Mumbai has Five rivers, the Dahisar, Poisar, Oshiwara, Mithi, and Tansa rivers. These are the famous Rivers of Mumbai. Let us get some quick in-signs about their existing, length, journey, etc.
Here is the list of Rivers in Mumbai
1. Dahisar River
Dahisar River is situated on the Salsette island and runs across Dahisar, located in Mumbai, India. It originates from the Tulsi Lake in Sanjay Gandhi National Park, located in the northern part of the city.
The river flows North-West for 12 kilometers through the towns in Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Sri Krishna Nagar, Daulatnagar, Kandar Pada, Sanjay Nagar, and Dahisar Gaothan before joining the Arabian Sea through Dahisar Gaothan and the Manori Creek. The total catchment area of the river is 3488 acres.
The river was once stunning. It was the scene of Hindi films that were made here. Till the end of the 1960s, crocodiles were living in the river. The river has been polluted due to the discharge of industrial effluents emitted from workshops, and stormwater and sewage from slums flow into the river.
Recently, it has been dropping and then becoming less deep due to the accumulation of silt, debris, and plastic bags. Following the 2005 Maharashtra floods, the BMC embarked on desilting and broadening the river to cleanse the river and avoid further flooding.
2. Mithi River
The Mithi River is located on Salsette Island, the island that is part of Mumbai. It results from the water tailings discharges from two lakes, Powai and Vihar Lake. The river is seasonal and increases during the monsoons.
The overflowing lakes aid in the river’s flow, which is then stopped by dams at other times. During this time, the river’s drain is popular with anglers who can catch huge fish that have escaped the lakes.
This river results from the underflows that flow into the Vihar Lake and overflows from Powai Lake about 2 kilometers later. It flows for 18 km before reaching the Arabian Sea at Mahim Creek, which flows through industrial and residential complexes such as Powai, Saki Naka, Kurla, Kalina, Vakola, Bandra-Kurla, Dharavi as well as Mahim.
The river’s average length of 5 meters for the top reaches. It is now widened to 25 meters throughout the middle section, and up to 70 meters within the lower sections following the downpour on 26 July (944 millimeters in 24 hours on the 26th of July, 2005)
3. Oshiwara River
Oshiwara River is an Indian river that flows through Mumbai, India. It starts at the Aarey Milk Colony, which cuts across and through the Goregaon hills and runs into the Aarey Milk Colony before flowing into the Malad Creek.
Along the way, it’s connected to another creek close to Swami Vivekanand Road, which is then used to collect industrial effluents and sewage while traversing Oshiwara.
Oshiwara Industrial Estate and Slum in Andheri. Most call centers located in Malad are constructed on reclaimed soil near the river’s head.
4. Poisar River
Poisar River is a river located in Mumbai, India. It flows through the Sanjay Gandhi National Park and then into Marve Creek and the Arabian Sea. The river is anything more than an urban stream in its beginning and is contaminated by industrial effluents and sewage.
There was a period when the water was pure, and people could use it for domestic purposes. I
In 2005, during the devastating floods in Mumbai, the Poisar River was flooded, and the water had flooded the banks of a construction compound and contaminated a tank. The residents living around were in great pain following an outbreak of waterborne illnesses.
5. Tansa River
Tansa River is a river that flows near Mumbai and is one of Mumbai’s water sources through Tansa Lake. It is surrounded by the dam constructed in 1892, one of the biggest dams made of masonry worldwide.
The embankment runs approximately 2 miles long and is 118 feet (36 m) tall and 30 meters thick at the bottom. The dam has 1.31 cubic kilometers of water storage. The dam is home to around 38 gates for a spillway.
6. Powai Lake
Powai Lake is an artificial lake located in Mumbai located in the Powai valley, in which a Powai village and a cluster of huts once existed. The suburb of the city called Powai is a part of the same name as the lake. Indian Institute of Technology Bombay is one of India’s top institutes of technology and science and is situated just to the west of the lake.
Another well-known institution, The National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE), is close to the lake. Hotel complexes, housing, and luxury hotels are built around the lake’s periphery.
The population around the lake has been growing significantly in recent years. Powai Lake is located downstream of the Vihar Lake on the Mithi River. At the time it was constructed in 1895, the lake was an area of approximately 2.1 square kilometers (520 acres), and its depth varied between 3 meters (9.8 feet) (at the edges) and up to 12 meters (39 feet) in its deepest.
It is not a river, but worth mentioning. Powai Lake has gone through several stages of water quality decline. The water from the lake that served as drinking water for Mumbai was declared unfit for drinking. The lake is still a popular tourist destination.
Conclusion:
Where Mumbai has many water sources, and these rivers are very important for the development of Mumbai, they are getting polluted. However, the Minister of Tourism and Environment for the Government of Maharashtra, Shree Aaditya Thackeray, inaugurated the pilot assignment to clean up the Mithi River to improve its water quality. This project started from Vakola nullah in Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC). Source – https://www.hindustantimes.com
