GODAVARI RIVER

NAME:K.SAIRAMKRISHNA

CLASS: FINAL YEAR

GROUP: B.COM [C.A]

ROLLNO: SSBN185278

MEDIUM: ENGLISH

SUBJECT: COMMERCIAL GEOGRAPHY

PROJECT: GODAVARI RIVER

3RD B.COM[C.A] 2019-20 Page 1

 CONTENTS

 INTRODUCTION ON RIVER
 INTRODUCTION ON GODAVARI RIVER
 ORIGIN OF GODAVARI RIVER
 SOURCE OF GODAVARI RIVER
 ITINERARY OF GODAVARI RIVER
 RELIGIOUS IMPORTANC
 FEATURES OF GODAVARI RIVER
 IMPORTANCE OF GODAVARI RIVER
 POLLUTION IN GODAVARI RIVER
 DAMS IN GODAVARI RIVER
 PROJECTS ON GODAVARI RIVER
 TRIBUTARIES ON GODAVARI RIVER
 ECOLOGICALSIGNIFICANCE OF GODAVARI RIVER
 FLORA AND FAUNA OF GODAVARI RIVER
 HYDRO ELECTRO POWER STATIONS
 ECOLOGICAL CONCERNS
 MINERAL DEPOSITS OF GODAVARI RIVER
 IMPORTANT PLACES OF GODAVARI RIVER
 WATERFALLS
 RAINFALL BASIS ON GODAVARI RIVER
 CONCLUSION

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 INTRODUCTION

Rivers are the most important resources in the world in general and in India in particular,
great civilization developed along the bank of rivers and even today most of development has
taken place in the cities located near the rivers. The rivers provide water for industries,
agriculture, and aquaculture, commercial and domestic purpose. Unfortunately the same
rivers are being polluted by indiscriminate disposal of sewage and industrial wastes and
plethora of human activities. River pollution has already acquired serious dimensions in
India. Pollution of rivers first affects its physicochemical quality then systematically destroys
the community disrupting the delicate food web. The study of physical, chemical and
biological features of freshwater is known as Limnology literally the study of marshes. With
Industrial regulation some of the area in Maharashtra are really in alarming condition due to
contamination by various types of pollutants like sewage waste, detergents, cattle and human
excreta, waste of agriculture’s, chemicals and industrial effluents specially the Heavy Metals
have further increased the hazard (Thorat and Masarrat, 2000). The release of increasing
quantity of heavy metals in to the natural waters fromindustry and other human activities are
Copper, Mercury, Cadmium, Zinc, Lead and Chromium. Different pollutants in the
environment producing ill effect in aquatic fauna directly on human being such type of study
are carried out by Gaikwad, 2004; Nandan and Aher, 2005 and Gaikwad and Thorat, 2006.
The inorganic minerals like sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium and various heavy
metals are present above the permissible limit quoted by BIS, India are harmful. The
pathogenic organism from sewage and industrial effluent transmit to the river water and pose
serious problems. According to Maharashtra Pollution Control Board, Mumbai has declared
that the Tapi is one of the major polluted rivers in India Waghur River is one of the major
interstate rivers of North Maharashtra Region flowing from Ajanta caves towards Jalgaon and
get dumped in Tapi at Sakegaon and river Tapi flows from Madhya Pradesh through state of

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Maharashtra and Gujarat and drained into Arabia In Sea.

INTRODCUTION ON GODAVARI RIVER:-

The Godavari River is an important River in India and it flows from western to
southern India. The catchment area of the river is regarded as one of the biggest in the
country. The river is 1,465 km long and ranks as the second longest river in the
country (after the Ganges). The drainage basin of the river is present in six states of
India: Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh , Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, and

Orissa.

Origin of Godavari river :-

Origin of Godavari River is situated in Trimbak. Brahmadev loved God Trivikram when he
came to Satya Loka with a similar sacred water of the Ganges, to get the stream Ganges held
up by God Shankar on his head, to stream. Waterway Ganges as a lady was getting a charge

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out of with Lord Shiva, which was seen by Lord Shiva's significant other Parvati. She wanted
to push Ganges far from her significant other. Parvati and her child Ganesh came to live in
Gautama's Ashram with Parvati's companion Jaya.
There was a starvation of 24 years and individuals were influenced by the aches of yearning.
Notwithstanding, Varun - the God of Rains, satisfied with Sage Gautama masterminded rains
each day in Gautama's Ashram which was in Trimbakeshwar. Gautama used to sow rice in
the encompassing fields of his Ashram toward the beginning of the day, procure the product
toward the evening and with it sustained a huge gathering of Rishis, who took protect in his
Ashram by virtue of the starvation. The favors of the gathering of rishis expanded the value
of Gautama.
Master Indra's position ended up insecure due to his expanded legitimacy. So Indra requested
mists to rain all over Trimbakeshwar, with the goal that the starvation will be finished and
Rishis will return and the expanding benefits of Gautama will be debilitated. In spite of the
fact that the starvation was finished, Gautama encouraged the Rishis to remain back and
continued sustaining them and picking up legitimacy. When he saw a dairy animals eating in
the paddy field and he pushed her away by tossing Darbha.

