ZESTY RIVER - ZANSKAR RIVER

 

The Zanskar River is the first major tributary of the Indus River, equal or greater in volume than the main river which flows entirely within Ladakh, India. It originates northeast of the Great Himalayan range and drains both the Himalayas and the Zanskar Range within the region of Zanskar.  It flows north-east to join the Indus River near Nimo.

Zanskar (Zangs-kar) means "white copper" or brass.

In its upper reaches, the Zanskar has two main branches. First of these, the Doda, has its source near the Pensi-la 4,400 m (14,400 ft) mountain-pass and flows south-eastwards along the main Zanskar valley leading towards Padum, the capital of Zanskar. The second branch is formed by two main tributaries known as Kargyag River, with its source near the Shingo La 5,091 m (16,703 ft), and Tsarap River, with its source near the Baralacha-La. These two rivers unite below the village of Purne to form the Lungnak River (also known as the Lingti or Tsarap). The Lungnak river then flows north-westwards along a narrow gorge towards Zanskar's central valley (known locally as gzhung khor), where it unites with the Doda River to form the main Zanskar river. This river then takes a north-eastern course through the dramatic Zanskar Gorge until it joins the Indus near "Nimmu" in Ladakh.

(I'm participating in #BlogchatterA2Z and hyperlink to https://www.theblogchatter.com)

YIELDING RIVER - YAMUNA

 

The Yamuna is the second-largest tributary river of the Ganges by discharge and the longest tributary in India. Originating from the Yamunotri Glacier at a height of 6,387 metres (20,955 ft) on the southwestern slopes of Bandarpunch peaks of the Lower Himalaya in Uttarakhand, it travels a total length of 1,376 kilometres (855 mi) and has a drainage system of 366,223 square kilometres (141,399 sq mi), 40.2% of the entire Ganges Basin. It merges with the Ganges at Triveni Sangam, Allahabad, which is a site of the Kumbh Mela, a Hindu festival held every 12 years.

Like the Ganges, the Yamuna is highly venerated in Hinduism and worshipped as the goddess Yamuna. In Hinduism she is the daughter of the sun god, Surya, and the sister of Yama, the god of death, and so is also known as Yami. According to popular legends, bathing in its sacred waters frees one from the torments of death.

It crosses several states: Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, passing by Uttarakhand and later Delhi, and meeting its tributaries on the way, including Tons, Chambal, its longest tributary which has its own large basin, followed by Sindh, the Betwa, and Ken. From Uttarakhand, the river flows into the state of Himachal Pradesh. After passing Paonta Sahib, Yamuna flows along the boundary of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh and after exiting Haryana it continues to flow till it merges with the river Ganges at Sangam or Prayag in Allahbad (Uttar Pradesh). It helps create the highly fertile alluvial Ganges-Yamuna Doab region between itself and the Ganges in the Indo-Gangetic plain.

(I'm participating in #BlogchatterA2Z and hyperlink to https://www.theblogchatter.com)

XENIAL DAM - XSALAL DAM

 

Xsalal Dam (ग्सलाल बाँध in Kashmiri) also known as Salal Hydro-electric Power Station, is a run-of-the-river hydropower project on the Chenab River in the Reasi district of the Jammu and Kashmir.          

 

It was the first hydropower project built by India in Jammu and Kashmir under the Indus Water Treaty regime.^[2] After having reached a bilateral agreement with Pakistan in 1978, with significant concessions made to Pakistan in the design of the dam, reducing its height, eliminating operating pool, and plugging the under-sluices meant for sediment management, India completed the project in 1987.

 

The concessions made in the interest of bilateralism damaged the long-term sustainability of the dam, which silted up in five years. It currently runs at 57% capacity factor.   Its long-term future is uncertain.

