Pennaiyar River

Pennaiyar River Latest News

The Supreme Court recently directed the Centre to constitute a tribunal to adjudicate the dispute between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka over the sharing of Pennaiyar River water.

About Pennaiyar River

• The Pennaiyar River is a major river in southern India flowing through Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
• It is also known as the South Pennar River, Dakshina Pinakini in Kannada, and Thenpennai, Ponnaiyar, or Pennaiyar in Tamil. 
• Course:
  • It originates in the Nandi Hills in the Chikkaballapura district of Karnataka. 
  • It then flows southward for 80 km through Karnataka to northwestern Tamil Nadu, where it turns and flows southeastward to enter the Bay of Bengal at Cuddalore. 
• It is the second longest river in Tamil Nadu, stretching 497 km in length. 
• It is also the second largest interstate east-flowing river basin, situated between the Pennar and Cauvery basins.
• The Basin is bounded on the northwest and south by various ranges of the Eastern Ghats, like the Velikonda Range, the Nagari hills, the Javadu hills, the Shevaroy hills, the Chitteri hills, and the Kalrayan hills, and in the east by the Bay of Bengal.
• Major tributaries are the Chinnar, Markanda, Vaniar, and Pamban.
• Heavy rains at the river’s source cause sudden, but short-lived, floods. 
• The river is extensively dammed for irrigation, especially in Tamil Nadu.
• There are also reservoirs at Krishnagiri and Sathanur. 

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Pennaiyar River Dispute

• It is a water-sharing dispute between the Indian states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. 
• Tamil Nadu claims that Karnataka’s construction of check dams and diversion structures would reduce the water flow into their state, affecting their irrigation and drinking water needs.

Source: TH