| Bhima River Chandrabhaga River | |
|---|---|
 Bhima at Pandharpur | |
 Bhima river course[1] | |
| Location | |
| Country | India |
| State | Maharashtra,Karnataka,Telangana |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Bhimashankar |
| • location | Maharashtra,India |
| • coordinates | 19°4′19″N73°32′9″E / 19.07194°N 73.53583°E /19.07194; 73.53583 |
| • elevation | 945 m (3,100 ft) |
| Mouth | Krishna River |
• location | betweenKarnataka andTelangana about 24 km north ofRaichur,India |
• coordinates | 16°24′36″N77°17′6″E / 16.41000°N 77.28500°E /16.41000; 77.28500 |
• elevation | 336 m (1,102 ft) |
| Length | 861 km (535 mi) |
| Basin size | 70,614 km2 (27,264 sq mi) |
| Discharge | |
| • location | mouth |
| Basin features | |
| Tributaries | |
| • left | Ghod,Sina,Kagini |
| • right | Bhama,Indrayani,Mula-Mutha,Nira |
TheBhima River(Marathi:Bhīmā Nadī ,pronounced[bʱiːmɑː], also known asChandrabhaga River) is a major river inWestern andSouth India. It flows southeast for 861 kilometres (535 mi) throughMaharashtra,Karnataka, andTelangana states, before joining theKrishna River. After the first sixty-five kilometers in a narrow valley through rugged terrain,[1] the banks open up and form a fertile agricultural area which is densely populated.[2]
The river is prone to drying up during the summer season.[clarification needed] In 2005, it caused severe flooding in Solapur,Vijayapura andKalburgi districts. The river is also referred to as Chandrabhaga River, especially atPandharpur, as it resembles the shape of theMoon.
The Bhima River flows southeast for a long journey of 861 kilometres (535 mi), with many smaller rivers as tributaries. It originates nearBhimashankar Temple in the Bhimashankar hills inkhed Taluka on the western side of theWestern Ghats, known as Sahyadri, inPune District, Maharashtra state, at19°04′03″N073°33′00″E / 19.06750°N 73.55000°E /19.06750; 73.55000.[3] It flows throughBhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary where it entersKhed Taluka and is soon joined by its tributary, the Aria River from the right (west) which flows into the Chas Kaman Reservoir.[4] Upstream on the Aria is the Rajgurunagar-Kalmodi Dam impounding the Kalmodi Reservoir. The Chas Kaman Reservoir is impounded by the Chas Kaman Dam,[5] the most upstream dam on the Bhima River proper. The village ofChas is on the left bank some 16 km below the dam.[6] Some 5 km along the river below the bridge on the Bhirma at Chas, the Kumandala River meets from the right.[7] From there it is 8 km along the river to the railroad bridge at the town ofRajgurunagar (Khed) on the left bank. In 18 km further along the river, the Bhima River enters from the right[8] just above the village ofPimpalgaon on the left bank. From there toSiddhegavhan along the river is 10 km. Siddhegavhan is the last village inKhed Taluka on the left.[9]
After leaving Khed Taluka, the Bhima forms the boundary betweenHavali Taluka[10] on the right (south) andShirur Taluka on the left (north).[11] From the Bhima's intersection to theIndrayani River,[12] which also enters from the right, is 14 km along the river. At the confluence is the town of Tulapur on the right bank in Havali Taluka. The Bhima River, the Indrayani River and theMula-Mutha River are the major tributaries of the Bhima that drain western Pune. After the Indrayani, about 4 km downstream, the Dhomal River enters from the right,[13] at the village of Wadhu Budruk.[14] Shortly thereafter (3.5 km), the Bhima passes under theSH 60 bridge at the town ofKoregaon Bhima. From Koregaon going east, downstream 16 km, is the confluence[15] with theVel River (Wel River) from the left (north) and the village ofVittalwadi. The Vel River also arises in Ambegaon Taluka, east of the Bhima, and flows through Khed Taluka and into Shirur Taluka before flowing into the Bhima. With Vittalwadi on the left, the right side of the river leaves Haveli Taluka and entersDaund Taluka.
From Vittalwadi the Bhima meanders northwest and 14 km after the Vel River enters from the left, theKamania River (Kamina) enters from the left[16] at the village ofParodi. After the Kamania River enters, the river meanders back southeast for 23 km to the confluence with theMula-Mutha River from the right[17] at the village ofRanjangaon Sandas. The Mula-Mutha River flows from the city of Pune where it is a combination of theMula River and theMutha River.[1]
31 km after the Mula-Mutha River, theGhod River enters from the left (north)[18] across the Bhima from the village of Nanvij (Nanwij). TheGhod River is the last of the Western Ghat tributaries of the Bhima. Shirur Taluka stops at the Ghod River, andShrigonda Taluka ofAhmednagar District continues on the left (northeast) side of the river. Downstream just 6 km from the Ghod River, is the city ofDaund on the right (southwest) bank.[14]
Chandani,Kamini,Moshi,Bori,Sina,Man,Bhogavati River andNira are the major tributaries of the river inSolapur District. Of these, the Nira River meets with the Bhima betweenNira Narsingpur inPune District andMalshiras Taluka inSolapur district.
Bhima merges into theKrishna along the border betweenKarnataka andTelangana about 24 km north ofRaichur. At the point where the two rivers meet, the Bhima is actually longer than the Krishna in length.[19]
The total area of the Bhima basin is 70,614 km2. The population living along the banks of Bhima is approximately 12.33 million people (1990) with 30.90 million people expected by 2030. Seventy-five percent of the basin lies in the state ofMaharashtra.[21]
There are twenty-two dams in the basin of Bhima River. The first dam is the Chas Kaman Dam inKhed Taluka,Pune district. The largest dam by capacity isUjjani Dam, near Tembhurni, Solapur District. Total Water storage capacity of Bhima basin is about 300TMC in Maharashtra state. Nearly 30 barrages are constructed across the main Bhima river from the downstream of Ujjani dam in Maharashtra and Karnataka states to harness all the water available in the river in excess ofKrishna Water Disputes Tribunal allocations. Bhima to Sina interlink (Jod Kalava) with 21 km tunnel fromUjjani reservoir is constructed to supply water for vast lands in catchment area ofSina tributary from main Bhima river.
Most of the hydro power (450 MW from Bhira, Khopoli and Bhivpuri) is generated by diverting water from the Bhima river basin to west flowingKundalika,Patalganga andUlhas rivers respectively. The diverted water is nearly 42.5 TMC which is mostly going waste to Arabian sea after generating hydro power. State government is planning to reduce the use of Bhima river basin water for power generation and use river basin water fully for drinking and irrigation purposes inside the basin as the available water is inadequate.[24] However, Bhira hydro station can be operated in pumped storage mode to generate peaking power without releasing water to Arabian sea.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
