7. Krishna and Tungabhadra system
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Krishna rises near Mahabaleshwar and flows across the Deccan to the Bay of Bengal. Bhima and Tungabhadra are its major tributary associations. Tungabhadra itself is formed by Tunga and Bhadra. Nagarjuna Sagar and Srisailam are the most useful project anchors for objective questions, while water sharing and irrigation are important analytical themes.
Exam lens Keep the hierarchy clear: Krishna is the main river; Tungabhadra is a tributary; Tunga and Bhadra form Tungabhadra. |
Core reference table
River/project | Location cue | Revision use |
Krishna | Mahabaleshwar to east coast | Main basin |
Tungabhadra | Tunga + Bhadra | Tributary and project |
Nagarjuna Sagar | Krishna | Irrigation and power |
Srisailam | Krishna; Nallamala | Reservoir and power |
Chapter narrative
Krishna
Rises near Mahabaleshwar; flows through Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh to the Bay of Bengal.
Exam connection: Bhima and Tungabhadra; Nagarjuna Sagar and Srisailam.
Common confusion: Krishna does not rise in the Himalayas.
Kaveri
Rises at Talakaveri in the Brahmagiri hills; flows through Karnataka and Tamil Nadu to the Bay of Bengal.
Exam connection: Kabini, Hemavati and Bhavani; delta agriculture in Tamil Nadu.
Common confusion: Kabini is a Kaveri tributary, not a Krishna tributary.
Solved practice
Question | Answer standard |
Write a two-line direct answer suitable for SSC/RRB. | Fact first; precise association second. |
Write a four-line analytical answer suitable for UPSC preparation. | Geography → use → consequence → governance/ecology. |
Frame a matching question. | Match river, source, tributary, state or project. |
Create a reverse-recall prompt. | Project or mouth → river and basin. |
Revision task Close the book. Reproduce the chapter’s river chain in six links: source → direction → tributaries → states → mouth → project/issue. Then record one mistake in your error log. |