Mandovi River
Encyclopedia
The Mandovi Riveralso known as Mahadayi or Mhadei river, is described as the lifeline of the state of Goa
, India
. The river has a length of 77 kilometers, 29km in Karnataka and 52 kilometers in Goa. It originates from a cluster of 30 springs at Bhimgad
in the Western Ghats
in the Belgaum
district, Karnataka . The river, has 2032 sq km catchment area in Karnataka while 1,580 sq km catchment area in Goa.With its cerulean waters, Dudhsagar Falls
, and Varapoha Falls
it is also known as the Gomati in a few places. Mandovi and the Zuari River
are the two primary rivers in the state of Goa.
The Mandovi enters Goa from the north via the Sattari Taluka. The Mandovi flows through Cumbarjua, Divadi and Chodné, eventually pouring into the Arabian Sea
. Mandovi joins with the Zuari at a common point at Cabo Aguada, forming the Marmogoa harbour. Panaji, the state capital and Old Goa
, the former capital of Goa, are both situated on the left bank of the Mandovi. The river Mapusa
is a tributary of the Mandovi.
The Cumbarjuem Canal, which links both rivers, has made the interiors of the Mandovi accessible to ships carrying iron ore. Iron ore is Goa's prime mineral and it is mined in the eastern hills. Three large freshwater isles — Divar
, Chorao and Vashee are present in the Mandovi near the town of Old Goa. The island of Chorao, is home to the Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary, named after the renowned ornithologist Salim Ali
. A regular ferry transports the inhabitants between the isles and the mainland.
Spanning across the Mandovi River near Panjim is the majestic Mandovi Bridge. The bridge was notorious for its collapses in the 1980s before a new bridge was constructed to accommodate heavy transport vehicles. The Mandovi Bridge links the towns of Panjim to Porvorim
.
During the winter months, the peak tourist season, special dusk cruises on the Mandovi complete with serenading bands add to the charm of the river.
The sharing of water of this river is a a cause of dispute between the governments of Karnataka and Goa. This is aggravated by Karnataka government's proposal to divert some water from the Mahadayi river to the Malaprabha river basin as part of the Kalasa-Banduri Nala project
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. The river has a length of 77 kilometers, 29km in Karnataka and 52 kilometers in Goa. It originates from a cluster of 30 springs at Bhimgad
Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary
Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected area in the Western Ghats, India, Karnataka state. This 13,167.10 hectares of evergreen forest area was long awaiting to be a wild life sanctuary and finally got the wildlife sanctuary tag in March 2010. It lies in the Khanapur Taluk of Belgaum Dist near...
in the Western Ghats
Western Ghats
The Western Ghats, Western Ghauts or the Sahyādri is a mountain range along the western side of India. It runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea. The Western Ghats block rainfall to the Deccan...
in the Belgaum
Belgaum
Belgaum is a city and a municipal corporation in Belgaum district in the state of Karnataka, India. It is the fourth largest city of the state of Karnataka, the first three being Bangalore, Mysore, Hubli-Dharwad....
district, Karnataka . The river, has 2032 sq km catchment area in Karnataka while 1,580 sq km catchment area in Goa.With its cerulean waters, Dudhsagar Falls
Dudhsagar Falls
Dudhsagar Falls is a tiered waterfall located on the Mandovi River in the state of Goa, India, on Goa's border with the state of Karnataka...
, and Varapoha Falls
Varapoha Falls
Vajrapoha Falls is on the Mandovi River in the hilly surroundings of the Jamboti forest in the Belgaum District of Karnataka, India.-Location:...
it is also known as the Gomati in a few places. Mandovi and the Zuari River
Zuari River
The Zuari River is the largest river in the state of Goa, India. It is a tidal river with a total length of 34 kilometres. The Zuari originates at Hemad-Barshem in the Western Ghats. The Zuari is also referred to as the Aghanashani in the interior regions...
are the two primary rivers in the state of Goa.
The Mandovi enters Goa from the north via the Sattari Taluka. The Mandovi flows through Cumbarjua, Divadi and Chodné, eventually pouring into the Arabian Sea
Arabian Sea
The Arabian Sea is a region of the Indian Ocean bounded on the east by India, on the north by Pakistan and Iran, on the west by the Arabian Peninsula, on the south, approximately, by a line between Cape Guardafui in northeastern Somalia and Kanyakumari in India...
. Mandovi joins with the Zuari at a common point at Cabo Aguada, forming the Marmogoa harbour. Panaji, the state capital and Old Goa
Old Goa
Old Goa or Velha Goa is a historical city in North Goa district in the Indian state of Goa. The city was constructed by the Bijapur Sultanate in the 15th century, and served as capital of Portuguese India from the 16th century until its abandonment in the 18th century due to plague...
, the former capital of Goa, are both situated on the left bank of the Mandovi. The river Mapusa
Mapusa
Mapusa also spelt at Mapuca, Mhapsa or Mapsa is a town in North Goa, India. It is situated 13 km north of the capital Panaji. The town is the headquarters of Bardez Taluka. It is located on the main highway NH-17, linking Mumbai to Trivandrum...
is a tributary of the Mandovi.
The Cumbarjuem Canal, which links both rivers, has made the interiors of the Mandovi accessible to ships carrying iron ore. Iron ore is Goa's prime mineral and it is mined in the eastern hills. Three large freshwater isles — Divar
Divar
The island of Divar lies in the Mandovi river in the Indian state of Goa.-Location:...
, Chorao and Vashee are present in the Mandovi near the town of Old Goa. The island of Chorao, is home to the Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary, named after the renowned ornithologist Salim Ali
Salim Ali
Sálim Moizuddin Abdul Ali was an Indian ornithologist and naturalist. Known as the "birdman of India", Salim Ali was among the first Indians to conduct systematic bird surveys across India and his bird books helped develop ornithology...
. A regular ferry transports the inhabitants between the isles and the mainland.
Spanning across the Mandovi River near Panjim is the majestic Mandovi Bridge. The bridge was notorious for its collapses in the 1980s before a new bridge was constructed to accommodate heavy transport vehicles. The Mandovi Bridge links the towns of Panjim to Porvorim
Porvorim
Porvorim is the legislative capital of the state of Goa, India. It is situated on the right bank of the Mandovi River. The administrative capital Panaji is located on the opposite bank...
.
During the winter months, the peak tourist season, special dusk cruises on the Mandovi complete with serenading bands add to the charm of the river.
The sharing of water of this river is a a cause of dispute between the governments of Karnataka and Goa. This is aggravated by Karnataka government's proposal to divert some water from the Mahadayi river to the Malaprabha river basin as part of the Kalasa-Banduri Nala project
The Kalasa-Banduri Nala project
The Kalasa-Bandura Nala project is a project undertaken by the Government of Karnataka to improve drinking water supply to the twin cities of Hubballi-Dharwad and the districts of Belgaum and Gadag...