Markandeya is a river of southern
India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
. It rises in the
Bailur in
Khanapur
Khanapur known as Khanapura is a panchayat town in Belagavi district, Karnataka, India. It is about 26 km from Belagavi, the administrative capital of the district. The Khanapur Municipal Council governs the town. Khanapur is the headquar ...
Taluk of
Belgaum district
Belagavi district, formerly also known as Belgaum district, is a district in the state of Karnataka, India. The district is known as the sugar bowl of Karnataka with hectares being used for commercial production. It has overtaken Mandya distri ...
,
Karnataka
Karnataka ( ) is a States and union territories of India, state in the southwestern region of India. It was Unification of Karnataka, formed as Mysore State on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, States Re ...
state, enters Belagavi taluk on southern side and flows towards western side of the
Belagavi
Belgaum (Kannada ISO 15919, ISO: ''Bēḷagāma'', ), officially known as Belagavi (also Belgaon), is a city in the Indian state of Karnataka located near its northern western border in the Western Ghats. It is the administrative headquarters ...
city and flows in
Belgaum district
Belagavi district, formerly also known as Belgaum district, is a district in the state of Karnataka, India. The district is known as the sugar bowl of Karnataka with hectares being used for commercial production. It has overtaken Mandya distri ...
forming beautiful
Godchinamalaki Falls (near
Gokak Falls) before reaching its confluence with the
Ghataprabha River
The Ghataprabha river in India is an important right-bank tributary of the Krishna River and flows eastward for a distance of 283 kilometers before its confluence with the Krishna River at Chikksangam. The river basin is 8,829 square kilometers ...
at
Gokak
Gokak or Gōkāka is a taluka headquarters in the Belagavi district of Karnataka state, India. It is located around 70 km from Belagavi at the confluence of the Ghataprabha and Markandeya rivers. The population of the city is approx 2530 ...
about from
Belgaum
Belgaum (Kannada ISO 15919, ISO: ''Bēḷagāma'', ), officially known as Belagavi (also Belgaon), is a city in the Indian state of Karnataka located near its northern western border in the Western Ghats. It is the administrative headquarters ...
.
Current State
At present, the Markandeya is filled with silt and bushes have grown along the banks. Besides, hundreds of farmers have constructed wells within the riparian bed to irrigate their crops during the summer. The silt formation has resulted in reduction of water storage capacity. Around two decades ago, the 70-km long river would flow throughout the year, but now it has turned into a rivulet. At Kangrali, the river is around 30 feet wide and just around 8 feet deep. The rejuvenation had already started from Rakasakopp reservoir, from where the river gets excess spill. The 24-km long stretch passing through Belagundi, Bijagarni, Sulaga and Uchagaon to be rejuvenated. Also encroachment is one of the problem for rejuvenation.
Dam
Government of Karnataka
The Government of Karnataka, abbreviated as GoK or GoKA, formerly known as Government of Mysore (1956–1974), is a democratically elected state body with the governor as the ceremonial head to govern the Southwest Indian state of Karnataka ...
is constructing an
irrigation
Irrigation (also referred to as watering of plants) is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow crops, landscape plants, and lawns. Irrigation has been a key aspect of agriculture for over 5,000 years and has bee ...
dam
A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, aqua ...
across Markandeya river at
Shirur, near
Hukkeri. Catchment area of the dam will be 432 Sq. km. Gross storage to be 3.7 Thousand Million Cubic Feet (TMC). For the construction of this dam, 898 hectares of land were to be acquired, out of which 142 hectares were forest area and 756 hectares cultivable land. Total 9 Villages were submerged which led 2258 people to vacate their land.
Bellary Nala
Bellary Nala is a tributary of Markandeya River, which converges near
Karaguppi in
Hukkeri Taluk ( from
Pachapur Railway Station) in
Belgaum district
Belagavi district, formerly also known as Belgaum district, is a district in the state of Karnataka, India. The district is known as the sugar bowl of Karnataka with hectares being used for commercial production. It has overtaken Mandya distri ...
.
[http://knnlindia.com/pdf/Annual%20Report%202017%20English%20with%20Photos.pdf BELLARY NALA PROJECT]
See also
*
Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal
The government of India constituted a common tribunal on 10 April 1969 to adjudicate the river water utilization disputes among the river basin states of Krishna and Godavari rivers under the provisions of Interstate River Water Disputes Act � ...
*
Krishna River
The Krishna River in the Deccan Plateau, Deccan plateau is the third-longest in India, after the Ganga, Ganga and Godavari. It is also the fourth-largest in terms of water inflows and river basin area in India, after the Ganga, Indus and Godav ...
*
Ghataprabha River
The Ghataprabha river in India is an important right-bank tributary of the Krishna River and flows eastward for a distance of 283 kilometers before its confluence with the Krishna River at Chikksangam. The river basin is 8,829 square kilometers ...
*
Godchinamalaki Falls
References
{{coord, 12, 28, 04, N, 80, 09, 16, E, region:IN_type:waterbody_source:kolossus-dewiki, display=title
Rivers of Karnataka