Rivers of Odisha

by Swaroop Sir

There are four groups of rivers which flow through Odisha into the Bay of Bengal

They are:

 (i) Rivers that have a source outside the State (the Subarnarekha, the Brahmani and the
Mahanadi).

 (ii) Rivers having a source inside the State (the Budhabalanga, the Baitarini, the Salandi, and
the Rushikulya).

 (iii) Rivers having a source inside the Odisha, but flow through other states (the Bahuda, the
Vansadhara, and the Nagavali).

 (iv) Rivers having a source inside Odisha, but tributary to rivers which flow through other
states (the Machkund, the Sileru, the Kolab, and the Indravati).

The North to – South Order of Rivers is :

Subarnarekha > Budhabalanga > Salandi > Baitarini > Brahmani > Mahanadi > Rushikulya >
Bahuda > Vansadhara > Nagavali > Indravati > Kolab
 The Subarnarekha

 Origin : Nagri village, near Ranchi, Jharkhand (Chhotanagpur Plateau)

 Flows through Jharkhand, WB, OD (Mayurbhanj and Balasore)
 Into the Bay of Bengal at Talasari, Balasore, OD
 Length : 79 kms in Odisha, 446 Kms Total
 Forms border between OD and WB for some distance before entering OD (at Lakhmannath,
Balasore)
 Imp Places : Chandil, Jamsedpur(JK) , Jaleswar and Bhogarai (Od, Balasore)
 Places of attraction : Kumbhirgari or Bhusandeswar Shiva Temple (12 ft linga), Talasari Beach
(Red Crab)
 Tributaries: Raru river, Kanchi river and other rivers

The Budhabalanga

 Origin : Similipal Moutain Range, Mayurbhanj

 Flows through Mayurbhanj and Balasore
 Into the Bay of Bengal (North of Chandipur) Balasore
 Length : 199 kms
 Imp Places : Baripada (Mayurbhanj), Remuna, Balasore,
 Places of attraction : Barehipani Falls, Mayurbhanj, Ruins of Haripur, Remuna Khirachora
Gopinath Temple
 Tributaries: Palapala, Sunei, Kalo, Sanjo, Gangahari and Katra
 Additional info: Sunei Dam and Hydroelectric Project, Mayurbhanj
 Other prominent rivers originating from eastern slope of the Eastern Ghats are The Salia and
The Salandi

The Baitarani

 Origin : The Gonasika/Guptaganga (Stone looking like the nostril of a cow) Keonjhar
 Only major river originating from Keonjhar Plateau
 Forms boundary between Orissa and Jharkhand for a small stretch
 Enters plain at Anandapur, Keonjhar
 Before flowing into the sea forms delta with the Brahmani, on which Bhitarkanika WLS and
Gahirmatha (Olive Ridley) (both in Kendrapada) are situated
 Flows Into the Bay of Bengal at Dhamra, Bhadrak, OD
 Length : 360 kms
 Imp Places : Champua (NAC, Keonjhar), Anandpur (Keonjhar), Jajpur, Chandbali (Bhadrak)
 Places of attraction : Bhimakund Waterfall
 Tributaries: 30 Right Bank + 35 left bank = 65 total
 Major left bank Tributaries are : Bhandan, Deo, Salandi and Matai
 The Salandi : Originates in Meghasani hills of Similipal (Mayurbhanj)
 The Brahmani

 Origin : As two rivers, Shankha (R) and Koel (L); they meet at Vedvyas, (near Rourkela,
Sundergarh) to form Brahmani
 It is an interstate River that originates from Chotanagpur Plateau (another being
Subarnarekha)
 2nd largest river in Odisha
 Length : 799 Km (total) /541 km (in Odisha) / 461 km (from the confluence at Vedvyas)
 (South) Koel River originates on the Ranchi plateau; fed by the North Karo, South
Karo and Koina in Jharkhand
 Sankh River originates in Lupungpat village in Gumla district in Jharkhand; flows
across Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh (again through Jharkhand) and Odisha
 Little before Bhuban, Ramial, biggest tributary(L) of Brahmani meets her
 Below Jenapur (Jajpur), Brahmani River bifurcates into Brahmani and Kharsuan
(Kharasrota)(L) and Brahmani delta starts from here
Kharasrota is met by Budha(L), a distributary(R) of Baitarani
Birupa (Left distributary of the Mahanadi) meets Brahmani(R)
Then Kharasrota meets Brahmani
(In that sense Kharasrota is both a dirtibutary and tributary of Brahmani)
 Before flowing into the Bay of Bengal forms delta with the Baitarani
 Imp Places and places of attraction : Mandira Dam (Sundergarh) on Sankh River provides
water to RSP, Vedvyas Temple (Sundergarh), Rourkela (Sundergarh)(L) , Rengali Dam
(Angul) (Cuts across The Eastern Ghats and forms a gorge at Rengali), NTPC (R) , Samal
Barriage, Talcher Twn (R),Sarang (L), Joranda (Dhenkanal) (R), Bhuban (L), Ratnagiri
Buddhist Site (R), Pattamundei (Kendrapada) (R)
 Has 45 major tributaries
 the Mahanadi

