Origins of River Godavari

The Godavari is India’s second-longest river and third-largest river, with a drainage area of almost 10% of India’s total land area. It runs for 1,465 kilometres (910 miles) eastward, draining Maharashtra (48.6%), Telangana (18.8%), Andhra Pradesh (4.5%), Chhattisgarh (10.9%), and Odisha (10.9%) on its eastern route (5.7%) to reach the Bay of Bengal. As one of India’s largest river basins, the Godavari river has a drainage area of 312,812 square kilometres (km2). Only the Ganga and the Indus have larger basins.

Godavari Basin

The Godavari basin includes Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh and minor swaths of Chhattisgarh, Orissa, and Puducherry. The basin is 995 kilometres long and 583 kilometres wide. 

The basin is surrounded by the Ajanta range, the Satmala hills, and the Mahadeo hills on the north. The Western Ghats borders it on the west. The Eastern Ghats border the other two sides. The Godavari river originates 1,067 metres above sea level in the Maharashtra district, Nashik, approximately 80 kilometres from the Arabian Sea. 

Routes of the Godavari

• The Godavari River is 1,465 kilometres long, from its source to its outfall into the Bay of Bengal. 
• On its right bank, it is linked by the Dharna River and on its left bank by the Kadana River, both of which flow into it, a short distance downstream. 
• The combined waters of the Pravara and Mula, which rise in the hills of Akola, flow into the river from the left. They join the river around 217 kilometres from its source. 
• The river gets the combined waters of the Purna and Dudhna rivers approximately 338 kilometres from its source. 
• After another 138 kilometres, the waters of the Manjira river join it from the south at the border of Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. The Godavari flows at an elevation of around 329 metres at this place. 

Godavari Tributaries

• When the river Pranhita flows into the Godavari, it carries the combined waters of the Penganga, Wardha and Wainganga. These rivers drain Nagpur as well as portions of the southern Satpura mountain ranges. Its confluence with the Manjira occurs approximately 306 kilometres downstream. 
• After this, 48 kilometres downstream, the Indravathi’s waters meet the Godavari’s waters. 
• The Sabari is the last significant tributary, joining the Godavari approximately 100 kilometres upstream of Rajahmundry. 
• The Pranhita River is the main tributary of the Godavari, draining approximately 34.87% of the river’s drainage area. 
• Although the Pravara, Manjira, and Manner are important right bank tributaries, they only account for 16.14% of the basin’s total catchment area. 
• The Purna, Pranhita, Indravathi, and Sabari are important left-bank tributaries, accounting for nearly 59.7% of the basin’s total catchment area. 
• Purna, Pranhita, Indravati, and Sabari Rivers cover roughly 59.7% of the total catchment area of the basin, while Pravara, Manjira, and Manair combined contribute 16.1%.
• The major tributary, Pranhita, drains 34% of the drainage basin. The river is just 113 km long, but its tributaries Wardha, Wainganga, and Penganga drain the whole Vidharba region and the southern Satpura Ranges. 
• Godavari’s second significant tributary, Indravati, is the “lifeline” of Kalahandi, Nabarangpur and Bastar in Chhattisgarh. Due to their vast sub-basins, Indravati and Pranhita are considered rivers. 
• Purna is a major river in Maharashtra’s water-scarce Marathwada.
• The Godavari’s upper, middle, and lower sections make up the remaining 24.16% of the river’s total flow. 
• In the basin, agricultural land covers most of the land area, accounting for 59.57% of the total land area, with water bodies covering only 3.6% of the total land area. 
• According to the 2009 census, the basin is divided into 51 constituencies: 21 constituencies in Maharashtra, 18 in Andhra Pradesh, 4 in Madhya Pradesh, 3 each in Chhattisgarh and Odisha, and one each in Karnataka and Puducherry.

Conclusion 

The Godavari River System is the largest in the Indian peninsula. It is usually referred to as the Dakshin Ganga. Rising near Nasik from Trimbakeshwar, the Godavari River runs 1465 kilometres before emptying into the Bay of Bengal. The Godavari basin covers the states of Maharashtra and Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, and parts of Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Puducherry. 

Rivers that drain into the Sabri include the Indravati, the Penganga, and the Wardha. The Kumbh Mela also takes place in Nashik, on the banks of the Godavari River, which holds a lot of cultural significance.