The Origins of Mahanadi River

Mahanadi is an important river in east-central India. It has a total length of 900 kilometres and drains an area of roughly 132,100 square kilometres. The Hirakud Dam is located in Mahanadi. The river travels through Chhattisgarh and Odisha before merging with the Bay of Bengal. Mahanadi combines the Sanskrit words Maha = large, and Nadi = river. It ranks second to the Godavari among peninsular rivers in water potential. For much of recorded history, the Mahanadhi was known for its deadly floods. As a result, it was dubbed “Orissa’s Sorrow.” The Hirakud Dam, on the other hand, has drastically changed the situation.

Origin of the Mahanadi 

Like many other seasonal Indian rivers, the Mahanadi river comprises several mountain streams, making it impossible to determine its exact origins. However, its farthest headwaters are 6 kilometres from Pharsiya village in Nagri Sihawa, 442 metres above sea level, about 11 kilometres south of Sihawa town in the Dhamtari district of Chhattisgarh, in a deep stretch of forest. The hills here are an extension of the Eastern Ghats, and they are the source of a slew of other streams that flow into the Mahanadi. The Mahanadi flows in a northerly direction for the first 100 kilometres of its journey, draining the Raipur district and passing through eastern Raipur city. Here, it is a somewhat shallow river, with a valley width of only 500–600 metres.

Mahanadi River Route

The river travels in an easterly direction for the remainder of its voyage after being joined by the Shivnath. The Jonk and Hasdeo rivers join it before entering Odisha after crossing around half of its length. The Hirakud Dam, located in Sambalpur, is the world’s longest earthen dam. The dam, made of earth, concrete, and masonry, is 26 kilometres long, including the Dykes. The Lamdungri on the left and the Chandili Dunguri on the right are the two hills that make up the Chandili Dunguri. It also serves as Asia’s largest man-made lake, with a reservoir capable of holding 784 square kilometres of water and a shoreline of over 675 kilometres.

The Mahanadi basin presently lies primarily in Chhattisgarh, following the establishment of the state. The Hasdeo River basin area in Anuppur District is now just 169 square kilometres. The Mahanadhi was nearly a mile wide at Sambalpur before the dam was built in 1953, and it carried immense sediment, especially during the monsoon season. After the dam, it became a much calmer river, with the Ib, Ong, Tel, and other lesser streams joining it. It now borders the Baudh district’s limits, forcing its way through a succession of rapids between peaks and ledges till it arrives at Dholpur, Odisha. The rapids end here, and the river continues on its path to the Eastern Ghats, coursing its way through the 64-kilometre-long Satkosia Gorge. The Satakosia Gorge ends in Nayagarh’s Badamul. The hills on each side of the river are covered with dense trees. The river joins the Odisha plains near Naraj, about 14 kilometres south of Cuttack, where it flows between two a-mile-apart hills. Here, a barrage has been built to control the river’s flow into Cuttack.

The river, in an east-west direction, traverses the Cuttack district. It produces a big distributary known as the Kathjori just before reaching Cuttack. Cuttack is located on the spit that separates the two canals. After entering the Puri district, the Kathjori splits into various streams, including the Kuakhai, Devi, and Surua, which all flow into the Bay of Bengal. As the Jotdar, the Kathjori descends into the sea. The Paika, Birupa, Chitroptala Rivers and Genguti are some of Mahanadi’s other tributaries. At Krushnanagar, the Birupa joins the Brahmani River before entering the Bay of Bengal at Dhamra. The Mahanadhi reaches the sea through multiple channels at Jagatsinghpur’s False Point.

Mahanadi Basin

The Mahanadi basin is the country’s eighth most prominent, with a total catchment area of 139681 sq km, or roughly 4.28 per cent of the country’s entire geographical area. It is located between 80° 30′ and 86° 50′ east longitudes and 19° 21′ to 23° 35′ north latitudes. The basin’s catchment area includes large areas of Chhattisgarh and Odisha and lesser portions of Jharkhand, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh. Upper, middle, and lower Mahanadi are the three sub-basins of the basin. The top basin is formed like a saucer and is located mainly in Chhattisgarh State. The basin is round in form, with a circumference of roughly 400 km and a 160 km long and 60 km wide exit channel. During the monsoon season, the basin receives about all of its rainfall. Typically, the southwest monsoon arrives in mid-June and is active until the end of September over the whole basin.

Conclusion

In east-central India, the Mahanadi is a significant river. It stretches over 900 kilometres and drains an area of approximately 132,100 square kilometres. Mahanadi is also home to the Hirakud Dam. Before joining the Bay of Bengal, the river passes through Chhattisgarh and Odisha. After being joined by the Shivnath, the river continues eastward for the balance of its journey. It joins the Jonk and Hasdeo rivers before entering Odisha after spanning around half of its length. The river flows between two a mile apart hills in Naraj, about 14 kilometres south of Cuttack, where it meets the Odisha plains. At Krushnanagar, the Birupa joins the Brahmani River before entering the Bay of Bengal at Dhamra.