Physiographic Divisions of Chhattisgarh

Prerequisites

• Location, Extent and Boundaries: where the state sits on the Peninsular plateau
• Physiography of India: the Chota Nagpur plateau, Baghelkhand, the Satpura–Maikal range and the Eastern Ghats

The Hook: From Mainpat’s Chill to Bastar’s Waterfalls

Why it matters: Prelims asks the highest peak, the pat (पाट) plateaus, which district a hill range lies in, and which region is the largest. Mains GS-III asks you to relate relief to rivers, soils, agriculture, minerals and tribal settlement.

The Big Picture: High–Low–High

The state’s relief forms a simple north–south profile:

graph LR
    N["NORTH
Hills and plateaus
(Baghelkhand, Pat region)"] --> C["CENTRE
Chhattisgarh Plain
(Mahanadi basin)"]
    C --> S["SOUTH
Bastar / Dandakaranya
plateau"]
    W["WEST
Maikal range"] --> C

Two schemes are used in books. Learn both, because questions can follow either.

The three-fold “northern hilly region” is simply the four-fold divisions 1 and 2 combined. The Maikal range on the western edge is usually described with the plain, as its western boundary.

1. Eastern Baghelkhand Plateau (पूर्वी बघेलखंड पठार)

• Where: the north-west of the northern hills: Koriya, Manendragarh-Chirmiri-Bharatpur, Surajpur and western Surguja.
• Nature: an eastern extension of the Baghelkhand plateau of Madhya Pradesh; dissected uplands and hills such as the Devgarh hills near Sonhat.
• Rivers: the Hasdeo rises here and flows south to the Mahanadi; streams on the northern slope go to the Son (Ganga system). The plateau is therefore a water divide.
• Resources: Gondwana coalfields (Chirmiri, Baikunthpur, Bishrampur area), dense sal forests.

2. Jashpur–Samri Pat Region (जशपुर–सामरी पाट प्रदेश)

• Where: the north-east: Jashpur, Balrampur and eastern Surguja, bordering Jharkhand.
• Nature: part of the Chota Nagpur plateau. A pat (पाट) is a flat-topped plateau surrounded by steep scarps. Well-known pats include Mainpat, Samri pat and the Jashpur pats.
• Upper and lower ghats: in Jashpur, the higher pats are called Uparghat (उपरघाट) (about 750–1,000 m) and the lower ones Nichghat (निचघाट).
• Highest point of the state: Gaurlata (गौरलाटा), about 1,225 m, on the Samri pat in the north of Balrampur district, near the Jharkhand border.
• Mainpat: about 1,085 m high, in Surguja; known as the “Shimla of Chhattisgarh”. A Tibetan settlement was set up there in 1962. The Rihand rises in the Matiranga hills south-west of the Mainpat plateau.
• Resources: bauxite on the pat tops (Mainpat, Samri area), laterite soils, tea trials in Jashpur.

3. Chhattisgarh Plain / Mahanadi Basin (छत्तीसगढ़ का मैदान / महानदी बेसिन)

• Where: the heart of the state: Raipur, Durg, Bilaspur, Janjgir-Champa, Baloda Bazar, Mahasamund, Dhamtari, Bemetara, Mungeli and neighbouring districts.
• Largest physiographic unit of the state. Mostly flat to gently undulating, drained by the Mahanadi and its tributaries (Shivnath, Hasdeo, Jonk, Mand and others).
• Geology: a large sedimentary basin of very old (Proterozoic) rocks, the Chhattisgarh Basin, with extensive limestone and shale. This is why Raipur–Baloda Bazar–Durg is a major cement belt.
• Economy: the “rice bowl” (धान का कटोरा) of the state. Most of the population, cities, industries and irrigation projects are here.
• Western rim: the Maikal range (मैकल श्रेणी). The range runs along the western edge, mainly in Kabirdham (Kawardha) district, bordering Madhya Pradesh. Its high point in the state is Badargarh (बदरगढ़), about 1,176 m. The Maikal belongs to the Satpura system; Amarkantak, the source of the Narmada, lies on it just across the border in Madhya Pradesh.

