Editing Godavari River

{{short description|River in south-central India}}
{{About|the river in India|other uses|Godavari (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2019}}
{{Infobox river
| name = Godavari River
| native_name = <!-- No native name per WP:NOINDICSCRIPTS -->
| name_etymology =
| <!---------------------- IMAGE & MAP -->
| image = Nwgbridge.JPG
| image_size = 300
| image_caption = The [[Godavari bridge]] across the Godavari in [[Rajahmundry]] at [[East Godavari district]]
| map = Godavari.png
| map_size = 300 px
| map_caption = Path of the Godavari through the [[South India]]n Peninsula
| pushpin_map = 
| pushpin_map_size = 
| pushpin_map_caption = 
| subdivision_name1 = India
| subdivision_type2 = State
| subdivision_name2 = [[Maharashtra]], [[Telangana]], [[Andhra Pradesh]], [[Chhattisgarh]], [[Odisha]]
| subdivision_type3 = Region
| subdivision_name3 = [[West India]] and [[South India]]
| subdivision_type4 = 
| subdivision_name4 = 
| subdivision_type5 = 
| subdivision_name5 =
| <!---------------------- PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS -->
| length = {{convert|1,465|km|mi|abbr=on}}
| width_min = 
| width_avg = 
| width_max = 
| depth_min = 
| depth_avg = 
| depth_max = 
| discharge1_location = Godavari Delta, [[Bay of Bengal]]
| discharge1_min = 
| discharge1_avg = {{convert|3,505|m3/s|cuft/s|abbr=on}}
| discharge1_max = 
| discharge2_location = [[Rajahmundry]] (80 km upstream of mouth; Basin size: {{cvt|308,946|km2|abbr=on}}<ref name="River Discharge and Reservoir Storage Changes Using Satellite Microwave Radiometry">{{cite web|url=https://floodobservatory.colorado.edu/SiteDisplays/2009.htm|title=River Discharge and Reservoir Storage Changes Using Satellite Microwave Radiometry}}</ref>
| discharge2_min = {{cvt|79|m3/s|cuft/s|abbr=on}}<ref name="The Flood Observatory">{{cite web|url=https://floodobservatory.colorado.edu/SiteDisplays/2009data.htm|title=The Flood Observatory}}</ref>
| discharge2_avg = (Period: 1998/01/01–2023/12/31){{cvt|3,740.5|m3/s|cuft/s|abbr=on}}<ref name="River Discharge and Reservoir Storage Changes Using Satellite Microwave Radiometry"/><ref name="The Flood Observatory"/>
| discharge2_max = {{cvt|12,045|m3/s|cuft/s|abbr=on}}<ref name="The Flood Observatory"/>
| discharge3_location = [[Polavaram, West Godavari district|Polavaram]] (1901–1979)<ref>{{cite web|title=Sage River Database |url=http://www.sage.wisc.edu/riverdata/scripts/station_table.php?qual=32&filenum=865 |access-date=16 June 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100621153903/http://www.sage.wisc.edu/riverdata/scripts/station_table.php?qual=32&filenum=865 |archive-date=21 June 2010}}</ref>
| discharge3_min = {{convert|7|m3/s|cuft/s|abbr=on}}
| discharge3_avg = {{convert|3,061.18|m3/s|cuft/s|abbr=on}}
| discharge3_max = {{convert|34,606|m3/s|cuft/s|abbr=on}}
| <!---------------------- BASIN FEATURES -->
| source1 = 
| source1_location = [[Brahmagiri (hill), Maharashtra|Brahmagiri Mountain]], [[Trimbakeshwar]], Nashik, Maharashtra, India
| source1_coordinates = {{coord|19|55|48|N|73|31|39|E|display=inline}}
| source1_elevation = {{convert|920|m|abbr=on}}
| mouth = [[Bay of Bengal]]
| mouth_location = [[Antarvedi]], [[Konaseema district]] Andhra Pradesh, India
| mouth_coordinates = {{coord|17|0|N|81|48|E|display=inline,title}}<ref>{{GEOnet2|32FA87A287373774E0440003BA962ED3|Godāvari River}}</ref>
| mouth_elevation = {{convert|0|m|abbr=on}}
| progression = 
| river_system = 
| basin_size = {{convert|312,812|km2|abbr=on}}
| tributaries_left = [[Banganga River (Maharashtra)|Banganga]], [[Kadva River|Kadva]], [[Shivana River|Shivana]], [[Purna River (tributary of Godavari)|Purna]], [[Kadam river|Kadam]], [[Pranahita River|Pranahita]], [[Indravati River|Indravati]], [[Taliperu River|Taliperu]], [[Sabari River|Sabari]]
| tributaries_right = [[Nasardi River|Nasardi]], [[Pravara River|Pravara]], [[Sindphana River|Sindphana]], [[Manjira River|Manjira]], [[Manair River|Manair]], [[Kinnerasani River|Kinnerasani]]
| custom_label = 
| custom_data = 
| extra = 
}}

The '''Godavari''' ({{IAST3|Godāvarī}}, [[Help:IPA/Sanskrit|[ɡod̪aːʋəɾiː]]]) is India's second longest [[river]] after the [[Ganges River|Ganga]] River and drains the third largest [[Drainage basin|basin]] in India, covering about 10% of India's total geographical area.<ref>{{Cite web|publisher=Central Water Commission, Ministry of Jal Shakti, Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation|title=The Godavari River System|url=http://cwc.gov.in/sites/default/files/admin/About-Godavari-Basin-kgbo.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210808105201/http://cwc.gov.in/sites/default/files/admin/About-Godavari-Basin-kgbo.pdf |archive-date=8 August 2021|url-status=live|website=cwc.gov.in }}</ref> Its [[River source|source]] is in [[Trimbakeshwar Range|Trimbakeshwar]], [[Nashik]], [[Maharashtra]].<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.kgbo-cwc.ap.nic.in/About%20Basins/Godavari.pdf| title = "Godavari river basin map"| access-date = 2 November 2015| archive-date = 12 October 2013| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131012032632/http://www.kgbo-cwc.ap.nic.in/About%20Basins/Godavari.pdf| url-status = dead}}</ref> It flows east for {{convert|1465|km|mi}}, draining the states of [[Maharashtra]] (48.6%), [[Telangana]] (18.8%), [[Andhra Pradesh]] (4.5%), [[Chhattisgarh]] (10.9%) and [[Odisha]] (5.7%). The river ultimately empties into the [[Bay of Bengal]] through an extensive network of distributaries.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cwc.nic.in/main/webpages/hba.pdf |title=Integrated Hydrological DataBook (Non-Classified River Basins) |publisher=Central Water Commission |access-date=13 October 2015 |page=9 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304192920/http://www.cwc.nic.in/main/webpages/hba.pdf |archive-date=4 March 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Its {{convert|3,12,812|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}} drainage basin is one of the largest in the [[Indian subcontinent]], with only the [[Ganga]] and [[Indus]] rivers having a larger drainage basin.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://india-wris.nrsc.gov.in/wrpinfo/index.php?title=Basins | title=Basins – | access-date=12 October 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923002429/http://www.india-wris.nrsc.gov.in/wrpinfo/index.php?title=Basins | archive-date=23 September 2015 | url-status=dead }}</ref> In terms of length, catchment area and discharge, the Godavari is the largest in peninsular India, and had been dubbed as the '''Dakshina Ganga''' (Southern [[Ganges]]).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.importantindia.com/10222/dakshina-ganga/ |title=Dakshina Ganga (Ganga of South India) – River Godavari |publisher=Important India |access-date=21 October 2015 |date=20 January 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160118171303/http://www.importantindia.com/10222/dakshina-ganga/ |archive-date=18 January 2016 |url-status=usurped }}</ref>

The river has been revered in [[Hindu texts|Hindu scriptures]] for many millennia and continues to harbour and nourish a rich [[Culture of India|cultural heritage]]. In the past few decades, the river has been barricaded by several [[Barrage (dam)|barrages]] and [[dams]], keeping a head of water (depth) which lowers evaporation. Its broad [[river delta]] houses 729 persons/km<sup>2</sup> – nearly twice the Indian average population density and has a substantial risk of flooding, which in lower parts would be exacerbated if the global sea level were to rise.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.igbp.net/download/18.62dc35801456272b46d4b/1398850074082/NL82-Deltas_infographic.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208104353/http://www.igbp.net/download/18.62dc35801456272b46d4b/1398850074082/NL82-Deltas_infographic.pdf |archive-date=8 December 2015 |url-status=live | title=Deltas at Risk | publisher=International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme | access-date=21 May 2019 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/files/file/Shrinking_and_sinking_delta_major_role_of_Dams_May_2014.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160206060736/http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/files/file/Shrinking_and_sinking_delta_major_role_of_Dams_May_2014.pdf |archive-date=6 February 2016 |url-status=live |last=South Asia Network on Dams Rivers and People |title=Shrinking and Sinking Deltas: Major role of Dams in delta subsidence and effective sea level rise |year=2014 |access-date=15 January 2016}}</ref>

==Course==
[[Image:Godavari- river basin.gif|thumb|upright=1.75|Godavari River basin.]]
[[File:Godavari satellite view.jpg|thumb|Godavari River delta extending into the [[Bay of Bengal]] (upper river in image).]]
[[File:Bhadrachalam during 2005 floods.jpg|thumb|[[Bhadrachalam]] Temple during 2005 floods<ref>{{cite web|url=https://reliefweb.int/report/india/india-andhra-pradesh-flood-2005-situation-report-21sep-2005|title=India: Andhra Pradesh Flood 2005 situation report, 21Sep 2005|date=29 May 2014|access-date=15 January 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201027015317/https://reliefweb.int/report/india/india-andhra-pradesh-flood-2005-situation-report-21sep-2005|archive-date=27 October 2020}}</ref>]]

The Godavari originates in the [[Western Ghats]] of central India near [[Nashik]] in [[Maharashtra]], {{convert|80|km|mi|abbr=on}} from the [[Arabian Sea]]. It flows for {{convert|1465|km|mi|abbr=on}}, first eastwards across the [[Deccan Plateau]] then turns southeast, entering the [[Eluru district]] and [[Alluri Sitharama Raju district]] of Andhra Pradesh, until it splits into two distributaries that widen into a large [[river delta]] at [[Dowleswaram Barrage|Dhavaleshwaram Barrage]] in [[Rajahmundry|Rajamahendravaram]] and then flows into the Bay of Bengal.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://india-wris.nrsc.gov.in/Publications/BasinReports/Godavari%20Basin.pdf |title=Godavari basin status report, March 2014 |access-date=15 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151117020801/http://india-wris.nrsc.gov.in/Publications/BasinReports/Godavari%20Basin.pdf |archive-date=17 November 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The Godavari River has a coverage area of {{convert|312812|km2|abbr=on}}, which is nearly one-tenth of the area of India and is equivalent to the area of the [[United Kingdom]] and [[Republic of Ireland]] put together. The river basin is considered to be divided into 3 sections: 
* Upper (source to the confluence with [[Manjira River|Manjira]]), 
* Middle (between confluence of Manjira and [[Pranhita]]) and 
* Lower (Pranhita confluence to mouth).

