| Sone River | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| Location | |
| Country | India |
| State | Chhattisgarh,Madhya Pradesh,Uttar Pradesh,Jharkhand,Bihar |
| Region | Baghelkhand,Bhojpur-Purvanchal andMagadha |
| Cities | Anuppur,Rampur NaikinSidhi,Dehri,Daltonganj,Chopan,Arwal,Koilwar |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Pendra,Chhattisgarh Nearest Amarkantak |
| • coordinates | 22°43′48″N82°03′31″E / 22.73000°N 82.05861°E /22.73000; 82.05861 |
| Mouth | Ganges River |
• location | Maner,Patna district,Bihar |
• coordinates | 25°42′21″N84°51′44″E / 25.70583°N 84.86222°E /25.70583; 84.86222 |
| Length | 784 km (487 mi) |
| Discharge | |
| • location | Ganges River |
| Basin features | |
| Tributaries | |
| • left | Ghaghar River,Johilla River,Chhoti Mahanadi, and Madhawal river |
| • right | Banas River,Gopad River,Rihand River,Kanhar River,North Koel River |
Sone River, also speltSon River, is a perennial river located in central India. It originates nearAmarkantak Hill inPendra (Gaurela-Pendra-Marwahi district),Chhattisgarh and finally merges with theGanges river nearManer inPatna,Bihar. The Sone River is the second-largest southern tributary of the Ganges after theYamuna River. India's oldest river bridgeKoilwar Bridge over the Sone River connectsArrah withPatna. Sone river is famous for its sand across country. Multiple dams and hydro-electric projects run on its course towards the Ganges.The river is also mentioned in Valmiki Ramayans's Balkand where Ram. Laxman along with Vishvamitra is crossing the river to further go north towards Ganga.
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Sone River is called 'सोन / सोने' in Hindi, but called 'शोण' in Sanskrit, a rare instance of an Indian river having masculine name. Damodara and Brahmaputra also have masculine name. This river is mentioned as SoNai inSangam Tamil literatureKuṟuntokai as early as 2nd century CE.[2] The Sone originates nearPendra inChhattisgarh, just east of the headwater of theNarmada River, and flows north-northwest throughShahdol district inMadhya Pradesh state before turning sharply eastward where it encounters the southwest-northeast-Kaimur Range. The Sone parallels the Kaimur hills, flowing east-northeast throughUttar Pradesh,Jharkhand andBihar states to join the Ganges just west ofPatna. Geologically, the lower valley of the Son is an extension of theNarmada Valley, and theKaimur Range an extension of theVindhya Range.Arwal,Daudnagar,Deori,Rohtasgarh,Dehri,Sonbhadra andManer are some of the major cities situated on Sone River.
The Sone river which is 784 kilometres (487 mi) long, is one of the longest Indian rivers.[3] Its chief tributaries are theRihand,Kanhar and theNorth Koel. The Son has a steepgradient (35–55 cm per km) with quickrun-off andephemeral regimes, becoming a roaring river with the rain-waters in thecatchment area but turning quickly into a fordable stream. The Son, being wide and shallow, leaves disconnected pools of water in the remaining parts of the year. The channel of the Son is very wide (about 5 km atDehri) but thefloodplain is narrow, only 3 to 5 kilometres (2 to 3 mi) wide. The meeting point withNorth Koel the width of Sone River is 5 to 8 kilometres (3 to 5 mi). In the past, the Son has been notorious for changing course. As it is traceable from several old beds near its east bank, the river changed its course more than 5 times. In modern times this tendency has been checked with theanicut at Dehri, and now more so with theIndrapuri Barrage.
In Bihar, this river forms the border line between theBhojpuri- andMagahi-speaking regions.
Sir John Houlton, the British administrator, described the Son as follows, "After passing the steep escarpments of theKaimur range, it flows straight across the plain to the Ganges. For much of this distance it is over two miles wide, and at one point, opposite Tilothu three miles wide. In the dry weather there is a vast expanse of sand, with a stream not more than a hundred yards wide, and the hot west winds pile up the sand on the east bank, making natural embankments. After heavy rain in the hills even this wide bed cannot carry the waters of the Son and disastrous floods in Shahabad, Gaya, and Patna are not uncommon."[4]
The first dam on the Son was built in 1873–74 at Dehri.
TheIndrapuri Barrage was constructed, 8 kilometres (5 mi) upstream, and commissioned in 1968.[5]
TheBansagar Dam in Madhya Pradesh was commissioned in 2008.
The 1.44 Km long rail-cum-roadlattice-girder concrete and steelAbdul Bari Bridge orKoilwar Bridge nearArrah in Bihar was completed in November 1862.[6] It remained the longest bridge in India, until theNehru Setu bridge atDehri was opened in 1900.[4][7] AfterNehru Setu bridge at Dehri, Railway Bridges are present on Sone River nearChopan, Vijay Sota &Anuppur.
The modern Son bridge built inDeolond,Shahdol district ofMadhya Pradesh was inaugurated byMotilal Vora andPandit Ram Kishore Shukla thenChief Minister andFinance Minister ofMadhya Pradesh on 13 February 1986.
The Government of Bihar sanctioned in 2008 a bridge across the Son River connectingArwal and Sahar inBhojpur district.[8]
New Koilwar Bridge: A 6-lane road bridge, carryingNH-922, parallel to the existing rail and road Koilwar Bridge.[9]
