MAJESTIC YET SUBLIME !!

LIFELINE OF ODISHA

Rivers are life givers everywhere in the world. But in India rivers are more important and play many important roles. India being an agricultural country, rivers have the important role of sustaining the crops. The rivers have been doing that since time immemorial by providing water and enriching the crop land by their annual floods.

Apart from the above, Indian rivers have to play the spiritual role as well. Being a country with rich culture and customs, rivers have become an important part of the customs. They are considered sacred and are believed to be supernatural creations to make the human life sustain on the Earth. Their waters are considered sacred and used in all ritual customs. The water is believed to have the power to cleanse the soul and remove the burden of sins from ones life which makes them have a happy afterlife and relieve them of the cycle of birth and rebirth.

Mahanadi being an Indian river is no different and has the same roles to play. It originates from the Amarkantak plateau in Madhya Pradesh. It flows through Chattisgarh and enters Odisha where it finally meets the Bay of Bengal.Mahanadi along with two other rivers forms the second largest delta in India. Its delta is a Ramsar convention site. The delta is conserved under the name of Bhitarkanika reserve forest. Bhitarkanika is famous for salt water crocodiles and Olive Riddley tortoise which come here every year to lay their eggs. It is considered that Bhitarkanika has the highest concentration of salt water crocodiles in India.

The ancient city of Cuttack is situated at the delta of Mahanadi. The delta begins from The Naraj area of Cuttack. As all other Indian rivers Mahanadi has to play the dual role. It provides water to odisha's extensive agricultural lands. It enriches the soil with annual floods. Many dams have come up to control the floods and direct the river water to more area so as to increase the catchment area which will help in better irrigation. Better irrigation would result in better yield. It also provides drinking water to the masses. The Hirakud dam has come up on this river. It is the longest man made dam with a length of 24 Km. 

Fishing,agriculture,drinking water and many others are the functions of this river. But that is not enough. It has to play the role of a soul cleanser also. Many religious places have come up on its bank. It has been washing away the sins of man kind since time immemorial. Thus playing the cultural role that binds all Indian rivers.

The river has a very important role in the life of people living here. But it has not been taken care of. The river has been extensively dammed. The natural flow has been interrupted at many places in order to curb the flood menance. The pollution is an all time high. Many polluting industries have come up on its bank. The large cities that sustain with its water have in turn lead to high pollution discharge in form of municipal water which are not treated before release into the river. The river water has become unfit for drinking. The mines have contributed their part in the pollution of the river. At many places the marine life has been wiped out and water stinks like a sewage. 

Millions of people depend on this river and hence it should be taken proper care of. The government as well as people should be aware of the river ecosystem so as to maintain the natural systems and properly manage the resource. Industries should be vigilant and municipal wastes should be treated before release into the river. This steps can bring a lot of impact to our very own lifeline which is majestic and sublime.