Why is it in the news?
→ Supreme Court directed the Centre to constitute a tribunal on the Pennaiyar water dispute.
→ The dispute involves Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
Category
Geography
Important Points
- Pennaiyar River flows through Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
- Also called Dakshina Pinakini in Kannada and Thenpennai/Ponnaiyar in Tamil.
- It is the second longest river in Tamil Nadu at 497 km.
- It is the second largest interstate east-flowing river basin.
- It originates in Nandi Hills, Chikkaballapura district of Karnataka.
- Drains into Bay of Bengal at Cuddalore.
- Major tributaries: Chinnar, Markanda, Vaniar, Pamban.
- Basin bounded by Eastern Ghats ranges and Bay of Bengal.
- The river is extensively dammed for irrigation; reservoirs at Krishnagiri and Sathanur.
- Tamil Nadu objects to Karnataka’s check dams reducing downstream flow.