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'''Gundia River''' is a [[Strahler stream order|second order tributary]] of the [[Netravathi river]] in the state of [[Karnataka]] in [[southern India]]. A proposal by the [[Government of Karnataka]] to build a [[Hydroelectric power in India|hydroelectric project]] across the river and its [[tributary]] streams has generated controversy and opposition from environmentalists.

== River Basin ==
The Gundia river is a tributary of the [[Kumaradhara River|Kumaradhara river]] which in turn flows into the Netravathi. The Gundia's [[headstream]]s include the Yettinahole, Kerihole, Hongadahalla and Bettakumbri streams and the river basin straddles the districts of [[Dakshina Kannada]] and [[Hassan district|Hassan]].<ref name="intach">{{cite web|title=Expert panel against Gundia project|url=http://www.intach.org/heritage-alerts-jan2012.asp?links=tb3|publisher=INTACH|accessdate=25 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131226075221/http://www.intach.org/heritage-alerts-jan2012.asp?links=tb3|archive-date=26 December 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last=Dudani|first=Sumesh|title=BIODIVERSITY, ECOLOGY AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC ASPECTS OF GUNDIA RIVER BASIN|journal=Lake 2010: Wetlands, Biodiversity and Climate Change|date=December 2010|url=https://www.academia.edu/1434374/BIODIVERSITY_ECOLOGY_AND_SOCIO-ECONOMIC_ASPECTS_OF_GUNDIA_RIVER_BASIN?login=&email_was_taken=true|accessdate=25 December 2013}}</ref>

== Biodiversity ==
The Gundia river basin is part of the [[Western Ghats]] and is extremely rich in [[biodiversity]]. There are 239 plant species in the area including 119 tree species across several vegetation types including [[Tropical evergreen forest|tropical evergreen]] and semi-evergreen forests, [[Deciduous forest|moist deciduous forests]], [[Scrubland|scrub jungles]], grasslands and riparian vegetation. The Kaginahara and Kempahole Reserve Forests lie in the Gundia basin.<ref name="wgbis">{{cite web|title=Biodiversity, Ecology and Socio-Economic Aspects of Gundia River Basin in the context of proposed Mega Hydro Electric Power Project|url=http://wgbis.ces.iisc.ernet.in/biodiversity/pubs/ces_tr/TR122/section2.htm|accessdate=25 December 2013}}</ref><ref name="indiatogether">{{cite news|title=Criticism rising on Karnataka's Gundia project|url=http://www.indiatogether.org/2009/dec/env-gundia.htm|accessdate=25 December 2013|newspaper=India Together|date=25 December 2009}}</ref>

The Kempahole region is classified as one of the [[Important Bird Area]]s of India according to the [[Bombay Natural History Society]] and the International Bird Conservation Network.<ref name="indiatogether" /> Some of the rare and [[endemic species]] found in the Gundia basin include the [[Travancore flying squirrel]], the [[Malabar pied hornbill]], [[lion-tailed macaque]], [[slender loris]] and the critically endangered frog species ''[[Indirana gundia]]'' which has been named after the former [[Prime Minister of India|Prime Minister]] [[Indira Gandhi]] and Gundia, the only place where it is found.<ref name="indiatogether" /><ref>{{cite news|title=Hydel project across Gundia river finds no favour with expert panel|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/bangalore/report-hydel-project-across-gundia-river-finds-no-favour-with-expert-panel-1438691|accessdate=25 December 2013|newspaper=DNA|date=16 September 2010}}</ref> The basin has tigers and is also part of an elephant corridor that links the [[Bisle reserve forest]] with the [[Mysore Elephant Reserve]].<ref name="wgbis" />

== Gundia hydropower project ==
Gundia hydropower project is to be built by the [[Karnataka Power Corporation]] and aims to generate 400 MW of hydropower in two phases. Besides the generation of electricity, the project also envisages the diversion of waters to the [[Tumkur district|Tumkur]], [[Kolar district|Kolar]], [[Chikballapur District|Chikballapur]] and [[Bangalore Rural district]]s for irrigation.<ref>{{cite news|title=Another Dam Threat To The Western Ghats|url=http://www.tehelka.com/another-dam-threat-to-the-western-ghats/|accessdate=25 December 2013|newspaper=Tehelka|date=2 November 2011}}</ref> The proposal however has run into opposition from local farmers and environmentalists with the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel headed by [[Madhav Gadgil]] recommending that the project be scrapped.<ref name="intach" />

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{coord missing|Karnataka}}

[[Category:Rivers of Karnataka]]
[[Category:Geography of Dakshina Kannada district]]
[[Category:Geography of Hassan district]]
[[Category:Rivers of India]]

Gundia River - Revision history

>InternetArchiveBot at 21:12, 4 January 2020