Mahanadi River: Location, Major Tributaries, Course and Map

Explore the Mahanadi River, a major east-flowing river in India. Learn about its course through Chhattisgarh and Odisha and its vital role in the region's geography and history.

Context: Odisha and Chhattisgarh have shown a willingness to amicably resolve the Mahanadi river water dispute, prompting the Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal to defer its hearing to allow further negotiations.

Mahanadi River

Mahanadi River is a major east-flowing river in India.
It ranks second to the Godavari River among peninsular rivers in terms of water potential.
Known as one of India’s most active silt-depositing rivers.

Course:
- It originates from the Sihawa hills in Dhamtari district, Chhattisgarh.
- Enters the Odisha plains near Cuttack and forms a delta before draining into the Bay of Bengal near False Point, close to Paradip
Length: Approximately 860 km.
Boundaries:
- North: Central Indian hills
- South & East: Eastern Ghats
- West: Maikal hill range
Basin Area: Spreads across Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and small parts of Jharkhand, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh.

Major Tributaries of Mahanadi River

Seonath
Jonk
Hasdeo
Mand
Ib
Ong
Tel

Note

A basin area, also known as a drainage basin or watershed, is the area of land where all surface water converges to a single point, like a river mouth or a lake.
Article 262(1) of the Constitution empowers Parliament to make laws for resolving disputes related to the use, distribution, or control of inter-State rivers or river valleys.
- Based on this provision, Parliament enacted the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956, to handle such conflicts.
- The Act allows a State Government to submit a formal request to the Union Government if it believes there is a river water dispute.
- If the Central Government is satisfied that the dispute cannot be resolved through negotiations, it can refer the matter to a Tribunal for adjudication.