Source OF Godavari river :-

The source of the Godavari River is situated near Trimbak in Nashik District of Maharashtra.
After setting off, the river runs towards the east, traversing the Deccan Plateau. In the end, the
river empties into the Bay of Bengal at Narasapuram in West Godavari district, Andhra
Pradesh.

Itinerary of Godavari River:-

The river is an important stream in central India, rising in the Western Ghats Mountain
Range. The name of the origin is Trimbakeshwar and it is situated in the Nashik District or
Subdivision in the state of Maharashtra and runs towards the east over the Deccan terrain
through the Maharashtra state. The river is also named as Southern Ganges or Dakshin
Ganga. The river moves into Andhra Pradesh at Kandhakurthi in Nizamabad district of
Andhra Pradesh, moves past the Deccan terrain and subsequently bends to run according to a
southeasterly course till it pours into the Bay of Bengal via two mouths. An important place
of attraction on the riverbanks is Basara in Adilabad District. It houses a popular place of
worship for Goddess Saraswati. It is also the second oldest temple for the deity in India.

The biggest city on the riverbanks of the Godavari is Rajahmundry. In this place, the river has
the maximum breadth (about 5 km from Rajahmundry to the other bank at Kovvur.

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The Sri Ram Sagar Dam was built across this river (1964-1969) and it satisfies the irrigation
requirements of districts like Nizamabad, Adilabad, Warangal, and Karimnagar in Andhra
Pradesh.

A popular temple township in Andhra Pradesh is the Dharmapuri and there is a holy place of
worship devoted to Lord Sri Laxmi Narashimha Swamy. The place draws religious devotees
from across Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. According to Dr. Sanganabhatla Narsaiah, a
famous Telugu writer and academic of Desi Chandas in Telugu and Principal of SLNSA
College - Dharmapuri, the river was also named as 'Telivaha' in this territory, which was
assumed to have thrust the word 'Telugu' to the dialect.

In spite of the fact that the river originates just 80 km from the Arabian Sea, the river runs a
length of 1,465 km or 910 miles to pour into the Bay of Bengal. Only over Rajahmundry, a
barrage is located that supplies water for cultivation purposes. Beneath Rajahmundry, the
river splits into two torrents that broaden into a big river delta, which has a widespread
passable irrigation channel arrangement, Dowleswaram Barrage that connects the area to the
Krishna River delta to the southwest.

Religious importance:-

Suspicious River Godavari is a historic and prosperous legacy of Hindu culture

! Sanatan Dharma-sanskrutideveloped on the banks of this auspicious River. Here, great
Sages with knowledge of ‘Yadnyas’ and Sriramchandra spent 12 years of exile with Seeta.
History of Godavari is a history of convergence of North Indian and South Indian culture.
Many great religious leaders from ‘Aryavarta’ had stayed on the banks of Godavari;
therefore, reference of such cultural union is found even in Holy Scriptures.
Gautami is none other than Ganga. She is supreme like River Saraswati. This River
frees everyone from sins and bestows liberation. This river is giver of happiness and good
creations. Bhagiratha uplifted thousands of Sagar’s sons through Bhagirathi. Similar
benevolent work was done by Godavari with the blessings of Sage Gautam for billions of
devotees in Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. Such is the greatness of this mother of Hindus’
pilgrimages and source of nectar. Her just ‘darshan’’ also helps in eradicating all sins. Words
fail to describe the greatness of River Godavari; the eliminator of sins and troubles.
Having holy bath in River Godavari during ‘Simhastha Parva’ is 1, 00, 000 times more
spiritually beneficial than having bath in Godavari at other times. Significance of this
‘Simhastha Kumbh-Mela’ which is the only one held in Southern and Western India has been
described right from ‘Vedas’ to Saint Tukaram’s ‘gaathaa’. In this book, therefore,
information about ‘Simhastha Mahaparva’ etc. festivals related to River Godavari, whole
ritual of having holy bath in the river, and ‘vyashti’ and ‘samashti’ sadhana of Sri Godavari
Devi has been explained. At present, this holy river has been polluted; so attempts to be made
for its protection are also mentioned in the book. The purpose of this book is to let everyone
know the greatness of holy River Godavari. Protection and nurturing of this River with
devotion will be possible only when one knows the great significance of Godavari and
this Ganga – Gautami – Godavari will purify all, by freeing them from curses, sins, troubles
and worldly life.
It is a prayer to Gautami Ganga to let the purpose behind this book be fulfilled

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Features of Godavari river;-

1. It is the largest Peninsular river. It originates from the slopes of the Western Ghats in the
Nasik district of Maharashtra.

