Arkavathi
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Overview
The Arkavathi is a tributary of the Kaveri that rises in the Nandi Hills area north of Bengaluru and flows south to join the Kaveri near Kanakapura.
For a long time it fed reservoirs that supplied Bengaluru, such as Hesaraghatta and Thippagondanahalli. Urban growth, sand mining and over-use of groundwater have left the river with very little flow for much of the year.
Studies of the Arkavathi are often used to show how falling groundwater tables can cut off the base flow that keeps a river alive between monsoons.
Geography and key facts
- Left-bank tributary of the Kaveri, Karnataka
- Rises near the Nandi Hills, north of Bengaluru
- Joins the Kaveri near Kanakapura
- Reservoirs: Hesaraghatta, Thippagondanahalli
Why it matters for UPSC
Useful as a case study of an urban river under stress for GS-3 (water management). Learn the Kaveri tributaries by bank.
Note for UPSC
A Kaveri tributary near Bengaluru.
Prelims asks about tributaries, the states a river flows through, its basin and the projects on it, so trace the course on the map.
Asked in PYQs
No question in our Prelims bank names Arkavathi yet.
Key facts
- Type
- River
- State / UT
- Karnataka
- River system
- Peninsular
- Basin
- Kaveri
- Extent on map
- 12.3°–13.1°N, 77.3°–77.5°E
From the Map Explorer data; positions are for orientation.
In the lessons
- Physical Features and Drainage of India (map lesson)
- Drainage Systems of India: Himalayan and Peninsular Rivers (map lesson)