{"id":14541,"date":"2026-10-07T16:00:29","date_gmt":"2026-10-07T10:30:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/?p=14541"},"modified":"2026-10-07T18:18:26","modified_gmt":"2026-10-07T12:48:26","slug":"kaveri-river-system","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/kaveri-river-system\/","title":{"rendered":"Kaveri River System, Origin, Tributaries, Dams, Waterfalls"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Kaveri is a major east-flowing peninsular river, originating at Talakaveri in the Brahmagiri range of the Western Ghats in Karnataka and flowing for about 800 km before entering the Bay of Bengal. Its basin extends across Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry, covering about 85,167 sq km according to the CWC\u2019s GIS-based reassessment.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Kaveri River System supports extensive agriculture, irrigation, drinking-water supply, hydropower, settlements and ecosystems across southern India. The Kaveri River System is also significant for interstate water governance, with the long-standing sharing dispute involving Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry. Sustainable management therefore requires integrated basin planning, efficient water use, ecological-flow protection and cooperative interstate water management.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Kaveri River System Origin\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Kaveri River System, also known as the \u2018Ganga of the South', originates at Talakaveri in the Brahmagiri Hills of Karnataka.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Kaveri flows for about 800 km through Karnataka and Tamil Nadu before draining into the Bay of Bengal.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Receiving rainfall from both the Southwest and Northeast Monsoons, the Kaveri has relatively sustained flows, though its discharge varies seasonally.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The river supports irrigation, hydropower, drinking-water supply, agriculture and ecosystems across southern India.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Kaveri River System Basin<\/span><\/h2>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Kaveri River Basin is an important <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Peninsular river system<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> extending across southern India and supporting extensive agriculture, settlements and economic activities.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The basin extends across Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry and comprises the Western Ghats, Mysore Plateau and Kaveri Delta.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The delta is highly fertile and supports intensive agriculture. The basin has diverse soils, including red, black, lateritic, alluvial, forest and mixed soils.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Kaveri River System Basin area is 85,626 square kilometres according to modern, high-resolution GIS calculations and the updated India-WRIS Database.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It extends between approximately 75\u00b027\u2032E and 79\u00b054\u2032E longitude and 10\u00b009\u2032N and 13\u00b030\u2032N latitude. The basin is bounded by:<\/span>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/western-ghats\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Western Ghats<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> in the west.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Eastern Ghats towards the east and south.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Ridges separating it from the neighbouring Krishna and Pennar basins in the north and south.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-30706\" src=\"https:\/\/vajiramias.sgp1.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp\/upsc-exam\/2026\/01\/07172514\/Kaveri-River-System-1.png\" alt=\"Kaveri River System\" width=\"1449\" height=\"1085\" srcset=\"https:\/\/vajiramias.sgp1.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp\/upsc-exam\/2026\/01\/07172514\/Kaveri-River-System-1.png 1449w, https:\/\/vajiramias.sgp1.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp\/upsc-exam\/2026\/01\/07172514\/Kaveri-River-System-1-768x575.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1449px) 100vw, 1449px\" \/><\/p>\r\n<h2>Kaveri River System Tributaries<\/h2>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Kaveri River System is divided into two parts; the first part is called the right-bank tributaries of Kaveri, and the second part is called the left-bank tributaries of Kaveri.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<table style=\"width: 95.4904%\">\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td class=\"tb-color\" style=\"text-align: center;width: 94.7896%\" colspan=\"2\"><b>Kaveri River System Tributaries<\/b><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: center;width: 13.3267%\"><strong>River<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: center;width: 81.4629%\"><strong>Description<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"width: 13.3267%\">\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Harangi River<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 81.4629%\">\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Harangi River originates from the Pushpagiri Hills in the Western Ghats, Kodagu, Karnataka<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It receives rainfall from the southwest monsoon<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The river flows about 50 km before merging with the Kaveri near Kudige, 5 km north of Kushalnagar<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"width: 13.3267%\">\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Hemavati River<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 81.4629%\">\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Originating at an altitude of 6,000 feet in the Western Ghats, the Hemavati River flows through Mudigere taluk (Chikmagalur district) and Hassan district before joining the Kaveri at Krishnarajasagara<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Its total length is 245 km<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"width: 13.3267%\">\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Lakshmana Tirtha River<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 81.4629%\">\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Lakshmana Tirtha River flows eastward from the Kodagu region, joining the Kaveri River at Krishna Raja Sagara (KRS) reservoir.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It rises from 1,450 metres in the Brahmagiri area and flows south of Coorg and can cause floods during heavy rains.