2. It has a largest drainage system among the peninsular rivers.with a length of about 1500
km. It drains into the Bay of Bengal.

3.The basin covers parts of Maharashtra (about 50 per cent of the basin area lies in
Maharashtra), Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.

4. Its tributaries are the Purna, the Wardha, the Pranhita, the Manjra, the Wainganga and the
Penganga.

5.it is also known as the ‘Dakshin Ganga’ because of its length and the area it covers.

Importance of Godavari river :-

The Godavari is a river that runs from western to southern ends of India and forms one of the
largest river basins in India. With a length of 1465 km, it is the second longest river in India,
second to The Ganges, and the longest in southern India. It originates near Trimbak in Nashik
District of Maharashtra state and flows east across the Deccan Plateau into the Bay of
Bengal near Yanam and Antarvedi in East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh.

In India, a river does not merely serve the purpose of irrigating the fields. They are also
considered to be of extreme religious significance. Infact, they are worshipped as Goddesses
and numerous festivals and rituals are celebrated on the banks of these revered rivers. Apart
from Ganga and Yamuna, Godavari also holds the exceptional religious importance in India.
Godavari is one of the sacred rivers in India. According to the Puranas, River Ganga should
only be visited after the visit to the Godavari. There are several pilgrimage places on the
banks of the river Godavari. The major spot of pilgrimage is Trimbakeshwar, the ancient
temple of Lord Shiva. Nanded Takht Sri Hazur Sahib is one of the sacred places among
the Sikhs, while Bhadrachalam is the temple of Lord Rama and many more.

Godavari is sometimes referred to as the `Ganga of the South`. After every twelve years, a
major bathing festival held is called as Pushkaram held on the banks of the Godavari River.
Scores of people take a holy dip in the sacred waters of Godavari to cleanse themselves of all
their sins. Some of the well-known personalities who took bath in its holy water include
Baladeva 5000 years ago and the saint Chaitanya Mahaprabhu 500 years ago.

Legends associated with Godavari River

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As per mythology, Godavari, one of the most sacred rivers of India, is believed to be the
sister of Ganga. It is believed to have originated from the "jata" of Lord Shiva, while he was
meditating on Mount Kailash.

Pollution in Godavari river :-

The mighty Godavari River reeling under severe industrial pollution is ringing alarm bells.
Environmentalists have expressed concern over the grave threat posed by industrial pollution
to the very existence of the perennial river with a delta spreading over 3.12 lakh square km.
The release of untreated industrial effluents into the river by companies located on Godavari
banks in Adilabad, Karimnagar, Warangal and Khammam districts may sound death knell for
the lifeline if urgent conservation measures are not taken, they warned.
Though the Central government took up the Godavari River Pollution Control Scheme way
back in 1991 at a cost of Rs 34.19 crore, it failed to achieve desired results in checking the
inflow of untreated industrial effluents and sewage into the river due to lack of coordination
among the local bodies in its implementation. The liberal allocation of the river water to
heavy industries by the government has also become a bane.
According to a study, the industrial pollution of Godavari River water is high in Bhadradri
district. The pilgrim town Bhadrachalam and about 50 villages situated on the river banks are
likely to face severe drinking water crisis in near future. If the release of untreated industrial
effluents and sewage into Godavari is not checked, the river water may not be fit for human
consumption.
Speaking to The Hans India, environmentalist Mogili said: “People of villages located on the
river banks are often falling ill due to consumption of contaminated water. The fish, prawns
and others aqua species are facing extinction threat due to chemical contamination of the
river water. Urgent measures need to be taken to save the Godavari River from the industrial
pollution.”
Chandrasekhar, a representative of an NGO, said: “People living on the river banks in
Bhadradri are expressing severe concern for quite a long time over increase in chemical
pollution levels in Godavari, no steps have been taken to curb the release of untreated
industrial effluents into the perennial source.
The PSUs and private companies located on the river banks are violating the pollution norms
after using the river water for their industrial needs. But no action has been initiated against
them. Even court directives on release of untreated industrial effluents into the river are being
ignored polluting the lifeline of the State further.”
Venkateswarlu, a villager of Sarapaka, said: “The administration of the newly formed
Bhadradri district should take effective measures to curb pollution of Godavari River. It
should ensure that the PSUs and private companies located on the Godavari banks strictly
adhere to the pollution control norms. The indiscriminate use of the river water for industrial
needs should also be checked to save the lifeline of people.”
It is reliably learnt that those who take a holy dip in the River at Bhadrachalam are
contracting skin diseases, while those who drink the river water are stated to be suffering

