CAUVERY - GEOGRAPHY
News: Tamil
Nadu flags shortage in its share of Cauvery water
What's in the news?
● Objecting
to the deficit in its share of water received from Karnataka, the Tamil Nadu
government wrote to the Cauvery Water
Management Authority (CWMA) flagging the issue and seeking directions to
the neighbouring State to release Tamil Nadu’s actual share for July as per the
schedule.
Key takeaways:
● The
Tamil Nadu government would block the efforts to construct a dam across the
Cauvery at Mekedatu by placing
strong arguments when the cases relating to this issue come up for hearing in
the Supreme Court.
Cauvery River:
● It
is known as ‘Ponni’ in Tamil also known as Ganga
of the south, and it is the fourth largest river of southern India.
● It
is a sacred river of southern India.
Origin:
● Originates
from Talakaveri in the Western Ghats, Karnataka.
● It
rises on Brahmagiri Hill of the Western Ghats in southwestern Karnataka state,
flows in a southeasterly direction through the states of Karnataka and Tamil
Nadu, and descends the Eastern Ghats
in a series of great falls and drains
into Bay of Bengal through Pondicherry.
Stats:
● Covers
a total length of approximately 805 kilometers.
● The
river basin spans an area of around 81,155 square kilometers.
States located in the basin:
● Cauvery
river basin is spread in the states of Karnataka,
Tamil Nadu, Kerala and the Union Territory of Puducherry.
Tributaries:
● Left bank -
Harangi, Hemavathi, Shimsa, Arkavathi
● Right bank - Lakshmana
Theertha, Kabini, Suvarnavathi, Bhavani, Noyyal, Amaravati.
Cities located:
● Mysuru
● Srirangapatna
● Shivanasamudra
● Sivasamudram
● Mettur
● Erode
● Karur
● Thanjavur
● Kumbakonam
Other Key Features:
● Features
captivating waterfalls like Shivanasamudra
Falls.
● Forms the fertile Cauvery
delta, known as the “Rice Bowl of Tamil Nadu".
● Numerous
reservoirs and dams constructed along the river, such as Krishna Raja Sagara,
Kabini, Mettur, and Stanley Reservoir.
● Supports
diverse ecosystems and a wide range of wildlife, including elephants, tigers,
crocodiles, and various bird species.