- Mahanadi is major river in east Central India.
- The word Mahanadi comes from Sanskrit word maha means ‘Great” nadi means ‘ river’.
- The Mahanadi river rises near Sihawa in Raipur district of Chhattisgarh.
- It flows through Odisha to reach the Bay of Bengal.
- Total length of this river is 860 kilometers.
- Its total catchment area is spread over 1.42 lakh square kilometers.
- Its drainage basin is shared by Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Odisha.
- 53% of the drainage basin of this river lies in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh while 47% lies in Odisha.
- Hirakud dam is built on Mahanadi river. Which is the longest earthen dam in the world built in sambalpur region of Odisha.
- This river lies 11 kilometer above sea level, in a dense patch of forest of Sihawa town of Dhamtari district of Chhattisgarh.
- Principal tributaries of Mahanadi are Jonk, Hasdeo, Mand, Ib, Ong and Tel.
- After independence, it was the first major multipurpose project.