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from health problems because industries in the river catchment area are releasing industrial
wastes into the river without first treating the effluents at the plant level.
To quote an example, the effluents from the ITCPSPD plant at Sarapaka in Burgampahad
mandal are being released into the river at Nagineniprolu Reddy Palem village. Also, the
drainage water from the temple town Bhadrachalam is also being released into the river
without filtering. The devotees are complaining of stink near the bathing ghats.
Talking to The Hans India, Bhadrachalam legislator Sunnam Rajaiah expressed concern over
the increasing pollution in the river. Thousands of people quench their thirst drinking the
river water, but plastic material and other effluents are being discharged into the river. He
demanded the State government to respond immediately and save the river from pollution.
Mogili pointed out that oxygen content in the water was getting reduced because of the
pollution and putting the lives of aqua species in jeopardy.

Dams In Godavari river:-

The main Godavari River up to the confluence with Pranhita tributary is dammed fully to
utilize the available water for irrigation. However, its main tributaries Pranhita, Indravati and
Sabari which join in the lower reaches of the basin, carry three times more water compared to
main Godavari. In 2015, the water surplus Godavari River is linked to the water
deficit Krishna River by commissioning the Polavaram right bank canal with the help of
Pattiseema lift scheme to augment water availability to the Prakasam Barrage located in
Andhra Pradesh. More dams are constructed in the Godavari River basin than in any other
river basin of India. The following are the few dams located in the river basin:

 Gangapur Dam : This is a large earth fill dam with gross water storage of 215.88 million
cubic metres, and located 10 km (6.2 mi) upstream from Nashik city. The reservoir
known as the Gangapur Bandh Sagar provides drinking water to the Nashik city and also
supplies water to the thermal power station situated downstream at Eklahare.
 Jayakwadi dam : Located near Paithan, it is one of the largest earthen dams in India. This
dam was built to address the dual problems of flooding along the banks, during monsoon
months, and that of drought, rest of the year, in the Marathwada region. Two 'left' and
'right' canals provide the irrigation to fertile land up to Nanded district. This dam has
contributed to industrial development of Aurangabad and Jalna, Maharashtra.Majalgaon
Dam is also constructed under Jayakwadi stage 2 to expand the irrigation potential further
in Parbhani, Nanded and Beed districts.
 Vishnupuri barrage: Asia's Largest Lift Irrigation project, the Vishnupuri Prakalp has
been constructed on the river at a distance of 5 km (3.1 mi) from the city Nanded.
 Ghatghar Dam was built for hydro power generation by diverting the water of Pravara
tributary outside Godavari river basin to a west flowing river which joins Arabian Sea.
 Upper Vaitarna reservoir was built across west flowing Vaitarna river merging some part
of Godavari river catchment area. Godavari water impounded in this reservoir is diverted
outside the river basin for Mumbai city drinking water supply after generating hydro
power.
 Sriram Sagar Dam : This is another multipurpose project on the Godavari River on the
borders of Adilabad and Nizamabad District. It is near the town of Pochampad, 60 km
away from Nizamabad. It has been described by The Hindu as a "lifeline for a large part
of Telangana". It serves the irrigation needs

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 in Karimnagar, Warangal, Adilabad, Nalgonda, and Khammam districts and also
generates power.
 Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage was built by Sir Arthur Cotton in 1852. It got damaged in 1987
floods and rebuilt as a barrage cum roadway soon after and named after him. The
roadway connects Rajamahendravaram City in East Godavari and Vijjeswaram in West
Godavari. The irrigation canals of this barrage also form part of National Waterway 4
Projects on Godavari river:-
 Sriram Sagar Project:-

Sriram Sagar Project is a unique flood flow water project across river Godavari in Telangana.
The project is part of the Godavari River basin irrigation projects, Godavari basin is the
highest among all the river basins in India.

 Polavaram Project

Polavaram irrigation project across the Godavari river in Andhra Pradesh state is one of the
largest multi purpose irrigation project in India. Under the national river linking project,
surplus water of Godavari River basin will be transferred to the Krishna River basin.

Polavaram dam across the Godavari river is located near the range of the Eastern Ghats and
the project will have lift water optuion from Polavaram Right Main Canal.

 Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project

Kaleshwaram project in the village at the juncture of the rivers Godavari and its tributary
Pranahita is one of the major irrigation projects of Telangana.

The Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project is designed with many unique features such as
longest tunnel to carry water in Asia, utilize the highest capacity pumps,designed to irrigate
7,38,851 hectares land and has the storage of about 148 tmc ft, will be ready by June 2018.

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  Devadula Irrigation Scheme

Devadula lift irrigation scheme is second biggest of its kind in Asia, The project designed to
lift water from the River Godavari to drought prone Telangana state.

