Gosthani River

Boat in River Gosthani at Bheemunipatnam
Many Important Buddhist sites of Northern Andhra Pradesh lie along the basin of River Gosthani as Pavurallakonda, Gudiwada Dibba, Pellikonda and Boni

The Gosthani river is a river in India. It rises in the Ananthagiri Hills of the Eastern Ghats and flows through the Borra Caves which lie near its source. It is the largest river flowing through Visakhapatnam city. It flows for 120 km before joining the Bay of Bengal through an estuary near Bheemunipatnam.[1][2] The river basin drains the two coastal districts of Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam. The basin exhibits a subdendritic and dendritic pattern of drainage.[citation needed] The Gosthani's is a minor river basin with a total drainage area of less than 2000 km2.[3] Much of the basin is covered by khondalite group of gneissic rocks. About 3% of the total area of the Visakhapatnam district is under the Gosthani basin.[4] The river is rainfed, receiving an average rainfall of 110 cm most of which comes from the south-west monsoon.[citation needed] There are several red sand hills near Bheemunipatnam, where the Gosthani joins the Bay of Bengal, which are reminiscent of the Chambal ravines. These are thought to have been formed six millennia ago due to shifts in the river's course following tectonic activity.[5] The river joins the Bay of Bengal at Bhimli where it forms an estuary.[6]

  1. ^ Ganesh, B (April 2013). "Studies on textural characteristics of sediments from Gosthani River Estuary - Bheemunipatnam, A.P., East Coast of India" (PDF). Journal of the Indian Geophysical Union. 17 (2): 139. Retrieved 30 June 2013.
  2. ^ "A journey into the heart of nature". The Hindu Businessline. 10 April 2013. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
  3. ^ Bay of Bengal Large Marine Ecosystem Project - Country Report on Pollution (India) (PDF). 2011. p. 18.
  4. ^ "IRRIGATION PROFILE: VISAKHAPATNAM DISTRICT". Government of Andhra Pradesh. Archived from the original on 20 August 2010. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
  5. ^ "Protect the landmark for the future". The Hindu. 28 March 2009. Archived from the original on 29 June 2013. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
  6. ^ Indian Archaeology 2000-2001 - A Review (PDF). New Delhi: Archaeological Survey of India. 2006. pp. 2, 3.