Mithi River

Mithi River (मिठी नदी)
Mahim River माहिम नदी
River
Mithi River at Bandra
Country	India
State	Maharashtra
District	Mumbai Suburban
City	Mumbai
Primary source	Vihar Lake
Secondary source	Powai Lake
- location	Aarey Colony, Goregaon (E)
Mouth	Arabian Sea
- location	Mahim Creek
Length	15 km (9 mi)
The Mithi river is in the centre.

The Mithi River (a.k.a. Mahim River) is a river on Salsette Island, the island of the city of Mumbai, India. It is a confluence of tail-water discharges of the Powai and Vihar lakes. The river is seasonal and rises during the monsoons. The overflowing lakes also contribute to the river flow, which is stopped by a dam at other times. During this season, the river is a favourite with anglers, who can catch large fish that have escaped from the lakes. Fishing is banned there. The international airport is located right next to the section of river at Andheri.

The river originates from the overflow of Vihar Lake and also receives the overflows from the Powai Lake about 2 km later. It flows for a total of 15 km before it meets the Arabian Sea at Mahim Creek flowing through residential and industrial complexes of Powai, Saki Naka, Kurla, Kalina, Vakola, Bandra-Kurla complex, Dharavi and Mahim. The river has an average width of 5 metres in the upper reaches, has been widened to 25 m in the middle reaches and up to 70 m in the lower reaches after the 26 July 2005 deluge (944 mm in 24 h on 26 July 2005).

It is also less well known that the Mahim bay area, where Mithi River meets Arabian Sea is a nominated bird sanctuary where migratory birds come for nesting. This part is full of mangroves. When the river was not as polluted as it is today, it used to serve as an important storm water drain for Mumbai but as it has been used as a sewer over the years, its importance as a storm water drain has reduced and on the contrary, it poses as a hazard during high tide bringing polluted water into the city and flooding the city.