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River Vamsadhara or River Banshadhara is an important east-flowing
river A river is a natural stream of fresh water that flows on land or inside Subterranean river, caves towards another body of water at a lower elevation, such as an ocean, lake, or another river. A river may run dry before reaching the end of ...
between
Rushikulya The Rushikulya River is one of the major rivers in Odisha and covers the entire catchment area in the districts of Kandhamal and Ganjam of Odisha. The Rushikulya originates about 1000 metres from the Rushimala Hills part of the Daringbadi hills o ...
and
Godavari The Godavari (, �od̪aːʋəɾiː is India's second longest river after the Ganga River and drains the third largest basin in India, covering about 10% of India's total geographical area. Its source is in Trimbakeshwar, Nashik, Maharash ...
, in
Odisha Odisha (), formerly Orissa (List of renamed places in India, the official name until 2011), is a States and union territories of India, state located in East India, Eastern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by ar ...
and
Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (ISO 15919, ISO: , , AP) is a States and union territories of India, state on the East Coast of India, east coast of southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, seventh-largest state and th ...
states in
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
. The
river A river is a natural stream of fresh water that flows on land or inside Subterranean river, caves towards another body of water at a lower elevation, such as an ocean, lake, or another river. A river may run dry before reaching the end of ...
originates near Lanjigarh in the
Kalahandi Kalahandi district (Pron: Kaḷāhāṇḍi) is a district of Odisha in India. It was a princely state in British India and in post-independence period it merged with Odisha state in India as Kalahandi district comprising current Kalahandi d ...
district of
Odisha Odisha (), formerly Orissa (List of renamed places in India, the official name until 2011), is a States and union territories of India, state located in East India, Eastern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by ar ...
at an elevation of 400 meters and runs for a distance of about 278 kilometers, and joins the
Bay of Bengal The Bay of Bengal is the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. Geographically it is positioned between the Indian subcontinent and the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese peninsula, located below the Bengal region. Many South Asian and Southe ...
at
Kalingapatnam Kalingapatnam is a village in Srikakulam district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is located in Gara mandal of Srikakulam revenue division. It has one of the major beach sand deposits of the state. In medieval era it was famous for t ...
,
Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (ISO 15919, ISO: , , AP) is a States and union territories of India, state on the East Coast of India, east coast of southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, seventh-largest state and th ...
. The total catchment area of the
river basin A drainage basin is an area of land in which all flowing surface water converges to a single point, such as a river mouth, or flows into another body of water, such as a lake or ocean. A basin is separated from adjacent basins by a perimeter, th ...
is about 10,830 square kilometers. The average water yield in the river basin at Gotta barrage is 115 billion cubic feet in a year.
Tourist attractions A tourist attraction is a place of interest that tourists visit, typically for its inherent or exhibited natural or cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, offering leisure and amusement. Types Places of natural beau ...
of Hiramandalam
Mukhalingam Mukhalingam, also known as Srimukhalingam or Mukhalinga, is a village panchayat in Jalumuru mandal of Srikakulam district in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Historically known as Kalinganagari, Mukhalingam served as the capital of Eastern G ...
and
Kalingapatnam Kalingapatnam is a village in Srikakulam district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is located in Gara mandal of Srikakulam revenue division. It has one of the major beach sand deposits of the state. In medieval era it was famous for t ...
in
Srikakulam district Srikakulam district is a district in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, located in the Uttarandhra region of the state, with its headquarters located at Srikakulam. It is one of the six districts, located in the extreme northeastern direction ...
are located on the banks of this river.
Mahendratanaya River Mahendratanaya River is a medium-sized river in India. The long Mahendratanaya is a major tributary of Vamsadhara River River Vamsadhara or River Banshadhara is an important east-flowing river between Rushikulya and Godavari, in Odisha ...
is a major
tributary A tributary, or an ''affluent'', is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream (''main stem'' or ''"parent"''), river, or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries, and the main stem river into which they ...
of the Vamsadhara originating in Gajapati district of Odisha and joins Vamsadhara in
Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (ISO 15919, ISO: , , AP) is a States and union territories of India, state on the East Coast of India, east coast of southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, seventh-largest state and th ...
upstream of Gotta barrage. Regulapadu reservoir in Andhra Pradesh is under construction to store the Mahendratanaya river water for irrigation use.