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"width: 13.3267%\">\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Amaravathi River<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 81.4629%\">\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Amaravathi River originates in the Anaimalai Hills of Tamil Nadu and flows northward through the Udumalpet, Dharapuram and Karur regions before joining the Kaveri.<\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Amaravathi Reservoir and Dam are located near Amaravathinagar.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>The Amaravathi is the longest tributary of the Kaveri, with a length of about 282 km.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"width: 13.3267%\">\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Bhavani River<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 81.4629%\">\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Originating from the Nilgiri Hills, the Bhavani River passes through the Silent Valley National Park (Kerala) and enters Tamil Nadu, flowing through Coimbatore and Erode<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">About 90% of its water is used for irrigation.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It meets the Kaveri at Kooduthurai<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"width: 13.3267%\">\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Kabini River<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 81.4629%\">\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Kabini is a major tributary of the Kaveri, formed by the confluence of the Panamaram and Mananthavady rivers in Wayanad, Kerala.<\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\">It flows eastward through Wayanad and Karnataka before joining the Kaveri at Tirumakudalu Narasipura in Mysuru district.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"width: 13.3267%\">\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Noyyal River<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 81.4629%\">\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Noyyal River, a small tributary of the Kaveri, originates from the Vellingiri Hills near the Kerala border.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It flows through Coimbatore and Tirupur in Tamil Nadu before merging with the Kaveri River.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"width: 13.3267%\">\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Arkavathi River<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 81.4629%\">\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Arkavathi River, originating from the Nandi Hills in Karnataka, flows southeast and merges with the Kaveri River 34 km south of Kanakapura, passing through Ramanagara and Kanakapura.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"width: 13.3267%\">\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Shimsha River<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 81.4629%\">\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Originating from Mount Devarayanadurga in the Tumkur region of Karnataka, the Shimsha River flows for approximately 221 kilometres before joining the Kaveri River.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-30721 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/vajiramias.sgp1.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp\/upsc-exam\/2026\/10\/07181808\/Kaveri-River-System.webp\" alt=\"Kaveri River System\" width=\"794\" height=\"556\" \/><\/p>\r\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Kaveri River System Major Dams<\/span><\/h2>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Major dams and reservoirs on the Kaveri system regulate water for irrigation, drinking water, hydropower and other requirements across the basin.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<table>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td class=\"tb-color\">\r\n<p><b>Major Dam\/Structure<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td class=\"tb-color\">\r\n<p><b>State<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td class=\"tb-color\">\r\n<p><b>River<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td class=\"tb-color\">\r\n<p><b>Major Significance<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><b>Harangi Dam<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Karnataka<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Harangi<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Irrigation and water regulation in the upper Kaveri system<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><b>Hemavathy Dam<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Karnataka<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Hemavati<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Irrigation and water storage<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><b>Krishnarajasagar (KRS) Dam<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Karnataka<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Kaveri<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Major irrigation and water-storage project<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><b>Kabini Dam<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Karnataka<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Kabini<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Water storage and irrigation<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><b>Mettur Dam<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Tamil Nadu<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Kaveri<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Major irrigation and water-storage project<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><b>Bhavanisagar Dam<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Tamil Nadu<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Bhavani<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Irrigation and water management<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><b>Grand Anicut (Kallanai)<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Tamil Nadu<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Kaveri<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Historic diversion structure supporting delta irrigation<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Kaveri River System Major Waterfalls<\/span><\/h2>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Major waterfalls of the Kaveri River occur where the river crosses rocky terrain and steep gradients, creating prominent cascades along its course through Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<table>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td class=\"tb-color\">\r\n<p><b>Waterfall<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td class=\"tb-color\">\r\n<p><b>Location<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td class=\"tb-color\">\r\n<p><b>Key Feature<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><b>Chunchanakatte Falls<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Mysuru region, Karnataka<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Important waterfall on the Kaveri, located upstream of Krishnarajasagar Dam; the Government of Karnataka records a drop of about 20 m.