---
title: "Mahanadi River: Course, Basin, Dams | Model Diplomat"
description: "The Mahanadi River, flowing 851 km from Chhattisgarh to the Bay of Bengal, is crucial for UPSC candidates due to its significance in Indian geography."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/mahanadi-river"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- The Mahanadi is a peninsular Indian river that rises in Chhattisgarh, flows through Odisha, and empties into the Bay of Bengal after a course of about 851 kilometres.
- Where does the Mahanadi River originate and where does it drain?
- What is the significance of the Hirakud Dam on the Mahanadi?
- What are the main tributaries of the Mahanadi?
- Why is the Mahanadi subject to an inter-state water dispute?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

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In 2018 the Government of India constituted the Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal under the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956, after Odisha contested Chhattisgarh's upstream barrage construction on the river.

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