Study Area - Mahanadi Delta

Mahanadi delta is formed by a network of three major rivers: Mahanadi, Brahmhani and Baitarini draining into the Bay of Bengal. The coastline of the delta is about 200 km long which stretches from south near Chilika to north up to Dhamra River.

Using SRTM 30m digital surface elevation data, area within 5m contour from the coast line has been extracted within the vicinity of Mahanadi delta (Figure 1).

Figure 1 SRTM 5m filled contour (shown as light blue) overlaid on LULC map of Mahandi Delta

The 5m contour spread across districts of Khordha, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Jajpur and Bhadrak. Chilika lake is also within 5m contour line and within the Mahanadi delta.

The district Baleswar, in the extreme north is within 5m contour, but it is outside the Mahanadi delta.

The geomorphological map (Figure 2) of the region (Source: Bhuvan-NRSC) also indicates that these features lie in coastal region of Mahanadi and adjacent river systems.

Using the above criteria, five districts, namely, Khordha, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara and Bhadrak have been considered as the study area for Mahanadi Delta (Figure 3). The north and south bounds of the study areas have been defined using the geomorphological map, and Jajpur has been excluded, as it is not lying in the Mahanadi river system, though part of coastal zone.

The total study area is 13137.679sq km and consisting of 5 administrative districts and 45 Blocks (sub-district) as shown in Figures 3 and 4 respectively. In Table 1 the physical area of the blocks/districts has been provided.

Figure 2:Geomorphological map of Mahanadi delta – (Source: Bhuvan-NRSC)

Figure 3: Mahanadi study area – District map

Figure 4: Mahanadi study area – Sub-District (Block) map

Table 1: List of districts and Administrative Blocks under Mahanadi Delta study area

Area Area S. No. District Block S. No District Block (Sq. km) (Sq. km)

1 Bant 258.08 25 Balianta 138.20 2 Basudebpur 484.47 26 Balipatna 141.63 3 Bhadrak 342.91 27 Banapur 475.13 4 Bhadrak Bhandaripokhari 240.47 28 Begunia 309.91 5 Chandabali 606.04 29 Bhubaneswar 439.15 Khordha 6 Dhamnagar 254.09 30 Bolagad 260.90 7 Tihidi 321.43 31 Chilika 205.99 8 Balikuda 303.77 32 Jatani 237.57 9 Biridi 109.45 33 Khordha 331.18 10 Ersama 383.55 34 Tangi 337.98 11 Jagatsinghpur (P) 185.68 35 Puri Astaranga 156.27 Jagatsinghpur 12 Kujang 286.42 36 Bramhagiri 323.04 13 Naugaon 120.73 37 Delanga 205.79 14 Raghunathpur 113.94 38 Gop 371.52 15 Tirtol 228.60 39 Kakatpur 165.54 16 Aul 225.65 40 Kanas 225.68 17 Derabisi 170.67 41 Krushnaprasad 1049.01 18 Garadpur 144.80 42 Nimapada 300.15 19 Kendrapara 245.27 43 Pipili 208.42 20 Kendrapara Mahakalapada 507.52 44 Puri 280.68 21 Marsaghai 155.80 45 Satyabadi 171.59

22 Pattamundai 281.37 23 Rajkanika 261.95 24 Rajnagar 569.68