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><b>Shivanasamudra Falls<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Karnataka<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Major twin waterfall where the Kaveri divides into <\/span><b>Gaganachukki and Bharachukki<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><b>Gaganachukki Falls<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Shivanasamudra, Karnataka<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Western branch of Shivanasamudra, with a reported height of about <\/span><b>90 m<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><b>Bharachukki Falls<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Shivanasamudra, Karnataka<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Eastern branch of Shivanasamudra, with a reported height of about <\/span><b>69 m<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><b>Hogenakkal Falls<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Tamil Nadu, near the Karnataka\u2013Tamil Nadu border<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Major Kaveri waterfall, where the river descends through rocky terrain before continuing towards the Mettur region.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Kaveri River System Importance<\/span><\/h2>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The importance of the Kaveri River extends beyond drainage because its waters support agriculture, irrigation, settlements, industries, hydropower and ecosystems across southern India.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Agriculture:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The river supports extensive irrigated agriculture, particularly in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Irrigation:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Dams, reservoirs, anicuts and canals distribute Kaveri water across agricultural areas.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Hydropower:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The river's elevation differences and waterfalls have supported hydropower development, particularly at Shivanasamudra.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Drinking water:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The basin supports major urban and rural water requirements.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Industrial development:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Industries such as paper, sugar, chemicals and textiles depend on water resources within the basin.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Delta agriculture:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The lower Kaveri system sustains the fertile deltaic agricultural region of Tamil Nadu.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Tourism:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Shivanasamudra and Hogenakkal are important tourist attractions associated with the river.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Cultural importance:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The Kaveri has long-standing religious and cultural significance in southern India.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Kaveri River Drainage Basin in Different States<\/span><\/h2>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Kaveri River drainage basin covers Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry, with the largest portion of the basin lying in Tamil Nadu.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Tamil Nadu:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Tamil Nadu contains about 47,084 sq km of the Kaveri basin, accounting for approximately 55.28% of the total basin area.<\/span>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It has the largest share of the Kaveri drainage basin.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The main river flows for around 416 km through Tamil Nadu and forms an extensive lower basin and deltaic system.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Karnataka:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Karnataka covers approximately 35,110 sq km, or about 41.24% of the total Kaveri basin.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Kaveri originates at Talakaveri in the Brahmagiri Hills of the Western Ghats in Karnataka.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Around 320 km of the river's course lies within Karnataka. Major tributaries and important reservoirs of the upper Kaveri system are also located here.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Kerala:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Kerala accounts for approximately 2,776 sq km, representing about 3.26% of the Kaveri basin.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The state's contribution is mainly through tributary and catchment areas forming part of the wider Kaveri drainage system rather than through the main Kaveri channel.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Puducherry:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Puducherry has the smallest share, with approximately 187 sq km, equivalent to about 0.22% of the total basin.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Kaveri drainage system extends into the Karaikal region, where distributaries of the lower Kaveri reach the coastal area.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Total Kaveri Basin:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> According to the Central Water Commission's GIS-based reassessment, the Kaveri basin covers approximately 85,167 sq km, with a maximum length of about 560 km and a width of around 245 km.<\/span>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Earlier CWC assessments placed the basin area at about 81,155 sq km.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Kaveri River Dispute<\/span><\/h3>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Kaveri River dispute is a long-standing inter-state water-sharing conflict involving Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry over the equitable use of Kaveri waters.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Origin of the dispute:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The dispute primarily concerns the <\/span><b>sharing, release and utilisation of Kaveri waters<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> between the upper-riparian state of Karnataka and the lower-riparian states, particularly Tamil Nadu, along with Kerala and Puducherry.