The East Coastal Plains, which stretch from the Subarnarekha river along the West Bengal-Odisha border to Kanniyakumari, are located between the Eastern Ghats and the East Coast of India. The rivers Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, and Cauvery, which comprise some of the largest deltas, alluvial fill the littoral zone, forming a considerable part of the plains. The Eastern Ghats form its western limit, which is defined by contours of 75 metres in Odisha, 100 metres in Andhra Pradesh, and 150 metres in Tamil Nadu.

1. The Northern Circars:

These are vast plains, in contrast to the West Coastal Plains, with an average width of 120 km, though they can be as wide as 200 km in deltaic regions and as small as 35 km in between deltas. Between the Mahanadi and the Krishna Rivers, this plain is known as the Northern Circars, and between the Krishna and the Cauvery Rivers, it is known as the Carnatic. The plain is separated into three parts based on physiographic differences.

2. The Utkal Plain:

The Utkal Plain, which includes Odisha's coastal areas, is around 400 kilometres long. The Mahanadi delta, with Cuttack at its head, is included. This delta is covered with a heavy layer of alluvium. The Chilka Lake, located south of the Mahanadi delta, is the plain's most conspicuous physiographic feature. This lagoon on the Odisha coast is about 70 kilometres long, with a maximum width of almost 22 kilometres in the north-east and a maximum width of about 7 kilometres in the south-west. It is the country's largest lake, with an extent ranging from 780 square kilometres in the winter to 1,144 square kilometres during the monsoon season. Low hills dot the plain south of Chilka Lake.

3. The Andhra Plain:

South of the Utkal Plain, the Andhra Plain stretches up to Pulicat Lake, some 40 kilometres north of Chennai. A lengthy sand spit known as Sriharikota Island, on which the Indian Space Research Organisation's satellite launching station is located, has blocked this lake. The lagoon is about 60 kilometres long and 16 kilometres wide at its widest point. The delta formed by the rivers Godavari and Krishna is the plain's most notable feature. In actuality, the two deltas have united into one physiographic unit. During the recent geological past, the united delta has progressed 35 kilometres closer to the sea.

The current site of the Kolleru Lake, which was formerly a lagoon on the shore but now lies well inland, demonstrates this. The Andhra plain is fairly large in this area. With the exception of Vishakhapatnam and Machilipatnam, the Andhra plain has a straight coast and a severe shortage of excellent harbours.

4. The Tamil Nadu Plain:

The Tamil Nadu Plain runs 675 kilometres along the coast of Tamil Nadu, from Pulicat Lake to Kanniyakumari. It has an average breadth of 100 kilometres. The Cauvery delta, which is 130 kilometres wide, is the plain's most notable feature. The Cauvery Delta is known as the granary of South India because to its excellent land and large-scale irrigation systems.