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'''Gangamoola''' is a hill in the [[Chikkamagaluru district]] of the state of [[Karnataka]], [[India]]. Also known as '''Varaha Parvata''', it is one of the hills in the [[Western Ghats]] range and is known for being the source of three rivers, [[Tunga River|Tunga]], [[Bhadra River|Bhadra]] and [[Netravathi River|Netravathi]].<ref name="src">{{cite web|url=http://chickmagalur.nic.in/htmls/tour_km.htm|work=Online webpage of the District of Chikkamagaluru near to shimoga city|title=Kudremukh|access-date=2007-08-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927030421/http://chickmagalur.nic.in/htmls/tour_km.htm|archive-date=2007-09-27|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Geography==
Gangamoola is a part of the Gangamoola-Aroli-Gangrikal range of [[Western Ghats]].<ref name="ran">{{cite web|url=http://www.deccanherald.com/Archives/dec62005/spectrum113312005125.asp |title=Can the differences be ironed out? |author=Jayalakshmi K |work=Online Edition of The Hindu, dated 2005-12-06 |access-date=2007-08-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929103116/http://www.deccanherald.com/Archives/dec62005/spectrum113312005125.asp |archive-date=2007-09-29 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Having an altitude of 1458 meters above sea level, the hill is within the boundaries of the [[Kudremukh National Park]].<ref name="hgh">{{cite web|title=Upland paddies, Soppina Bettas and Multi-storeyed horticulture: an agro-ecosystem to preserve|url=ftp://ftp.fao.org/SD/SDA/GIAHS/ATREE_GIAHS_soppina_bettas_proposal.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170518140133/ftp://ftp.fao.org/SD/SDA/GIAHS/ATREE_GIAHS_soppina_bettas_proposal.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=2017-05-18|work=Online webpage of FAO|access-date=2007-08-28}}</ref> The hill is thickly forested and receives an annual rainfall of 575 cm.<ref name="rain">{{cite web|title=Impact of Iron Ore Mining in Kudremukh on Bhadra River Ecosystem |author1=Jagdish Krishnaswamy |author2=Vishal K Mehta |author3=Milind Bunyan |author4=Narendra Patil |author5=S. Naveenkumar |url=http://www.wcsindia.org/sedimentreport.pdf |work=Online webpage of Wildlife Conservation Society, India |access-date=2007-08-28 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041015130926/http://www.wcsindia.org/sedimentreport.pdf |archive-date=October 15, 2004 }}</ref> The area in the vicinity of the hill is rich in [[magnetite]]-[[quartzite]] deposits which yield iron ore.<ref name="ran"/>

==Biodiversity==
Gangamoola is a part of the [[Kudremukh]] biodiversity sub-cluster of the Western Ghats which has been nominated to receive the designation of a [[World Heritage Site]] by [[UNESCO]].<ref name="unesco">{{cite web|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/2103/|title=Western Ghats (sub cluster nomination)|work=Online webpage of [[UNESCO]] World Heritage Centre|publisher=1992-2007 [[UNESCO]] World Heritage Centre|access-date=2007-08-28}}</ref> A survey conducted by the ornithologist Davidar in 1980 recorded 107 species of birds in the Kudremukh-Aroli-Gangamoola tract.<ref name="ff">{{cite web|url=http://wiienvis.nic.in/rain_forest/chapter12.htm |author=A K Chakravarthy |title=Status and Conservation of Bird Diversity in Western Ghats of Karnataka, South India |work=Online webpage of Wildlife Institute of India |access-date=2007-08-28 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928171154/http://wiienvis.nic.in/rain_forest/chapter12.htm |archive-date=2007-09-28 }}</ref> The presence of a large number of bird species is due to trees like ''[[Myristica dactyloides]]'' that are favoured by birds.<ref name="ff"/>

==Origin of rivers==
[[Image:Tunga.jpg|200px|right|thumb|[[Tunga River]], which originates at Gangamoola]]
Gangamoola is the origin of three rivers, Tunga, Bhadra and Netravathi.

;Tunga
From its origin, the Tunga flows in a north-easterly direction passing the towns of [[Sringeri]], [[Thirthahalli]] and [[Shimoga]]. A dam has been constructed across it at [[Gajanur, Shimoga|Gajanur]]. After covering a total distance of 147 km, it joins the Bhadra at [[Koodli]] near Shivamogga and forms the [[Tungabhadra]] river.<ref name="org">{{cite web|url=http://www.irrigation.ap.gov.in/volume1.pdf |work=Online webpage of the Irrigation Department of Andhra Pradesh |title=The report of the Krishna Water disputes Tribunal |access-date=2007-08-28 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071023065527/http://www.irrigation.ap.gov.in/volume1.pdf |archive-date=2007-10-23 }}</ref>

;Bhadra
From its origin, the Bhadra river first flows east and then north-east passing the town of [[Bhadravathi, Karnataka|Bhadravathi]]. After travelling a distance of 178 km, it joins the Tunga at Koodli.<ref name="org"/>

;Netravathi
From its origin, the Netravathi flows west, passing the towns of [[Dharmasthala]] and [[Mangalore]] before joining the [[Arabian Sea]].

==Issues==

===Iron ore mining===
Iron ore was being mined in this area by the [[Kudremukh Iron Ore Company|Kudremukh Iron Ore Company Ltd]] (KIOCL) despite the area being part of a [[national park]]. Environmentalists raised concerns about this, since they felt that the mining was disturbing the sensitive ecological balance in the region and also polluting the rivers, mainly the river Bhadra. The [[Supreme Court of India]] gave a ruling that the company should stop its mining operations and, in accordance with that decision, the mining was stopped on December 31, 2005.<ref name="min">{{cite web |author1= Ravi Sharma |title= Waiting for a miracle |url= http://www.flonnet.com/fl2301/stories/20060127004103200.htm |date= 14 January 2006 |website= Frontline |publisher= The Hindu |access-date= 19 January 2017 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070704014720/http://www.flonnet.com/fl2301/stories/20060127004103200.htm |archive-date= 4 July 2007}}</ref>

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}
{{Western Ghats}}

[[Category:Hills of Karnataka]]
[[Category:Geography of Chikkamagaluru district]]

Gangamoola - Revision history

2601:240:CD0A:515F:A5CC:5B66:7D23:C1D2 at 15:35, 2 January 2022