(I'm participating in #BlogchatterA2Z and hyperlink to https://www.theblogchatter.com)

WONDERFUL LAKE - WULER LAKE

 

Wular Lake also known as Wolar in Kashmiri, is one of the largest fresh water lakes in Asia.  It is located in Bandipora district of Jammu and Kashmir, India.  The lake basin was formed as a result of tectonic activity and is fed by the Jhelum River and stream madhumati. The lake's size varies seasonally from 30 to 189 square kilometres. In addition, much of the lake has been drained as a result of willow plantations being built on the shore in the 1950s.

In ancient times, Wular Lake was also called Mahapadmasar (Sanskrit: महापद्मसरः). Nilamata Purana also mentions it as Mahapadmasaras. The lake, with its big dimensions and the extent of water, gives rise to high leaping waves in the afternoons, called Ullola in Sanskrit, meaning "stormy leaping, high rising waves". Therefore, it was also being called Ullola. It is believed to have gotten corrupted over the centuries to Wulor or Wular. The origin may also be attributed to a Kashmiri word 'Wul', which means a gap or a fissure, appellation that must have come also during this period. The word Wul (gap or fissure), is also an indicator of its origin to a fissure or gap created.

The lake is one of the 49 Indian wetlands designated as a Ramsar site. However it faces environmental threats including the conversion of large parts of the lake's catchment areas into agriculture land, pollution from fertilizers and animal wastes, hunting of waterfowl and migratory birds, and weed infestation in the lake itself.

( I'm participating in #BlogchatterA2Z and hyperlink to https://www.theblogchatter.com)

VOLUMINOUS RIVER - VAITARANI RIVER

 

The Baitarani (also spelled Vaitarani) is one of six major rivers of Odisha, India. Venerated in popular epics and legends, the Baitarani River is a source of water for agricultural irrigation. Most of the potentially arable land in the area is not under cultivation. The coastal plain of Odisha has the name of "Hexadeltaic region" or the "Gift of Six Rivers". These deltas divide the coastal plain into three regions from north to south. The Baitarani, the Mahanadi and the Brahmani rivers form the Middle Coastal Plain, with evidence of past "back bays" and present lakes.

The Baitarani originates from the Gonasika/Guptaganga (Cow Nose Shaped) hills, and starts flowing over a stone looking like the nostril of a cow. Afterwards for about half a kilometre the river flows underground and is not visible from outside. The Baitarani is known here by the name Guptaganga or the Gupta Baitarani, in Gonasika of Keonjhar district in Odisha state of India at an elevation of 900 metres (3,000 ft) above sea level. The uppermost part of the river, about 80 kilometres (50 mi) in length, flows in a northerly direction; then it changes its path suddenly by 90 degrees and flows eastward. The beginning portion of Baitarani acts as the small part of boundary between the states of Odisha and Jharkhand.

The river enters a plain at Anandapur and creates a deltaic zone at Akhuapada. The river travels a distance of 360 kilometres (220 mi) to drain into the Bay of Bengal after joining of the Brahmani at Dhamra mouth near Chandabali. The river has 65 tributaries, of which 35 join from the left side and 30 join from the right side. The river basin in Odisha is spread among 42 blocks of eight districts. Budhi, Kanjori, Ambajhara, Mushal, Kusei, Salandi are some of the tributaries of Baitarani.

A major portion of the river basin lies within the state of Odisha, while a small patch of the upper reach lies in Jharkhand state. The upper Baitarani basin on the western slopes of the Eastern Ghats, comprising the Panposh-Keonjhar-Pallahara plateau, is one of the two plateaus forming "The Central Plateaus"—one of Odisha's five major morphological regions.

Dams and barrages on the Baitarani and its major tributary, the Salandi, irrigate 61,920 hectares (153,000 acres). The proposed Bhimkund and upper Baitarani multi-purpose projects envisage many more dams across this river and its tributaries to provide irrigation to more than 1,000 square kilometres (390 sq mi). A new barrage was established near Anandapur and it was inaugurated by the CM of Odisha, Naveen Patnaik.