 Icchampally Project

Icchampally Dam Project will have the huge storage reservoir in India and the site located at
downstream of the point where Indravati River joins Godavari river is very favourable to
construct dam economically.

 Sripada Yellampalli Project

Sripada Yellampalli project is fourth largest on the Godavari River in Telangana region,
located at Yellampalli Village. The project is designed to utilize water for electrical energy,
irrigation and to supplying drinking water.

Tributaries on Godavari river:-

The major tributaries of the river can be classified as the left bank tributaries which include
the Purna, Pranhita, Indravati and Sabari River covering nearly 59.7% of the total catchment
area of the basin and the right bank tributaries Pravara, Manjira, Manair together contributing
16.1% of the basin.
Pranhita is the largest tributary covering about 34% of its drainage basin. Though the river
proper flows only for 113 km (70 mi), by virtue of its extensive
tributaries Wardha, Wainganga, Penganga, the sub-basin drains all of Vidharba region as well
as the southern slopes of the Satpura Ranges. Indravati is the 2nd largest tributary, known as
the "lifeline" of the Kalahandi, Nabarangapur of Odisha & Bastar district of Chhattisgarh.
Due to their enormous sub-basins both Indravati and Pranhita are considered rivers in their
own right. Manjira is the longest tributary and holds the Nizam Sagar reservoir. Purna is a
prime river in the water scarce Marathwada region of Maharashtra.

Major Tributaries of Godavari River

Conflu
Tribu Ba ence Len Sub-basin
Confluence Location
tary nk Elevati gth area
on

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Major Tributaries of Godavari River

Conflu
Tribu Ba ence Len Sub-basin
Confluence Location
tary nk Elevati gth area
on

208 k
Pravara
463 m m 6,537 km2 (2,524
Pravara Right Sangam, Nevasa, Ahmednagar, M
(1,519 ft) (129 m sq mi)
aharashtra
i)

373 k
Jambulbet, Parbhani, Marathwada 358 m m 15,579 km2(6,015
Purna Left
, Maharashtra (1,175 ft) (232 m sq mi)
i)

724 k
Kandakurthi, Renjal, Nizamabad, 332 m m 30,844 km2(11,90
Manjira Right
Telangana (1,089 ft) (450 m 9 sq mi)
i)

225 k
Arenda, Manthani, Karimnagar, T 115 m m 13,106 km2(5,060
Manair Right
elangana (377 ft) (140 m sq mi)
i)

113 k
Kaleshwaram, Mahadevpur, Kari 99 m 109,078 km2(42,1
Pranhita Left m
mnagar, Telangana (325 ft) 15 sq mi)
(70 mi)

535 k
Somnoor
82 m m 41,655 km2(16,08
Indravati Left Sangam, Sironcha, Gadchiroli, M
(269 ft) (332 m 3 sq mi)
aharashtra
i)

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Major Tributaries of Godavari River

Conflu
Tribu Ba ence Len Sub-basin
Confluence Location
tary nk Elevati gth area
on

418 k
Kunawaram, East 25 m m 20,427 km2(7,887
Sabari Left
Godavari, Andhra Pradesh (82 ft) (260 m sq mi)
i)

Other than these 7 principal ones, it has many smaller but significant ones draining into it.
Indravati river flood waters overflows in to the Jouranala which is part of Sabari basin. A
barrage at 19°7′19″N 82°14′9″E is constructed across the Indravati river to divert Indravati
water in to Sabari River for enhanced hydro power generation.

Tributaries of Godavari river:-

 Indravati River: Indravati River rises in the Eastern Ghats in Kalahandi Orissa, and
flows west to join the Godavari, forming the boundary between Maharashtra and
Chhattisgarh states at places. The river flows for a length of 535 km with a drainage
area of 41,665 sq.km.The Indravati is sometimes known as the “lifeline” of the Bastar
District, one of the most green districts in India.
 Pranahita River: Pranhita River flows on the border of Gadchiroli district in
Maharashtra and Adilabad district in Andhra Pradesh. It forms with the confluence of
two rivers called Wardha and Wainganga.The Painganga River joins Vainganga near
Aheri. The river then flows up to Sironcha before it empties into the Godavari
River,near Sironcha in Maharashtra. The River course is mainly through the dense
forests which are rich in Sagwan (timber).

ECOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF GODAVARI RIVER:-

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India supports about 10% of the world's Biological Diversity, with just 2% of the worlds land
area, thus making it the seventh richest bio-diversity country in the world. This difference
bestows a great responsibility on the government with the responsibility to protect and
conserve the rich floral, faunal & ecological diversity of Godavari river basin. The protection
is well carried out by constructing a network of sanctuaries and national parks, which cover
areas of ecological and biological importance. The State of Andhra Pradesh is located
strategically and its geographical variation is thought to be as one of the rich bio-diversity
states in India.

