Mahadayi River

Mahadayi River : Recently, a protest erupted in Goa over a scientific paper titled “The Water Budget of the Mahadayi River and Its Implications for the Inter-State Dispute.”

o The paper was authored by scientists from the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research – National Institute of Oceanography (CSIR-NIO), Goa, and the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), Ministry of Earth Sciences, Hyderabad.

• About the Mahadayi River: Also called as Mandovi or Mhadei, it is a rain-fed interstate river vital for Goa’s water supply, agriculture, biodiversity, and economy.

o It originates in Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary, Belagavi district, Karnataka.

o Flows through Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Goa, covering 111 km (35 km in Karnataka, 1 km in Maharashtra, 76 km in Goa).

o Major tributaries include Kalasa, Banduri, Mapusa, and Ragada.

o The Cumbarjua Canal links the Mahadayi River to the Zuari River.

o Empties into the Arabian Sea near Panaji, close to Mormugao Harbour.

o Features Dudhsagar Falls and Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary; supports navigation, iron ore transport, tourism, and includes Goa’s tallest bridge, Atal Setu.