Interstate aspects

Vamsadhara river basin occupies 8015 square kilometers in
Odisha Odisha (), formerly Orissa (List of renamed places in India, the official name until 2011), is a States and union territories of India, state located in East India, Eastern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by ar ...
and the remaining 2815 km2 flows in
Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (ISO 15919, ISO: , , AP) is a States and union territories of India, state on the East Coast of India, east coast of southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, seventh-largest state and th ...
. The river basin receives high annual average rainfall of magnitude 1400 mm. The portion lying in
Rayagada district Rayagada district is a district in the southern Odisha States and union territories of India, state in India. Rayagada became a separate district in October 1992. Its population consists mainly of Adivasi, tribes, primarily the Khonds and t ...
of
Odisha Odisha (), formerly Orissa (List of renamed places in India, the official name until 2011), is a States and union territories of India, state located in East India, Eastern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by ar ...
is a predominantly hilly and
tribal The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide use of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. The definition is contested, in part due to conflict ...
populated area.
Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (ISO 15919, ISO: , , AP) is a States and union territories of India, state on the East Coast of India, east coast of southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, seventh-largest state and th ...
and
Odisha Odisha (), formerly Orissa (List of renamed places in India, the official name until 2011), is a States and union territories of India, state located in East India, Eastern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by ar ...
roughly estimated that 115 thousand million cubic feet (TMC) of water is available for use in the river. They entered into agreements to use the available river water in 50:50 ratio.
Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (ISO 15919, ISO: , , AP) is a States and union territories of India, state on the East Coast of India, east coast of southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, seventh-largest state and th ...
has taken up Gotta barrage and Neredi barrage projects to put its share of water for use. However
Odisha Odisha (), formerly Orissa (List of renamed places in India, the official name until 2011), is a States and union territories of India, state located in East India, Eastern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by ar ...
has not taken up new projects in the basin area to utilize its share of water. In fact it is diverting Vamsadhara river waters to adjacent
Rushikulya The Rushikulya River is one of the major rivers in Odisha and covers the entire catchment area in the districts of Kandhamal and Ganjam of Odisha. The Rushikulya originates about 1000 metres from the Rushimala Hills part of the Daringbadi hills o ...
river basin by constructing Harabhangi dam without taking prior consent from Andhra Pradesh. Also,
Orissa Odisha (), formerly Orissa ( the official name until 2011), is a state located in Eastern India. It is the eighth-largest state by area, and the eleventh-largest by population, with over 41 million inhabitants. The state also has the thir ...
has raised objections to Neredi barrage project on the grounds of land submergence in its territory during unprecedented floods. Approximately 25% of the available water in this basin is being utilized during the monsoon season by constructing barrages across the river. Reservoirs up to 100
Tmcft Tmcft, (Tmc ft), (TMC), (tmc) is the abbreviation of thousand million cubic feet (1,000,000,000 = 109 = 1 billion), commonly used in India in reference to volume of water in a reservoir or river A river is a natural stream of fresh wa ...
water storage capacity are to be constructed for the non-monsoon period irrigation requirements, by which 100% water utilization can be achieved. Peculiar situation of this river is that most of the land to be irrigated is located in
Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (ISO 15919, ISO: , , AP) is a States and union territories of India, state on the East Coast of India, east coast of southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, seventh-largest state and th ...
while the possible storage reservoirs are located in Odisha. Vamsadhara River water disputes tribunal was constituted under
Interstate River Water Disputes Act The Interstate River Water Disputes Act, 1956 (IRWD Act) is an Act of the Parliament of India enacted under Article 262 of Constitution of India on the eve of reorganization of states on linguistic basis to resolve the water disputes that woul ...
to resolve river water sharing issues between the two states. Justice Mukundakam Sharma is the chairman of Vamsadhara Water Dispute Tribunal. The tribunal pronounced its draft verdict in September 2017 and permitted AP state to construct the side weir at Katragedda and Neradi barrage. The tribunal also upheld the sharing of 115 tmc ft total yield at Gotta barrage between AP and Odisha in 50:50 ratio as per the agreement reached between the states on 30 September 1962. In the year 2021, the Vamsadhara water disputes tribunal released its final report without much change from the draft report except sharing of available water in the river basin on yearly basis at 50:50 by both states.


