Rivers of Kerala – Part I
Jan 2020|🟢Current|3 min read|43 entries
Key Takeaway
The entire Malabar coast is blessed by nature in abundance with its rivers, lakes, lagoons, long beaches, estuaries and backwaters.These incredibly beautiful formations are a result of its geograph...
Rivers of Kerala – Part I(43)
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| These incredibly beautiful formations are a result of its geographical location (Coastal Emergence | upward displacement of the land relative to sea level, ie, currently rising above sea level) andCoastal erosionor Marine erosion. The strong waves in the Arabian sea and southwest monsoon play an important part in the coastal erosion of the Kerala coast |
| According to the government of Kerala, a water body that is more than15 kmin length can be considered as a river.In that essence, there are 44 rivers in Kerala, of which 41 are west | flowing rivers and 3 are east–flowing rivers. The majority of these rivers originate from theSahyadri hillsin theWestern Ghatsand end up in the Arabian ocean |
| This is going to be a vast topic and a sure question for all PSC examinations, so we will have a detailed discussion on the topic in a two | part series |
| Basic FactsTotal No. of rivers in Kerala | 44 |
| West flowing rivers | 41 |
| East flowing rivers | 3(Kabani, Bhavani & Pambar) |
| Longest river in Kerala | Periyar(244 km) |
| Second | longest river –Bharathapuzha |
| Shortest river in Kerala | Manjeswaram River(16 km, Origin: Balappooni hills) |
| Northernmost river | Manjeswaram River |
| Southernmost river | Neyyar(56 km, Origin: Agasthyamala) |
| District with the maximum number of rivers | Kasargod(12) |
| The Sabarigiri hydroelectric project is located on | Pamba |
| Kerala's largest hydro | electric project, Idukki dam is located on –Periyar |
| The Mullaperiyar Dam is located on | Periyar |
| The river flowing through the Silent Valley National Park in Palakkad | Kunthipuzha |
| Thusharagiri waterfalls are on | Chalippuzha |
| Aluva Mahadeva Temple is located on the banks of which river | Periyar |
| Thirunavaya, the holy site of medieval festival Mamankam was on the banks of | Bharathapuzha |
| East flowing rivers:All theeast | flowingrivers in Kerala are the tributaries of theKaveririver |
| Kabani (58 km) | originates fromPakramthalam hillsinWayanaddistrict and flows towards eastwards to join theKaveri River atTirumakudalu Narasipura,Karnataka state.It is the only river thatflows out of the state to theKarnatakastate. Makkiyad river, Periya river, Mananthavady river, Panamaram river, and Kalindi river joins with Kabani on its way. Panamaram river joins Kabani nearPayyampallyat Koodal Kadavu |
| Longest east | flowing river in Kerala –Kabani |
| Banasura sagar and Kuruva island are located on the banks of | Kabani river |
| The largest earthen dam in India located across the Karamanathodu River, a tributary of River Kabini in Wayanad district | Banasura Sagar dam |
| District through which Kabani river flows | Wayanad |
| The only river that flows into Karnataka | Kabini |
| Kabani also is known as | Kapila |
| Bhavani (45 km) | originates from the South West Corner of theNilgiri Hillsof the Western Ghats in Tamil Nadu.It enters Kerala throughPalakkad districtbetween two high forested ridges about 20 km up to Mukkali, after the abrupt turn in the northeast direction through a totally degraded and denuded catchment about 25 km where the whole population of theAttappadyvalley lies up to Koodappatti |
| Major tributaries | Shiruvani, Varagar |
| The largest tributary of River Bhavani | Varagar |
| The river that flows through Attappadi plateau | Siruvani |
| Mukkali check dam is located on | Bhavani |
| The tributary of Bhavani that has the sweetest water in India | Shiruvani |
| Pambar(29 km) | originates from the Benmore Tea Estate ofDevikulaminIdukki district.It is at Anaimudi Hills the highest peak of Kerala of the Western Ghats. It flows eastward through Kerala state and enters into Tamil Nadu.It flows throughEravikulam National Parkand theChinnar Wildlife Sanctuary,which houses one of Kerala's most beautiful waterfalls,Thoovanam waterfalls |
| Major tributaries | Thenar, Iravikulam, Myladi, Thirthmala & Chengalar |
| River Pambar is also known as | Sarpanadi & Thalayar |
| The smallest river flowing eastwards in Kerala | Pambar (25 km) |
| The river that flows through the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary | Pambar.In short:Kabani is flowing eastwards through Wayanad and into Karnataka. Bhavani and Pambar are flowing into Tamil Nadu. Bhavani river originated from Tamil Nadu Nilgiris eastwards and runs towards the western side into Kerala state |
| Also refer,Rivers of Kerala | Part IIPrevious Year PSC Questions on Rivers of Kerala📝SideNotes: |
