Detailed Krishna river [Map]

Krishna river | Krishna River Map

• The river Krishna finds its mention in Puranas as river Krsnavena, and river Kanhaperna in the Jatakas stories.
• Krishna river is the 2nd largest river of peninsular India,1st being Godavari river.
• River Krishna originates in the Western ghats at the Jor village of Maharashtra near Mahabaleshwar about 64 km from the Arabian Sea.
• It crosses entire peninsular width starting from western ghats and merging into Bay of Bengal.
• Total length= 1400 km
• Krishna river starts from Maharashtra then flowing through Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh it merges into Bay of Bengal.
• Krishna river basin is extensively used for agricultural purposes, almost 75% of its basin is agricultural land.
• Before merging into Bay of Bengal Krishna river forms a large delta which has now extended upto 35 km into the Bay of Bengal.
• The delta of river Krishna appears to be merging with that of river Godavari.

Basic Facts about Krishna River System

Download Krishna river Map

Krishna river tributaries

Major Tributaries of the Krishna River

Left bank tributaries

Three left bank tributaries will be discussed in this article

1. Bhima
2. Musi
3. Munneru

1. Bhima river

• Bhima river is also known as ChandraBhaga river.
• Bhima is the longest (largest is tungbhadra) tributary of the river Krishna.
• It originates at Bhimashankar hills in Pune district of Maharashtra.
• Bhima river flows for a length of 861 km through the states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Telangana, and then merges into river Krishna at Raichur in Karnataka.
• Bhima river have many tributaries such as Ghod, Sina, Awarja, Kagna, Nira, Mon etc.

2. Musi river

• Musi river originates at Ananthgiri hills and flows entirely in the State of Telangana before merging into Krishna river.
• Hyderabad is located on the banks of Musi river.
• Musi river joins river Krishna in Nalgonda district, Telangana.

The pollution in Musi River is a major concern for the people living in the surrounding areas, including Hyderabad and Secunderabad. The river water is contaminated and unsafe for human consumption and other activities.

3. Munneru river

• Munneru river is the last left bank tributary of river Krishna. It originates in Warangal district of Telangana and merges into the Krishna river.
• The Munneru river is named after Rishi Maudgalya, who is said to have created the river with his spiritual power and performed a penance ritual in Khammam.
• The Munneru originates near Mahabubabad town of Warangal District, Telangana. It covers Khammam District and Krishna District before merging with the Krishna river.

Right Bank tributaries

Three right bank tributaries will be discussed in this article

1. Ghatprabha
2. Malprabha
3. Tungbhadra

1. Ghatprabha river

• The Ghataprabha river originates in the Western Ghats and joins the Krishna river at Chikksangam in the State of Karnataka.
• The famous Gokak Falls, located in Belgaum, Karnataka on the Ghatprabha river, clashes over a 53 m high cliff.
• The Ghatprabha river arises 12 km away from Amboli, a popular hill station in Maharashtra. It forms a lake called Phatakwadi near Kolhapur.
• A dam has been built on the river near Kolhapur and there is a hydroelectric power plant generating around 13 MW.
• The river Tamiraparani joins the Ghatprabha River at the town of Daddi in Belgaum district.
• The Hidkal reservoir on the river is a source of irrigable water supply to the surrounding areas.
• Two of the main tributaries of the Ghatprabha River are the Hiranyakeshi River and the Markandeya River, which joins at the Gokak Falls.
• The Ghatprabha river eventually flows to merge with the Krishna River at the Almatti dam.

2. Malprabha river

• The Malprabha river originates at Kanakumbi in the Belgaum district of Karnataka.
• The Bennihala and Hirehala are the two main tributaries of the Malprabha river.
• The catchment area of the Malprabha river, covering 11,549 sq km, lies totally within the State of Karnataka.
• Flowing for 306 km, the Malprabha river originates in the Western Ghats at an elevation of about 792m.
• The river flows through the districts of Belgaum, Dharwad, Bijapur and Bagalkot in Karnataka.
• It joins the Krishna river at Kudal Sangam in the Bagalkot district of Karnataka, at an altitude of about 488m.

3. Tungabhadra river

• Tungbhadra is largest tributary of the river Krishna.
• It is formed by the confluence of river Tunga and river Bhadra.
• The river Tunga and Bhadra originates at Gangamula in Chikmagalur district in Karnataka near the origin of Nethravati river which flows into Arabian sea.
• The famous Hampi site (UNESCO World Heritage site) lies on the bank of river Tungbhadra.
• The famous Virupaksha temple also is on the banks of river Tungbhadra.
• The tributaries of river Tungbhadra are:
• Left bank: Tunga, Varada.
• Right bank: Bhadra, Vedavati, Hindri.
• Finally Tungbhadra merges into river Krishna in Andhra pradesh.

Tungabhadra Dam

Tungabhadra Dam, commonly known as Pampa Sagar, is a multifunctional dam located near Hosapete, Ballari district, Karnataka. Dr. Thirumalai Iyengar constructed it in 1953. The Tungabhadra reservoir has a storage capacity of 101 TMC (Thousand Million Cubic Feet) and a catchment area of 28000 square kilometres. It stands around 49.39 metres tall. 

Major Projects on Krishna River