These put together account for 24.2% of the total basin area.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ces.iisc.ernet.in/biodiversity/documents/rivers.htm |title=Rivers of Western Ghats |access-date=9 December 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719194103/http://ces.iisc.ernet.in/biodiversity/documents/rivers.htm |archive-date=19 July 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The rivers annual average water inflows are nearly 110 billion cubic metres.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.iwmi.cgiar.org/Publications/IWMI_Research_Reports/PDF/pub083/RR83.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100716164514/http://www.iwmi.cgiar.org/Publications/IWMI_Research_Reports/PDF/pub083/RR83.pdf |archive-date=16 July 2010 |url-status=live |title=Spatial variation in water supply and demand across river basins of India |publisher=IWMI Research Report 83 |access-date=23 June 2015}}</ref> Nearly 50% of the water availability is being harnessed. The water allocation from the river among the riparian states are governed by the [[Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal]]. The river has highest flood flows in India and experienced recorded flood of 3.6 million [[Cubic foot#Cubic foot per second|cusecs]] in the year 1986 and annual flood of 1.0 million cusecs is normal.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-editorialfeatures/when-bhadrachalam-was-under-a-sheet-of-water/article2710249.ece |title= When Bhadrachalam was under a sheet of water |access-date=26 May 2014|newspaper= The Hindu |date= 12 December 2011 |url-status= live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170409175210/http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-editorialfeatures/when-bhadrachalam-was-under-a-sheet-of-water/article2710249.ece |archive-date= 9 April 2017 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.compositerunoff.sr.unh.edu/html/Polygons/P2856900.html |title= Water flow data at Polavaram|access-date=26 May 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191228041140/http://www.compositerunoff.sr.unh.edu:80/html/Polygons/P2856900.html|archive-date=28 December 2019}}</ref>

===Within Maharashtra===
The river originates in [[Maharashtra]] state and has an extensive course. The upper basin (origin to its confluence with [[Manjira River|Manjira]]) of which lies entirely within the state, cumulatively draining an area as large as {{convert|1,52,199|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}} – about half the area of Maharashtra.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nih.ernet.in/rbis/basin%20maps/godavari_about.htm |title=About the Godavari Basin |access-date=19 October 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150421200558/http://nih.ernet.in/rbis/basin%20maps/godavari_about.htm |archive-date=21 April 2015 }}</ref> Within [[Nashik district]], the river assumes a north-easterly course until it flows into the [[Gangapur Dam|Gangapur Reservoir]] created by a dam of the same name. The reservoir along with the [[Kashypi Dam]] provides [[potable water]] to Nashik, one of the largest cities located on its banks. The river as it emerges through the dam, some {{convert|8|km|mi|abbr=on}} upstream from Nashik, flows on a rocky bed undulated by a series of chasms and rocky ledges, resulting in the formation of two significant waterfalls – the Gangapur and the Someshwar waterfalls. The latter, located at Someshwar is more popularly known as the Dudhsagar Waterfall.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nashikdirectory.com/dudhsagar-waterfalls.html |title=Dudhsagar Waterfalls, Nashik |publisher=Nashik Directory |access-date=18 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304073553/http://www.nashikdirectory.com/dudhsagar-waterfalls.html |archive-date=4 March 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> About {{convert|10|km|mi|abbr=on}} east of Gangapur the river passes the town of [[Nashik]] where it collects its effluents in the form of the river Nasardi on its right bank.{{citation needed|date=January 2022}}

About {{convert|0.5|km|mi|abbr=on}} south of Nashik, the river bends sharply to the east, washing the base of a high cliff formerly the site of a Mughal fort, but which is now being eroded away by the action of floods. About {{convert|25|km|mi|abbr=on}} below Nashik is the confluence of the Godavari and one of its tributaries, the [[Darna River|Darna]]. The stream occupies, for nine months in the year, a small space in a wide and gravelly bed, the greyish banks being {{convert|4|to|6|m|ft|abbr=on}} high, topped with a deep layer of black soil. A few kilometres after its meeting with the Darna, the Godavari swerves to the north-east, before the [[Banganga River (Maharashtra)|Banganga]], from the north-west, meets it on the left. The course of the main stream then tends more decidedly south. At Nandur-Madhmeshwar, the [[Kadva River|Kadva]], a second large affluent, brings considerable increase to the waters of the Godavari. The river begins its southeasterly course characteristic of rivers of the [[Deccan Plateau]]. The river exits the [[Niphad]] Taluka of [[Nashik]] and enters the [[Kopargaon taluka]], [[Ahmednagar district|Ahmednagar District]]. Within Ahmednagar District the river quickly completes its short course, flowing alongside the town of [[Kopargaon]] and reaching [[Puntamba]]. Beyond this, the river serves as a natural boundary between the following districts:{{citation needed|date=December 2022}}
* [[Ahmednagar district|Ahmednagar]] and [[Aurangabad district, Maharashtra|Aurangabad]]: Along the boundary here, it receives its first major tributary the [[Pravara River]], draining the former district. The confluence is located at Pravarasangam. By virtue of a sub-tributary of Pravara – Mandohol, which originates in Pune District – the basin impinges the [[Pune district]]. The river at Paithan has been impounded by the [[Jayakwadi Dam]] forming the NathSagar Reservoir. [[Kalsubai]] located in Godavari basin, is the highest peak in Maharashtra.
* [[Beed district|Beed]] and [[Jalna district|Jalna]]
* Beed and [[Parbhani district|Parbhani]]: Located along here is its merger with [[Sindphana River|Sindphana]], an important tributary<ref>{{cite web |url=https://cultural.maharashtra.gov.in/english/gazetteer/Beed/gen_geography.html |title=Beed district|publisher=Government of Maharashtra |access-date=15 January 2016}}</ref> which drains a considerably large area within Beed. The sub-tributary river [[Bindusara River|Bindusara]] forms a landmark at [[Beed]].

The river beyond, near the village Sonpeth, flows into [[Parbhani district|Parbhani]]. In Parbhani district, the river flows through [[Gangakhed]] taluka. As mentioned above, the Godavari is also called Dakshinganga so the city is called as Gangakhed (meaning a village on the bank of Ganga). As per Hindu rituals this place is considered quite important for after death peace to flow ashes into the river.{{Citation needed|date=October 2021}}

Its course is relatively non-significant except for receiving two smaller streams – Indrayani and Masuli – merging at its left and right banks, respectively. Within the last taluka of the district Parbhani, [[Purna]], the river drains a major tributary of the same name: [[Purna River (tributary of Godavari)|Purna]].{{citation needed|date=December 2022}}

It then exits into the neighbouring district of [[Nanded district|Nanded]] where {{convert|10|km|mi|abbr=on}} before reaching the town Nanded, it is impounded by the Vishnupuri Dam and thus with it, bringing Asia's largest lift irrigation projects to life. A little downstream from Nanded, the river receives Asna, a small stream, on its left bank. It then runs into the controversial [[Babli project]] soon ends its course within [[Maharashtra]], albeit temporarily, at its merger with a major tributary – [[Manjira River|Manjira]].{{citation needed|date=December 2022}}

The river after flowing into Telangana, re-emerges to run as a state boundary separating the [[Mancherial district|Mancherial]], [[Telangana]] from [[Gadchiroli district|Gadchiroli]], Maharashtra. At the state border, it runs between [[Sironcha]] and Somnoor Sangam receiving one tributary at each of those nodal points – the [[Pranhita River|Pranhita]] and subsequently the [[Indravati River|Indravati]].{{citation needed|date=December 2022}}

===Within Telangana===
[[File:Road Bridge over Godavari River at Bhadrachalam.JPG|thumb|left|Road Bridge over Godavari River at Bhadrachalam]]

Godavari enters into Telangana in Nizamabad district at Kandakurthy where Manjira, Haridra rivers joins Godavari and forms Triveni Sangamam. The river flows along the border between [[Nirmal district|Nirmal]] and [[Mancherial district]]s in the north and [[Nizamabad district|Nizamabad]], [[Jagtial district|Jagtial]], [[Peddapalli district|Peddapalli]] districts to its south. About {{convert|12|km|mi|abbr=on}} after entering [[Telangana]] it merges with the back waters of the [[Sriram Sagar Project|Sriram Sagar Dam]]. The river after emerging through the dam gates, enjoys a wide river bed, often splitting to encase sandy islands. The river receives a minor but significant tributary [[Kadam river]]. It then emerges at its eastern side to act as a state border with Maharashtra only to later enter into [[Bhadradri Kothagudem district]]. In this district, the river flows through an important Hindu pilgrimage town – [[Bhadrachalam]].{{citation needed|date=December 2022}}

The river further swells after receiving a minor tributary [[Kinnerasani River]] and exits into [[Andhra Pradesh]].

