Maharshtra Rivers and Lakes


Out of the five major rivers in India, three flow through the state of Maharashtra. The Godavari , Krishna and Tapti. The other four major rivers of India are the Ganga, the Yamuna, the Narmada, and the Saraswati Rivers. River Narmada also flows through the state but is not the major river of the state. These rivers form river basins in the regions towards which they drain and cover maximum fertile of the state.

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:
  • Pashan Lake, Pune is a british era artificial lake attracting migratory birds.
  • Tansa Lake, Thane also has a wildlife sanctuary close by.
  • Vihar Lake meets the drinking water needs of South Mumbai and
  • Powai Lake, an artificial lake in Mumbai.
  • Dr Salim Ali sarovar/ talab in Aurangabad was known as Khiziri talab during Mughal rule.
  • Tulsi Lake, located inside Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Mumbai is a crocodile park.Gorewada Lake, Nagpur
  • Futala Lake, Nagpur is almost 200 years old and is surrounded by forests on three sides.
  • Shukhrawari Lake or Jumma Lake is also an ancient lakes; almost 275 years old. Also known as Gandhisagar Lake.
  • Railadevi Lake in Thane is one of the 35 lakes in the "city of lakes".
  • Modak Sagar Lake is a fresh water reservoir in Thane.
  • Nakane Lake, the reservoir providing water to Dhule.
  • Charlotte Lake is a scenic lake at Matheran Hill station.
  • Dhampur Lake is a man-made lake with scenic hill ranges on two sides and mango, coconut and areca palm plantations.
  • Khadakwasla Lake/ Dam near Pune is a man-made lake.
  • Sakkardara Lake is an 18th century lake in Nagpur with picturesque surroundings and famous for sunrise and sunset viewing.
  • Tadoba Lake inside the Tiger Reserve of the same name is in Chandrapur District. Home to crocodiles, around 200 species of birds can be seen here.

  • Last Updated on : January 6, 2018