Tawa
Loading map…
Overview
The Tawa is the longest tributary of the Narmada. It rises in the Satpura hills near Betul and flows north-west to join the Narmada at Bandra Bhan near Hoshangabad (Narmadapuram).
The Tawa Dam, completed in 1978, irrigates a large area of the Narmada valley. Its reservoir lies next to the Satpura Tiger Reserve and was designated a Ramsar site in 2024.
Pachmarhi, the hill station of the Satpuras, lies in its catchment.
Geography and key facts
- Longest tributary of the Narmada
- Rises in the Satpura hills (Betul)
- Tawa Dam (1978); reservoir a Ramsar site (2024)
- Joins the Narmada near Narmadapuram
Why it matters for UPSC
Narmada tributaries: Tawa, Hiran, Barna, Orsang. Tawa reservoir is a recent Ramsar site.
Note for UPSC
The largest Narmada tributary; Tawa dam and Pachmarhi lie in its basin.
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 Tawa yet.
Key facts
- Type
- River
- State / UT
- Madhya Pradesh
- River system
- Peninsular
- Basin
- Narmada
- Extent on map
- 22.1°–22.8°N, 77.8°–78.5°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)