>GreenC bot at 17:15, 20 April 2021

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{{Short description|River in India}}
[[File:Mahanadi-Koyakhai distributray system.jpg|thumb|right|An illustration of [[Mahanadi River|Mahanadi]] Koyakhai distributary system in [[Odisha]], India draining into [[Bay of Bengal]] and [[Chilka lake]]. Picture not drawn to scale]]
'''Devi river''' is one of the principal [[distributary|distributaries]] of [[Mahanadi River|Mahanadi]]. It flows through [[Jagatsinghpur district]] and [[Puri district]] across [[Odisha]] state in [[India]] and joins [[Bay of Bengal]].

== Course ==
The river forms the final part of a great network of [[Mahanadi river]]. [[Katjuri]] (Kathajodi) river is the main southern distributary of Mahanadi river branching off at [[Cuttack]], [[Odisha]].<ref>[https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.179156/page/n103  A History of British India By William Wilson Hunter, Paul Ernest Roberts]</ref> Katjuri river later acquires the name Devi as it flows further east. The river flows through Alipingal, Macchagaon and Naugaon blocks in [[Jagatsinghpur district]] and [[Astaranga]] and [[Kakatpur]] blocks in [[Puri district]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.whoindia.org/LinkFiles/Orissa_orissa300803.pdf |title=Orissa flood Sitrep |access-date=2009-04-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100616060659/http://whoindia.org/LinkFiles/Orissa_orissa300803.pdf |archive-date=2010-06-16 |url-status=dead }}</ref> It reaches Bay of Bengal {{convert|70|km|mi}} south of the mouth of Mahanadhi river, a short distance from the border of Cuttack and Puri districts.<ref>{{cite news|title=Mahanadi River Delta, East Coast Of India : An Overview On Evolution And Dynamic Processes|url=http://www.megadelta.ecnu.edu.cn/main/upload/mahanadi.pdf|author=Manmohan Mohanti|work=Dept. of Geology, Utkal University, Bhubaneswar|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20051029225951/http://www.megadelta.ecnu.edu.cn/main/upload/mahanadi.pdf|archivedate=2005-10-29}}</ref> The mouth of the river is surrounded by dense forests absent of inhabitants.<ref>{{cite book | title=Bay of Bengal pilot |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OuGgAAAAMAAJ&q=devi+river&pg=PA144 | authors=Great Britain, Great Britain. Hydrographic Dept|year = 1887|page=144}}</ref>

== Navigation ==
The river is navigable till Machgaon by small sloops. It is one of the best tidal channels in Orissa, but, yet big vessels can not enter the river upstream due to a large sediment of sand in the mouth of the river.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=wE_RAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=puri#PPA13,M1 page 13] of Puri By Lewis Sydney Steward O'Malley, Monmohan Chakravarti</ref> Two fishermen were killed and two injured when a boat capsized near Astarang in the Devi River on 13 May 1988.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=iDsORXsjZ5QC&pg=PA383&dq=devi+river&lr=#PPA383,M1 Land and people of Indian states and union territories in 36 volumes Volume]</ref>

== Turtle rookery ==
The mouth of the Devi river serves as a nesting ground for [[olive ridley sea turtle]]s during their breeding season. The first rookery in this area north of [[Puri]] was discovered in 1981. Nesting occurs on mainland India and dynamic sand bars which appear and change forms from year to year.<ref>[http://www.gisdevelopment.net/application/environment/wildlife/mi08_250.htm A study on industrial growth along coast line of Orissa and its undesirable effect on environment using GIS - an Olive Ridley (sea turtle) perspective]</ref> About 800,000 turtles come to this region every winter for breeding. However, the turtle nesting has declined in recent years due to mass death believed to be brought about by increased mechanised fishing. Over 6,000 olive ridleys were killed in year 2003 alone. According to a 2007 estimate, over 130,000 turtles have been found dead on these beaches over the previous 13 years.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20121104042757/http://www.hindu.com/2003/02/17/stories/2003021701440900.htm Nesting of Olive Ridleys unlikely along Orissa coast]</ref><ref>[http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=9814fe11-853f-43a5-ba3b-53cb07fec773&&Headline=Many+dead+turtles+litter+Gahiramatha Hundreds of dead turtles litter Orissa beach]</ref> The effort to set aside the mouth of Devi River and [[Rushikulya]] River as sanctuaries for olive ridley turtles were opposed by local fishing communities.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=G8VAddJESx4C&pg=PA255&dq=devi+river&lr= Indian Affairs Annual 2005 By Mahendra Gaur]</ref>

'''Water Pollution'''

Devi_Kandal island people are suffering a lot due to the river water pollution of Devi & Kandal rivers caused due to the surge of huge amount of untreated drain water from Cuttack municipality region. On the other hand, both the rivers are being distributaries of Kathajodi river get very less water supply due to the obstruction of a concrete wall made on the mouth or initial points of both the rivers at Naraj. It is done for keeping more water reserved for industrial houses.

In such a situation lesser water flow largely polluted by nasty drain water of Cuttack city makes the water of both the rivers very poisonous. As a result, one can observe drastic reduction in many species of fishes and other water animals in these rivers. The fisherman community are worst suffering for the reason. Common man, who use the water for bathing, cleaning clothes and agriculture purposes are getting too little water for it and also getting affected by various water borne skin diseases & jaundice etc. The ground water level in the region drastically goes down in summers as it depends upon the level and quantity of water in these rivers.

== References ==
{{Reflist|2}}

== External links ==
* [http://www.wikimapia.org/#lat=19.964475&lon=86.3676453&z=13&l=0&m=s&v=2 Mouth of Devi river in wikimapia]

{{Hydrography of Odisha}}
{{Mahanadi Basin}}

{{coord|19|59|N|86|24|E|display=title|region:IN_type:river_source:GNS-enwiki}}

[[Category:Rivers of Odisha]]
[[Category:Tributaries of the Mahanadi River]]
[[Category:Rivers of India]]

Devi River - Revision history

>GreenC bot at 17:15, 20 April 2021