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Rivers of Karnataka

Presentation · September 2022

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.32190.77124

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 Rivers of
Karnataka

K.Ganesha Raj
Bengaluru
 What is a River?
• Naturally flowing water along a course/path fairly
big one and flows for long distance
• Smaller water course is called – Stream, many
streams join together to make a river
• It originates normally from mountains, hills, lakes
and glaciers
• Flows down slope and joins other river, lake, sea
• Some rivers flow through out the year – perennial
ones; some flow mainly during rainy season – non
perennial seasonal rivers.
 Tributaries

River

River System
 Kaveri River

Tanks

KRS
Trans
boundary
Basins of India

Source:
WRIS Data
base
Rivers of Karnataka
There are seven river systems in Karnataka they are Krishna, Kaveri, North &
South Pennar, Godavari, Palar and West Flowing rivers (like Nethravathi, Kali,
Sharavathi )which with their tributaries, drain the state.
Rivers Systems of Karnataka
Sl. No. River System Drainage Area

1000 Sq. km Percentage

1. Godavari 4.41 2.31

2. Krishna 113.29 59.48

3. Kaveri 34.27 17.99

4. North Pennar 6.94 3.64

5. South Pennar 4.37 2.29

6. Palar 2.97 1.56

7. West Flowing Rivers 24.25 12.73

Total 190.50 100

Source: Waterresources
.kar.nic.in
KRISHNA RIVER
• Major part of Karnataka is drained by
Krishna River. With its tributaries like Bhima,
Tungabhadra, Malaprabha, Ghataprabha, it
covers around 60% of state area in the
norther part of Karanataka.
• It is an Inter-State river, second largest river
in Peninsular India, rises in the Western
Ghats at an altitude of 1337 m. near
Mahabaleshwar in Maharashtra State.
• It flows across the whole width of the
peninsula, from west to east, for a length of
about 1400 km, through Maharashtra,
Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
• Joins Bay of Bengal near Hamsaladeevi, AP
• The entire catchment area of Krishna basin is
2,58,948 sq km. including the other states,
and its catchment in the State is 113,271 Sq.
Km
Satellite Image of Krishna Basin
Krishna River Basin
 Kaveri River
• The river Kaveri is an Inter-State river .
• Kaveri River rises at Talakaveri on the
Brahmagiri Range of Hill in the Western
Ghats, in Kodagu district, at an elevation of
1,341m (4,400 ft.) above mean sea level.
• The catchment area of Kaveri Basin
is 81,155 sq. km. including the other basin
states .The principal tributaries of Kaveri in
Karnataka are the Harangi, the Hemavathy,
the Lakshmanathirtha, the Kabini, the
Shimsha, the Arkavathi and the
Suvarnavathy.
• Joins Bay of Bengal near Pumphuar,TN
Land Use/Cover in
Kaveri Basin
 Kaveri River Basin

Source:WRIS
Rivers Originating from Nandi Hills
6 rivers originate —
• Arkavathi (193 Km)
• Chitravathi (205 Km)
• Papagni (126 Km)
• Uttara Pinakini or Pennar (597 Km)
• Dakshina Pinakini or Ponnaiyar (497 Km)
• Palar (348 Km)

Mostly Non-Perennial Rivers

Nandi Hills in 1984

Source:
Google Earth
Nandi Hills in 2020
Nandi Hills with
Streams/Rivers

Source:
Bhuvan
Arkavathi River – Origin,
Sangama and Polluted
Vrishabhavathi

Source: Internet
Streams/Rivers

Source:
Bhuvan
Pennar
Basin

Utkuru,
Nellore

Source: WRIS
Satellite
Image of
Pennar Basin

Source: WRIS
Pennar Basin

Source: WRIS
Palar & Ponnaiyar
River Basins

Source: WRIS
 Rivers – What’s happening?
• Pollution
• Encroachment
• Drying
• Diversion
• …………
 Pollution Assessment by CPCB
- Assessment of 521 Rivers across country found that 323
rivers have polluted stretches
- Discharge of Sewage and Industrial Waste is the main
reason
- All major rivers; Ganga, Yamuna, Bramhaputra, Godavari,
Narmada, Krishna, Kaveri are polluted.
- Times of India June 11, 2022
 Study of Kaveri River Pollution Using Geospatial Techniques
Krishna Raj Sagar (KRS) Dam to Sathyagala
(60 km stretch of Kaveri River in Karnataka)
• Impact of urbanization, industrialization and
agriculture on river pollution
• Satellite image of 1990 & 2019 used to map
growth of urban areas and change in land use
• River water samples collected and analyzed
• Available water quality infn from CPCB
• Increase in BOD and Coliform bacteria
observed Cities in Study Area (Landsat-5, Feb 1990)
Change Analysis

River near
Karekura
Village
Pollution Measuring Points (LISS-IV, Feb 2019)

Population
Growth
Sewage 11.33 to
entering River 12.78L
near Bannur
Source: RRSC-South
Lakes and Drainages Varthur Watershed - 1965
Lakes and Drainages Varthur Watershed - 2015
 1965
Inventory of
Bengaluru
lakes using
Multi date
satellite
data
Corona
484

2017

Systematic inventory
of lakes and
drainage patterns of
Bengaluru using
historical satellite
data, cadastral maps
and ancillary data
Carto+LISS4
407 Source: RRSC-South
SPATIO-TEMPORAL CHANGES Within City FROM 2017 OVER 1965

Changes in Stream Changes in Lakes

Length of Stream network in 1965 - 1647.5 km Length of Existing lakes - 407

Stream network in 2017 - 1295.1 km Converted lakes - 87
Loss of Stream length - 325.24 km New Lakes - 10

Source: RRSC-South
 Vrishabhavathi Valley
Lakes CHANGES IN LAKES AND DRAINAGE
SPATIO-TEMPORAL DrainagePATTERNS
pattern

Source: RRSC-South
Spatio-Temporal Changes In Lakes - Highlights
Hennur Kere Kempambudi Kere

Challagatta Kere Gunjur Kere

Agara Kere
Bellekenehalli/Lingaaina kere

Source: RRSC-South
What We Can Do?
…………….
 Thank You

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