(I'm participating in #BlogchatterA2Z and hyperlink to https://www.theblogchatter.com )

UNIQUE LAKE - UPPER LAKE

 

Bhojtal, formerly known as Upper Lake, is a large lake which lies on the western side of the capital city of Madhya Pradesh, Bhopal, 

India. It is a major source of drinking water for the residents of the city, serving around 40% of the residents with nearly 30 million imperial gallons (140,000 m³) of water per day. Bada talaab, along with the nearby Chhota Talaab, meaning small lake in Hindi, constitute Bhoj Wetland, which is now a Ramsar site.

According to the local folklore, Bhojtal is said to have been built by the Paramara Raja Bhoj during his tenure as a king of Malwa (1005–1055). He is also said to have established the city of Bhopal (also named after him, then as Bhojpal) to secure the eastern frontier of his kingdom. There is a legend why they built the lake. Once king Bhoj suffered from skin disease and all Vaidyas (Doctor in English) failed to cure him. Then, one day a saint told the king to build a tank to combine 365 tributaries and then have a bath in it to wipe out the skin disease. Bhoj called upon his engineers to build up a huge tank. They spotted a place near river Betwa, which was 32 km away from Bhopal. It was found that it has only 359 tributaries. A Gond Commander Kalia fulfilled this shortage. He then gave the address of an invisible river. After merging the tributaries of this river the number 365 was completed.

The lake was created by constructing an earthen dam across the Kolans River. An eleven gate dam called the Bhadbhada dam was constructed at Bhadbhada in 1965 at the southeast corner of the Lake, and now controls the outflow to the river Kaliasote.

The lake was known as the Upper Lake or Bada Talab ("Big Pond") until March 2011 it was renamed to Bhojtaal in honour of the Great King Raja Bhoj who built it. A huge statue of Raja Bhoj, standing with sword, was also installed on a pillar on one corner of the lake to cement the name of Bhopal as the city of lakes.  Bhojtal is situated on the west central part of Bhopal city and is surrounded by Van Vihar National Park on the south, human settlements on the east and north, and agriculture fields on the west. It has an area of 31 km², and drains a catchment or watershed of 361 km². The watershed of the Upper Lake is mostly rural, with some urbanized areas around its eastern end. The Kolans was formerly a tributary of the Halali River, but with the creation of the lake using an earthen dam and a diversion channel, the upper reach of the Kolans River and Bada Talaab now drain into the Kaliasote River.

(I'm participating in #BlogchatterA2Z and hyperlink to https://www.theblogchatter.com)

TREMENDOUS RIVER - TAMRAPARNI

The Thamirabarani or Tamraparni or Porunai is a perennial river that originates from the Agastyarkoodam peak of Pothigai hills of the Western Ghats, above Papanasam in the Ambasamudram    

taluk. It flows through Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi districts of the 

Tamil Nadu state of southern India into the Gulf of Mannar. It was called the Tamraparni River in the pre-classical period, a name it lent to the island of Sri Lanka. The old Tamil name of the river is 

Porunai. From the source to sea, the river is about 128 kilometres (80 mi) long and is the only perennial river in Tamil Nadu. This river flows towards north direction initially. However, it changes to east direction later.

The Thamirabarani River originates from the peak of the Pothigai hills on the eastern slopes of the Western Ghats at an elevation of 1,725 metres (5,659 ft) above sea-level. The river is joined by its headwater tributaries Peyar, Ullar, Pambar before it flows into the Karaiyar Dam reservoir, where it meets Karaiyar. The river forms the Paanatheertham waterfalls, 40 metres (130 ft) high, as it enters the Kariyar reservoir. Servalar joins the Thamirabarani before it enters into the Papanasam lower reservoir, which was built for the Papanasam Hydroelectric station.  The river descends down the mountains near Papanasam, where it forms the Kalyanatheertham falls and Agasthiar falls.

