Rushikulya
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Overview
The Rushikulya rises in the Eastern Ghats of Kandhamal district, Odisha, and flows south-east through Ganjam district to the Bay of Bengal.
Its mouth near Ganjam town is one of the three main mass-nesting (arribada) sites of olive ridley sea turtles in Odisha, along with Gahirmatha and the Devi river mouth. Hundreds of thousands of turtles may nest here in a season.
Unlike many Odisha rivers, it has no delta, because its sediment is carried away by coastal currents.
Geography and key facts
- East-flowing river, Odisha
- Rises in the Eastern Ghats (Kandhamal)
- Mouth: olive ridley mass nesting (arribada) site
- No delta at its mouth
Why it matters for UPSC
Olive ridley nesting sites (Gahirmatha, Rushikulya, Devi) and Operation Olivia are common environment questions.
Note for UPSC
A south Odisha river; its mouth is a mass-nesting site for olive ridley turtles.
Prelims asks about tributaries, the states a river flows through, its basin and the projects on it, so trace the course on the map.
Asked in PYQs
No question in our Prelims bank names Rushikulya yet.
Key facts
- Type
- River
- State / UT
- Odisha
- River system
- Peninsular
- Basin
- East-flowing (Odisha–Jharkhand)
- Extent on map
- 19.4°–19.6°N, 84.7°–85.1°E
From the Map Explorer data; positions are for orientation.
In the lessons
- Physical Features and Drainage of India (map lesson)
- Drainage Systems of India: Himalayan and Peninsular Rivers (map lesson)