Unutilized water

Nearly 82.86 TMC of water has gone waste to the sea on average in a water year from 1 June 2006 to 31 May 2022 (16 years). The yearly water unutilized is given below


The Vamsadhara Project

Boddepalli Rajagopala Rao Boddepalli Rajagopala Rao (12 March 1923 – 22 February 1992) was an Indian politician. Political history Boddepalli Rajagopala Rao represented Srikakulam (Lok Sabha constituency) in Andhra Pradesh for six terms between 1952 and 1967 (1st, 2 ...
Project was constructed on Vamsadhara river. Vamsadhara is the main river of North Eastern Andhra. The North Eastern Andhra region consists of three North Eastern Coastal districts in
Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (ISO 15919, ISO: , , AP) is a States and union territories of India, state on the East Coast of India, east coast of southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, seventh-largest state and th ...
state in
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
. Vamsadhara project is designed to meet the irrigation needs of North Eastern Coastal Andhra. The Vamsadhara project has two canals viz., the left main canal (LMC), irrigating about , and the right main canal (RMC) covering an ayacut of . The left main canal was completed long back. The right main canal was delayed due to various reasons. Gotta Reservoir feeds the right main canal. About 166 villages in seven mandals viz., L.N. Peta, Hiramandalam, Burja,
Amadalavalasa Amadalavalasa is a town in Srikakulam district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is a municipality and also the mandal headquarters of Amadalavalasa mandal. The town is spread over an area of , which is under the jurisdiction of Visakhap ...
, Gara,
Sarubujjili Sarubujjili is a village in Srikakulam district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Sarubujjili mandal is bordered by Burja, Seethampeta, Hiramandalam, Jalumuru and Narasannapeta mandals of Srikakulam district. Politics Sarubujjili is un ...
and
Srikakulam Srikakulam is a city and the headquarters of Srikakulam district in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. census, it has a population of 165,735. There are many other places of Buddhist Tourism such as Salihundam, Kalinga Patnam, Dabbaka Vaan ...
will be benefited from the RMC.


Lower Vamsadhara Project

The Lower Vamsadhara project envisages construction of 58m high & 1700m long dam across the vamsadhara river near
Minajhola Minajhola is located near Gudari in the Rayagada district, in the Indian state of Odisha. It is famous for the Shiva temple, one of the tourist attractions of the district. The main place of attraction is a shiva temple at the confluence of th ...
village (near ) in
Rayagada district Rayagada district is a district in the southern Odisha States and union territories of India, state in India. Rayagada became a separate district in October 1992. Its population consists mainly of Adivasi, tribes, primarily the Khonds and t ...
creating hydraulic head of nearly 62 meters. This project would be a multipurpose project serving power generation,
irrigation Irrigation (also referred to as watering of plants) is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow crops, landscape plants, and lawns. Irrigation has been a key aspect of agriculture for over 5,000 years and has bee ...
and
flood control Flood management or flood control are methods used to reduce or prevent the detrimental effects of flood waters. Flooding can be caused by a mix of both natural processes, such as extreme weather upstream, and human changes to waterbodies and ru ...
.