===Within Andhra Pradesh===
{{multiple image
 |align=right
 |direction=vertical
 |image1=Early morning in Godavari 02.jpg
 |caption1=The river at [[Papi Hills]] near [[Rajamahendravaram]] in [[Andhra Pradesh]].
 |width1=220
 |image2=
 |caption2=The river near Yanam.
 |width2=220
}}

Within the state of [[Andhra Pradesh]], the river flows through hilly terrain of the [[Eastern Ghats]] known as the [[Papi Hills|Papi hills]] which explains the narrowing of its bed as it flows through a gorge for a few km, only to re-widen at [[Polavaram, West Godavari district|Polavaram]]. The deepest bed level of a submarine [[plunge pool]] in Godavari River, located 36&nbsp;km upstream of Polavaram dam, is at 45 meters below the sea level.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/files/file/Polavaram-project-report-NGT.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200916232941/http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/files/file/Polavaram-project-report-NGT.pdf |archive-date=16 September 2020 |url-status=live|title=Polavaram project studies by NGT (page 56)|access-date=1 October 2020}}</ref> Before crossing the Papi hills, it receives its last major tributary [[Sabari River]] on its left bank. The river upon reaching the plains begins to widen out until it reaches [[Rajahmundry|Rajamahendravaram]]. [[Arma Konda]] ({{convert|1680|m|ft|abbr=on}}) is the highest peak in the Godavari river basin as well as in Eastern Ghats.<ref name="Pletcher2013">{{cite book | author=Kenneth Pletcher | title=The Geography of India: Sacred and Historic Places | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Mjr0X-8jrLAC&pg=PA28| date=2010 | publisher=The Rosen Publishing Group| isbn=978-16-1530-142-3 | pages=28}}</ref>

[[Dowleswaram Barrage]] was constructed across the river in Rajamahendravaram. At Rajamahendravaram, the Godavari splits into two large branches which are called Gautami (Gautami Godavari) and Vasishta Godavari and five smaller branches.  Similarly, the Vasishta splits into two branches named Vasishta and Vainateya. These four branches which join the [[Bay of Bengal]] at different places, form a delta of length {{convert|170|km|mi|abbr=on}} along the coast of the Bay of Bengal and is called the [[Konaseema]] region. This delta along with the delta of the [[Krishna River]] is called the ''Rice Granary'' of [[South India]].<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://www.academia.edu/2554303|title=Holocene environmental changes of the Godavari Delta, east coast of India, inferred from sediment core analyses and AMS 14C dating|first1=Kakani|last1=Nageswara Rao|first2=Kakani Nageswara|last2=Rao|first3=Yoshiki|last3=Saito|first4=K. Ch V.|last4=Nagakumar|first5=G.|last5=Demudu|first6=N.|last6=Basavaiah|first7=A. S.|last7=Rajawat|first8=Fuyuki|last8=Tokanai|first9=Kazuhiro|last9=Kato|first10=Rei|last10=Nakashima|journal=Geomorphology|year=2012|volume=175–176|pages=163–175|doi=10.1016/j.geomorph.2012.07.007|bibcode=2012Geomo.175..163N |via=www.academia.edu}}</ref>

===Within Puducherry===
The Gautami which is the largest branch of the whole passes along [[Yanam]] enclave of [[Union territory of Puducherry]] and empties itself into sea at ''Point Godavery''.<ref name="Godaverymouths">{{cite book | author=Alexander Dalrymple | title=Oriental Repertory: Published at the Charge of the East India Company, Volume 2| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JlLhsmVz0AAC| date=1808| publisher=W. Ballintine | pages=81}}</ref> In fact, Yanam is bounded on south by Gautami branch and the [[Coringa River]] originates at Yanam which merges into the sea near [[Coringa, East Godavari district|Coringa]] village in Andhra Pradesh.<ref>{{cite book | author=Victor Jaccarini, Els Martens | title=The Ecology of Mangrove and Related Ecosystems| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=j4DsCAAAQBAJ| date=2013| publisher=Springer Science & Business Media| pages=12| isbn=9789401732888}}</ref>
[[File:Yanaon.jpg|thumb|right|A colonial Map of Yanam showing then course of Godavery River.]]

==Discharge==

Mean annual, minimum and maximum discharge (Q – m<sup>3</sup>/s) at [[Rajahmundry]] (period from 1998/01/01 to 2023/12/31):<ref name="River Discharge and Reservoir Storage Changes Using Satellite Microwave Radiometry"/><ref name="The Flood Observatory"/>
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
! rowspan="2" |Year
! colspan="3" |Discharge (m<sup>3</sup>/s)
! rowspan="2" |Year
! colspan="3" |Discharge (m<sup>3</sup>/s)
|-
!Min
! ''Mean''
!Max
!Min
! ''Mean''
!Max
|-
|1998
|900
|''3,863''
|8,018
|2011
|2,325
|''4,969''
|8,875
|-
|1999
|552
|''3,411''
|7,901
|2012
|878
|''3,198''
|6,184
|-
|2000
|732
|''3,052''
|6,732
|2013
|1,099
|''3,681''
|7,327
|-
|2001
|79
|''2,378''
|6,525
|2014
|455
|''2,564''
|5,363
|-
|2002
|774
|''3,360''
|6,413
|2015
|761
|''2,297''
|4,353
|-
|2003
|2,070
|''5,114''
|8,571
|2016
|1,019
|''2,401''
|4,802
|-
|2004
|2,764
|''5,142''
|8,039
|2017
|847
|''2,415''
|4,633
|-
|2005
|1,368
|''4,162''
|8,100
|2018
|981
|''2,791''
|5,537
|-
|2006
|988
|''3,097''
|6,753
|2019
|496
|''2,625''
|5,791
|-
|2007
|1,361
|''3,674''
|6,703
|2020
|1,575
|''3,061''
|6,492
|-
|2008
|969
|''3,594''
|6,753
|2021
|1,225
|''3,706''
|7,147
|-
|2009
|2,111
|''4,669''
|7,436
|2022
|1,193
|''4,950''
|9,430
|-
|2010
|2,534
|''6,355''
|10,403
|2023
|2,570
|''6,599''
|12,045
|-
| colspan="8" |
|-
| colspan="5" |''1998–2023''
|''1,255''
|'''''3,740'''''
|''7,127''
|}

==Tributaries==
The major left bank [[Tributary|tributaries]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cwc.nic.in/main/webpages/hba.pdf |last=Central Water Commission |title=Integrated Hydrological Data Book (Non-classified river basins) |year=2012 |access-date=15 January 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304192920/http://www.cwc.nic.in/main/webpages/hba.pdf |archive-date=4 March 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> include the [[Purna River (tributary of Godavari)|Purna]], [[Pranhita]], [[Indravati]], and [[Sabari River]], covering nearly 59.7% of the total catchment area of the basin. The right bank tributaries [[Pravara River|Pravara]], [[Manjira River|Manjira]], and [[Manair River|Manair]] contribute 16.1% of the basin.

The Pranhita River is the largest tributary of the Godavari River, covering about 34% of its drainage basin.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Jain |first1=S. K. |title=Hydrology and water resources of India |last2=Agarwal |first2=Pushpendra K |last3=Singh |first3=V. P. |publisher=Springer |year=2007 |location= |pages=676|bibcode=2007hwri.book.....J }}</ref> Though the river proper flows only for {{convert|113|km|mi|abbr=on}}, by virtue of its extensive tributaries [[Wardha River|Wardha]], [[Wainganga]], [[Painganga River|Penganga]], the sub-basin drains all of [[Vidharba]] region as well as the southern slopes of the [[Satpura Range]]s. Indravati is the 2nd largest tributary, known as the "lifeline" of the [[Kalahandi]], [[Nabarangapur]] of [[Odisha]] and [[Bastar district]] of [[Chhattisgarh]]. Due to their enormous sub-basins both Indravati and Pranhita are considered rivers in their own right. Manjira is the longest tributary and holds the [[Nizam Sagar]] reservoir. Purna is a prime river in the water scarce [[Marathwada]] region of [[Maharashtra]].{{citation needed|date=December 2022}}

{{Pie chart
|thumb = right
|caption = '''Drainage basin of the Godavari'''<ref name="Godavari Basin">{{cite web|title=Hydrology and water resources information for India|url=http://www.nih.ernet.in/rbis/basin%20maps/godavari_about.htm|website=www.nih.ernet.in|publisher=National Institute of Hydrology, India|access-date=19 October 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150421200558/http://nih.ernet.in/rbis/basin%20maps/godavari_about.htm|archive-date=21 April 2015}}</ref>
|label1 = Upper, middle, and lower basins of the Godavari|color1 = #FF6600
|value1 = 24.2
|label2 = [[Pranhita River|Pranhita]]|color2 = #FFFF00
|value2 = 34.87
|label3 = [[Indravati River|Indravati]]|color3 = DodgerBlue
|value3 = 12.98
|label4 = [[Manjira River|Manjira]]|color4 = Green 
|value4 = 9.86
|label5 = [[Sabari River|Sabari]]|color5 = Gold
|value5 = 6.53
|label6 = [[Purna River (tributary of Godavari)|Purna]]|color6 = Pink
|value6 = 4.98
|label7 = [[Maner River|Manair]] |color7 = Black
|value7 = 4.18
|label8 = [[Pravara River|Pravara]]|color8 = Gray
|value8 = 2.08
}}