| The river with the longest estuary in India | Ganges |
| The river with the longest estuary in the World | Ob (Russia) |
| First River Museum in Kerala | Ponnani (on the banks of Bharathapuzha) |
| First hydropower project of CIAL is on | Iruvazhinjippuzha.CIAL is on–Cochin International Airport Ltd |
These incredibly beautiful formations are a result of its geographical location (Coastal Emergence
upward displacement of the land relative to sea level, ie, currently rising above sea level) andCoastal erosionor Marine erosion. The strong waves in the Arabian sea and southwest monsoon play an important part in the coastal erosion of the Kerala coast
According to the government of Kerala, a water body that is more than15 kmin length can be considered as a river.In that essence, there are 44 rivers in Kerala, of which 41 are west
flowing rivers and 3 are east–flowing rivers. The majority of these rivers originate from theSahyadri hillsin theWestern Ghatsand end up in the Arabian ocean
This is going to be a vast topic and a sure question for all PSC examinations, so we will have a detailed discussion on the topic in a two
part series
Basic FactsTotal No. of rivers in Kerala
44
West flowing rivers
41
East flowing rivers
3(Kabani, Bhavani & Pambar)
Longest river in Kerala
Periyar(244 km)
Second
longest river –Bharathapuzha
Shortest river in Kerala
Manjeswaram River(16 km, Origin: Balappooni hills)
Northernmost river
Manjeswaram River
Southernmost river
Neyyar(56 km, Origin: Agasthyamala)
District with the maximum number of rivers
Kasargod(12)
The Sabarigiri hydroelectric project is located on
Pamba
Kerala's largest hydro
electric project, Idukki dam is located on –Periyar
The Mullaperiyar Dam is located on
Periyar
The river flowing through the Silent Valley National Park in Palakkad
Kunthipuzha
Thusharagiri waterfalls are on
Chalippuzha
Aluva Mahadeva Temple is located on the banks of which river
Periyar
Thirunavaya, the holy site of medieval festival Mamankam was on the banks of
Bharathapuzha
East flowing rivers:All theeast
flowingrivers in Kerala are the tributaries of theKaveririver
Kabani (58 km)
originates fromPakramthalam hillsinWayanaddistrict and flows towards eastwards to join theKaveri River atTirumakudalu Narasipura,Karnataka state.It is the only river thatflows out of the state to theKarnatakastate. Makkiyad river, Periya river, Mananthavady river, Panamaram river, and Kalindi river joins with Kabani on its way. Panamaram river joins Kabani nearPayyampallyat Koodal Kadavu
Longest east
flowing river in Kerala –Kabani
Banasura sagar and Kuruva island are located on the banks of
Kabani river
The largest earthen dam in India located across the Karamanathodu River, a tributary of River Kabini in Wayanad district
Banasura Sagar dam
District through which Kabani river flows
Wayanad
The only river that flows into Karnataka
Kabini
Kabani also is known as
Kapila
Bhavani (45 km)
originates from the South West Corner of theNilgiri Hillsof the Western Ghats in Tamil Nadu.It enters Kerala throughPalakkad districtbetween two high forested ridges about 20 km up to Mukkali, after the abrupt turn in the northeast direction through a totally degraded and denuded catchment about 25 km where the whole population of theAttappadyvalley lies up to Koodappatti
Major tributaries
Shiruvani, Varagar
The largest tributary of River Bhavani
Varagar
The river that flows through Attappadi plateau
Siruvani
Mukkali check dam is located on
Bhavani
The tributary of Bhavani that has the sweetest water in India
Shiruvani
Pambar(29 km)
originates from the Benmore Tea Estate ofDevikulaminIdukki district.It is at Anaimudi Hills the highest peak of Kerala of the Western Ghats. It flows eastward through Kerala state and enters into Tamil Nadu.It flows throughEravikulam National Parkand theChinnar Wildlife Sanctuary,which houses one of Kerala's most beautiful waterfalls,Thoovanam waterfalls
Major tributaries
Thenar, Iravikulam, Myladi, Thirthmala & Chengalar
River Pambar is also known as
Sarpanadi & Thalayar
The smallest river flowing eastwards in Kerala
Pambar (25 km)
The river that flows through the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary
Pambar.In short:Kabani is flowing eastwards through Wayanad and into Karnataka. Bhavani and Pambar are flowing into Tamil Nadu. Bhavani river originated from Tamil Nadu Nilgiris eastwards and runs towards the western side into Kerala state
Also refer,Rivers of Kerala
Part IIPrevious Year PSC Questions on Rivers of Kerala📝SideNotes:
The river with the longest estuary in India
Ganges
The river with the longest estuary in the World
Ob (Russia)
First River Museum in Kerala
Ponnani (on the banks of Bharathapuzha)
First hydropower project of CIAL is on
Iruvazhinjippuzha.CIAL is on–Cochin International Airport Ltd
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