The Tapti River (or Tapi) is a river in
central India
Central India is a loosely defined geographical region of India. There is no clear official definition and various ones may be used. One common definition consists of the states of Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, which are included in alm ...
located to the south of the
Narmada river that flows westwards before draining into the
Arabian Sea
The Arabian Sea ( ar, اَلْبَحرْ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Bahr al-ˁArabī) is a region of the northern Indian Ocean bounded on the north by Pakistan, Iran and the Gulf of Oman, on the west by the Gulf of Aden, Guardafui Channel ...
.
The river has a length of around and flows through the states of
Maharashtra,
Gujarat
Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the nin ...
and
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh (, ; meaning 'central province') is a state in central India. Its capital city, capital is Bhopal, and the largest city is Indore, with Jabalpur, Ujjain, Gwalior, Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, Sagar, and Rewa, India, Rewa being the othe ...
.
[ It flows through ]Surat
Surat is a city in the western Indian state of Gujarat. The word Surat literally means ''face'' in Gujarati and Hindi. Located on the banks of the river Tapti near its confluence with the Arabian Sea, it used to be a large seaport. It is no ...
, and is crossed by the Magdalla
The Port of Magdalla is a port in western India, located on the southern bank of the Tapi River, around 10 km from Surat
Surat is a city in the western Indian state of Gujarat. The word Surat literally means ''face'' in Gujarati an ...
, ONGC Bridge.
On 7 August 1968, before the construction of the Ukai Dam
The Ukai Dam, constructed across the Tapi River, is the second largest reservoir in Gujarat after the Sardar Sarovar. It is also known as Vallabh Sagar. Constructed in 1972, the dam is meant for irrigation, power generation and flood control. Ha ...
to bring its waters under control and provide hydroelectric power, the Tapti River overflowed its banks during heavy rains during the monsoon
A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by correspon