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Source: The Hindu

Context

The Superintending Engineer of the Hemavathi Project has issued a warning to citizens downstream of the Hemavathi reservoir, located in Goruru, Hassan taluk, that the dam's crest gates may be opened to discharge surplus water.

What is Hemavathi Dam?

The Hemavathi Dam is a large masonry dam located in Karnataka, India, on the Hemavati River, a tributary of the Kaveri River. It is a critical facility for irrigation, drinking water supply, and hydroelectric power generation, serving principally the Hassan, Mandya, and Tumkur districts. The dam is sometimes called the Gorur Dam.

Features of the Hemavathi Dam

About Hemavathi River

• It is a major tributary of the Kaveri River.
• The river starts in the Western Ghats at an elevation of 1219 meters above sea level near Ballala Rayana Durga in Karnataka's Chikmagalur District.
• It flows through Tumkur in Hassan District, where it is joined by its main tributary, the Yagachi River, and then into Mysore District before joining the Kaveri Krishnarajasagara.
• It is around 245 kilometers long and has a drainage area of around 5,410 square kilometers.
• The Hemavati Reservoir is a masonry dam with a central spillway and earthen flanks that spans the river near Gorur hamlet.
• Its storage capacity is 37.1 tmcft. The water from the reservoir irrigates 6.55 acres of land in Mandya, Hassan, and Tumkur.

Source: The Hindu