Bhima River

TheBhima River(also known asChandrabhaga River) is a major river inWestern IndiaandSouth India.It flows southeast for 861 kilometres (535 mi) throughMaharashtra,Karnataka,andTelanganastates, before joining theKrishna River.After the first sixty-five kilometers in a narrow valley through rugged terrain,the banks open up and form a fertile agricultural area which is densely populated.

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
• elevation	945 m (3,100 ft)
Mouth	Krishna River
• location	betweenKarnatakaandTelanganaabout 24 km north ofRaichur,India
• coordinates	16°24′36″N77°17′6″E
• 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

The river is prone to drying up during the summer season.In 2005 there was severe flooding in Solapur,VijayapuraandKalburgidistricts. The river is also referred to as Chandrabhaga River, especially atPandharpur,as it resembles the shape of theMoon.

Course

Confluence of theIndrayani Riverand the Bhima River atTulapur.

The Bhima River flows southeast for a long journey of 861 kilometres (535 mi), with many smaller rivers as tributaries. It originates nearBhimashankar Templein the Bhimashankar hills inkhed Talukaon the western side of theWestern Ghats,known as Sahyadri, inPune District,Maharashtra state, at19°04′03″N073°33′00″E.It flows throughBhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuarywhere it entersKhed Talukaand is soon joined by its tributary, the Aria River from the right (west) which flows into the Chas Kaman Reservoir.Upstream on the Aria is the Rajgurunagar-Kalmodi Dam impounding the Kalmodi Reservoir. The Chas Kaman Reservoir is impounded by the Chas Kaman Dam,the most upstream dam on the Bhima River proper. The village ofChasis on the left bank some 16 km below the dam.Some 5 km along the river below the bridge on the Bhirma at Chas, the Kumandala River meets from the right.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 rightjust above the village ofPimpalgaonon the left bank. From there toSiddhegavhanalong the river is 10 km. Siddhegavhan is the last village inKhed Talukaon the left.

After leaving Khed Taluka, the Bhima forms the boundary betweenHavali Talukaon the right (south) andShirur Talukaon the left (north).From the Bhima's intersection to theIndrayani River,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 Riverare the major tributaries of the Bhima that drain western Pune. After the Indrayani, about 4 km downstream, the Dhomal River enters from the right,at the village of Wadhu Budruk.Shortly thereafter (3.5 km), the Bhima passes under theSH 60bridge at the town ofKoregaon Bhima.From Koregaon going east, downstream 16 km, is the confluencewith 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 leftat the village ofParodi.After the Kamania River enters, the river meanders back southeast for 23 km to the confluence with theMula-Mutha Riverfrom the rightat the village ofRanjangaon Sandas.The Mula-Mutha River flows from the city of Pune where it is a combination of theMula Riverand theMutha River.

31 km after the Mula-Mutha River, theGhod Riverenters from the left (north)across the Bhima from the village of Nanvij (Nanwij). TheGhod Riveris the last of the Western Ghat tributaries of the Bhima. Shirur Taluka stops at the Ghod River, andShrigonda TalukaofAhmednagar Districtcontinues on the left (northeast) side of the river. Downstream just 6 km from the Ghod River, is the city ofDaundon the right (southwest) bank.

Chandani,Kamini,Moshi,Bori,Sina,Man,Bhogavati RiverandNiraare the major tributaries of the river inSolapur District.Of these, the Nira River meets with the Bhima betweenNira NarsingpurinPune DistrictandMalshiras TalukainSolapur district.

Bhima merges into theKrishnaalong the border betweenKarnatakaandTelanganaabout 24 km north ofRaichur.At the point where the two rivers meet, the Bhima is actually longer than the Krishna in length.

Tributaries

• Sina River,Maharashtra
• Nira RiverPune, Maharashtra
• Mula-MuthaRiver,Pune, Maharashtra
• Chandani River
• Kamini River
• Kukadi River,Maharashtra
• Man River
• Bhogavati River,Maharashtra(Tributary of Sina)
• Indrayani River,Pune, Maharashtra
• Ghod River,Pune,Maharashtra
• Bhama River,Maharashtra
• Pavana RiverPune, Maharashtra
• Bori River,Maharashtra

• Kagna River,Karnataka
• Benitura River

Bhima basin

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.