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Historical agreements:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The dispute has roots in the <\/span><b>1892 and 1924 agreements<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> between the erstwhile Madras Presidency and Mysore State. Differences later emerged over the construction and utilisation of irrigation projects and the distribution of river water.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The <\/span><b>Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> was constituted by the Central Government in <\/span><b>1990<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> under the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956, to adjudicate the dispute among Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Tribunal Award, 2007:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The CWDT submitted its final report and award on <\/span><b>5 February 2007<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, determining the allocation of Kaveri waters among the basin states and Puducherry.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Supreme Court intervention:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The Supreme Court delivered its final judgement on <\/span><b>16 February 2018<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, modifying certain aspects of the Tribunal's award.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It emphasised that inter-state river waters constitute a <\/span><b>national asset<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and that no state can claim exclusive ownership over such waters.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>2018 allocation:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The Supreme Court made an adjustment in the allocation and provided <\/span><b>additional water to Karnataka<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, while reducing Tamil Nadu's share correspondingly, among other directions.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Cauvery Water Management Authority:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Following the Supreme Court's directions, the Union Government framed the <\/span><b>Cauvery Water Management Scheme in 2018<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> to implement the Tribunal's award as modified by the Court.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Core issue:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The dispute becomes particularly acute during <\/span><b>weak monsoon years<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, when available reservoir storage falls, and the states differ over the quantity and timing of water releases.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Kaveri River System Challenges<\/span><\/h2>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Challenges facing the Kaveri River include increasing pressure on water resources, competing demands, variable rainfall and the need to maintain adequate downstream flows.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Seasonal rainfall dependence:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Variability in monsoon rainfall can influence reservoir inflows and river discharge.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Water demand:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Growing agricultural, urban and industrial requirements increase pressure on available water.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Interstate water management:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Different demands across basin states require coordinated water management.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Reservoir dependence:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Large-scale irrigation depends substantially on regulated releases from reservoirs.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Pollution:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Urbanisation and industrial activity can place pressure on river water quality.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Ecological flows:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Maintaining sufficient downstream flows is important for aquatic <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/ecosystem\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">ecosystem<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">s and the delta.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Kaveri River and Climate Change<\/span><\/h3>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Climate change can influence the Kaveri system through changes in rainfall patterns, extreme precipitation, drought frequency, temperature and evaporation.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Changing monsoon:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Variations in rainfall timing and intensity can alter seasonal river flows.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Extreme rainfall:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Intense rainfall can increase flood risks and sediment movement.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Dry periods:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Longer periods of low rainfall can reduce reservoir inflows and water availability.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Higher temperatures:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Increased evaporation can add to water losses from reservoirs and catchments.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Agricultural stress:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Changes in river availability can affect irrigation-dependent farming.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Ecosystem impacts:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Altered flow regimes can affect wetlands, aquatic habitats and the Kaveri delta.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Kaveri River System Way Forward\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sustainable management of the Kaveri requires integrated basin planning that balances irrigation, drinking-water needs, ecological requirements and long-term climate resilience.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Promote Basin-Level Integrated Water-Resource Management:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Adopt a river-basin approach that considers the entire hydrological system rather than individual state or project boundaries, enabling coordinated planning of surface water, groundwater, irrigation and urban demand.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Improve Irrigation Efficiency:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Promote drip and sprinkler irrigation, micro-irrigation, water-efficient crops and improved canal management to reduce water losses and increase agricultural productivity per unit of water.