4. Dandakaranya / Bastar Plateau (दण्डकारण्य / बस्तर का पठार)

• Where: the south: Kanker, Kondagaon, Narayanpur, Bastar, Dantewada, Bijapur and Sukma (Bastar division).
• Nature: a dissected plateau with hill ranges, deep valleys, waterfalls and dense forests. It is part of the larger Dandakaranya region shared with Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.
• Key features:
  • Bailadila range (बैलाडीला) in Dantewada: named after its hump-like shape (baila = bullock, dila = hump); high-grade iron ore. Its peak Nandiraj, about 1,210 m, is the second-highest point of the state.
  • Abujhmarh (अबूझमाड़): a remote forested hill tract of about 4,000 km² across Narayanpur, Bijapur and Dantewada. The name means “unknown hills” in Gondi.
  • Rowghat hills (Narayanpur–Kanker): iron ore deposits.
  • Keshkal ghat (केशकाल घाटी): the winding descent on the Raipur–Jagdalpur road between the plain and the plateau.
  • Kanger valley: national park near Jagdalpur, with limestone caves and Tirathgarh falls.
• Rivers: the Indravati and its tributaries drain west and south to the Godavari; the Sabari drains the south-east.
• People: the core of the state’s Scheduled Tribe population (Gond, Muria, Maria, Halba, Dhurwa and others). See Tribes of Chhattisgarh.

Analysis: How Relief Shapes Life (Mains material)

1. Relief controls drainage. The northern hills and the Sihawa highlands in the south of the plain act as water divides. Water goes north to the Ganga, east to the Mahanadi and south to the Godavari.
2. Relief controls agriculture. The flat, soil-rich plain is irrigable and densely farmed. The hills and plateaus have thin soils and depend on rain and forests.
3. Relief controls minerals. Coal lies in the Gondwana basins of the north, limestone in the plain, iron ore in the Bastar ranges, bauxite on the pats.
4. Relief controls settlement. Population and cities cluster in the plain; the hills and plateaus are sparsely settled and largely tribal.

Memory Tricks

Don’t Confuse

Common Mistakes

Practice

These are original practice questions written in CGPSC style. They are not previous-year questions.

Level 1: Foundation

1. The highest peak of Chhattisgarh is ________, located in ________ district.
2. A flat-topped plateau bounded by scarps in northern Chhattisgarh is locally called a ________.
3. The largest physiographic division of the state is the ________.

Level 2: Prelims MCQs

Q1. Consider the following statements:

1. Mainpat lies in Surguja district.
2. Gaurlata, the highest peak of the state, lies on the Bailadila range.
3. The Maikal range lies along the western edge of the state.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only (b) 1 and 3 only (c) 2 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3

Q2. Match List-I (Feature) with List-II (District):

(a) A-3, B-1, C-4, D-2 (b) A-3, B-4, C-1, D-2 (c) A-1, B-3, C-4, D-2 (d) A-3, B-1, C-2, D-4

Q3. The northern hilly region of Chhattisgarh is physiographically an extension of:

(a) the Eastern Ghats and the Deccan trap (b) the Chota Nagpur and Baghelkhand plateaus (c) the Aravalli and Vindhya ranges (d) the Western Ghats and the Satmala hills

Q4. The extensive limestone deposits that support the cement industry around Raipur and Baloda Bazar are found in which physiographic unit?

(a) Jashpur pat region (b) Bastar plateau (c) Chhattisgarh plain (d) Maikal range

Q5. “Abujhmarh”, a remote forested hill tract, lies mainly in which district?

(a) Kabirdham (b) Narayanpur (c) Jashpur (d) Koriya

Level 3: Mains Answer Writing

Q1. Name the physiographic divisions of Chhattisgarh and give one feature of each. (60 words)

Q2. Explain how physiography influences the distribution of agriculture, minerals and population in Chhattisgarh. (150–200 words)

Quick Revision Table

Key Takeaways

What’s Next

• Drainage: Rivers and Basins of Chhattisgarh: how these divides send water to five basins
• Climate and Soils of Chhattisgarh: how relief shapes rainfall and soil types
• Minerals, Energy and Industry: coal, iron ore, bauxite and limestone in detail
• Forests and Wildlife: Kanger valley, Indravati and the forested plateaus