| Brahmani River | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| Native name | ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣୀ ନଦୀ (Odia) |
| Location | |
| Country | India |
| State | Odisha |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Confluence ofSouth Koel River andSankh River |
| • coordinates | 22°14′45″N84°47′02″E / 22.24583°N 84.78389°E /22.24583; 84.78389 |
| Mouth | Bay of Bengal |
• elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Length | 480 km (298 mi) |
| Basin size | 39,033 km2 (15,071 sq mi) |
| Basin features | |
| Tributaries | |
| • left | Kharasrota River |
TheBrahmani is a majorseasonal river in theOdisha state of easternIndia. The Brahmani is formed by the confluence of theSankh andSouth Koel rivers, and flows through the districts ofSundargarh,Deogarh,Angul,Dhenkanal,Cuttack,Jajapur andKendrapara.[1] Also the South Koel can be considered as the upper reaches of the Brahmani.[2] Together with the riverBaitarani, Brahmani forms a large delta before emptying into theBay of Bengal at Dhamra. It is the second widest river inOdisha afterMahanadi.
The Brahmani is formed by the confluence of the rivers South Koel and Sankh near the major industrial town ofRourkela at 22 15'N and 84 47' E. The Sankh has its origins near theJharkhand-Chhattisgarh border, not far from theNetarhat Plateau. The South Koel too arises in Jharkhand, nearLohardaga, on the other side of a watershed that also gives rise to theDamodar River. Both of these sources are in theChota Nagpur Plateau. The site of the Brahmani's origin is mythologically reputed to be the place where SageParashara fell in love with the fisherman's daughter,Satyavati who later gave birth toVed Vyasa, the compiler of theMahabharata. The place is thus called Ved Vyasa.[3]
After assuming the name of Brahmani, the river crosses the Tamra and Jharbera forests, skirting alongNational Highway 23. It then passes the town ofBonaigarh inSundargarh district before being dammed at Rengali inAnugul district. A large reservoir of the same name is created as a consequence. It is then joined from the right by the Tikira (Tikra) and the Singadajore. It then flows through the town ofTalcher before being joined from the right by theNigra. It flows past the town ofDhenkanal before splitting up into two streams. The main stream flows by the town ofJajpur Road beyond which it is crossed byNational Highway 16 and theKolkata-Chennai mainline ofEast Coast Railway. The branch stream called Kimiria receives the waters of theBirupa (a distributary of theMahanadi, Kelua and Genguti before rejoining the main stream at Indupur). It then flows crisscrossing throughPattamundai. The river then receives the Kharsuan, on its left bank before merging with the Baitarani, a major river, to form theDhamra estuary. A distributary called Maipara branches off here to join the Bay of Bengal a short distance away while the main stream proceeds northward for a few km more before ultimately meeting the sea nearChandbali atPalmyras Point. The Brahmani delta is the site of theBhitarkanika wildlife sanctuary, famous for its estuarinecrocodiles.[4][5]
At about 480 kilometres (300 mi) long, the Brahmani is the second longest river in Odisha after theMahanadi. However, if its constituent rivers are included, its length extends to about 799 kilometres (496 mi), of which 541 kilometres (336 mi) are in Odisha. It has a catchment area of about 39,033 square kilometres (15,071 sq mi) in Odisha alone.[6]
Apart from theRengali dam mentioned above, there also exists abarrage shortly beforeTalcher called Samal Barrage. The Jokadia and the Jenapuranicuts are the other irrigation projects on the river. Near itsmouth, the river is also integrated with the Odisha Coast Canal of the East Coast Canal.[7]
