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Tungabhadra River

30th November, 2023

Tungabhadra River

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Context

  • A 17-year-old was recently swept away in the Tungabhadra River in Huligi village.

About Tungabhadra River

  • It is a prominent river in the Indian peninsula's south.
  • It is a significant tributary of the Krishna River.
  • The name comes from the confluence of two rivers, Tunga and Bhadra.
  • The Tunga and Bhadra Rivers have their origins on the eastern slopes of the Western Ghats.
  • The two rivers meet near Koodli in Karnataka's Shimoga district, giving birth to the Tungabhadra River.
  • It flows roughly northwest before entering the Krishna River near Sangamaleshwaram in Andhra Pradesh.
  • The river has a total length of 531 kilometers and a catchment area of 28,000 square kilometers.
  • It runs through the Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh
  • Varada River and Hagari (Vedathy) River are major tributaries.
  • The river has various dams and reservoirs erected, including the Tunga Anicut Dam, the Bhadra Dam, the Hemavathy Dam, and the Tungabhadra Dam.
  • The Hindus regard this river as sacred, appearing in the Ramayana as Pampa.
  • The Tungabhadra River was previously known as the Varada River.
  • For the Vijayanagar Empire, the river was a vital source of water.
  • The Vijayanagar Empire's capital, Hampi, was located on the river's banks.
  • The famous Virupaksha temple also is on the banks of river Tungabhadra.
  • The greater part of the Tungabhadra’s course lies in the southern part of the Deccan plateau.
  • The river is fed mainly by rain, and it has a monsoonal regimen with summer high water.
  • It flows in a more or less northwest direction before joining the eastern river, Krishna.
  • The Krishna River finally ends in the Bay of Bengal.

About Tungabhadra Dam

  • Tungabhadra Dam, commonly known as Pampa Sagar, is a multifunctional dam located near Hosapete, Ballari district, Karnataka. Thirumalai Iyengar erected it in 1953.
  • The Tungabhadra reservoir has a storage capacity of 101 TMC (Thousand Million Cubic Feet) with a catchment area of 28000 square kilometers.
  • It stands approximately 49.5 meters tall.

Importance

  • It is the lifeline of six chronically drought-prone districts in Karnataka (popularly known as the rice bowl of Karnataka) and Andhra Pradesh (Anantapur, Cuddapah, and Kurnool).
  • It not only irrigates enormous areas of land in both states, but it also creates hydropower and aids in flood prevention.

PRACTICE QUESTION

Who among the following rulers of the Vijayanagar Empire constructed a large dam across the Tungabhadra River and a canal-cum-aqueduct several kilometers long from the river to the capital city?

  1. A) Devaraya I
  2. B) Mallikarjuna
  3. C) Vira Vijaya
  4. D) Virupaksha

Answer: A