5. The North Deccan (Maharashtra Plateau)

The plateau of Maharashtra includes the entire state of Maharashtra, except the Konkan coast and the Sahyadris. It is mainly covered by the basalt of the Cretaceous Period. The basaltic sheet has a thickness of about 3 km in the western parts which diminishes towards the east and south-east. The most striking feature of the Maharashtra Plateau is the fault (1000 metres), giving rise to the present shoreline of the Arabian Sea.

Through the northern part of the Maharashtra Plateau flows the Tapi River from east to west. It has a gentle slope in the south and steep gradient in the north (towards the Satpura Hills).

(i) The Mahanadi Basin: Sprawling over the districts of Raipur, Bilaspur, Durg and Rajgarh, the Mahanadi basin is also known as the Chhattisgarh Plain. The region is largely dominated by the Archaean and Cuddapah formations. The Mahanadi river and its tributaries like Seonath, Hasdeo and Mana drain this plain.

(ii) The Chhattisgarh Plain.: Itis bordered by aseries of hills and plateaux. The northern boundary is formed by the Lomari Plateau, Pendra Plateau, the Chhuri and the Raigarh Hills. The Korba coalfields of Chhattisgarh lie in this basin. The Gondwana formations are rich in bituminous coal which is supplied to the Bhilai Steel Plant. The western rimland includes the Maikal Range with crest line of 700-900 metres. The southern rimland includes the Dhalli-Rajhara Hills in southern Durg district and the Raipur uplands in the south-eastern Raipur district. The Rajhara Hill contains Dharwarian rocks in which iron ore of haematite type is found. The iron ore from the Dhalli-Rajahara mines is supplied to the Bhilai Steel Plant.

(iii) Garhjat Hills: The Garhjat Hills are also known as the Odisha Highlands. It is bordered by the Chotanagpur Plateau in the north, Mahanadi basin

in the west, Eastern Ghats in the south and LJtkal plains in the east. The region is mainly composed of Archaean rocks like granite, gneisses and magmatic rocks. The Gondwana, Talcher, Barakar and Kamathi series are also located in this region.

(iv) Dandakaranya: Sprawling over the Koraput and Kalahandi districts of Odisha, Bastar District of Chhattisgarh and East Godavari, Vishakhapatnam and Srikakulam districts of Andhra Pradesh, Dandakaranya is an undulating plateau. Its Abujhmar Hills provide one of the richest iron-ore deposits at Bailadila Range. It is drained by the Tel and Udanti; tributaries of Mahanadi, and the Sabari and Sileru; tributaries of Godavari rivers.