Godavari River

Godavari River
The Godavari bridge across the Godavari in Rajahmundry at East Godavari district
Path of the Godavari through the South Indian Peninsula
Location
CountryIndia
StateMaharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha
RegionWest India and South India
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationBrahmagiri Mountain, Trimbakeshwar, Nashik, Maharashtra, India
 • coordinates19°55′48″N 73°31′39″E / 19.93000°N 73.52750°E / 19.93000; 73.52750
 • elevation920 m (3,020 ft)
MouthBay of Bengal
 • location
Antarvedi, Konaseema district Andhra Pradesh, India
 • coordinates
17°0′N 81°48′E / 17.000°N 81.800°E / 17.000; 81.800[1]
 • elevation
0 m (0 ft)
Length1,465 km (910 mi)
Basin size312,812 km2 (120,777 sq mi)
Discharge 
 • locationGodavari Delta, Bay of Bengal
 • average3,505 m3/s (123,800 cu ft/s)
Discharge 
 • locationRajahmundry (80 km upstream of mouth; Basin size: 308,946 km2 (119,285 sq mi)[2]
 • average(Period: 1998/01/01–2023/12/31)3,740.5 m3/s (132,090 cu ft/s)[2][3]
 • minimum79 m3/s (2,800 cu ft/s)[3]
 • maximum12,045 m3/s (425,400 cu ft/s)[3]
Discharge 
 • locationPolavaram (1901–1979)[4]
 • average3,061.18 m3/s (108,105 cu ft/s)
 • minimum7 m3/s (250 cu ft/s)
 • maximum34,606 m3/s (1,222,100 cu ft/s)
Basin features
Tributaries 
 • leftBanganga, Kadva, Shivana, Purna, Kadam, Pranahita, Indravati, Taliperu, Sabari
 • rightNasardi, Pravara, Sindphana, Manjira, Manair, Kinnerasani

The Godavari (IAST: Godāvarī, [ɡod̪aːʋəɾiː]) is India's second longest river after the Ganga River and drains the third largest basin in India, covering about 10% of India's total geographical area.[5] Its source is in Trimbakeshwar, Nashik, Maharashtra.[6] It flows east for 1,465 kilometres (910 mi), draining the states of Maharashtra (48.6%), Telangana (18.8%), Andhra Pradesh (4.5%), Chhattisgarh (10.9%) and Odisha (5.7%). The river ultimately empties into the Bay of Bengal through an extensive network of distributaries.[7] Measuring up to 312,812 km2 (120,777 sq mi), it forms one of the largest river basins in the Indian subcontinent, with only the Ganga and Indus rivers having a larger drainage basin.[8] In terms of length, catchment area and discharge, the Godavari is the largest in peninsular India, and had been dubbed as the Dakshina Ganga (Southern Ganges).[9]

The river has been revered in Hindu scriptures for many millennia and continues to harbour and nourish a rich cultural heritage. In the past few decades, the river has been barricaded by several barrages and dams, keeping a head of water (depth) which lowers evaporation. Its broad river delta houses 729 persons/km2 – nearly twice the Indian average population density and has a substantial risk of flooding, which in lower parts would be exacerbated if the global sea level were to rise.[10][11]

  1. ^ Godāvari River at GEOnet Names Server
  2. ^ a b "River Discharge and Reservoir Storage Changes Using Satellite Microwave Radiometry".
  3. ^ a b c "The Flood Observatory".
  4. ^ "Sage River Database". Archived from the original on 21 June 2010. Retrieved 16 June 2011.
  5. ^ "The Godavari River System" (PDF). cwc.gov.in. Central Water Commission, Ministry of Jal Shakti, Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation. Archived (PDF) from the original on 8 August 2021.
  6. ^ ""Godavari river basin map"" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 October 2013. Retrieved 2 November 2015.
  7. ^ "Integrated Hydrological DataBook (Non-Classified River Basins)" (PDF). Central Water Commission. p. 9. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
  8. ^ "Basins –". Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 12 October 2015.
  9. ^ "Dakshina Ganga (Ganga of South India) – River Godavari". Important India. 20 January 2014. Archived from the original on 18 January 2016. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
  10. ^ "Deltas at Risk" (PDF). International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme. Archived (PDF) from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
  11. ^ South Asia Network on Dams Rivers and People (2014). "Shrinking and Sinking Deltas: Major role of Dams in delta subsidence and effective sea level rise" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 February 2016. Retrieved 15 January 2016.

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