In the terms of ecological significance, a survey declared Andhra Pradesh to be the fifth
largest state in India adhering to the factor of ecological importance. Moreover, this state has
the longest coastline that stretches over 1000 Kms. The state has two mighty river systems of
Krishna and Godavari. The state has wide and different vegetation types enriched by a
diversity of flora and fauna. Andhra Pradesh is located strategically in the central region of
the Indian sub-continent and thus has representatives of the magnificent Indian plant and
animal life. Its varied countryside ranges from the hills of Eastern Ghats and Nallamallas to
the shoreline of Bay of Bengal and thus supports speckled ecotypes, which again supports a
rich diversity of flora and fauna. The forest in the state can largely be divided into four major
biotic provinces.

The ecological effect of the Godavari River in various regions is as follows

Deccan Plateau - 53 %
Eastern Highland - 11 %
Central Plateau - 35 %
East Coastal Plains - 1 %

The vegetation found in the state is largely made of

dry deciduous style with a mixture of precious trees
like Teak, Dalbergias, Pterocarpus, Terminalias,
Anogeissus and so on. The hills of Eastern Ghats add
highly to the biological diversity and provide centers
of endemism for plants, birds and lower forms of
animal life. The varied environment harbors an
assortment of fauna, including tiger, panther, sambar,
wolf, cheetal, wild dog, chowsingha, black buck,
hyena, sloth bear, nilgai, gaur, chinkara and a number
of birds and reptiles. The long sea coast offers the inhabiting place for sea turtles, the back
water of Pulicat lake are the feeding and breeding grounds for flamingo and grey pelican, the
estuaries of river Godavari and Krishna initiates the growth of rich mangrove forests with
fishing cat and otters as key stone species.

The Godavari river basin also possesses of some exceptional and endemic plants like Cycas
beddomei, Terminalia pallida, Syzygium alternifolium, Pterocarpus santalinus, Shorea talura,
Psilotum nudam, Shorea tumburgia and so on. Similarly the double banded or the jerdon's
course, the slender loris, the golden gecko are rare and dying out inhabiting the basin.

Andhra Pradesh has a total network of 22 Sanctuaries and 4 National Parks encompassing an
area of 12,579.205 Sq. Kms. or 4.57 % of the geographical area of the entire basin. The states
lying in this basin are rich in forests and diverse flora and fauna thus providing ample cap-
acity for promoting eco-tourism. The natural beauty of the state has not been exposed to the

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visitors till now. The government has taken up the plan to open up the Protected Area
Network of the State for all the visitors. Each of the Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park of
the state has its own significance and has something unique for the visitors.
FLORA AND FAUNA OF GODAVARI RIVER:-
 The Krishna Godavari Basin is one of the main nesting sites of the endangered olive
ridley sea turtle. Godavari is also a home to the endangered fringed-lipped carp (Labeo
fimbriatus).
 The Coringa mangrove forests in the Godavari delta are the second largest mangrove
formation in the country. Part of this has been declared as the Coringa Wildlife
Sanctuary, renowned for reptiles. They also provide an important habitat to a wide
variety of fish and crustaceans. These forests also act as barriers against cyclones,
tropical storms, and storm surges, thus protecting the nearby villages.
 The Jayakwadi Bird Sanctuary is another haven for birds located near the town of Paithan
spread across the back waters of the NathSagar Reservoir formed by impounding the
Godavari by the massive Jayakwadi Dam. Its 341 km2 area is dotted by islands within the
reservoir which serve as nesting sites for the birds.
 The Nandurmadmeshwar Bird Sanctuary is located along the back waters of the Godavari
river near Nashik at its confluence with Kadva River. It is known as the Bharatpur of
Maharashtra for the wide diversity of bird life that it harbours.
The following are few other wildlife sanctuaries located in the river basin.

 Bor Wildlife Sanctuary

 Eturnagaram Wildlife Sanctuary
 Gautala Wildlife Sanctuary
 Indravati National Park
 Kanger Ghati National Park
 Kawal Wildlife Sanctuary
 Kinnerasani Wildlife Sanctuary
 Kolleru Wildlife Sanctuary
 Manjira Wildlife Sanctuary
 Nagzira Wildlife Sanctuary
 Navegaon National Park
 Painganga Wildlife Sanctuary
 Papikonda Wildlife Sanctuary
 Pench National Park
 Pocharam Forest & Wildlife Sanctuary
 Pranahita Wildlife Sanctuary
 Tadoba Andhari Tiger Project
 Tipeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary

HYDRO ELECTRO POWER STATIONS:-

 The Godavari River is one of the rivers whose water energy is least harnessed for
generating hydro electricity. The 600 MW capacity Upper Indravati hydro power
station is the biggest hydro power station which diverts Godavari River water to

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 the Mahanadi River basin. The following is the list of hydro electric power stations
excluding small and medium installations.

