Tungabhadra river: Origin, course, dam project and inter-State water sharing explained
The Tungabhadra takes its name from two streams, as it is formed by the confluence of the Tunga, about 147 km long, and the Bhadra
The Tungabhadra takes its name from two streams, as it is formed by the confluence of the Tunga, about 147 km long, and the Bhadra, about 178 km long, both of which rise in the Western Ghats. River origin and course The river, formed near Shivamogga in Karnataka, flows for about 531 km before joining the Krishna at Sangamaleshwaram in Andhra Pradesh. The combined waters then flow eastwards and enter the Bay of Bengal at Hamsaladeevi. Of its total course, 382 km lies in Karnataka, 58 km forms the boundary between Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, and 91 km flows through Andhra Pradesh. The river is largely dependent on the south-west monsoon.
Tungabhadra reservoir project The Tungabhadra dam, an inter-State project involving Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, was commissioned in the early 1950s, with crest gates installed in 1955. The project irrigates more than 16.38 lakh acres, including 9.26 lakh acres in Karnataka, 6.25 lakh acres in Andhra Pradesh and 87,000 acres in Telangana. The reservoir is regarded as the lifeline of north Karnataka and parts of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. It supports extensive agricultural command areas, with millions of farmers depending on the Left Bank Canal, the Right Bank Canal and their distributaries for irrigation. Several towns and cities also rely on it for drinking water supply. Tungabhadra Board The Tungabhadra Board oversees the inter-State project involving Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana, with the objective of harnessing the river’s waters for irrigation, hydro-electric power generation, fisheries and tourism.
Its principal functions include regulating water supplies to the member States in accordance with the directions of the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal, as well as maintaining the dam and reservoir. Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal The Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal was constituted by the Union Government on April 10, 1969, to adjudicate disputes relating to the Krishna river and its tributaries, including the Tungabhadra. It issued directions on the sharing of water between Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, particularly with regard to utilisation at the Tungabhadra dam. The tribunal also examined the need for the Tungabhadra Board and held that it should continue to manage works common to the two States until an alternative control mechanism is put in place.
Water sharing among the States In 1976, the tribunal fixed the sharing of water, including losses, in the ratio of 65:35 between Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. It also determined releases into the river course and the Vijayanagar canals. Although the original capacity of the dam was 134 tmcft, the tribunal allocated 230 tmcft for utilisation, including 18 tmcft towards evaporation losses, taking into account that the reservoir typically fills twice in a year.
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