The river flows on the plains eastwards from Papanasam. The first tributary to

join Thamirabarani in the plains is the Manimuthar River, which originating 

from Manjolai hills and joins Thamirabarani near Aladiyoor village. The 

towns Ambasamudram and Kallidaikurichi are located respectively on the left and right banks of Thamiraparani, after which the river meets the tributary Gadananathi River at Tiruppudaimaruthur. Before the Gadananathi's entry into the Thamirabarani, the Gadananathi River is joined by the rivers Kallar, Karunaiyar and Veeranathi or Varahanathi which joins the river Gadananathi about 1.5 kilometres (0.9 mi) north-east of Kila Ambur. The Gadananathi is fed by the Jambunathi and Ramanathi Rivers. The Pachaiyar River which originates from the Kalakkadu reserve forests at about 1,300 metres (4,300 ft) above sea level joins the Thamirabarani near Tharuvai village in Palayamkottai Taluk. The river bisects the twin cities Tirunelveli and Palayamkottai before meeting its major and affluent tributary Chithar (Chitranathi) which arises in the Kutralam hills and receives supply from the rivers Gundar, Hanumanathi and Karuppanathi(vairavangkulam kadaya-nallur) .The Chittar River runs almost parallel to Thamirabarani till it joins the main river near Sivalaperi. Thamirabarani passes through the taluks of Tirunelveli and Palayamkottai of Tirunelveli district and Srivaikundam and Tiruchendur taluks of Thoothukkudi district.

I'm participating in #BlogchatterA2Z and hyperlink to https://www.theblogchatter.com

SANCTIMONIOUS RIVER - SUTLEJ RIVER

Sutlej River, Ancient Greek ZARADROS, Vedic Satadru ("flowing in a hundred (or numerous) branches"), longest of the rivers that give Punjab (meaning Five Rivers) its name, rising in Lan-ka Ts’o (lake) in south-western Tibet, at an elevation of more than 15,000 ft (4,600 m).  Flowing northwest and west-southwest through Himalayan gorges, it crosses Himachal Pradesh state (India) and enters the Punjab plain in Hoshiapur district, Punjab state.  Continuing southwest in a broad channel, it reveives the Beas River and forms 65 mi (105 km) of the Indo-Pakistani border before entering Pakistan and joining the Chenab River west of Behawalpur.  The combined rivers then form the Punjnad, the link between the Five Rivers and the Indus.

The 890 mi (1,440 km) long Sutlej is used extensively for irrigation and its exploitation was a source of constant dispute between India and Pakistan until agreement was reached in 1960.  Major irrigation works include the Bhakra-Nangal Project, the Sirhind Canal, and the Sutlej Valley Project in both India and Pakistan.

I'm participating in #BlogchatterA2Z and hyperlink to https://www.theblogchatter.com

RAVISHING RIVER - RAVI

 

Ravi, one of the “Five Rivers” of the Punjab.  It rises in the Kulu subdivision of Kangra district, Punjab (India), and flows through Chamba, the isolated northern division of Himachal Pradesh.  Turning southwest it briefly enters Jammu (Kashmir), traverses the Gurdaspur district (Punjab, India), then forms the India-Pakistan frontier before finally crossing into the Pakistan province of Punjab about 15 mi North East of Lahore, within a mile of which later passes.  Flowing across the Punjab plains, it finally falls into the Chenab about 10 mi South of Ahmadpur after a course of about 450 mi.  Its water is used for the irrigation of the Bari doab.  Though Upper Bari doab canal (1859), with headworks at Madhupur on the Indian side of the frontier, serves about 1,177,000 ac. and the Lower Bari doab canal (completed 1917), with headworks on the left bank of the Ravi at Balloki, about 345,000ac.  The waters of the Ravi are supplemented for the irrigation of the lower doab by canals leading from the Jhelum and the upper Chenab.  The Sidhnai canal, beginning about 10 mi. above the Chenab junction, was frequently dry in winter until the construction of the Haveli canal (1939), delivering water to the Ravi from the Trimmu barrage at the Chenab-Jhelum confluence.  In Sanskrit it is called ''REVAA.''

