GEOGRAPHICAL FEATURES OF ODISHA

Odisha is one of India’s 29 states, located on the Eastern coast.

It’s bordered by Jharkhand to the North, West Bengal to the North-East, and the Bay of Bengal to the East.

Andhra Pradesh lies to the South, and Chhattisgarh to the West and North-West.

• These plains are young and belong to the Post-Tertiary period. They stretch along India’s Eastern coast from the Subarnarekha to the Rushikulya river.
• The plains are 75 m wide and are very fertile, earning them the nickname Rice Bowl of Odisha. They are narrow in the North and South, but widest in the middle.
• This area is known as the Hexadeltaic region or the Gift of Six Rivers. The six rivers are the Subarnarekha, the Budhabalanga, the Baitarani, the Brahmani, the Mahanadi, and the Rushikulya.

• This area is often hit by drought. It includes the flood plains and deltas of several rivers.
• Middle Coastal Plains/Cuttack-Puri Coastal Plain
• This area is between the Northern and Southern Plains. It includes the deltas of several rivers, including the Mahanadi.

• It is made up of the Rushikulya river’s fluvial part. It also includes the Laccustrine plain of Chilika lake and smaller deltas of Rushikulya river. The Southern plains are split into three zones along the shoreline:
• The Salt Tract is a narrow belt near the coast, about 4.8 to 9.6 km wide. It’s covered with tidal forests and is full of salt. This area is not good for farming because of its brackish streams.
• The Arable Tract is known as the rice country, in the middle of the plains. It’s the richest area for farming in the state. This part also has Levees, which help prevent river overflow but can flood a lot during high tides.
• The Sub-montane Tract is to the West of the plains. It’s where the arable tract meets the Eastern Ghats. This area has red soil and is prone to soil erosion. It also has natural vegetation from thorns to sal forests.

• This region covers most of Odisha, with elevations from 610 to 1068 m above sea level. It’s part of Peninsular India and has hills and mountains of the Eastern Ghats. The region has many watersheds and rivers.
• The mountains rise steeply in the East and slope gently to the West. The Eastern Ghats are cut by broad and narrow valleys and flood plains. Major rivers like the Baitarani and Mahanadi have carved deep valleys here.
• The middle mountainous region is divided into several areas:
• Simlipal and Meghasani Mountains are volcanic and have a dome shape. They range from 600 m to 1050 m high. Simlipal is 900 m high, and Meghasani is 1147 m.
• Mankadnacha, Malayagiri, and Gandhamardan mountains lie in a North-South direction. Malayagiri is 1170 m high, Mankadnacha is 1092 m, and Gandhamardan is 1044 m. These mountains are part of the Eastern Ghats.
• Watersheds between the Brahmani and Mahanadi rivers are similar to those of the Baitarani and Brahmani interfluves. These mountains are more dissected due to the Mahanadi and Brahmani rivers.
• North-West in the Northern portion and North-North-West to South-South-West in the Southern portion.
• Common Interfluves of theMahanadi, the Rushikulya and Vamsadhara This deeply eroded watershed extends in the North-South direction. The elevation of this region
• ranges from 600 m to 1000 m. It also has many peaks which rise above 1200 m. Singaraju (above 1500 m),Mahandragiri (above 1500 m) and Devagiri (1360 m) are important peaks in the region.
• Potangi and ChandragiriMountain Ranges These mountains are the highest in Odisha. These mountains separate the Sabari basins and the Nagavali and the area is highly dissected. The average height of these mountain ranges varies from 900 m to 1350 m.
• The highest peak of Odisha Deomali peak (1672 m) lies in this range. It is in Koraput district of Odisha.Other high peaks of this range are Galikonda (1643 m), Sinkaram (1620 m) and Turiakonda (1598 m).Due to shifting cultivation, the hilltops are devoid of vegetation but the farmers practice terrace cultivation in the valleys.

• These plateaus lie on the Western slopes of the Eastern Ghats which are mostly eroded in the form. The elevation of this region varies between 305 to 610 m.
• The state has two broad plateaus:
  • The Panposh-Keonjhar-Pallahara Plateau of the Upper Baitarani Catchment Basin This region is surrounded by the Singhbhum and Ranchi plateaus in the North,
  • the Simlipal mountain in the East and the Mankadnacha mountain in the West.
  • The Baitarani is the main river which drains this region. This is the region which gets high rainfall both during monsoon and winter seasons.
• The Nabarangpur-Jayapur of the Upper Sabari Basin The Bastar mountain lies on its Western boundary whereas the Chandragiri and Potangi mountains lie on its Eastern boundary. The Sabari is the main river which drains this region along with its tributaries. This area lies under the maximum rainfall region of the state, which gets more than 178 cm of rainfall annually. Thus, fine variety of rice is cultivated

• The Mahanadi river valley
• The Brahmani river valley
• The Vamsadhara river valley

• Odisha has natural lakes like Chilika, Ansupa, Sar, Samagarh, Tampara, and Udyankhanda. There are also artificial lakes like Naraj, Jobra, Hirakud, Balimela, Rengali, Mandira, Hadagarh, and Poteru.
• There’s one natural port, Paradeep, which is the deepest in India. Chandbali and Gopalpur are medium-sized ports, and Dharma is a fishing port.