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Aghanashini-Vedavathi river-linking proposal in focus
ଖବରରେ କାହିଁକି?
Which river does the Vedavathi feed? The Aghanashini link question Karnataka rivers papers love to test
The proposed link would divert water from the west-flowing Aghanashini towards the Vedavathi, a Tungabhadra tributary.
Why it matters: asked in UPSC 2016; factual, Prelims-type; Karnataka-specific
What you need to know
2 ମିନିଟ
The proposed Aghanashini-Vedavathi river-linking project envisages diverting water from the Aghanashini, a west-flowing river of Uttara Kannada that drains into the Arabian Sea, towards the Vedavathi basin in central Karnataka.
The Vedavathi is a tributary of the Tungabhadra.
ଉତ୍ସ: Topper IAS editorial (PIB / The Hindu / Indian Express)
ମୁଖ୍ୟ ତଥ୍ୟ
Remember these
- The Aghanashini is a west-flowing river of Uttara Kannada that drains into the Arabian Sea.
- The proposed link would divert its water towards the Vedavathi basin in central Karnataka.
- The Vedavathi is formed by the Veda and Avathi streams and is a tributary of the Tungabhadra.
- The Tungabhadra is a major tributary of the Krishna.
- West-flowing rivers of Karnataka drain into the Arabian Sea, while the Vedavathi flows east.
ପ୍ରିଲିମ୍ସ · ମେନ୍ସ
How the exam will ask it
ପ୍ରିଲିମ୍ସ
- The Aghanashini is a west-flowing river that drains into the Arabian Sea, whereas the Vedavathi flows eastwards.
- The Vedavathi is a tributary of the Tungabhadra, which in turn joins the Krishna.
- River-linking proposals aim to transfer water from a water-surplus basin to a water-deficit basin.
ମେନ୍ସ
GS Paper 1 (Indian geography) and GS Paper 3 (irrigation, infrastructure, environment). Issue: diverting a west-flowing river of the Western Ghats towards the drier central Karnataka basin. Policy: inter-basin transfers must weigh water needs against ecological costs to the Ghats, forests and downstream livelihoods. Way forward: careful environmental and hydrological assessment, consultation with local communities, and exploring decentralised options such as watershed management and groundwater recharge.
PYQ connection
A question UPSC has already asked on this
Recently, linking of which of the following rivers was undertaken?
- Cauvery and Tungabhadra
- Godavari and Krishna
- Mahanadi and Sone
- Narmada and Tapti
ଉତ୍ତର ଦେଖନ୍ତୁ
ଉତ୍ତର: B
Why this matters: today's issue is directly connected to a concept UPSC has already tested. Read the story with this question in mind.
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Answer before you reveal
The Vedavathi river, which figures in the proposed river-linking project with the Aghanashini, is a tributary of which river?
- Kaveri
- Bhima
- Tungabhadra
- Hemavathi
ଉତ୍ତର ଦେଖନ୍ତୁ
ଉତ୍ତର: C — The correct answer is Tungabhadra. The Vedavathi, formed by the Veda and Avathi streams, flows east and joins the Tungabhadra.
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