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Kaveri River

The river Kaveri emerges in the spring form at the Brahmagiri Hills in Kodagu District of Karnataka. This river after flows through the Tamil Nadu and reaches the Bay of Bengal. Next to Godavari and Krishna, this river is the third biggest river in India. This river is the holiest river in the South India, which is called the “Ganges of the South”.

Flowing area

            Kaveri river is the Indian river that starts from Karnataka, that flows the States of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. In a minimum amount, this river flows through the Union Territory of Puducherry. This river runs as the one of the largest rivers in the world, that mixes with the Bay of Bengal in the place called Poompuhar in Tamil Nadu.

            This Kaveri river basin covers a total area of 81,155sq.Km. In Tamil Nadu this runs over a distance of 63,856sq.Km. This flows over a distance of 14273sq.Km in Karnataka, 2866sq.Km in Kerala and 160sq.Km in Puducherry.

Tributaries

            The main tributaries of this river are the Hemavati, Shimsha, Kabini, Honnuhole, Arkavathy, Lokapavani,Amaravathi, Bhavani and Noyil. This river has other tributaries like the Hemavathi, Harangi, Bhavani, Kabini, Noyyal, Lakshmana Tirtha and Arkavati.

Islands near the river

This river Kaveri divides into the two beautiful islands in Karnataka. They are the Shivanasamudra and the Srirangapatna. This Shivanasamudra flows as the Bara Chukki Falls and the Gagana Chukki. Then the Srirangam is the third island in Tamil Nadu.

Kaveri river in Tamil History

            The Kaveri river is considered as the one of the holy place with the spirituality and the beauty in the Tamil literature. This river served as the source for irrigation in olden days. The Tamil poetry Pattina Palai of the Sangam age of Tamil, spoke about the Kaveri river as the river that does not dries and falls off.

Dams across river Kaveri

            There are many Dams constructed across this Kaveri river. They are Amaravathi Dam, Krishna Raja sagar Dam in Mandya, Mettur Dam, Kallani Dam and the Upper Dam in Tamil Nadu. The first hydroelectric Dam in Asia was constructed on the Sivanasamudra waterfalls on the river Kaveri.

Uses of Kaveri

  • This river Kaveri provides the water for irrigation to large number of agricultural lands.
  • The river Kaveri is considered to be the goddess and life stream for the farmers in Poompuhar region, the place where it drains into the sea.
  • Then this river provides the water for the household consumption and  the power generation.
  • Many lakhs of people are dependent on the Kaveri river for drinking purpose.

Sharing of  Kaveri water

  • On 16th February 2018, the Supreme Court of India ordered the sharing of water as 404.25 tmc ft, 284.75 tmc ft for Tamil Nadu, 30 tmc ft for Kerala and 7tmc ft for Puducherry.
  • The other 4tmc ft would be reserved for the inevitable wastage and the 10 tmc ft for the Environmental Protection.

Things to be noted to save the river water

  •  Everyone must plant more trees near the river bed to avoid the soil erosion.
  • Next a proper sewage treatment must be done regularly to protect the river water.
  • All the people residing near the river and the others must be aware of protecting the river.
  • All of them near the river must maintain a self – hygiene.
  • To save the river, people must only use the recycled products by avoiding the plastics.
  • Then people must use only minimum water to save the underground water.

Things not to be done to save the water

  • No one must steal the sand illegally from the river to save the river.
  • Do not let anyone or yourself to dump the plastics and the insecticides.
  • The officials must not allow the harmful industries near the river area.

Flowing state: Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Flow area: 765Km (source to sea)

Origin Place: Brahmagiri Hills, Kodugu, Karnataka.