History never fails to surprise. Goa although a small state with a unique identity has much more to uncover about it than is currently known. According to a recent report by A K Chaubey, Mandovi and Zuari Rivers flowed as one river thousands of years ago.
“The sea level was lower during the last glacial period, i.e. 20,000 years ago, and the Mandovi and Zuari rivers were flowing through the rocky terrain as a single river system, but, later it passed through the sedimentary strata, thus showing a meandering nature of the river,” Chaubey was quoted in a report.
One huge river
A K Chaubey is a scientist with the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) at Dona Paula. He and his team of experts have discovered that the two Rivers once flowed as one massive water body. Recent findings have revealed that the water level fluctuated between 5 – 21 meters during one glacial period (1,25, 000 – 20, 000 years ago). Submerged portions of the two rivers have been studied to determine the fact.
Difference between past and present
The mean discharge of historical vast water body is said to have varied between 124 and 2700 cubic meter per second (m3/s), currently River Mandovi’s mean discharge is 190 cubic meter per second (m3/s). “The kind of run-off and volume of water which we had in Mandovi-Zuari about 200,000 years ago was much higher than it is today,” said Chaubey in a report.
The single water body is said to have discharged more water than Mandovi and Zuari River combined together. “The investigation based on our data shows that the rainfall conditions in the last two glacial periods was considerably stronger than today,” Chaubey explained in a report.
It is truly surprising to know that the two rivers Mandovi and Zuari considered to be Goa’s lifeline once flowed as one River. As mentioned in the beginning ‘History never fails to surprise’.
