The darker, almost dendritic drainage patterns evident in Figure V-23.1 are characteristic of a plateau topography controlled by horizontal units. Rivers such as the Krishna and Bhima, and the Godavari to the north, have their headwaters in the western Ghats within 40 to 100 km of the Arabian Sea. Because of the eastward tilt of the Peninsula, these rivers flow for up to 1000 km to the Bay of Bengal along the east coast rather than across the Ghats divide for short journeys to the west. Most of the basalt trap rocks are now strongly weathered to regur soils, a deep brown to reddish residue rich in Fe, Mg, Ca, alkalis, and organic matter that is exceptional for growing cotton. Laterites also develop over the region.
Vegetation is of the savannah type over most of the plateau.
Chapter 3 Table of Contents.