Amrita Patel

Climatic shocks wreak havoc on the Mahanadi delta

Much of the Mahanadi's deltaic coast is experiencing varying degree of erosion, a situation which is expected to worsen by 2050.

Sugata Hazra

Shouvik Das

Amit Ghosh

Pokkuluri Venkat Raju

Posted on 24 Jan, 2020 05:06 PM

The Mahanadi delta in Odisha is a composite delta fed by water, sediments and nutrients from a network of three major rivers: Mahanadi, Brahmani and Baitarini. The coastline of the delta is approximately 200 km long, extending from the Chilika lagoon in the south to the Dhamara river in the north.

The people living in the Mahanadi delta are forced to cope with frequent disasters, but recent progress in warnings, evacuation and shelters seems to have reduced losses. Urban areas in the delta are expanding and there is rural to urban migration which can be expected to continue. These urban areas will have important implications for the future of the delta. (Image: Helmer, Flickr Commons)

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