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Major tributaries of the Godavari river
|- 
! Tributary !! Bank !! Confluence location !! Confluence elevation !! Length !! Sub-basin area
|-
| [[Pravara River|Pravara]] || Right || Pravara Sangam, [[Nevasa taluka|Nevasa]], [[Ahmednagar district|Ahmednagar]], [[Maharashtra]] || align="right" |{{convert|463|m|ft|abbr=on|disp=br()}} || align="right"|{{convert|208|km|mi|abbr=on|disp=br()}}  ||  align="right"|{{convert|6,537|km2|sqmi|abbr=on|disp=br()}}
|-
| [[Purna River (tributary of Godavari)|Purna]] || Left || Jambulbet, [[Parbhani district|Parbhani]], [[Marathwada]], [[Maharashtra]] || align="right" |{{convert|358|m|ft|abbr=on|disp=br()}} || align="right"|{{convert|373|km|mi|abbr=on|disp=br()}}  || align="right"|{{convert|15,579|km2|sqmi|abbr=on|disp=br()}}
|-
| [[Manjira River|Manjira]] || Right || Kandakurthi, Renjal, [[Nizamabad, Telangana]] || align="right"|{{convert|332|m|ft|abbr=on|disp=br()}} || align="right"|{{convert|724|km|mi|abbr=on|disp=br()}} || align="right"|{{convert|30,844|km2|sqmi|abbr=on|disp=br()}}
|-
| [[Manair River|Manair]] || Right || Arenda, [[Manthani]], [[Peddapalli district|Peddapalli]], [[Telangana]]|| align="right" |{{convert|115|m|ft|abbr=on|disp=br()}} || align="right"|{{convert|225|km|mi|abbr=on|disp=br()}} || align="right"|{{convert|13,106|km2|sqmi|abbr=on|disp=br()}}
|-
| [[Pranhita]] || Left || Kaleshwaram, [[Mahadevpur]], [[Jayashankar Bhupalpally]], [[Telangana]]|| align="right" |{{convert|99|m|ft|abbr=on|disp=br()}} || align="right"|{{convert|113|km|mi|abbr=on|disp=br()}} || align="right"|{{convert|109,078|km2|sqmi|abbr=on|disp=br()}}
|-
| [[Indravati]]  || Left || Somnoor Sangam, [[Sironcha]], [[Gadchiroli district|Gadchiroli]], [[Maharashtra]] || align="right" |{{convert|82|m|ft|abbr=on|disp=br()}} || align="right"|{{convert|535|km|mi|abbr=on|disp=br()}} || align="right"|{{convert|41,655|km2|sqmi|abbr=on|disp=br()}}
|-
| [[Sabari River|Sabari]] || Left ||Kunawaram, [[Alluri Sitharama Raju district]], [[Andhra Pradesh]] || align="right" |{{convert|25|m|ft|abbr=on|disp=br()}}  || align="right"|{{convert|418|km|mi|abbr=on|disp=br()}} || align="right"|{{convert|20,427|km2|sqmi|abbr=on|disp=br()}}
|}

Other than these seven principal tributaries, it has many smaller but significant ones draining into it. Indravati river floodwaters overflow into the Jouranala which is part of Sabari basin. A barrage at {{Coord|19|7|19|N|82|14|9|E|name=Jouranala barrage}} is constructed across the Indravati river to divert Indravati water in to Sabari river for enhanced hydropower generation.

=== Seven mouths of Godavari ===
Before merging into the Bay of Bengal, the Godavari has seven mouths in total and is considered sacred by local Hindus.<ref name="GodavariReferenceBritish">{{cite web|url= https://archive.org/download/godavaridistrict01frhe/godavaridistrict01frhe.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220707025121/https://archive.org/download/godavaridistrict01frhe/godavaridistrict01frhe.pdf |archive-date=7 July 2022 |url-status=live|title=Godavari District Gazetteer (reprint), Volume 1|publisher=Asian Educational Services|author=William F. R. Hemingway|year=1915|pages=6}}</ref> As per their traditional belief, the holy waters of the Godavari are said to have been brought from the head of [[Shiva]] by the ''Rishi [[Gautama Maharishi|Gautama]]'', and the seven branches by which it is traditionally supposed to have reached the sea are said have been made by seven great rishis known as [[Sapta Rishis]]. Thus, they are named after these seven great rishis<ref name="sevenRishis">{{cite book | author=Baidyanath Saraswati | title=The Spectrum of the Sacred: Essays on the Religious Traditions of India | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HazzvPDMgz8C| date=1984| publisher=Concept Publishing Company | pages=41}}</ref> and are named as '''Tulyabhāga''' (Tulya or [[Kaśyapa]]), '''Ātreya''' ([[Atri]]), '''Gautamī''' ([[Gautama Maharishi|Gautama]]), '''[[Jamadagni]]''' (now replaced by '''Vṛddhagautamī''' i.e. Old Gautami), '''Bhardvāja''' ([[Bharadwaja|Bharadvaja]]), '''Kauśika''' ([[Viswamitra|Visvamitra]]) and '''Vaśișțha''' ([[Vasishtha]]).<ref>{{cite book | author=E. Keys | title=Manual of the Administration of the Madras Presidency, in Illustration of the Records of Government & the Yearly Administration Reports, Volume 2 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hJ8IAAAAQAAJ| date=1885| publisher=Madras (India: Presidency) | pages=79}}</ref> So bathing in these mouths are considered an act of great religious efficacy by native Hindus. These mouths are remembered by a Sanskrit sloka as follow:
{{blockquote|''{{IAST|tulyātreyī bharadvāja gautamī vṛddhagautamī<br />kauśikīca vaśiṣṭhaaca tathā sāgaraṃ gataḥ}}''<br /><br />(Godavari becomes) Tulya, Ātreyi, Bharadvāja, Gautamī, Vṛddhagautamī,<br />Kauśikī and Vaśiṣṭhaa and then passes into sea.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.sakshi.com/news/funday/godavari-pushkaralu-2015-256535|title = సప్త గోదావరీ ప్రస్థానం|language=Telugu|date=12 July 2015|access-date=30 July 2022}}</ref>{{refn|group=note|{{lang|sa|तुल्यात्रेयी भरद्वाज गौतमी वृद्धगौतमी । कौशिकीच वशिष्ठाच तथा सागरं गतः॥}}}}}}
Together they are referred as ''Sapta Godavari'' and the Godavari river before splitting is referred as ''Akhanda Godavari''.<ref name="sevenRishis"/> However, there exists another eight mouth named as '''Vainateyam''', which is not one of these traditional seven mouths and is supposed to have been created by a rishi of that name who stole a part of Vasisththa branch. Godavari was frequently referred as '''Ganga''' or '''Ganges''' by ancient Indian writings.<ref name="GodavariReferenceBritish"/> However, the original branches of ''Kauśika'', ''Bhardwaja'' and ''Jamadagni'' does not exist any longer and the pilgrims bathe in the sea at the spots where they are supposed to have been. The traditional Bharadwāja mouth is in ''Tirthālamondi'' (now bordering Savithri Nagar of [[Yanam]] and before a Hamlet of [[Guttenadeevi|Guttenadivi]]) and the traditional Kauśika mouth is located at Rameswaram, a hamlet of Samathakurru village in Allavaram Mandal of Konaseema district. Traditional mouth of Jamadagni is not known and people instead take bath in the Vriddha Gautami branch at Kundaleswaram village in [[Katrenikona Mandal]] of Konaseema district. There is a local legend saying the ''[[Injaram]]'' and ''Patha (Old) Injaram'' (now on the other bank of Gautami river within Island Polavalam mandal of [[Konaseema district]]) were split by Godavari river. Thus the Godavari passing between these two now referred as Gautami and the old passage being referred as Vriddha Gautami. In early British records, the Injaram ''Paragana'' (district) was counted along with Muramalla village (now located on the other side of Gautami within Island Polavalam mandal) and said to have comprised 22 villages.<ref name="IngeramParagana">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=coIfAAAAYAAJ|title=Madras Presidency|author=Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Select Committee on the East India Company|publisher=J. Higginbotham|year=1966|page=214|via=Google Books}}</ref>

==Religious significance==
[[File:Birth of guatami.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Gautami personified with Gautama.]]
{{Hinduism}}
[[File:Godavari Statue at Gangadwar Triambak.jpg|thumb|upright|Godavari Statue at Gangadwar, worshiped as origin of Godavari, Triambak]]
[[File:Godavari matha statue.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Goddess Godavari]]

The river is sacred to [[Hindus]] and has several places on its banks that have been places of pilgrimage for thousands of years. Amongst the huge numbers of people who have bathed in her waters as a rite of cleansing are said to have been the deity [[Balarama|Baladeva]] 5000 years ago and the saint [[Chaitanya Mahaprabhu]] 500 years ago. Every twelve years, the [[Godavari Maha Pushkaram|Pushkaram]] fair is held on the banks of the river.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Godavari River – Tributaries Course Hydropower Stations |url=https://www.riversofindia.com/2022/04/godavari-river-tributaries-course.html |access-date=27 May 2022 |website=Rivers Of India – All About Rivers |language=en |archive-date=27 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220527140859/https://www.riversofindia.com/2022/04/godavari-river-tributaries-course.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

[[File:Sculpture depicting govu vatsa and gowthama legend.jpg|thumb|Sculpture depicting govu vatsa and gowthama legend about birth of Godavari River]]
A legend has it that the sage Gautama lived in the Brahmagiri Hills at [[Tryambakeshwar]] with his wife [[Ahalya]]. The couple lived the rest of their lives in the then village called ''Govuru'', now known as [[Kovvur]] ("cow") since British rule. Ahalya lived in a nearby place called ''Thagami'' (now [[Thogummi]]). The sage, as a reason for the practice of ''annadanam'' ("giving away food" to the needy), started cultivating rice crops and other crops. Once, the god [[Ganesha]], on the wish of the sages, sent a miraculous cow ''mayadhenu'', which resembled a normal cow. It entered the sage's abode and started spoiling the rice while he was meditating. Since cattle is sacred to Hindus and treated with respect, he put the ''[[Kusha grass|darbha]]'' grass on the cow. But, to his surprise, it fell dead. Seeing what happened before their eyes, the sages and their wives cried out, "We thought that Gautama-maharishi is a righteous man, but he committed bovicide (killing of a cow or cattle)!". The sage wished to atone for this grievous sin. Therefore, he went to [[Nashik]] and observed [[Tapas (Sanskrit)|tapas]] (penance) to propitiate Tryambakeshvara (a manifestation of the god Shiva), on the advice of the sages, praying for atonement and asking him to make the Ganges flow over the cow. Shiva was pleased with the sage and diverted the Ganges, which washed away the cow and gave rise to the Godavari River in Nashik. The water stream flowed past Kovvur and ultimately merged with the Bay of Bengal.

