Koel River

15 Nov 2024 14:43:14 pm

Tags : Koel River

Topic: Rivers

Why in the news?

Three students drowned in the Koel River, while one was rescued by the local people near Nandgaon village under the limits of Senha police station of Lohardaga district.

Source: The Times of India

About Koel River:

It originates from the Palamau Tiger Reserve, Jharkhand, and flows in the western part of Palamu District.
It divides into:
- North Koel River: It is tapped near Kutku for irrigation reasons and finally joins with the Son River.
- South Koel River: It flows across the Indian state of Orissa near Rourkela, before merging with the Brahmani River.
It flows through the hilly terrain of Jharkhand and Odisha.
It is a part of the larger Damodar Valley region, known for its mineral-rich landscape.
It is prone to seasonal flooding, particularly during the monsoon months.
Hydropower Potential: The North Koel Dam, also known as the Mandal Dam, was constructed on the North Koel River in Jharkhand, intended to generate hydroelectric power and supply irrigation water.

Palamau Tiger Reserve:

It is located in the Chhota Nagpur plateau region of Jharkhand.
It forms a part of the Betla National Park.
It is one of the first 9 tiger reserves created in the country at the inception of ‘Project Tiger’.
It is the first reserve in the world in which a tiger census was carried out as a pugmark count, as early as 1932 under the supervision of J.W. Nicholson
Three rivers namely North Koyal, Auranga and Burha flow through the valleys.
The area is drought prone with Burha being the only perennial river.
The Reserve is very rich in minerals like Bauxite and Coal.
It is primarily dominated by Northern Tropical Dry Deciduous and Sal Forest. Smaller patches of Northern tropical Moist Deciduous forests too exist here.
Some keystone and principal species found in the reserve include Tiger, Asiatic Elephant, Leopard, Grey wolf, Wild dog, Gaur, Sloth bear and four horned antelope.