Hydroelectric power stations on Godavari river

Name of the project Rated Power (in MW)

Upper Indravati 600

Machkund 120

Balimela 510

Upper Sileru 240

Lower Sileru 460

Upper Kolab 320

Pench 160

Ghatghar pumped storage 250

960
Polavaram (under construction)

ECOLOGICAL CONCERNS:-
The frequent drying up of the Godavari river in the drier months has been a matter of great
concern. Indiscriminate damming along the river has been cited as an obvious reason. Within
Maharashtra sugarcane irrigation has been blamed as one of the foremost causes.
In 2013, the river was at its all-time low in the Nizamabad district of Telangana. This had hit
the growth of fish, making the life of fishermen miserable. The water-level was so low that
people could easily walk into the middle of the river. Shortage in rainfall and closure of the
controversial Babli project gates in Maharashtra was thought to have affected the water flow

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in the river and water availability to the Sriram Sagar Project except during above 20%
excess monsoon (i.e. one out of four years) years.
A study has found that the delta is at a greater risk as the rate of sediment aggradation (raising
the level of the delta through sediment deposition) no longer exceeds relative sea-level rise. It
further states that the suspended sediment load at the delta has reduced from 150·2 million
tons during 1970–1979 to 57·2 million tons by 2000–2006, which translates into a three-fold
decline in the past 4 decades. Impacts of this can be seen in destroyed villages like Uppada in
Godavari delta, destruction of Mangrove forests and fragmentation of shoreline – possibly a
fallout of dam construction.
Said to further epitomise the insensitivity towards Godavari, is the Polavaram Project which
is touted to be gigantic – both in terms of size and violations. Deemed as being pointless and
politically driven, the project raises questions about environmental clearance, displacement of
upstream human habitations, loss of forest cover, technicalities in the dam design which are
said to play down flood threats and unsafe embankments.
High alkalinity water is discharged from the ash dump areas of many coal fired power
stations into the river which further increases the alkalinity of the river water whose water is
naturally of high alkalinity since the river basin is draining vast area
of basalt formations. This problem aggravates during the lean flow months in entire river
basin. Already the Godavari basin area in Telangana is suffering from high alkalinity and
salinity water problem which is converting soils in to unproductive sodic alkali soils. The
following are the few coal fired power stations located in the river basin:

Thermal power stations in Godavari river basin

Name of Power Station Rated Power (in MW)

Koradi Thermal Power Station 2,600

Khaparkheda Thermal Power Station 1,340

Tirora Thermal Power Station 3,300

Butibori Power Project 600

RattanIndia Nashik TPS 1,350

Chandrapur STPS 3,340

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Thermal power stations in Godavari river basin

Name of Power Station Rated Power (in MW)

Mauda Super Thermal Power Station 1,000

Parli Thermal Power Station 1,130

Dhariwal Power Station 300

Nashik Thermal Power Station 910

Wardha Warora Power Plant 540

Pench Thermal Power Plant 1,320

Lanco Vidarbha Thermal Power 1,320

NTPC Ramagundam 2,600

Kothagudem Thermal Power Station 1,720

Kakatiya Thermal Power Station 1,100

Ramagundam B Thermal Power Station 60

Manuguru Heavy water plant's power station N/A

Singareni thermal power station 1,800

3RD B.COM[C.A] 2019-20 Page 18

Thermal power stations in Godavari river basin

Name of Power Station Rated Power (in MW)

1,080
Bhadradri Thermal Power Plant

MINERAL DEPOSITS OF GODAVARI RIVER:-

The Godavari River basin is endowed with rich mineral deposits such as oil and gas, coal,
iron, limestone, manganese, copper, bauxite, granite, laterite, and others. The following are
the few noted deposits:

o Araku hills, bauxite

o Godavari Valley Coalfield, coal
o Bailadila iron, iron
o Krishna Godavari Basin, oil & gas
o Malanjkhand, copper
o MOIL, manganese
o Pench Kanhan Coalfield, coal
o Rowghat Mines, iron
o Wardha Valley Coalfield, coal
IMPORTANT PLACES OF GODAVARI RIVER:-
 Trimbakeshwar: The source of the Godavari – Trimbakeshwar is one of the holy
places in the country. It is located about 40 km from Nashik. Trimbakeshwar is one of
the twelve Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva. It is believed that there is no sacred place like
Trimbakeshwar, no river like Godavari and no mountain like Bhrahmagiri.
 Nashik: Nashik is the first major city on the banks of the Godavari after
Trimbakeshwar. Nashik is located about 185 km from Mumbai. It is an important
religious center and attracts thousands of pilgrims every year from different parts of
the country.
 Paithan: Famous for its Paithani sarees, Paithan is located on the banks of the
Godavari in Aurangabad district of Maharashtra. It is 56 km south of Aurangabad, the
ancient capital city of the Satvahanas. Paithan is associated with great saint Eknath.
His ‘samadhi’ is located here. The Eknath Shrine comes alive during ‘Paithan Yatra’,
also known as Nath Shashti, when devotees from Maharashtra and neighbouring
states come to pay their respects to the saint.
 Nanded: Nanded is famous for the Sikh gurudwara – Takhat Sachkhand Shri Hazur
Abchalnagar Sahib. A town of great antiquity, Naded was earlier known as
‘Nandigram’. Gurudwara Shri Hazur Sahib is the main landmark in Nanded. It is one
of the four high seats of authority of the Sikhs. This is the place where Shri Guru
Gobind Singhji breathed his last. The gurudwara was built by Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