=== Sapta Sāgara Yatra ===
In olden days a pilgrimage named as ''sapta sāgara yātra'' was made by those desirous of offspring along the banks of the holy waters from the seven mouths.<ref>{{cite book | author=Edgar Thurston| title=The Madras Presidency with Mysore, Coorg and the Associated States| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=O4VLY1KcltcC| date=2011| publisher=Cambridge University Press| pages=24| isbn=9781107600683}}</ref> It starts with holy bathing at Tulyabhaga river at [[Chollangi]] village on Amavasya during Krishna Paksha of [[Pushya]] month as per Hindu calendar. That day is locally referred as ''Chollangi Amavasya''. That place where the river branch merges with sea is referred as ''Tulya Sāgara Sangamam''.<ref>{{cite book | publisher=Manager of Publications | title=Census of India, 1971: Andhra Pradesh, Volume 6, Part 2, Issue 2 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PkIvD | date=1976 | author=India. Office of the Registrar General | pages=353 }}{{Dead link|date=June 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Secondly, they take bath in [[Coringa, East Godavari district|Coringa]] village in the Coringa river which is considered as Atreya branch of Godavari and the holy bathing place is called as ''Atreya Sāgara Sangamam''.<ref>{{cite book | title=The March of India | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=J7GLsiBl51MC| date=1954 | pages=23}}</ref> After bathing at different banks of the other branches the pilgrimage ends by bathing near [[Narsapuram]] or [[Antarvedi]].

==Settlements along the Godavari==
[[File:Trimbakeshwar.JPG|thumb|left|[[Trimbakeshwar]]]]

===Maharashtra===
* [[Nashik]] (Holy city and site of [[Nashik-Trimbakeshwar Simhastha|Simhastha Kumbha Mela]] bathing festivals)
* [[Trimbakeshwar]] (shrine to the [[Jyotirlinga]] of the god [[Shiva]])
* [[Kopargaon]]
* [[Puntamba]] – A place of pilgrimage with several ancient temples including the last resting place ([[Samadhi]]) of Sant [[Changdev]] in Puntamba. This town is located in Rahata Taluka of Ahmednagar district and 18&nbsp;km from holy place of Sai Baba of Shirdi. A temple attributed to [[Kartikeya]] (younger son of Shiva) is located here on bank of river Godavari). River godavari which had entered in kopargaon taluka of Ahmednagar from Niphad taluka of Nashik is the natural frontier between Aurangabad and Ahmednagar districts of Maharashtra onwards until it enters in confluence with river Pravara at Pravarasangam village which comes under Newasa taluka a town where famous Bhakti saint Shree sant Dhnyaneshwar had written critic on Bhagavatgeeta 'Dhnyaneshwari'.{{citation needed|date=December 2022}}
* [[Paithan]] (ancient capital of the [[Satavahana dynasty]])
* [[Gangakhed]]
* [[Nanded]] (location of the [[Hazur Sahib Nanded]] [[Sikhism|Sikh]] [[Gurdwara]])
* [[Sironcha]] (town situated near the confluence of Godavari and Pranahita rivers)

===Telangana===
[[File:Kaleswaram.jpg|thumb|upright|Kaleshwara Mukteswara Swamy Temple]]

* [[Basar, Telangana|Basara]], [[Nirmal district]] (Gnana Saraswati Temple)
* Goodem gutta, Adilabad (temple) [[Luxettipet]], Adilabad
* [[Mancherial]], [[Mancherial]]
* [[Godavarikhani]], [[Ramagundam]]
* [[Nirmal]], [[Nirmal district]] (Nirmal toys)
* [[Chennur, Mancherial district|Chennur]], [[Adilabad]]
* [[Tadpakal]], [[Nizamabad district]] (Armoor toys)
* Battapur, Nizamabad district (Armoor toys)
*[[Dharmapuri, Jagtial district]]
* [[Godavarikhani]], [[Ramagundam]], [[Sripada Yellampalli Project]]
* [[Manthani]], [[Peddapalli district]] (Gautameshwara Swami (Shiva) temple, Rama, Saraswati temples)
* [[Kaleshwaram]], [[Jayashankar Bhupalpally district]] (Kaleswara Mukhteswara Swamy (Shiva) temple)
* [[Mahadevpur]] Jayashankar Bhupalpally district
* [[Eturnagaram]], Jayashankar Bhupalpally district
* [[Manuguru]], [[Bhadradri Kothagudem district]]
* [[Bhadrachalam]], Bhadradri Kothagudem district

===Andhra Pradesh===
[[File:Antarvedi temple on the banks of Godavari in Andhra pradesh.jpg|thumbnail|right|Antarvedi temple]]
[[File: Sunset view of Godavari river from Rajahmundry.jpg|thumb|Sunset view of Godavari River and bridge from Rajahmundry]]
*[[Polavaram, Eluru district]] (Sri Bhadrakalisametha Sri Veereswara Swami temple)
*[[Rajahmundry|Rajamahendravaram]], [[East Godavari]] (where the Akhanda Godavari splits into two streams called "Gautami" and "Vashista" before joining Bay of Bengal)
*[[Kovvur]], [[East Godavari district]]
* [[Ravulapalem]], [[Konaseema district]]
* [[Kothapeta, Konaseema|Kothapeta]], [[Konaseema district]]
*[[Mukteswaram]], Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema district (Sri Kshana Muktheswara Swamy temple)
* [[Kotipalli]], Konaseema district (Sri Someswara Swamy temple)
* [[Antarvedi]], Konaseema district (Antarvedi is famous for the Sri Laxmi Narasimha Swamy temple constructed between the 15th and 16th centuries. There is also a temple of Shiva that is older than Narasimha Swamy temple. The temple's idol of Shiva was installed by Rama.)
* [[Narasapuram]], West Godavari district

=== Puducherry ===
* [[Yanam district]] (Yanam is an enclave located in East Godavari district, where the Gautami joins the [[Bay of Bengal]]. It belongs to [[Puducherry (union territory)|Puducherry]] union territory.)

===Places of interest===
Sites of pilgrimage include:
* [[Basar, Telangana|Basar]] (originally, Vyasara) – Sri Gyana [[Saraswati]] temple is situated on the banks of Godavari in Adilabad district, Telangana. It is about {{convert|210|km|mile|abbr=on}} from state capital Hyderabad and accessible by road and rail (nearest major station: Nizamabad, although Basar station also exists). It is considered that the sage Vyasa wrote the Mahabharata on the banks of Godavari at this location near Harsha house it is the beautiful scenario, and thus the place came to be known as Vyasara.
* Kandhakurthi – Thriveni sangamam where three rivers join. Godavari, [[Manjira River]] and [[Haridra River]]
* [[Bhadrachalam]] – Hindu Temple of [[Rama]] constructed by [[Bhakta Ramdas]] in the 16th century
* [[Dharmapuri, Telangana]] – Hindu Temple of [[Narasimha]]. Godavari flows from north to south in Dharmapuri, hence the river is locally called 'Dakshina Vahini' [South Flowing]
* [[Kaleshwaram]] – Sri Kaleswara Mukhteswara swamy Temple is situated here on the banks of Triveni sangamam of rivers Godavari and Pranahita. It is 125 kilometres away from Karimnagar city, 115&nbsp;km away from Warangal city.
* [[Trimbakeshwar]] – One of the twelve [[Jyotirlinga]]s and ancient temple of [[Shiva]]
* [[Nanded]] – [[Takht Sri Hazur Sahib]], second of the five most sacred places in [[Sikhism]]
* [[Nashik]] – One of the four [[Kumbh Mela|Sinhastha Kumbh Mela]], a Hindu pilgrimage place
* [[Paithan]] – Saint Eknath's native place, famous [[Jayakwadi Dam]], and a beautiful garden named after Sant Dhnyaneshwar.
[[File:Araku Valley Scenic View Visakhapatnam District.jpg|thumb|Scenic View of Araku Valley in Andhra Pradesh]]
* [[Antarvedi]], Konaseema district – Antarvedi is famous for the Laxmi Narasimha Swamy temple constructed between the 15th and 16th centuries. There is also a temple of Shiva that is older than Narasimha Swamy temple. The temple's idol of Shiva was installed by Rama.
* [[Konaseema]] – Delta of Godavari
* [[Pattiseema]] – A village where a [[Hindu]] temple is located on a small hill on an island in the river
* [[Kovvur]] – A village where cows resided and a place where the maaya-dhenu fell dead. Footprints of the maaya-dhenu were seen even today in the famous place Kovvur called "Goshpadakshetram" also called "Gopadala Revu" where the footprints of the holy cow are seen near the temple of Shiva. Also a village which is the reason for the birth of river [[Godavari]]. It is famous for a Sanskrit school which has been built 63 years ago.
* [[Rajahmundry|Rajamahendravaram]] – A city known for its role in Telugu culture and birthplace of writers such as [[Nannayya]], one of the [[Kavitrayam]] trinity of poets who translated the [[Mahabharata]] into Telugu. It is known for [[floriculture]], tourism, industries and its [[Historic site|heritage]] The Godavari Pushkaralu is a major local festival that is staged every 12 years.
* [[Deomali (mountain)|Deomali peak]] located in the Godavari basin is the highest peak (1672 m [[Mean sea level|msl]]) in Odisha state.