Temples

Temples on the bank of Bhima in Pandharpur

• Bhimashankarone of the twelve esteemedJyotirlingashrines.
• Siddhatek,SiddhivinayakTemple ofAshtavinayakGanesh
• VitthalTemple inPandharpur.
• Mallikarjun Temple chinmalli kalaburagi
• Sri Dattatreya Temple,Ganagapura,Gulbarga district, Karnataka.
• Shri Kshetra Ghattargi Bhagamma, Ghattargi, Gulbarga District, Karnataka.
• Sri Kshetra Hulakantheshwar Temple, Heroor (B), Gulbarga District, Karnataka.
• Sri Kshetra RasangiBalabheemasenaTemple in Rasanagi,JevargiTaluka,Kalaburagi district,Karnataka
• Sri Kshetra KolakoorSiddhabasaveshwaraTemple in Kolakoor,JevargiTaluka,Kalaburagi district,Karnataka
• Honagunta Chandrala Parameshwari Temple, Honagunta near Shahbad,Kalaburagi district
• Chandrala paramweshwari temple atSannati,Karnataka
• KanaganahalliBuddhist site, Karnataka

Dams

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 300TMCin 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 Tribunalallocations. Bhima to Sina interlink (Jod Kalava) with 21 km tunnel fromUjjani reservoiris constructed to supply water for vast lands in catchment area ofSina tributaryfrom main Bhima river.

• Dams – Capacity [River]
• Ujjani– 118 TMC [Bhima]
• Bhatghar– 23.50 TMC [Yelwandi]
• Mulshi– 18.47 TMC [Mula]
• Varasgaon– 12.82 TMC [Mose]
• Dimbhe– 12.49 TMC [Ghod]
• Nira Devghar– 11.73 TMC [Nira]
• Panshet– 10.65 TMC [Ambi]
• Manikdoh– 10.17 TMC [Kukadi]
• Veer– 9.41 TMC [Nira]
• Pavana– 8.51 TMC [Pawana]
• Bhama Askhed– 7.67 TMC [Bhama]
• Chas Kaman– 7.58 TMC [Bhima]
• Ghod (Chinchani)– 5.47 TMC [Ghod]
• Pimpalgaon Joge– 3.89 TMC [Aarala]
• Temghar– 3.71 TMC [Mutha]
• Andhra – 2.92 TMC [Indrayani]
• Yedgaon– 2.80 TMC [Kukadi]
• Khadakwasala– 1.98 TMC [Mutha]
• Kalamodi – 1.51 TMC [Aarala]
• Vadaj- 1.17 TMC [Meena]
• Vadivale – 1.07 TMC [Indrayani]
• Visapur –.90 TMC [Hanga]
• Gunjavani –.69 TMC [Gunjavani]
• Nazare –.59 TMC [Karha]
• Kasarsai –.57 TMC [Pawana Basin]
• Walwan– [Indrayani]
• Chilewadi– [Kukadi Basin]
• Pushpawati – [Kukadi basin]
• Thitewadi – [Vel]
• Sina Nimgaon – 2.2 TMC Approx[Sina]
• Sina Kolegaon– 5.0 TMC Approx.[Sina]
• Shirvata– 5.0 TMC Approx.[Indrayani]

Hydro power plants

• Bhira Hydroelectric Project300 MW (150 MWpumped storage) byTata Powerwith water fromMulshi Dam,Bhushi Dam,Bhira Dam,Walwan Dam,Thokarwadi DamandShirvata Dam

• Khopoli hydro 72 MW by Tata Power
• Bhivpuri hydro 78 MW by Tata Power
• Ujjani Dam12 MW pumped storage
• Bhatghar Dam16 MW
• Pawana Dam10 MW
• Khadakwasla Dam8 MW
• Veer Dam9 MW
• Dimbhe Dam5 MW
• Manikdoh Dam6 MW
• Niradevghar Dam6 MW

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,PatalgangaandUlhasrivers 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.However, Bhira hydro station can be operated in pumped storage mode to generate peaking power without releasing water to Arabian sea.

See also

• List of rivers of India
• Rivers of India
• Bhima Pushkaram

External links

• Classification of Waters of Upper Bhima River Basin
• Monitoring of Indian National Aquatic Resources
• Notified rivers
• Flood alert in villages along Bhima river
• Environmental Status of Pune Region, Maharashtra Pollution Control Board