Question

The East Coastal plain is located between __________.
A. Aravali and the Bay of Bengal
B. Eastern ghats and the Bay of Bengal
C. Sahyadris and the Bay of Bengal
D. Arabian sea and Aravali

Answer 1

Hint: The Eastern Coastal plains is wider than the Western Coastal Plains because of the delta formed by the rivers Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri. It is an example of an emergent coast and has less number of ports and harbours.

Complete Answer: The Eastern Coastal plain is located between the Eastern ghats and the Bay of Bengal, extending from Subarnarekha River in the east to Kanyakumari in the south. This coast cuts through three Indian States, i.e., Orissa, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. It is wider and level than the western coastal plains because the Godavari, Kaveri and Krishna rivers drain these plains which form a major portion of the landmass of India.

The width of the plain varies between 50 to 60 km and is mostly formed by alluvial soil making it fertile for agricultural purposes. The eastern coastal plain is an example of an emergent coast due to its regular outline and smooth sea beaches, offshore bars, lagoons and sand ridges. Its continental shelf extends up to 500 km into the sea, which makes it impossible for the development of ports and harbour in the eastern coastal plains. The region receives both northeast and southwest monsoon rains with an annual average between 100 to 300 cm.

Thus, the correct answer is option (B).

Note: The Eastern coast is further divided into three main subdivision - The Coromandel coast, extending between the Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu and Pulicat Lake; the Andhra Coast, extending between the Pulicat Lake and Kolleru Lake in the south of Andhra Pradesh; and the Utkal Coast extending between the Kolleru Lake and Chilika Lake in Odisha.