(I'm participating in #BlogchatterA2Z and hyperlink to https://www.theblogchatter.com)

QUILON - A QUEEN OF PORTS

 

Quilon, a seaport on the Malabar Coast, in Kerala state, India.  The palace of Maharaja of Travancore stands on the bank of Quilon Lake.

Quilon, town is administrative headquarters of Quilon district.  It has existed of many centuries and was called Elancon by early travelers.  Kaulam Mall by the Arabs, and Coilum by the 13^th century Venetien traveler Marco Polo.    Its location made it commercially important; the first Europeans there were the Portuguese, followed by the Dutch in 1662 and then by the British.

The town is a port on the Arabian Sea northwest of Trivandrum, the state capital.  It lies next to Asthamudi Lake, an inlet of the sea, and is linked with Alleppey and Cochin to the north by a system of canals and lagoons.  Quilon has an active export trade and numerous industries, including mineral processing, manufacturing, and processing of agricultural products, especially cashew nuts, Kundara, a suburb to the northeast, has chemical, ceramic, and aluminium plants.  Quilon has more than five colleges affiliated with the University of Kerala.  A railway links it with towns to the north, east and south.

Quilon district is 1,785 sq mi (4,623 sq km) in area and is largely on the coastal plain between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats range.

I'm participating in #BlogchatterA2Z and hyperlink to https://www.theblogchatter.com

POWERFUL RIVER - PENNA RIVER

 

Penna River, also called NORTHERN PENNER RIVER, rising on the Deccan Plateau 7 mi (11km) west-southwest of Chik Ballapur, Karnataka 9 (formerly Mysore) state, southern India.  It flows north into Andhra Pradesh state and turns east-southeast toward the Coromandel Coast, emptying into the Bay of Bengal near Nellore, about 350 mi from its source.  The river is seasonal, becoming a torrent after the rains and a thin stream during dry periods.

(I'm participating in #BlogchatterA2Z and hyperlink to https://www.theblogchatter.com)

OBNOXIOUS RESERVOIR - ODAI RIVER RESERVOIR & DAM

 

Odai River in South India, rising from the lake of Uthamapalayam, which is near to Tiruppur district in Tamil Nadu state.  There is a Dam which was built 1978. It is situated nearby Vattamalaikkarai an hillock area.  Hence this dam is called VATTAMALAIKKARAI ODAI DAM.  Its capacity is 268 million cubic metres.  There were about 6060 channels made for water irrigation for the cultivated lands.  Due to the scarcity of water, this dam found dried for the past ten years.   Government of Tamil Nadu planned to bring the water source from the River Amaravathi.

There are many places like Utthamapalayam, Sengalipalayam, Veeracholapuram etc are very near to this Odai River.

(I'm participating in #BlogchatterA2Z and hyperlink to https://www.theblogchatter.com)

NARMADA RIVER WITH NUMEROUS TRIBUTARIES

Narmada River, also called Narbada, or Nerbudda, river in central India, rising in the Maikala Range in Mandla district, Madhya Pradesh state.   Following a tortuous course through the hills of  Mandla, it enters the structural trough between the Vindhya and Satpura ranges at Marble Rocks Gorge and then flows westward across Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat states, entering the Gilf of Cambay through an estuary 13 mi (21 km) wide, just below Bharuch.  Along its 801-mi course, the Narmada drains the northern slopes of the Satpura Range.

Called Namade by the 2^nd century AD Greek geographer Ptolemy, the river has always been an important route between the Arabian Sea and the Ganges Valley.  Hindus believe it sprang from the body of the God Siva, and the Narmada ranks only after Ganges in sanctity.

