The Rivers of Maharashtra are:
Godavari: the river is considered to be holy and is taken to be a place of pilgrimage. Originating in Trimbakeshwar (one of the 12 jyotirlingas) in Nashik, it flows a distance of 1450 km, south-east across the Deccan Plateau and through the states of Central India into the Bay of Bengal. It is also called the Dakshina Ganga. As per legend, Sage Gautam was granted a boon by Lord Shiva to bring Ganga down to his ashram near Triambakeshwar as atonement to accidentally hurting/ killing a cow. The Ganges is said to have washed away the cow and gave rise to the Godavari River in Nashik. Traditionally, the tributaries are named after the seven rishis of Hindu mythology before it falls into the ocean. The river rises at an altitude of 1067 m and extends for over 9.5% of the total geographical area of India. The river basin has an average annual water surface potential of 110.5 cubic km. The main tributaries of the river are:
- Indravati River
- Wardha - Wainganga Rivers
- Manjira River
- KInnerasani River
- Pranahita River
- Parvara River
- Purna River
- Penganga River
- Kolab River
- Sabari and Sileru Rivers
The most important tourist places near the river are: Trimbakeshwar, Nasik, Nanded, Bhadrachalam and Pattiseema. Asia's largest Lift irrigation project, the Vishnupuri Prakalp has been constructed on the river at a distance of 5km from the city of Nanded.
Krishna River: the river is one of the longest rivers in the country. The origin of this river is at Mahabaleshwar in Maharashtra. The length of the river is 1300 km and it flows through the city of Sangli. It flows through the states of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh; forming the most fertile delta of India; into the Bay of Bengal. The mythology connected with the river is that the source of the river is a fountain rising from the mouth of the statue of a cow. The statue is in a temple of Lord Shiva in the city of Mahabaleshwar. The tributaries Venna and Koyana are said to be Siva and Brahma themselves. The other tributaries of the Krishna River are Ghataprabha, the Malaprabha, the Bhima, the Tungabhadra, the Musi, Koyna Rivers. The river basin of the Krishna stretches for an area of 258, 948 square km. the river has an average annual surface water potential of 78.1 cubic km and covers 8% of the total geographical area of India.
Tapi River: covering a total geographical area of 2%, and a river basin which extends to an area of 65,145 square km, the Tapi/ Tapti originates from the Multai region in the eastern Satpura range in Madhya Pradesh. This westward flowing River empties into the Gulf of Cambay of the Arabian Sea. Its main tributaries are: Purna, the Girna, the Panjhra, the Vaghur, the Bori and the Aner. The Average annual surface water potential is 18 cubic km
The Lakes of Maharashtra are:
Maharashtra has a number of lakes. Out of all the cities which are famous for the lakes, Thane stands out. The city has been named the 'city of lakes' having a reservoir of 30 lakes. The important lakes which are situated in the state are:
Last Updated on : January 6, 2018