The wide stretch of landmass of India, lying between the Eastern Ghats and the Bay of Bengal is the location of the Eastern Coastal Plains. It stretches from Tamil Nadu in the south to West Bengal in the north. The Mahanadi, Godavari, Kaveri and Krishna traverse these plains. These rivers have carved out broad valleys and deltas.

The region receives both the northeast and southwest monsoon rains. The annual rainfall ranges between 1,000mm and 3000 mm. The width of the plain varies from 100 to 130 km.

The plains are divided into seven regions. The Mahanadi delta in Orissa; the southern Andhra Pradesh plain; the Krishna Godavari deltas in Andhra Pradesh; the Kanyakumari coast; Coromandel or Madras Coast in Tamil Nadu and sandy littoral.