Hiramandalam reservoir

Hiramandalam reservoir of 19 TMC storage capacity is already completed but the water supply from the Vamsadhara River is yet to be made by constructing a side weir on the river. As Odisha state is not agreeing to construct the side weir even after the tribunal verdict, Andhra Pradesh state is planning to pump water into the reservoir from the nearby Gotta barrage pond. In future, Heeramandalam reservoir can be used as the lower reservoir of a 10,000 MW capacity pumped-storage hydroelectric plant to meet uninterrupted renewable and green power needs of Uttara Andhra region.


Vamsadhara and Nagavali link canal

A 30 km long gravity canal is planned to link the Vamsadhara and
Nagavali River The River Nagavali also known as Langulya is one of the main rivers of Southern Odisha and Andhra States in India, between Rushikulya and Godavari River, Godavari basins. Origin and course Nagavali River originates from a hill near Lakhbaha ...
s. It will run from Hiramandalam reservoir to Narayanapuram barrage near Amudalavalasa and bring an additional 50,000 acres of ayacut under irrigation using 10
Tmcft Tmcft, (Tmc ft), (TMC), (tmc) is the abbreviation of thousand million cubic feet (1,000,000,000 = 109 = 1 billion), commonly used in India in reference to volume of water in a reservoir or river A river is a natural stream of fresh wa ...
of water from Vamsadhara basin.


See also

*
Nagavali River The River Nagavali also known as Langulya is one of the main rivers of Southern Odisha and Andhra States in India, between Rushikulya and Godavari River, Godavari basins. Origin and course Nagavali River originates from a hill near Lakhbaha ...
*
Sileru River Sileru River is a tributary of Sabari River in southern India. It originates in Andhra Pradesh and also flows through Odisha before merging with Sabari. Sabari river crosses the border into Andhra Pradesh to merge with Godavari river. Sileru (kno ...
*
Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal The government of India constituted a common tribunal on 10 April 1969 to adjudicate the river water utilization disputes among the river basin states of Krishna and Godavari rivers under the provisions of Interstate River Water Disputes Act � ...
*
Jalaput Dam The Jalaput Dam is a hydroelectric dam built on the upper reaches of the Sileru River, which is known locally as Machkund River. The Sileru River is a tributary of the Sabari River, which itself is a tributary of the Godavari River, Godavari. in ...
*
Polavaram Project The Polavaram Project is an under-construction multi-purpose irrigation project on the Godavari River in the Eluru District and East Godavari District in Andhra Pradesh, India. The project has been accorded National Project of India, National ...
*
Sriram Sagar Project The Sriram Sagar Project is also known as the Pochampadu Project is an Indian flood-flow project on the Godavari. The Project is located in Nizamabad district, 3 km away from National Highway 44. It has been described by The Hindu as a "lif ...
* Nizam Sagar *
Balimela Reservoir The Balimela Reservoir is located in Malkangiri district, Odisha, India on the river Sileru which is a tributary of the Godavari river. The gross storage capacity of Balimela reservoir is 3610 million cubic meters. Andhra Pradesh (AP) and ...
*
Penner River Penna (also known as Pinakini, Penneru, Penner, Pennar, Pennai) is a river of southern India. After originating from Nandi hills, it flows as two different streams, one in North and South directions. The Penna rises in the Nandi Hills in Chi ...
*
Palar River Palar (Tamil: ''பாலாறு'' pālāṟu �paːlaːɾu literally "milk river") is a river of southern India. It rises in the Nandi Hills in Chikkaballapura district of Karnataka state, and flows in Karnataka, in Andhra Pradesh and i ...


References

{{Coord, 18, 21, N, 84, 08, E, display=title, region:IN_type:river_source:GNS-enwiki Rivers of Odisha Inter-state disputes in India Rivers of Andhra Pradesh Uttarandhra