The Western Ghats Coastal Plain

The Western Ghats Coastal Plain extends from Surat to Kanyakumari which is divided into four parts:

• The Gujarat Plain- Coastal area of Gujarat

• The Konkan Plain- Between Daman and Goa.

• The Kannad Plain- Between Goa and Mangalore.

• The Malabar Plain- Between Mangalore and Kanyakumari

They are actually submerged coastal plain. It is a narrow belt and provides natural conditions for the development of ports and harbours because of this submergence. Kandla, Mazagaon, JLN port Navha Sheva, Marmagao, Mangalore, Cochin, etc. are the important natural ports located along the west coast. Extending from the Gujarat coast in the north to the Kerala coast in the south, the western coast may be divided into following divisions – the Kachchh and Kathiawar coast in Gujarat, Konkan coast in Maharashtra, Goan coast and Malabar coast in Karnataka and Kerala respectively.

The western coastal plains are narrow in the middle and get broader towards north and south. The rivers flowing through this coastal plain do not form any delta. The Malabar coast has got certain distinguishing features in the form of ‘Kayals’ (backwaters), which are used for fishing, inland navigation and also due to its special attraction for tourists. Every year the famous Nehru Trophy Vallamkali (boat race) is held in Punnamada Kayal in Kerala.