It is a dry upland region and settlements lie on the outer margins of the fans where underground
water near and helps in soil cultivation.

Alluvial Plains

These are part of synclinal basin (trough) formed during the elevation of Himalayas.

The Punjab plains form the western part of the northern plain.

In the east, the Delhi-Aravalli ridge separates it from the Ganga plains.

To the west of Kandi plains, the land becomes subdued, almost monotonous and flattish over an
extensive area including the western part of Ropar, Nawanshahr, Hoshiarpur districts, most of
Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Fatehgarh Sahib and Patiala districts, large
part of Sangrur and Moga districts and northern part of Faridkot and Ferozpur districts.

It is intercepted by the floodplains of river Satluj, Beas and Ravi rivers and ultimately joins the sand
dunes of South-west Punjab.
The upland plains are essentially interfluvial tracts. From the Satluj to the Indus the Punjab plain
gradually slopes westward resulting in the westward shift of the rivers’ courses.

All these plains are made of old alluvium originally deposited by the major rivers descending from
the Himalayas (gradational plains) and has resulted from the infilling of a fore deep wrapped down
between the peninsular block and the advancing Himalayas.

The plains generally slope from the northeast to the southwest.

The average height of these plains from sea level is 200 (Southwest Punjab) to 300 meters (Shivalik
hills region).

It is composed of sediments (massive beds of clay, silt and sand) brought down by various rivers
during Pleistocene period and recent times.

The presence of lumps and nodules of impure calcareous material in the form of irregular
concretions is an important characteristics of Punjab alluvial plains.

The existing or former course of rivers provide somewhat lower areas which are intercepted by
interfluvial regions of slightly higher elevations called ‘upper terraces or ‘Doab’.

At places, sand dunes or sand ridges occur in these interfluvial areas.

Therefore, the topographical change in relief in Punjab plains having broad flood plains of Khadar is
the edge or bluffs, locally known as Dhayas which separates Khadar rich flood plains (bet) (new
alluvium) from raised Bhangar plains (interfluvial regions) (old alluvium) (more clayey and contains
kankars).

These bluffs are as high as 3 metres. While coming from Ludhiana city towards Jalandhar, one comes
across such a change in the form of dhaya while crossing river Satluj bridge and enters the town of
Phillaur. One can see such Dhaya along the right bank of river Satluj extending westwards from
Balachaur town passing across Rahon, Aur and Phillaur town. The bluffs are badly gullied and the
elevation of dhayas ranges from 1 metre to 6 metres.
Approximately 70% area of Punjab is covered by plains. These may be divided into three major
geographical units. These are the well recognized sub-regions and folk areas of Punjab i.e Majha,
Malwa and Doaba.

The area between Ravi and Beas in known as ‘Bari Doab’. This is known as area of 'Majha' consisting
of four districts namely, Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Amritsar, and Taran Taran.

Bist Doab is the area between Satluj and Beas and is known as ‘Doaba’ region. It includes Jalandhar,
Kapurthala, Hoshiarpur and Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar (Nawanshahr)districts.

Malwa is the largest region of Punjab and covers the region of south and south-west of river Satluj.
Ferozepur, Faridkot, Moga, Ludhiana, Barnala, Sangrur, Patiala, Roopnagar, Sahibzada Ajit Singh
Nagar (Mohali), Fatehgarh Sahib districts are included in this.

South-Western Sand Dunes

In the south-west part of Punjab, sand dunes are commonly found along the Rajasthan border.

Sand dunes are found in Bathinda, Mansa, Fazilka, Faridkot, Muktsar, central portion of Ferozpur
and southern parts of Sangrur and Patiala districts.

The average elevation of the region is about 220 meters. They are locally known as ‘tibbas’ and their
shapes corelate with the dominant wind action during the dry season.

The uplands of Fazilka, Abohar, Jalalabad, districts of Muktsar and Faridkot are called Kotkapura
plateau or the Upper Terrace.

The tract is also called Rohi or Utar in Ferozpur and Muktsar districts.

Below the plateau spreads the sandy plain, also called as Mudki Plain. Here sand flats are common
and low sand dunes are also found.

Bet Area in Punjab

The floodplains along the rivers of Punjab are locally called as Bet area. These areas are found all
over the state in form of large belts along the rivers.

Because of the floods in this area, new soil is deposited every year.
These areas are known as Mand, Bet, Tilla, Changar and Ghaarh in Punjabi. Such area is known as
‘Bela’ near Anandpur Sahib.

Some of the blocks having most of their villages classified as bet area are:

 Sidhwan Bet, Machhiwara, Ludhiana-II (Ludhiana)

 Chamkaur Sahib (Ropar)

 Bhunerheri (Patiala)

 Derabassi (Mohali)

 Shahkot, Lohian Khas (Jalandhar)

 Dorangla, Kahnuwan, Narot Jaimalsingh (Gurdaspur)

 Balachur (Nawan Shehar)

 Ajnala, Chogawan (Amritsar)

 Firozpur, Makhu, Mamdot, Guru Har Sahai (Firozpur)