Key Facts about Tungabhadra River

About Tungabhadra River:

• It is a significant peninsular river in southern India.
• It is a major tributary of the Krishna River.
• The Hindus consider this river sacred, and there is a mention of the river in the Ramayana, where it is referred to as Pampa. 
• It derives its name from two streams, viz., the Tunga, about 147 km long, and the Bhadra, about 178 km long, which rise in the eastern slopes ofthe Western Ghats.
• The river, after the influence of the two streams near Shimoga in Karnataka, runs for about 531 km till it joins the river Krishna at Sangamaleshwaram in Andhra Pradesh.
  • The Krishna River finally ends in the Bay of Bengal.
• It runs for 382 km in Karnataka, forms the boundary between Karnatakaand Andhra Pradesh for 58 km and further runs for the next 91 km in Andhra Pradesh.
• The total catchment area of the river is 69,552 sq.km. up to its confluence with Krishna.
• It is influenced chiefly by the southwest monsoon.
• Major Tributaries: Varada River and Hagari (Vedathy) River.
• The river has several dams and reservoirs built on it, including the Tunga Anicut Dam, the Bhadra Dam, the Hemavathy Dam, and the Tungabhadra Dam.
• The city of Hampi, which was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire, is located on the banks of the river. 

Q1: What is the importance of the Tungabhadra River?

Tungabhadra serves as a source of drinking and irrigation to many towns and cities. An important feature of the river banks is the flood protection walls all along the rivers, constructed by king Krishnadevaraya between 1525 and 1527 AD.

Source: TH

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