BernardoWebb158 at 11:55, 29 March 2026

2026-03-29T11:55:19Z

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{{Short description|River in India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=April 2018}}
{{Infobox river
| name = Arkavathi River
| name_nativg
e =
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| image = Tippagondanahalli-dam.jpg
| image_size =
| image_caption = Tippagondanahalli Reservoir
| map =
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| subdivision_type1 = Country
| subdivision_name1 = [[India]]
| subdivision_type2 = State
| subdivision_name2 = [[Karnataka]]
| subdivision_type3 = District
| subdivision_name3 = [[Chikkaballapur]], [[Bangalore Rural district|Bengaluru Rural]], [[Bengaluru Urban]], [[Ramanagara]]
| subdivision_type4 =
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|length_km=190|length_ref=approx.
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| source1 = [[Nandi Hills, India|Nandi Hills]]
| source1_location = [[Chikkaballapura district|Chikkaballapur]], [[Karnataka]], [[India]]
| source1_coordinates= {{Coord|13.368689|N|77.681335|E|display=inline}}
| source1_elevation = {{convert|1478|m|ft|abbr=on}} approx.
| source2 =
| source2_location =
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| mouth = [[Kaveri River]]
| mouth_location = Sangama River Point, [[Ramanagara]], [[India]]
| mouth_coordinates = {{coord|12.287986|N|77.432141|E|display=inline}}
| mouth_elevation = {{convert|440|m|ft|abbr=on}} approx.
| progression =
| river_system =
| basin_size =
| tributaries_right = [[Kumudvathi River|Kumudvathi]]
| tributaries_left = {{plainlist|
* [[Vrishabhavathi River|Vrishabhavathi]]
* [[Suvarnamukhi River|Suvarnamukhi]]
* [[Antharamukhi River|Antharamukhi]]
* [[Devamukhi River|Devamukhi]]
}}
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The '''Arkavathi''' is an important mountain river in [[Karnataka]], India, originating at [[Nandi Hills, India|Nandi Hills]] of [[Chikkaballapura district]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=S |first=Shridhar |date=2026-02-08 |title=Why water woes dog Nandi Hills region though 5 rivers originate there |url=https://thefederal.com/category/states/south/karnataka/water-nandi-hills-5-rivers-kolar-bengaluru-chikkaballapur-229009 |access-date=2026-03-29 |website=thefederal.com |language=en}}</ref> It is a tributary of the [[Kaveri]], which it joins at 34 km south of [[Kanakapura]], [[Ramanagara District]] called [[Sangama]] in Kannada, after flowing through [[Ramanagara]] and Kanakapura.

The river drains into the Chikkarayappanahalli Lake near [[Kanivenarayanapura]]. Kumudavathi and [[Vrishabhavati River|Vrishabhavathi]] rivers are tributaries to this river. It forms ''Chunchi falls'' near Haroshivanahalli. It joins [[Kavery river]] as a tributary near [[Mekedatu]].

==Course==
The river originates in the Nandi Hills<ref name=":0" /> in the Chikkaballapura district and flows through Ramanagara and Kanakapura before it eventually drains into the Chikkarayappanahalli Lake near Kanivenarayanapura. Stretchinig 53 km from Nandi Hills to TG halli,<ref>{{Cite web |date=10 June 2025 |title=Expert committee to drive Arkavati river rejuvenation |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/bangalore/expert-committee-to-drive-arkavati-river-rejuvenation/article69680010.ece |access-date=29 March 2026 |website=The Hindu}}</ref> the Arkavati joins the Kaveri river around 34 km south of [[Kanakapura]] in the Ramanagara District. The river has three tributaries; [[Kumudavathi River]], Suvarnamukhi River, and [[Vrishabhavathi River]].

[[File:Source of Arkavathy River.jpg|thumb|left|150px|Source of Arkavathy River at Nandi Hills]]

== History ==
The river has historically been used as a source of drinking water in Banglore and the surrounding regions.

=== Kingdom of Mysore Period===
In 1891, when Bangalore had a population of just 180,000 people, the then [[List of Diwans of Mysore|dewan of Mysore]], [[K. Seshadri Iyer]] realized the lack of a dedicated water source for the city and took up the construction of the Chamarajendra Waterworks at [[Hesaraghatta]] across the river. The reservoir was designed to supply water for up to 250,000 people. By 1918, the population of the city had already reached 250,000 and the reservoir was running dry. The [[M. Visvesvaraya|Sir M Visvesvaraya]] committee recommended the construction of Tippagondanahalli reservoir which was commissioned in 1933. The first stage was designed to provide a daily supply of 27 million liters per day (MLD) of water for a population of 300,000. However, even this was not enough and, so, modifications were made to cater to the population of one million in 1956. Eventually, the Chamaraja Sagar reservoir was insufficient and the government had to turn to the [[Kaveri]] to fulfill the water needs of Bangalore.<ref name="bm">{{cite web |url=https://bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com/bangalore/cover-story/a-river-runs-through-it-long-lost-arkavathi-is-born-again/articleshow/60469645.cms|title=A River runs through it: Long lost Arkavathi is born again |access-date=2020-06-25}}</ref>

=== Decline in 1980s ===
It has been widely agreed upon that the destruction of the Arkavathi came about in the 1980s. This was a time when Bengaluru was urbanizing rapidly, which not only increased the demand for drinking water but also created scarcity for manual labor in the peripheral areas. As a result, the cost of labor went up. Added to this, the demand for firewood went up and as part of social forestry, the forest department distributed free eucalyptus seedlings to farmers. [[Eucalyptus]] is a water-intensive tree that uses up a large quantity of groundwater. This, in turn, reduced the groundwater levels in the catchment areas of the river and severely affected the water flow.<ref name="bm" />

=== Efforts at Rejuvenation ===
In 2005, the Arkavathy-Kumudvati River Rejuvenation Committee was formed to rejuvenate the river. But there were no further steps taken except forming the committee.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.deccanherald.com/city/funds-ready-city-rivers-720745.html|title=Funds for city rivers' revival, but no concrete plan|access-date=2020-06-25}}</ref> The [[Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board]] (BWSSB) attempted to purify the river through aerator systems to increase dissolved oxygen and a series of plants that remove pollutants and also to reduce the inflow of sewage into T.G. Halli.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/despite-rain-where-is-the-arkavathi/article19711198.ece|title=Despite rain, where is river Arkavathi?|access-date=2020-06-25}}</ref>
<ref>{{cite web|url=https://kannada.news18.com/news/state/arkavati-river-full-flow-after-10-years-atvr-mrq-815709.html|title= Flood in Arkavathy River|access-date= 8 August 2022}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Ponnaiyar River]]
* [[Palar River]]
* [[Vrishabhavathi River]]
* [[Hesaraghatta Lake]]
* [[Thippagondanahalli Reservoir]]

==References==
{{commons category|Arkavati River}}
{{reflist}}

{{Kaveri River}}
{{Hydrology of Karnataka|state=expanded}}

[[Category:Tributaries of the Kaveri River]]

Arkavathi River - Revision history

BernardoWebb158 at 11:55, 29 March 2026