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Strengthen Rainwater Harvesting and Groundwater Recharge:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Expand farm ponds, check dams, recharge structures and watershed development to enhance groundwater availability, moderate runoff and provide a buffer during periods of low river flows.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Protect Catchments, Wetlands and Riparian Ecosystems:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Restore degraded catchments, wetlands and riparian vegetation to improve infiltration, reduce soil erosion and sedimentation, maintain biodiversity and strengthen the ecological health of the river system.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Maintain Environmental Flows:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Ensure that reservoir operations and water diversions maintain adequate downstream flows, particularly during ecologically sensitive periods, to sustain aquatic ecosystems, wetlands, fisheries and the Kaveri delta.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Strengthen Pollution Control and Wastewater Treatment:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Improve sewage treatment, industrial effluent management and reuse of treated wastewater in urban and industrial areas to reduce pollution loads entering the river and its tributaries.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Use Real-Time Hydrological Data for Reservoir Management:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Develop real-time monitoring of rainfall, reservoir storage, river discharge and water demand to support transparent and scientifically informed reservoir operations, particularly during drought and distress years.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Strengthen Interstate Cooperation and Institutions:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Enhance coordination among Kaveri basin states, the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) and other institutions through transparent data-sharing, joint assessment and predictable mechanisms for managing normal as well as distress years.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Promote Climate-Resilient Agriculture:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Encourage drought-resistant and less water-intensive crops, improved irrigation practices, soil-moisture conservation and climate-smart farming in water-stressed regions to reduce agricultural dependence on uncertain river flows.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Adopt Demand-Side Water Management:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Shift from a supply-oriented approach towards water budgeting, efficient urban consumption, crop planning and reuse of treated wastewater, reducing pressure on the basin's finite water resources.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Strengthen Delta and Coastal Resilience:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Protect the Kaveri delta through sustainable water releases, wetland conservation, groundwater management and measures against salinity intrusion, ensuring the long-term sustainability of agriculture and coastal ecosystems.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<table style=\"border-collapse: collapse;width: 71.5587%\">\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td class=\"tb-color\" style=\"width: 118.362%;text-align: center\" colspan=\"2\">\r\n<p><strong>Also Check Other River Systems<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"width: 49.4963%;text-align: center\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/godavari-river-system\/\" target=\"_blank\">Godavari River System<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 68.8654%;text-align: center\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/tapti-river-system\/\" target=\"_blank\">Tapti River System<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"width: 49.4963%;text-align: center\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/kaveri-river-system\/\" target=\"_blank\">Kaveri River System<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 68.8654%;text-align: center\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/mahanadi-river-system\/\" target=\"_blank\">Mahanadi River System<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"width: 49.4963%;text-align: center\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/ganga-river-system\/\" target=\"_blank\">Ganga River System<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 68.8654%;text-align: center\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/narmada-river-system\/\" target=\"_blank\">Narmada River System<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"width: 49.4963%;text-align: center\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/yamuna-river-system\/\" target=\"_blank\">Yamuna River System<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 68.8654%;text-align: center\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/krishna-river-system\/\" target=\"_blank\">Krishna River System<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"width: 49.4963%;text-align: center\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/indus-river-system\/\" target=\"_blank\">Indus River System<\/a><br \/>\r\n<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"width: 68.8654%;text-align: center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/brahmaputra-river-system\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Brahmaputra River System<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Kaveri River System originates in Karnataka\u2019s Western Ghats and flows through Tamil Nadu into the Bay of Bengal; vital for irrigation, power, and water supply.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":14551,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[38,24],"tags":[1483,40,620],"class_list":["post-14541","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-upsc-notes","category-upsc-geography-notes","tag-kaveri-river-system","tag-quest","tag-upsc-geography-notes"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14541","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14541"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14541\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30722,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14541\/revisions\/30722"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14551"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14541"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14541"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14541"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}