Baitarani river floods

Context : More than 11,000 people in six districts of Odisha have been affected by the floods caused by Baitarani river.

Baitarani River

Origin

• Gonasika Hills (Guptaganga) in Keonjhar district, Odisha.

• Flows underground for a short stretch (Gupta Baitarani).

Course

• Initially flows northward (~80 km), then eastward.

• Briefly forms the Odisha–Jharkhand boundary.

Tributaries

• Major tributaries:

  • Budhi, Kanjori, Ambajhara, Mushal,

  • Kusei, and Salandi.

Geographical Setting

• Flows through Panposh–Keonjhar–Pallahara Plateau (part of Odisha’s Central Plateaus).

• Drains into the Bay of Bengal through a combined delta with Brahmani at Dhamra.

Common Delta (Brahmani–Baitarani Delta)

• Discharge point: Bay of Bengal at Dhamra.

• Home to Bhitarkanika National Park, rich in:

  • Mangroves, saltwater crocodiles, migratory birds, diverse estuarine fauna.