Krishna Raja Sagar Dam | 16 Mar 2020
Why in News
The water level in the Krishna Raja Sagar (KRS) Dam in Mandya district (Karnataka) is coming down rapidly owing to the increase in the evaporation rate and the decrease in the inflows as a result of summer.
Key Points
- The Krishna Raja Sagar Dam was built across river Kaveri for the Mysore and Mandya districts in Karnataka in 1932.
- The dam is named for the then ruler of the Mysore Kingdom, Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV.
- The Dam is the creation of one of the greatest engineers that India had produced, Sir M. Vishweshwaraiah. His birthday, 15th September is celebrated as Engineers day.
- The reservoir is also the main source of drinking water for all of Mysore city and almost the whole of Bangalore.
- The water released from this dam is further used as an important source of water in the state of Tamil Nadu.
Kaveri River
- Source: The river rises on Brahmagiri Hill of the Western Ghats in southwestern Karnataka.
- Drainage Basin: It flows in a southeasterly direction through the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, and descends the Eastern Ghats in a series of great falls. Before emptying into the Bay of Bengal south of Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu, the river breaks into a large number of distributaries forming a wide delta called the “garden of southern India.”
- Tributaries: Arkavathi, Hemavathi, Lakshmana Theertha, Shimsa, Kabini and Harangi.