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Mahanadi River and Brahmani River

2021 NOV 20

Preliminary   > Geography   >   Resource geography   >   Places in news

Why in news?

  • The National Green Tribunal has directed the collector of Odisha’s Kendrapara district to take up restitution measures to mitigate the adverse environmental impact on the banks of Brahmani River and Mahanadi River due to illegal excavation of soil.

About Mahanadi River:

  • The river flows through the states of Chhattisgarh and Odisha.
  • It is bounded by the Central India hills on the north, by the Eastern Ghats on the south and east and by the Maikala range on the west.
  • It has its source in the northern foothills of Dandakaranya in Raipur District of Chhattisgarh. After receiving the Seonath River, it turns east and enters Odisha state.
  • At Sambalpur the Hirakud Dam (one of the largest dams in India) on the river has formed a man-made lake.
  • It enters the Odisha plains near Cuttack and enters the Bay of Bengal at False Point by several channels.
  • Puri, at one of its mouths, is a famous pilgrimage site.
  • Three important urban centes in the basin are Raipur, Durg and Cuttack.
  • Mahanadi basin, because of its rich mineral resource and adequate power resource, has a favorable industrial climate.

Tributaries:

  • Left bank Tributaries: The Seonath, the Hasdeo, the Mand and the Ib.
  • Right bank Tributaries: The Ong, the Tel and the Jonk.

Floods:

  • The Mahanadi was notorious for its devastating floods for much of recorded history. Thus it was called 'the sorrow of Orissa'. However the construction of the Hirakud Dam has greatly altered the situation

About Brahmani River:

  • It is a major seasonal river in the Odisha
  • The Brahmani river comes into existence by the confluence of the Koel and the Sankh rivers near Rourkela. It has a total length of 800 km.
  • The basin is bounded in the North by Chhotanagpur plateau, in the West and South by the Mahanadi basin and in the East by the Bay of Bengal.
  • Together with the river Baitarani, it forms a large delta before emptying into the Bay of Bengal at Dhamra.
  • Rengali dam and Samal Barrage are irrigation projects on the river

PRELIMS QUESTION

Consider the following statements:

1. Mahanadi river flows through two Indian states

2. Brahamani river is a tributary of Mahanadi river

3. Hirakud Dam is built across the Mahanadi river

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1,2 and 3

Answer