MAHANADI
One of the most important rivers of east-central India is the Mahanadi, which drains an area of about 1,32,100sq km and has a total length of 900 km. The Mahanadi, whose name translates to ‘Great River’, flows through the states of Chhattisgarh and Odisha before ending its journey in the Bay of Bengal. The 26-km-long Hirakud Dam – the world’s longest earthen dam and one of the first major multipurpose river valley projects started after India’s independence – stands across this river.
The Mahanadi rises from the wild mountainous region of Bastar, about 40 km southeast of Raipur. As several mountain streams combine to form the river, its exact origin is difficult to pinpoint, but the closest source is tracked to a point 6 km from Pharsiya village near Sihawa town in the Dhamtari district of Chhattisgarh. For the first 100 km of its course, the Mahanadi trickles down as a small stream, with a valley width of only 500–600m, flowing northward past Raipur. On reaching the town of Sheorinarayan, it receives its first big tributary, the Shivnath. For the rest of its voyage the river flows eastward. It is joined by two more tributaries – the Jonkand Hasdeo – before entering Odisha near Sambalpur. By this time it has covered about half of its total length. About 10 km from Sambalpur, the Mahanadi is dammed by the Hirakud Dam, a composite structure of earth, concrete, and masonry spanning two hills, the Laxmidungri and Chandilidungri, and forming Asia’s largest artificial lake.
Before the construction of the dam, the Mahanadi was notorious for its devastating floods that earned it the name of ‘Sorrow of Orissa’. However, the dam has reduced this problem to a great extent, with a network of canals, barrages and checkdams keeping the river well in control. As the river continues on its course, it is joined by several lesser streams including the Ib, Ong, and Tel. Skirting the boundaries of the Boudh district, it forces its way through a series 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-km-long Satkosia Gorge. It then joins the Odisha plains near Naraj, 14 km south of Cuttack, where it pours down between two hills that are a mile apart. Here, a barrage has been built to control the river’s flow into Cuttack.
Just before entering Cuttack, the river produces a distributary (the opposite of a tributary: a stream flowing away from a river) known as the Kathjori. The Kathjori splits up into numerous streams after entering the Puri district, and all of them flow into the Bay of Bengal. TheMahanadi itself flows eastward through the Cuttack district and enters the Bay of Bengal through multiple channels at False Point near Paradeep in Kendrapara district.
The Mahanadi contributes much of the resources and facilitates for industrial development from east-central India to the east coast. The water potential of Mahanadi makes it the second largest in India after Godavari. Considered as the lifeline of east-central India, the Mahanadi River justifies its name given as the ‘Great (maha) River (nadi).
Do you know
● The specific shape of the course of the Mahanadi River is geographically termed the ‘Horseshoe’ shape.
● Chilka Lake in Orissa gets over 60% of its inland flow from the Mahanadi River. It is a famous wetland site and a favourite visiting place for migratory birds.
