Which term best describes the network of permanent and ephemeral channels that drain the steep western slopes of the Western Ghats directly into the Arabian Sea within short linear distances across Kerala?

💡 Solution & Explanation

The narrow terrain of Kerala bounded by the Western Ghats forces its rivers to flow westward in short, rapid paths, creating a parallel to sub-parallel dendritic drainage pattern emptying into the Arabian Sea. Unlike centripetal systems that drain inward toward a depression or radial systems that flow outward from a central peak, these coastal basins have limited catchment areas. Drainage morphology reflects the underlying structural and tectonic history of peninsular India.