Rivers of Maharashtra

Stand at Mahabaleshwar, and you are at the source of five rivers — the Krishna, Venna, Koyna, Savitri and Gayatri — according to local tradition. Some of them flow east for over a thousand kilometres to the Bay of Bengal; one flows west for barely a hundred to the Arabian Sea. That single hilltop captures the logic of Maharashtra's rivers: the Sahyadri is the great water divide, and the plateau's slope decides where the water goes.

The overall pattern

By area, the Godavari basin is by far the largest in the state, followed by the Krishna (including Bhima) and the Tapi.

The Godavari

• Origin: Trimbakeshwar, in the Brahmagiri hills of Nashik district.
• Length: about 1,465 km in total; the longest river of peninsular India, often called the Dakshin Ganga.
• Course: flows east-south-east through Nashik, Ahilyanagar, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jalna, Beed, Parbhani and Nanded, then enters Telangana.
• Towns on its banks in Maharashtra: Nashik, Paithan, Nanded.

Tributaries of the Godavari in Maharashtra

Wardha, Wainganga and Pranhita

• The Wainganga rises in Madhya Pradesh and flows south through Bhandara, Gondia and Gadchiroli.
• The Wardha rises in the Satpuras (Madhya Pradesh) and flows south-east along the Wardha–Amravati–Yavatmal region; the Penganga joins it.
• The Wardha and Wainganga meet to form the Pranhita, which joins the Godavari on the Maharashtra–Telangana border.
• The Indravati, from Chhattisgarh, forms part of the boundary in Gadchiroli before joining the Godavari.

Dams on the Godavari system

• Jayakwadi (on the Godavari near Paithan) — one of the largest dams in Maharashtra; its reservoir is Nath Sagar.
• Gangapur (near Nashik).
• Bhandardara (Wilson Dam) on the Pravara.
• Gosikhurd (Indira Sagar) on the Wainganga.
• Upper Wardha on the Wardha.

The Krishna

• Origin: near Mahabaleshwar (Satara district).
• Course: flows south-east through Satara and Sangli, then into Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
• Tributaries in Maharashtra: Venna, Koyna, Yerala, Warna, Panchganga (Kolhapur), Dudhganga and Vedganga.
• Towns: Wai, Karad (at the confluence with the Koyna — the "Preeti Sangam"), Sangli, Narsobachi Wadi (confluence with the Panchganga).

The Koyna

The Koyna rises near Mahabaleshwar and joins the Krishna at Karad. The Koyna dam (reservoir Shivsagar) is one of the most important hydroelectric projects in India: water is diverted westward through tunnels to power stations on the Konkan side, using the steep drop of the Sahyadri. The region is seismically active — the Koyna earthquake of 1967 is often discussed in connection with reservoir-induced seismicity.

The Bhima

• Origin: Bhimashankar (Pune district), also a Jyotirlinga temple and a wildlife sanctuary.
• Course: flows south-east through Pune, Ahilyanagar and Solapur, and joins the Krishna in Karnataka.
• Tributaries: Indrayani (Alandi and Dehu lie on its banks), Mula–Mutha (flowing through Pune city), Ghod, Nira, Man, Sina.
• Pandharpur lies on the Bhima, which is called the Chandrabhaga there because of its crescent shape.
• Ujani dam on the Bhima (Solapur district) is one of the largest reservoirs in the state.

The Tapi (Tapti)

• Origin: Multai, in Betul district, Madhya Pradesh.
• Course: flows west through a rift valley in Madhya Pradesh, Khandesh (Jalgaon, Dhule, Nandurbar) and Gujarat, into the Arabian Sea near Surat.
• Tributaries in Maharashtra: Purna (from the Gawilgarh hills; flows through Amravati, Akola, Buldhana), Girna, Panjhara, Waghur, Bori, Aner.
• Hatnur dam is on the Tapi; the Girna dam on the Girna.

The Narmada forms a short stretch of the boundary between Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh in Nandurbar district.

The Konkan rivers

The west-flowing rivers of the Konkan are short, swift and mostly seasonal, rushing down the steep Sahyadri escarpment into creeks and estuaries.

Because they are short, their catchments are small, and they carry little water after the monsoon — which limits irrigation in the Konkan despite its heavy rain.

Interstate river disputes and water sharing

Several Maharashtra rivers are shared with neighbouring states, and water sharing has been the subject of tribunals:

• Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal — Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh (and later Telangana).
• Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal — Maharashtra and the other basin states.

Pilgrimage towns on rivers

Practice

Prelims-style:

1. Where does the Godavari rise?
2. Which two rivers meet to form the Pranhita?
3. On which river is the Ujani dam?
4. Which river is called the Chandrabhaga at Pandharpur?
5. Why does the Tapi flow west?

Mains-style:

• "Maharashtra's rivers are abundant in the monsoon but scarce when needed most." Discuss the implications for water management.
• Explain the role of the Koyna project in Maharashtra's energy and irrigation.

Map exercise

On a blank map, draw the Godavari, Krishna, Bhima, Tapi, Wardha and Wainganga, and mark Trimbakeshwar, Mahabaleshwar, Bhimashankar, Karad, Pandharpur, Jayakwadi, Ujani and Koyna. Repeat until you can do it without looking.