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Rivers
The Banas in the north, originating in the Siranva hill in Sirohi in Rajasthan,
flows by the foot hills of Abu and disappears in the desert. The Saraswati
takes its birth at Koteshvar near Ambaji, flows by Siddhpur and Patan
and merges into the desert.
The Sabarmati, one of the biggest rivers of north Gujarat,
originates from the Dhebar lake in Rajasthan and flows towards the Gulf
of Cambay. The Hathmati, the Vatrak, the Mazam, the Meshvo, the Shedhi,
the Khari and the other rivulets join it. The three "virgin"
rivers of the north and the Sabarmati with its tributaries are the daughters
of the Aravalli ranges, while the Mahi and the Narmada with their families
originate from Madhya Pradesh, the former in the big lake near Amzara
and the latter in the Amarkantak. The Mahi is joined by the Bhadar, the
Anas, the Panam and the Meshri. The Narmada one of the biggest and holiest
river along with the only tributary, the Karjan, meets the sea, about
16km from Broach.
The Tapi takes its birth in the Satpura ranges near Betwa
and enters Gujarat at Kakarapar. It flows around Surat and Rander and
falls into the sea.
The Mindhola, the Purna, the Ambika, the Vanki, the Auranga,
the Vapi, the Par, the Kolak and the Damanganga are the rivers of south
Gujarat, which originate in the Sahyadri.
Most of the rivers of Saurashtra and Kutch dry up in
the summer. The river which originate in the central Saurashtra in the
Chotila range flow to the south into the desert of Kutch. Only the Aji,
the Machhu and the Brahmani are northward flowing rivers. The rivers originating
in the Girnar and the Gir namely the Ojhat, the Kamb, the Surekh, the
Somal, the Sangwada, the Hirani, the Kpila and the Saraswati flow into
the sea. The Saraswati near the Somnath and the Vastu are sacred rivers.
Though Kutch has many rivers, they are small and do not
have much water. Those flowing in the north disappear in the desert, while
those flowing in other directions join the sea. The Khari flowing by Bhuj
meets the desert and the Magh and the Tara empty their waters in the Gulf
of Cambay. The Rudramata has been bunded for irrigation, providing the
only irrigation project in Kutch. |
