Indian rivers that flow in reverse during certain seasons

By Afiur
January 09, 2026

Some Indian rivers briefly flow upstream during monsoon months due to strong tidal influence near their estuaries. Here’s a look at five such rivers.Image: UnsplashImage: Unsplash

Mandovi

1. Mandovi (Goa): Flows inland during high tide as Arabian Sea tides push seawater upstream in the monsoon months.Image: Wikimedia CommonsImage: Wikimedia Commons

Zuari

2. Zuari (Goa): It experiences reverse flow when tidal pressure from the sea dominates river discharge, especially in the monsoon seasonImage: Wikimedia CommonsImage: Wikimedia Commons

Hooghly

3. Hooghly (Ganga, West Bengal): Strong tides from the Bay of Bengal cause upstream flow during high tide near the estuary.Image: UnsplashImage: Unsplash

Periyar

4. Periyar (Kerala): Seasonal tidal action near the estuary leads to temporary reversal of flow during high tides.Image: UnsplashImage: Unsplash

Sharavathi

5. Sharavathi (Karnataka): Near its estuary, tidal forces can briefly reverse the river’s flow during specific seasonal conditions.Image: UnsplashImage: Unsplash

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