 Largest river, Length : 851km total/ 494 km in Odisha

 It is called Sorrow of Odisha (due to floods)
 Origin : Pharsiya village/ Nagri town, Dhamtari district of Chhattisgarh (Amarkantak
Plateau)
 Seonath is the longest tributary of Mahanadi
 It is a Left bank tributary of Mahanadi in CH
 Other Major tributaries in CH are Jonk(R) and Hansdeo (L)
 It is an interstate river flowing through Chhattisgarh and Odisha.
 Imp: Because of fertile basin of Mahanadi, Chhattisgarh is called Rice Bowl of India
 Hirakud Dam (Sambalpur) is on river Mahanadi
 Mahanadi cuts across the Eastern Ghats at Satakosia (Badamul, Nayagarh) and forms a gorge
 Mahanadi enters plain at Naraj, Cuttack
 Enters Bay of Bengal at False point, Paradeep, Jagatsinghpur
 Imp tributaries in OD : Ib(L) ; Jhaun, Jira, Ong, Tel, Bagh, Salunki (all Right)
 Major Distributaries: Kathajodi, Birupa, Kuakhai, Daya, Bhargavi, Kushabhadra, Biluakhai,
Devi, Kandala, Chitrotpala, Luna, Karandia, Paika and Badagenguti
 Daya & Bhargavi fall into Chilika Lake
 Birupa falls into Brahmani
 Districts in OD : Jharsuguda / Bargarh, Sambalpur, Sonepur, Bauda, Angul/ Nayagarh, Cuttack,
Jagatsinghpur
 Imp Places : Raipur, Hirakud dam, Burla, Samaleswari Temple, Sambalpur, Leaning Huma
temple (Sambalpur), Sonepur town, Satkosia (Nayagarh), Tikarpada (Angul), Nilamadhab
Temple (Nayagarh), Cuttack (Charchika, Bhattarika, Dhabaleswar), Paradeep
 Hirakud Dam :
o Constructed in 1957
o Longest dam in Asia
o Has the biggest artificial lake in Asia
 The Rushikulya

 Origin : from Daringbadi hills/ Rushyamala hills in Kandhamal

 Daringbadi is called the 'Kashmir of Odisha’
 Flows through Kandhamal and Ganjam
 Into the Bay of Bengal near Chatrapur, Ganjam
 No delta in its mouth because of strong currents
 Rushikulya is called the life line of Ganjam.
 Important Tributaries : Bada Nadi, Ghodahada
 Important places : Aska, Jaugarh fort and Asokan rock Edicts, Taratarini Temple (All in
Ganjam)
 Other imp places in Gnajam: Berhampur, Gopalpur sea Beach, Tampara Lake (Fresh water)
 Dolphins are seen in the mouth of Rushikulya river and the second most important nesting
place for Olive Ridley Turtles is in Rushikulya mouth

The Bahuda

 Origin : Near village Luba from the Singharaj hills of the Eastern Ghats in Gajapati
 Flows through Gajapati, Ganjam, AP, back to Ganjam then into the Bay of Bengal
 Length: 96 Kms total
 The Vanshadhara

 Origin : Niyamagiri Hills in Thuamul Rampur block, Kalahandi district

 Flows through Kalahandi, Raygada, Gajapati
 Forms common boundary between Odisha and Andhra Pradesh
 Into the Bay of Bengal near Kalingapatanam, Andhra Pradesh
 Length : 239 Km total/ 176 Km in Odisha
 Important places : Gunupur (Raygada), [Paralakhemundi (Gajapati)]
 Important Trinbutaries : Mahendratanaya (AP)
 Bauxite and Manganese are found in the basin
 The Nagavalli

 Origin : near Lakhbahal, Kalahandi

 Flows through Kalahandi, Raygada, AP
 Flows through Srikakulum in AP
 Into the Bay of Bengal
 Aka Langulya River
 Length of the river is 217 km total/ 125 km in Odisha (remaining in Andhra Pradesh)
 The Indravati
 Origin : Eastern Ghats of Dandakaranya range in Kalahandi district
 Flows through (westerly direction) Nabrangpur, Koraput; forms the boundary between
Odisha and Chattisgarh; enters Chattisgarh through Bastar District; flows in Chattisgarh;
(turns south and) flows along the boundary of Chattisgarh and Maharashtra and finally joins
Godavari River at the junction of the boundaries of Maharashtra, Chattisgarh and
Telangana states states
 Tributary to Godavari River
 total course of 535.80km
km (174 Km in Odisha)
 Tributaries : Jaura river, Bhaskel river
 Chitrakoot falls in Chattisgarh is on Indravati river
 The Kolab
 Origin : Sinkaran hills of the Eastern Ghats in Koraput districts
 Meets the Godavari in Andhra Pradesh
 Kolab Reservoir is near Jeypore Town in Koraput, Odisha
 Prominent tributary of Kolab is Machhakund River (Sileru River)
 Important places : Damanjodi (NALCO, Koraput), Sunabeda (HAL, Koraput), Koraput town
 Notes:
o Balimela Reservoir on Sileru aka Machkund River is in Malkangiri
o Sileru makes the SE border of Od and Sabri makes the SW border
o Gupteswar Temple is by the Sabri river near Chhatishgarh border
o Motu (Malkangiri) is the southernmost point of Odisha
 These rivers (Kolab, Sabri, Sileru) have a NE – SW flow
 Sileru meets Godavri near Kunavaram AP