==Flora and fauna==
{{See also |Wildlife sanctuaries of India|Tiger reserves of India|List of national parks of India}}
* The [[Krishna Godavari Basin]] is one of the main nesting sites of the endangered [[olive ridley sea turtle]]. Godavari is also a home to the endangered fringed-lipped carp ([[Labeo fimbriatus]]).<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/rescuing-a-threatened-fish-species-from-extinction/article3381228.ece|title=Godavari|access-date=16 May 2012 | work=The Hindu|first=K.|last=Venkateshwarlu|date=3 May 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210406182842/https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/rescuing-a-threatened-fish-species-from-extinction/article3381228.ece|archive-date=6 April 2021}}</ref>
* The [[Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary|Coringa mangrove forests]] in the Godavari delta are the third largest mangrove formation in the country. Part of this has been declared as the [[Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary]], renowned for reptiles. They also provide an important habitat to a wide variety of fish and crustaceans. These forests also act as barriers against cyclones, tropical storms, and [[storm surge]]s, thus protecting the nearby villages.
* The [[Jayakwadi Dam#Jayakwadi Bird Sanctuary|Jayakwadi Bird Sanctuary]] is another haven for birds located near the town of Paithan spread across the back waters of the NathSagar Reservoir formed by impounding the Godavari by the massive [[Jayakwadi Dam]]. Its 341&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> area is dotted by islands within the reservoir which serve as nesting sites for the birds.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mahaforest.nic.in/fieldoffice/internal.php?MID=1&oid=36|last=Maharashtra Forest Department|title=Aurangabad Circle|access-date=15 January 2016|archive-date=12 November 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141112003813/http://www.mahaforest.nic.in/fieldoffice/internal.php?oid=36&MID=1|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* The Nandurmadmeshwar Bird Sanctuary is located along the back waters of the Godavari River near [[Nashik]] at its confluence with [[Kadva River]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nashik.com/nandur-madhmeshwar-bird-sanctuary/|last=Nashik|title=Nandur Madhmeshwar Bird Sanctuary|access-date=15 January 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170613043620/http://www.nashik.com:80/nandur-madhmeshwar-bird-sanctuary|archive-date=13 June 2017}}</ref> It is known as the Bharatpur of Maharashtra for the wide diversity of bird life that it harbours.

The following are few other wildlife sanctuaries located in the river basin:
{{Div col|colwidth=20em}}
* [[Bor Wildlife Sanctuary]]
* [[Eturnagaram Wildlife Sanctuary]]
* [[Gautala Autramghat Sanctuary|Gautala Wildlife Sanctuary]]
* [[Indravati National Park]]
* [[Kanger Ghati National Park]]
* [[Kawal Wildlife Sanctuary]]
* [[Kinnerasani Wildlife Sanctuary]]
* [[Kolleru Wildlife Sanctuary]]
* [[Manjira Wildlife Sanctuary]]
* [[Nagzira|Nagzira Wildlife Sanctuary]]
* [[Navegaon National Park]]
* Painganga Wildlife Sanctuary
* [[Papikonda Wildlife Sanctuary]]
* [[Pench National Park]]
* [[Pocharam Forest & Wildlife Sanctuary]]
* [[Pranahita Wildlife Sanctuary]]
* [[Tadoba Andhari Tiger Project]]
* Tipeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary
{{div col end}}

==Waterfalls==
{{See also |List of waterfalls of India}}
[[Duduma Waterfalls]] is {{Convert|175|m|ft}} high and one of the highest waterfalls in southern India.{{citation needed|date=December 2022}} It is located on the [[Sileru River]] which forms boundary between Andhra Pradesh and Odisha states. The following are a few other waterfalls located in the river basin:
{{Div col|colwidth=20em}}
* [[Bogatha Waterfall|Bogatha]]
* [[Chitrakoot Falls|Chitrakoot]]
* [[Kuntala Waterfall|Kuntala]]
* [[Pochera Falls|Pochera]]
* [[Sahastrakunda Waterfalls|Sahastrakunda]]
* [[Teerathgarh Falls|Teerathgarh]]
{{div col end}}
{{wide image|Chitrakot panoramic.jpg|1000px|Panoramic view of downstream pond below the Chitrakoote Falls}}

==Crossings==
{{Unreferenced section|date=November 2023}}
[[File:Godavari Bridge.jpg|thumb|[[Havelock Bridge]] on the left and [[Godavari Arch Bridge]] on the right]]

There are 4 bridges spanning the river between [[East Godavari]] and [[West Godavari]] districts.
# [[Old Godavari Bridge]] (also known as Havelock bridge, and named after then Madras governor)
# [[Godavari Bridge]] (also known as Rail-cum-road bridge and Kovvur-Rajahmundry Bridge)
# [[Godavari Arch Bridge]] (also known as New railway bridge)
# [[Godavari Fourth Bridge]] (also known as new road bridge)

Details:
* Old Godavari Bridge. Construction of this bridge started in 1876, and was completed in 1897. It was constructed under the supervision of F.T. Granville Walton who had constructed the [[Malviya Bridge|Dufferin Bridge]] over the Ganges, and Granville Mills, both British engineers. Spanning over 3&nbsp;km in length, it linked the East Godavari and West Godavari districts. The bridge has been a vital link enabling trains to run between [[Chennai]] and [[Howrah]]. Trains continued over the bridge for a century until 1997, when train services over the bridge were suspended after the construction of two additional bridges.
* Godavari Bridge. Construction of this bridge started in 1970, and was completed in 1974. It serves as both a railway and a roadway between the East Godavari and West Godavari Districts.
* Godavari Arch Bridge. This bridge was completed in 1997, was built upstream of the earlier bridges.
* Godavari Fourth Bridge. This bridge is the newest. It was opened to public from Godavari Pushkaras 2015. This is a road connectivity bridge link supposed to ease traffic flow between Rajamahendravaram and Kovvur

==Dams==
{{multiple image
 |align=right
 |direction=vertical
 |image1=Jayakwadi Dam.jpg
 |caption1=An upstream view of Jayakwadi Dam.
 |width1=220
 |image2=Sri Ram Sagar Project (Pochampahad).jpg
 |caption2=[[Sriram Sagar Project|Sriram Sagar Dam]].
 |width2=220
 |image3=Dowleswaram Barrage.jpg
 |caption3=[[Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage]] at [[Rajamahendravaram]] City.
 |width3=220
}}

The main Godavari River up to the confluence with Pranhita tributary is dammed fully to utilize the available water for irrigation.  However, its main tributaries Pranhita, Indravati and Sabari which join in the lower reaches of the basin, carry three times more water compared to main Godavari. In 2015, the water surplus Godavari River is linked to the water deficit [[Krishna River]] by commissioning the [[Polavaram Project|Polavaram right bank canal]] with the help of Pattiseema lift scheme to augment water availability to the [[Prakasam Barrage]] located in Andhra Pradesh. More dams are constructed in the Godavari River basin than in any other river basin of India.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.india-wris.nrsc.gov.in/wrpinfo/index.php?title=Dams_in_Godavari_Basin|title=Dams in Godavari basin|access-date=17 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160102024827/http://www.india-wris.nrsc.gov.in/wrpinfo/index.php?title=Dams_in_Godavari_Basin|archive-date=2 January 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> The following are the few dams located in the river basin:
* [[Gangapur Dam]]: This is a large earth fill dam with gross water storage of 215.88 million cubic metres,<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://nashik.nic.in/htmldocs/irrigation.htm
|title=Dams in Nashik District
|publisher=National Informatics Centre (NIC), Collectorate, Nashik
|access-date=17 October 2015
|url-status=dead
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130810122732/http://nashik.nic.in/htmldocs/irrigation.htm
|archive-date=10 August 2013
}}</ref> and located {{convert|10|km|mi|abbr=on}} upstream from [[Nashik]] city. The reservoir known as the Gangapur Bandh Sagar provides drinking water to the Nashik city and also supplies water to the thermal power station situated downstream at [[Eklahare]].
* [[Jayakwadi Dam]]: Located near [[Paithan]], it is one of the largest earthen dams in India. This dam was built to address the dual problems of flooding along the banks, during monsoon months, and that of drought, rest of the year, in the [[Marathwada]] region. Two 'left' and 'right' canals provide the irrigation to fertile land up to [[Nanded district]]. This dam has contributed to industrial development of [[Aurangabad district, Maharashtra|Aurangabad]] and [[Jalna District|Jalna]], [[Maharashtra]].<ref name = "JDR">{{cite web | url=http://www.authorstream.com/Presentation/vijdiw-474335-jaikwadi-dam-and-its-nath-sagar-reservoir/ | last=vijdiw |title=Jaikwadi Dam and Its Nath Sagar Reservoir | publisher= authorstream.com | access-date=15 January 2016 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200210211220/http://www.authorstream.com:80/Presentation/vijdiw-474335-jaikwadi-dam-and-its-nath-sagar-reservoir/ | archive-date=10 February 2020 }}</ref> [[Majalgaon Dam]] is also constructed under Jayakwadi stage 2 to expand the irrigation potential further in [[Parbhani district|Parbhani]], [[Nanded district|Nanded]] and [[Beed district]]s.
* Vishnupuri barrage: Asia's Largest Lift Irrigation project, the Vishnupuri Prakalp<ref>{{cite web|url=http://india-wris.nrsc.gov.in/wrpinfo/index.php?title=Vishnupuri_Barrage_B00473|title=Vishnupuri barrage B00473|access-date=30 July 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160721174902/http://india-wris.nrsc.gov.in/wrpinfo/index.php?title=Vishnupuri_Barrage_B00473|archive-date=21 July 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> has been constructed on the river at a distance of {{convert|5|km|mi|abbr=on}} from the city [[Nanded]].
* [[Ghatghar Dam]] was built for hydro power generation by diverting the water of Pravara tributary outside Godavari river basin to a west flowing river which joins Arabian sea.
* [[Upper Vaitarna Dam|Upper Vaitarna reservoir]] was built across west flowing [[Vaitarna]] river merging some part of Godavari river catchment area. Godavari water impounded in this reservoir is diverted outside the river basin for [[Mumbai]] city drinking water supply after generating hydro power.
* [[Sriram Sagar Project|Sriram Sagar Dam]]: This is another multipurpose project on the Godavari River on the borders of Adilabad and Nizamabad District. It is near the town of Pochampadu, 60&nbsp;km away from Nizamabad. It has been described by [[The Hindu]] as a "lifeline for a large part of [[Telangana]]".<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20070320104338/http://www.hindu.com/2005/05/16/stories/2005051611230300.htm Maharashtra projects hit Sriram Sagar project inflows: BJP]. ''The Hindu'', 16 May 2005</ref> It serves the irrigation needs in [[Karimnagar]], [[Warangal]], [[Adilabad]], [[Nalgonda]], and [[Khammam]] districts and also generates power.
* [[Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage]] was built by Sir [[Arthur Cotton]] in 1852. It got damaged in 1987 floods, and rebuilt as a barrage cum roadway soon after and named after him. The roadway connects [[Rajahmundry|Rajamahendravaram]] in East Godavari and [[Vijjeswaram]] in West Godavari. The irrigation canals of this barrage also form part of [[National Waterway 4]].