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  Bhadrachalam: Bhadrachalam is situated on the banks of the Godavari and is 161
km from Rajahmundry and 200 km from Vijayawada. Bhadrachalam is regarded to be
one of the holiest shrines in South India.

WATERFALLS:-
Duduma Waterfalls is 175 metres (574 ft) high and one of the highest waterfalls in southern
India. It is located on the Sileru River which forms boundary between Andhra Pradesh and
Odisha states. The following are a few other waterfalls located in the river basin:

 Bogatha
 Chitrakoot
 Kuntala
 Pochera
 Sahastrakunda
 Teerathgarh

RAINFALL BASIS ON GODAVARI RIVER:-

The Godavari basin receives its maximum rainfall during the Southwest monsoon. The
monsoon currents strike the West Coast of the peninsula from West and South-West; meet
the Western Ghats or Sahyadri Range which present almost an uninterrupted barrier ranging
from 600 m. to 2100 m. in height. Before surmounting this barrier the currents deposit most
of their moisture on its windward side, and then sweep across the interior of the peninsula on
the Easterly course. Rainfall is governed largely by the orography of the area, which leads to
variation in the amount of precipitation. In crossing the Ghats, the monsoon wind loses a
large part of their moisture. The monsoon currents follow the Eastward slope of the country
from the crest of the Ghats, which form the watershed. Conditions in the interior are,
therefore, somewhat unfavorable for heavy precipitation except in association with the
depression from the Bay of Bengal. The north-east part of the Godavari basin also receives
some rain in association with monsoon depressions, which move west-north-west across the
Orissa coast. The Godavari receives the drainage from a length of about 129 km. of the high
rainfall zone in the Western Ghats. The annual rainfall varies from 1,000 to 3,000 mm in this
reach. East of the Western Ghats, the rainfall decreases rapidly to less than 600 mm. There is
a belt some distance East of the Western Ghats and in width varying from about 80 km. in the
South to about 97 km. in the North with less than 600 mm, of normal annual rainfall. The belt
which is about 10,360 sq.km. In area, includes portions of Aurangabad and Ahmednagar
districts of Maharashtra. After this area the rainfall again gradually increases to about 900
mm towards the East coast. January and February are almost entirely dry in the Godavari
basin, the rainfall during these two months being less than 15 mm. During the next three
months, up to end of May, it varies from 20 mm to about 50 mm, in most parts of the basin.
All parts of the basin receive the maximum rainfall in the period from June to September.
The Godavari basin as a whole receives 84% of the annual rainfall on an average, during the
Southwest monsoon, which sets in mid June and ends by mid October. The Indravati and
Pranhita sub-basins receive up to 86% and 88% of the annual rainfall during the same period
from June to September. The Godavari basin as a whole receives 84% of the annual rainfall

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on an average, during the Southwest monsoon, which sets in mid June and ends by mid
October. The Indravati and Pranhita sub-basins receive up to 86% and 88% of the annual
rainfall during the same period due to influence of the cyclonic storms which predominantly
pass through these sub-basins.

CONCLUSION:-
The water quality assessment of a 65 km stretch of Godavari River in Nasik District from
Kushawart to Saikheda village in Maharashtra State indicates that the river is heavily polluted
due to 125 large and 350 medium scale units and about 2,500 small scale units, in addition to
massive growth of some other industries like laundry, hotels, restaurants, pathological
laboratories, nursing homes, etc., which are discharging into the river. The National
Sanitation Foundation Water Quality Index (NSFWQI), computed from December 2007 and
February 2008, as well as from 2002-07 (from CPCB and MPCB) indicate that the study
stretch had bad water quality up to 2006, but that improved to medium due to conservation
facilities implemented in 2005. The water quality has not improved beyond medium range up
to February 2008, perhaps due either to the fact that current facilities have become inadequate
or are not properly functioning. It is therefore suggested that in the light of present
development in the study stretch, there is need to reassess the required facilities and to take
effective steps to put them into full operation to achieve the targets.

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