“Gange cha yamune chaiva Godavari Sarasvathi l

    Narmade SINDHU Kaveri Jale(a)smin Sannidhim Kuru ll

The Pradakshina pilgrimage is 1,600 mi long; it takes pilgrims from Bharuch to Amarkantak, up one bank of the river and down the other.

Amarkantak is located in the Anuppur district of Madhya Pradesh and is a famous pilgrimage site in the state and its surroundings. It is the place where river Narmada originates and beautifies the plains, valleys and hills of Madhya Pradesh as it meanders through forests and rocky terrains.

Jabalpur is one of the significant cities in Madhya Pradesh and is immensely popular for its marble rock sites, Dhuandhar Falls and beautiful river banks which are adorned by the waters of river Narmada. Even though the city is a site of historical monuments as well, it is primarily known for its relaxing aura which is created with the help of Narmada and its religious places.

(I'm participating in #BlogchatterA2Z and hyperlink to https://www.theblogchatter.com)

MIGHTY RIVER - MAHANADI

 

Mahanadi River, in central India, rising in the hills of Bastar district, Madhya Pradesh state.  Its upper course runs north as an insignificant stream, draining the eastern Chhattisgarh Plain.  After receiving the Seonath River, below Baloda Bazar, it turns east and enters Orissa state, its flow augmented by the drainage of hills to the north and south.  At Sambalpur the Hirakud Dam has formed a man-made lake 35 mi (55 km) long.  The world’s largest earthen dam, it has several hydraulic plants.  Below the dam the Mahanadi turns south along a tortuous course, piercing the Eastern Ghats through a forest-clad gorge.  Bending east, it enters the Orissa plains near Cuttack and enters the Bay of Bengal at False Point by several channels.

The Mahanadi Great River follows a total course of 560 mi and has an estimated drainage area of 51,000 sq mi (132,100 sq km).  It is one of the most active silt-depositing streams in the Indian subcontinent.  The River supplies several irrigation canals, mainly near Cuttack.  Puri, at one of its mouths, is a famous pilgrimage site.

Kantilo is a small village on the banks of the River Mahanadi.  This place is more known for the Nila Madhav temple.  Many do not know that the area around abounds in eco-tourism sites.  The best one is the Satkosia tiger reserve where you can boat in the Satkosia gorge and spot the crocodiles and a variety of beautiful birds.  Another little known site is Sidhamula eco cottages.  This is being newly developed by tourism dept. Some beautiful modern cottages have been built where families can stay.  Food is also available for a price.  The view of the River Mahanadi is fabulous.

(I'm participating in #BlogchatterA2Z and hyperlink to https://www.theblogchatter.com)

LAUDATORY RIVER - LIDDER RIVER

The Lidder or Liddar is a 73 km (45 mi) river situated in the 

Kashmir Valley of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It originates from the Kolahoi Glacier and feeds the Jhelum River in Mirgund Khanabal, at an altitude of 1,615 metres (5,299 ft). Lidder is a corruption of the local Sanskrit  name Lambodari meaning 'long bellied women'.  Lidder river originates from Kolhoi Glacier near Sonamarg and gives rise to Lidder Valley. It runs southwards through the alpine meadows of Lidderwat in region of Aru, from which it got its name. It covers 30 kilometres (19 mi) before reaching 

Pahalgam where it the major tributary of East Lidder from Sheshnag Lake. It then runs westwards until it meets the Jehlum River at Mirgund Khanabal near Anantnag. It has crystal blueish water and Pahalgam is situated in the center of Lidder Valley.  

The waters of the river are mainly used for irrigation purpose through different canals and drinking through water treatment plants. There are many different varieties of fishes present in the river and a fisheries plant has been built on the banks of the river. Major types of fishes found in Lidder River are Brown trout (Salmo trutta fario) and Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).

(I'm participating in #BlogchatterA2Z and hyperlink to https://www.theblogchatter.com)