==Hydro power stations==
[[File:Indiravati Dam.jpg|thumbnail|Upper Indiravati power house]]

The Godavari River in Maharashtra is one of the rivers whose water energy is least harnessed for generating hydro electricity.<ref>{{cite web |title=Power Houses in Godavari Basin |url=http://www.india-wris.nrsc.gov.in/wrpinfo/index.php?title=Power_Houses_in_Godavari_Basin |access-date=27 March 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151117014014/http://www.india-wris.nrsc.gov.in/wrpinfo/index.php?title=Power_Houses_in_Godavari_Basin |archive-date=17 November 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The 600 MW capacity [[Indravati Dam|Upper Indravati hydro power station]] is the biggest hydro power station which diverts Godavari River water to the [[Mahanadi River]] basin.<ref>{{cite web |title=Upper Indravati Power_House PH01496 |url=http://india-wris.nrsc.gov.in/wrpinfo/index.php?title=Upper_Indravati_Power_House_PH01496 |access-date=27 March 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151117021158/http://india-wris.nrsc.gov.in/wrpinfo/index.php?title=Upper_Indravati_Power_House_PH01496 |archive-date=17 November 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The following is the list of hydro electric power stations excluding small and medium installations.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Hydroelectric power stations on Godavari River
! Name of the project !! data-sort-type="number"|Rated Power <small>(in [[Megawatt|MW]])</small>
|-
| Upper Indravati || align="right"|600
|-
| [[Jalaput Dam|Machkund]] || align="right"|120
|-
| [[Balimela]] || align="right"|510
|-
| [[Sileru river|Upper Sileru]] || align="right"|240
|-
| [[Sileru river|Lower Sileru]] || align="right"|460
|-
| Upper Kolab || align="right"|320
|-
| [[Totladoh Dam|Pench]] || align="right"|160
|-
| [[Ghatghar Dam|Ghatghar pumped storage]] || align="right"|250
|-
| [[Polavaram Project|Polavaram]] <sup>(under construction)</sup> || align="right"|960
|}

==Unutilized water==
Nearly 2490 [[tmcft]] of water has gone waste to the sea on average in a water year from 1 June 2003 to 31 May 2022 (19 years). The yearly water unutilized is given below
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right; margin:left"
|+Unutilized water<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.renewablesindia.in/ |title=Reservoir Storage Monitoring System |access-date=23 June 2022}}</ref>
|-
! Water year
! 03-04!!04-05 !!05-06 !! 06-07 !! 07-08 !! 08-09 !! 09-10 !! 10–11 !! 11–12 !! 12–13 !! 13–14 !! 14–15 !! 15–16 !! 16–17!! 17–18!!18–19!!19–20!!20–21!!21–22 
|-
! Unutilized water (tmcft)
| 3190||1628 ||301 ||4875||2862 || 1819 || 743 || 4015 || 1538 || 2969 || 5827 || 2006 || 1611 ||2896||1026||2435||1757||3436||2377
|}

There is least possibility to construct new reservoirs in the river basin area due to land submergence and displacement of population. However, a freshwater [[coastal reservoir]], located on the adjacent sea,  with adequate storage capacity (nearly 29 billion m<sup>3</sup>) is economically feasible to harness the remaining unutilized water in the river.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Sasidhar |first=Nallapaneni |date=May 2023 |title=Multipurpose Freshwater Coastal Reservoirs and Their Role in Mitigating Climate Change |url=https://www.ijee.latticescipub.com/wp-content/uploads/papers/v3i1/A1842053123.pdf |access-date=16 May 2024 |journal=Indian Journal of Environment Engineering |issn=2582-9289 |volume=3 |issue=1|pages=31–46 |doi=10.54105/ijee.A1842.053123 |s2cid=258753397 }}</ref>

==Geology and sediment transfer in the Godavari Drainage Basin==
[[File:Generalized Geological Map of Godavari Drainage Basin.jpg|thumb|upright=1.75|Generalized Geological Map of Godavari Drainage Basin]]

The primary and initial catchment of the Godavari drainage basin is largely represented by the basalt of the [[Deccan Traps|Deccan Volcanic Province]] (~50% of the total basin area). This is followed by the [[Precambrian]] [[granite]]s and [[gneiss]]es of the eastern [[Dharwar craton|Dharwar Craton]], [[sandstone]]s, [[shale]]s and [[limestone]]s of the [[Gondwana]] Supergroup, various sedimentary units of Cuddapah and Vindhyan basins, [[charnockite]]s and [[khondalite]]s of the [[Proterozoic]] [[Eastern Ghats]] Mobile Belt and the sandstones of the Rajahmundry Formation.<ref name="Kulkarni 376–384">{{Cite journal|last1=Kulkarni|first1=Y. R.|last2=Sangode|first2=S. J.|last3=Meshram|first3=D. C.|last4=Patil|first4=S. K.|last5=Dutt|first5=Yatindra|date=1 April 2014|title=Mineral magnetic characterization of the Godavari river sediments: Implications to Deccan basalt weathering|journal=Journal of the Geological Society of India|language=en|volume=83|issue=4|pages=376–384|doi=10.1007/s12594-014-0054-x|s2cid=84836147|issn=0016-7622}}</ref>  The Godavari River carries the largest sediment load among the peninsular rivers and the majority of the mass transfer in Godavari occurs during the monsoon.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Bikshamaiah|first1=G.|last2=Subramanian|first2=V.|date=1 April 1980|title=Chemical and sediment mass transfer in the Godavari River basin in India |journal=Journal of Hydrology|volume=46|issue=3|pages=331–342|doi=10.1016/0022-1694(80)90085-2|bibcode=1980JHyd...46..331B }}</ref> Mineral magnetic studies of the Godavari River sediments suggest that the floodplains in the entire stretch of the river are characterized by a Deccan basalt source. The bed loads on the other hand are of sourced from local bedrock. Influx of Deccan source in the Godavari River up to the delta regions and possibly in the [[Bay of Bengal]] off the Godavari, therefore, can be related to the intensive [[chemical weathering]] in the Deccan basalts.<ref name="Kulkarni 376–384"/> Abrupt increase in δ<sup>13</sup>C values and decrease in TOC content accompanied with a significant increase in ferrimagnetic mineral concentration in Bay of Bengal sediments from ~3.2 to 3.1 cal. ka BP reflected a shift of organic carbon and sediment source and a severe decline in vegetation coverage. Such phenomena indicate intensified deforestation and soil/rock erosion in the Deccan Plateau producing higher ferrimagnetic mineral inputs, which is in agreement with significant expansion of agricultural activities in the Deccan Chalcolithic cultural period.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Cui|first1=Meng|last2=Wang|first2=Zhanghua|last3=Nageswara Rao|first3=Kakani|last4=Sangode|first4=S J|last5=Saito|first5=Yoshiki|last6=Chen|first6=Ting|last7=Kulkarni|first7=Y R|last8=Naga Kumar|first8=K Ch V|last9=Demudu|first9=G|date=29 June 2017|title=A mid- to late-Holocene record of vegetation decline and erosion triggered by monsoon weakening and human adaptations in the south-east Indian Peninsula|journal=The Holocene|volume=27|issue=12|language=en|pages=1976–1987|doi=10.1177/0959683617715694|bibcode=2017Holoc..27.1976C |s2cid=135381556|issn=0959-6836}}</ref>

==Mineral deposits==
{{See also |List of mines in India}}
The Godavari River basin is endowed with rich mineral deposits such as oil and gas, coal, iron, [[limestone]], manganese, copper, [[bauxite]], granite, [[laterite]], and others. The following are the few noted deposits:
{{Div col|colwidth=20em}}
* [[Araku Valley|Araku hills]], bauxite
* [[Godavari Valley Coalfield]], coal
* [[Kirandul|Bailadila iron]], iron
* [[Krishna Godavari Basin]], oil & gas
* [[Malanjkhand]], copper
* [[MOIL (company)|MOIL]], manganese
* [[Pench Kanhan Coalfield]], coal
* [[Rowghat Mines]], iron
* [[Wardha Valley Coalfield]], coal
* River [[plunge pool]]s across [[Papikondalu]], gold
{{div col end}}

==Ecological concerns==
[[File:The Godavari river at Puntamba in January.JPG|right|thumb|Dried up Godavari exposing [[flood basalt]] river bed as seen from the back of Changdev temple in [[Puntamba]]]]

The frequent drying up of the Godavari River in the drier months has been a matter of great concern. Indiscriminate damming along the river has been cited as an obvious reason. Within Maharashtra sugarcane irrigation has been blamed as one of the foremost causes.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report-krishna-godavari-basins-drying-up-1812489 |last=Pawar |first=Yogesh |title=Krishna, Godavari basins drying up |date=18 March 2013|access-date=15 January 2016|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111162518/https://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report-krishna-godavari-basins-drying-up-1812489 |archive-date=11 November 2020 }}</ref>

