1. Chapter at a Glance

In this chapter, the river Godavari tells its own story. It begins as a small stream at Trimbakeshwar in the Western Ghats of Maharashtra. Other streams, called tributaries, join it and make it wider. It flows 1,465 km through several states and forms a delta before meeting the Bay of Bengal at the Coringa mangrove forests. It is India’s second longest river and is called Dakshina Ganga.

The river supports plants, animals and people. It gives water for drinking, farming and factories, and supports many jobs. Dams store its water but also flood land and make people and animals leave their homes. Waste, plastic, dirty water and fertilisers pollute the river and harm the life in it.

Too much rain can make a river flood, and too little can make it run dry. Both cause great problems. The chapter ends by reminding us that water is limited and shared, and that small actions like saving water and not littering help keep rivers healthy.

2. Word Meanings

3. Important Topics

A. The Journey of the Godavari

• It begins at Trimbakeshwar, Maharashtra, in the Brahmagiri Hills of the Western Ghats.
• Small streams called tributaries join it. Examples: Manjira, Indravati and Sabari.
• It flows through Maharashtra, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.
• It travels 1,465 km and joins the Bay of Bengal.
• It is the second longest river in India, after the Ganga.
• It is a perennial river, flowing all year round.
• Near the sea, it spreads into many streams to form a delta. Its journey ends at the Coringa mangrove forests.
• It is called Dakshina Ganga and is sacred. People take a holy dip at Nashik, especially during the Godavari Pushkaram.
• Wildlife along it includes tigers, barking deer, the Indian golden gecko and red sandalwood trees.

B. How the River Supports Life

• It gives water for drinking, cooking and washing.
• It waters crops and runs factories.
• It supports jobs like fishing, farming, boating and ecotourism.
• Since ancient times, people have built homes near rivers.

C. Dams

• More than 900 dams store Godavari’s water. Examples: Sriram Sagar Project and Polavaram Dam.
• Hirakud Dam in Odisha is one of the longest earthen dams in the world.

D. River Pollution

• Causes: plastic waste, garbage, dirty water from homes, soaps and chemicals from factories.
• Some harmful things dissolve in water, so even clean-looking water may be unsafe.
• Fertilisers from fields make water plants grow too fast. They cover the river like a green blanket, and fish find it hard to breathe.
• Fish, turtles and birds slowly disappear from polluted rivers.
• The Namami Gange programme is helping clean the Ganga.

E. Floods

• Heavy rain makes rivers overflow their banks.
• Floods damage houses, fields, roads, schools and electricity supply, and spread diseases.
• Trees slow down rainwater and help the soil soak it up. With no trees, floods come faster.

F. When a River Runs Dry

• There is no water for drinking, cooking or farming, and people and animals may have to move away.
• In 2019, Chennai needed water trains because its reservoirs dried up.
• Water ATMs give clean water for a coin or card.

G. Save Water

• Turn off the tap while brushing.
• Fix leaking taps.
• Reuse water from washing vegetables for plants.
• Don’t throw waste into rivers.

4. Question-Answers

Very Short Answer Questions

1. Where does the Godavari begin?
At Trimbakeshwar in the Western Ghats of Maharashtra.

2. How long is the Godavari?
1,465 kilometres.

3. Into which sea does the Godavari flow?
The Bay of Bengal.

4. What is a tributary?
A small stream or river that joins a bigger river.

5. What is a perennial river?
A river that flows throughout the year.

6. Why is the Godavari called Dakshina Ganga?
Because it flows through southern India and is considered sacred.

7. What is a reservoir?
A large water body formed behind a dam.

8. What is India’s national aquatic animal?
The Ganges river dolphin.

9. Which is the world’s largest river island?
Majuli in Assam, on the Brahmaputra.

10. Which fish migrates from the sea into rivers to lay eggs?
The hilsa (ilish).

Short Answer Questions

1. What is a delta?
When a river reaches the sea, it spreads into many small streams. The land formed there is called a delta.

2. How does the Godavari support people?
It gives water for drinking, cooking and washing, for farming and for factories. It also supports jobs like fishing, farming and boating.

3. Why did people build homes near rivers in the past?
Rivers gave them water for drinking and farming, fish for food and a way to travel and trade.

4. What problems can a dam cause?
The reservoir floods forests and villages, so people and animals have to leave their homes. It also changes the natural flow of the river.

5. What is the ‘green blanket’ on a river?
When fertilisers wash into a river, water plants grow very fast and cover the surface like a green blanket. It chokes life in the water and makes the water unsafe.

6. How do trees help prevent floods?
Trees slow down rainwater and help the soil soak it up, so water does not rush into rivers too quickly.

Long Answer Questions

1. Describe the journey of the Godavari from its origin to the sea.
The Godavari begins as a small stream at Trimbakeshwar in Maharashtra. As it flows, rainwater and tributaries like the Manjira, Indravati and Sabari join it, making it wider and stronger. It flows 1,465 km through Maharashtra, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. On the way it passes forests, wildlife sanctuaries, towns and dams. Near the sea, it spreads into many streams and forms a delta. Its freshwater meets the salty sea at the Coringa mangrove forests.

2. How does a river get polluted, and how can we keep it clean?
Rivers get polluted when people throw plastic, garbage and dirty water into them, and when factories release chemicals. Fertilisers from fields also wash into rivers. To keep them clean, we should not litter, use eco-friendly soaps and products, create less waste, treat dirty water before it reaches rivers and support clean-up programmes like Namami Gange.

3. What should we do before, during and after a flood?
Before a flood, keep an emergency bag with food, medicines and a torch, follow the news and know the safe routes. During a flood, move to higher ground, switch off electricity and gas, and don’t walk in flood water or touch power lines. After a flood, go home only when it is declared safe, and clean and disinfect everything.

Textbook Exercise Answers

Name the states the Godavari flows through.
Maharashtra, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.

Name a dam and a wildlife sanctuary along the Godavari.
Dam: Polavaram Dam or Sriram Sagar Project. Sanctuary: Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary. (Kawal Tiger Reserve and Pench National Park are also along its path.)

Which small rivers join the Godavari?
Manjira, Indravati and Sabari.

Match flood problems with what they affect.

Where do plastic wrappers we litter end up?
In drains, rivers and finally the sea, where they harm fish, turtles and birds.

List three things you can do to protect water bodies.

• Never throw waste into rivers or ponds.
• Use eco-friendly soaps and cleaners.
• Take part in clean-up drives and tell others to save water.

If you could make one rule to protect rivers, what would it be?
Sample: No one may throw plastic or garbage into a river, and anyone who does must pay a fine and join a clean-up.