THE COASTAL PLAINS

The Peninsular Plateau of India is flanked by narrow coastal plains of varied width from north to south, known as the West-Coastal Plains and the East Coastal Plains. These coastal plains differ from each other. They were formed by the depositional action of the rivers and the erosional and depositional actions of the sea-waves.

According to geologists the origin of the western and eastern coasts of India may be attributed to the faulting and subsidence of the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal towards the close of the Eocene Period. Consequently, alluvial deposits along these coasts are of very recent origin, ranging from Pliocene to recent times. These coastal plains have the evidence of submergence and emergence. I he Indian coastal plains may be subdivided into the following three divisions: (i) The Gujarat Coastal Plain, (ii) the West Coastal Plain, and (iii) the East Coastal Plain.