In 2013, the river was at its all-time low in the [[Nizamabad district]] of Telangana. This had hit the growth of fish, making the life of fishermen miserable. The water-level was so low that people could easily walk into the middle of the river. Shortage in rainfall and closure of the controversial [[Babli project]] gates in Maharashtra was thought to have affected the water flow in the river and water availability to the [[Sriram Sagar Project]] except during above 20% excess monsoon (i.e. one out of four years) years.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://irrisoft.org/cms/fileadmin/content/zfb/1998_02/keller_keller_davids_1998_river_basin_development_phases_implications_closure.pdf |title=River basin development phases and implications of closure |author=J. Keller, A. Keller and G. Davids |access-date=25 August 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131019161418/http://irrisoft.org/cms/fileadmin/content/zfb/1998_02/keller_keller_davids_1998_river_basin_development_phases_implications_closure.pdf |archive-date=19 October 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

A study has found that the delta is at a greater risk as the rate of sediment [[aggradation]] (raising the level of the delta through sediment deposition) no longer exceeds relative [[sea level rise]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/Sinking-Indian-deltas-put-millions-at-risk/article16883180.ece |last=R Prasad |title=Sinking Indian deltas put millions at risk |newspaper=The Hindu |access-date=15 January 2016|date=21 September 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201020035227/https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/Sinking-Indian-deltas-put-millions-at-risk/article16883180.ece |archive-date=20 October 2020 }}</ref> It further states that the suspended sediment load at the delta has reduced from 150·2 million tons during 1970–1979 to 57·2 million tons by 2000–2006,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://sandrp.in/2014/11/24/an-introduction-to-godavari-basin/ |last=South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People |title=Godavari's Story |year=2014 |access-date=15 January 2016|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210226215857/https://sandrp.in/2014/11/24/an-introduction-to-godavari-basin/ |archive-date=26 February 2021 }}</ref> which translates into a three-fold decline in the past 4 decades. Impacts of this can be seen in destroyed villages like [[Uppada]] in Godavari delta,<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://www.iisc.ernet.in/currsci/nov102004/1232.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041218000206/http://www.iisc.ernet.in/currsci/nov102004/1232.pdf |archive-date=18 December 2004 |url-status=live |author1=B Hema Malini |author2=K Nageswara Raol |title=Coastal erosion and habitat loss along the Godavari delta front – a fallout of dam construction (?) |journal=Current Science |volume=87 |number=9 |date=10 November 2004 |page=1232 |access-date=15 January 2016}}</ref> destruction of Mangrove forests and fragmentation of shoreline – possibly a fallout of dam construction.

Said to further epitomise the insensitivity towards Godavari, is the [[Polavaram Project]] which is touted to be gigantic – both in terms of size and violations.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.downtoearth.org.in/coverage/polavaram-fraud--33444 |last=Mahapatra |first=Richard |title=Polavaram fraud |year=2011 |access-date=15 January 2016|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210318154558/https://www.downtoearth.org.in/coverage/polavaram-fraud--33444 |archive-date=18 March 2021 }}</ref> Deemed as being pointless and politically driven,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/polavaram-dam-works-to-begin-on-oct-22/article7387796.ece |last=Times of India |title=Polavaram dam works to begin on Oct. 22 |website=[[The Hindu]] |date=5 July 2015 |access-date=15 January 2016|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160206060735/http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/polavaram-dam-works-to-begin-on-oct-22/article7387796.ece |archive-date=6 February 2016 }}</ref> the project raises questions about environmental clearance, displacement of upstream human habitations,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rediff.com/news/report/telangana-bandh-over-modi-govts-ordinance-on-polavaram/20140529.htm |last=Rediff News |title=Telangana bandh over Modi govt's ordinance on Polavaram|date=29 May 2014 |access-date=15 January 2016|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160910194532/http://www.rediff.com/news/report/telangana-bandh-over-modi-govts-ordinance-on-polavaram/20140529.htm |archive-date=10 September 2016 }}</ref> loss of forest cover, technicalities in the dam design which are said to play down flood threats and unsafe embankments.

[[Residual sodium carbonate index|High alkalinity water]] is discharged from the ash dump areas of many coal fired power stations into the river which further increases the [[alkalinity]] of the river water whose water is naturally of high alkalinity since the river basin is draining vast area of [[Basalt#Weathering|basalt]] formations.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://dspace.library.iitb.ac.in/jspui/bitstream/10054/1531/1/5806.pdf| title = Chemical weathering in the Krishna Basin and Western Ghats of the Deccan Traps, India}}</ref> This problem aggravates during the lean flow months in entire river basin. Already the Godavari basin area in Telangana is suffering from high alkalinity and salinity water problem which is converting soils in to unproductive [[alkali soil|sodic alkali soils]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/Alkalinity-and-salinity-bane-of-soil-in-T-state/articleshow/48383411.cms|title=  Alkalinity and salinity bane of soil in T state|website= [[The Times of India]]|access-date=23 October 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210122080754/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/Alkalinity-and-salinity-bane-of-soil-in-T-state/articleshow/48383411.cms|archive-date=22 January 2021}}</ref> The following are the few coal fired power stations located in the river basin:

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Thermal power stations in Godavari River basin
! Name of Power Station !! data-sort-type="number"|Rated Power <small>(in [[Megawatt|MW]])</small>
|-
| [[Koradi Thermal Power Station]] || align="right"|2,600
|-
| [[Khaparkheda Thermal Power Station]] || align="right"|1,340
|-
| [[Tiroda Thermal Power Station]]|| align="right" |3,300
|-
| [[Butibori Power Plant]]|| align="right" |600
|-
| [[RattanIndia Nashik Thermal Power Station|RattanIndia Nashik TPS]] || align="right"|1,350
|-
| [[Chandrapur Super Thermal Power Station|Chandrapur STPS]] || align="right"|3,340
|-
| [[Mauda Super Thermal Power Station]] || align="right"|1,000
|-
| [[Parli Thermal Power Station]] || align="right"|1,130
|-
| [[Dhariwal Power Station]] || align="right"|300
|-
| [[Nashik Thermal Power Station]] || align="right"|910
|-
| [[Wardha Warora Power Plant]] || align="right"|540
|-
| [[Adani Power|Pench Thermal Power Plant]] || align="right"|1,320
|-
| Lanco Vidarbha Thermal Power || align="right"|1,320
|-
| [[NTPC Ramagundam]] || align="right"|2,600
|-
| [[Kothagudem Thermal Power Station]] || align="right"|1,720
|-
| [[Kakatiya Thermal Power Station]] || align="right"|1,100
|-
| [[Ramagundam B Thermal Power Station]] || align="right"|60
|-
| [[Heavy Water Board#HWP Manuguru|Manuguru Heavy water]] plant's power station || align="right"|90
|-
| [[List of Power Stations in Telangana|Singareni thermal power station]] || align="right"|1,800
|-
| [[Bhadradri Thermal Power Plant]] || align="right"|1,080
|}

==In popular culture==
One of the ships of the [[Indian Navy]] has been named [[INS Godavari|INS ''Godavari'']] after the river. ''Godavari'' is also the codename of some variants of [[AMD Accelerated Processing Unit|AMD APU]] chips.{{Citation needed|date=January 2024}}

==See also==
{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
* [[Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal]]
* [[List of rivers of India#Godavari River Basin|Detailed list of Tributaries]]
* [[Godavari River Basin Irrigation Projects]]
* [[Godavari Arch Bridge]]
* [[Godavari Bridge]]
* [[Old Godavari Bridge]]
* [[Sacred waters]]
* [[List of dams and reservoirs in India]]
* [[River basins in Madhya Pradesh]]
* [[Godavari Maha Pushkaram]]
* [[Peninsular River System|Peninsular River System Of India]]
{{div col end}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
* [https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/gautami-mahatmya Gautami Mahatmya (fourth book of the Brahma-purana)] English translation by G. P. Bhatt, 1955 (includes glossary)
* [http://www.sakti.in/godavaribasin/images/Godavari-sub-basins1.gif Godavari basin] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210413202609/http://www.sakti.in/godavaribasin/images/Godavari-sub-basins1.gif |date=13 April 2021 }}
* [http://www.riversnetwork.org/rbo/index.php/river-blogs/south-asia/item/3985 Rivers Network: Godavari watersheds webmap] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190928173430/http://www.riversnetwork.org/rbo/index.php/river-blogs/south-asia/item/3985 |date=28 September 2019 }}
* {{cite EB1911 |wstitle=Godavari (river) |display=Godavari |volume=12 |page=170 |short=1}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20040823082845/http://www.nashikdiary.com/ Nashik City]
* [http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2001AGUSM...V22A07S Contrasting Behavior of Osmium in the Godavari River Estuary, India, 2001]
* [https://archive.today/20121206032239/http://ams.allenpress.com/perlserv/?request=get-abstract&doi=10.1175/1520-0442(1998)011%3C0768:IVOMRI%3E2.0.CO;2 Variations of Monsoon Rainfall in Godavari River Basin]
* [http://www.irfca.org/gallery/GeneralScenes/Godavari/ irfca.org]

{{India Rivers}}
{{Godavari basin}}
{{Hydrography of Maharashtra}}
{{Hydrography of Telangana}}
{{Hydrography of Andhra Pradesh}}
{{Waters of South Asia}}
{{Western Ghats}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Godavari River| ]]
[[Category:Godavari basin| ]]
[[Category:Rivers of Andhra Pradesh]]
[[Category:Rivers of Maharashtra]]
[[Category:Rivers of Telangana]]
[[Category:Rivers of Chhattisgarh]]
[[Category:Rivers of Puducherry]]
[[Category:Rivers of the Western Ghats]]
[[Category:Ancient Indian rivers]]
[[Category:South India]]
[[Category:Environment of Andhra Pradesh]]
[[Category:Environment of Maharashtra]]
[[Category:Environment of Telangana]]
[[Category:Rivers in Buddhism]]
[[Category:Sacred rivers]]