Shimsha is a river that flows in the state of Karnataka, India. It is one of the tributaries of the river Kaveri, which is one of the major rivers of South India. The river originates in the southern part of the Devarayanadurga hill in the Tumkur district of Karnataka and flows for about in Mandya district and Ramanagara districts before joining the river Kaveri.
Geography
- Origin
Shimsha originates at an altitude of 914 m in the
Devarayanadurga hill located in
Tumakuru Taluk
[1] which is also the location of two temples of the
Hindu God,
Narasimha.
- Course
After originating in the
Tumkur district, The Markonahalli Dam has been built across it, the river takes a southerly course and enters the
Mandya district. In Mandya district, the river flows in a south-eastern direction and enters the Ramanagara district where HD Devegowda barriage is constructed in the Village of
Iggaluru,
Channapatna, which provides water for irrigation of
Channapatna and
Malavalli talukas. Then it enters
Malavalli taluk where it has awaterfall at Shimshapura. Just after Shimshapura it reaches the border of Chamarajanagar district where it joins the river Kaveri.
The confluence of Shimsha and Kaveri is also near the
Shivanasamudra falls. The total length of the river is . and the river has a catchment area of 8469 km
2.
- Sub-tributaries
In its course the river is joined by
Kanva Reservoir river near Saraguru,
Channapatna and other streams such as Veeravaishnavi, Kanihalla, Chikkahole, Hebbahalla and Mullahalla.
- Towns and cities
Maddur and
Halaguru are the major towns that lie on this river.
Dams
- Markonahalli Dam
Markonahalli Dam is a dam built across the river Shimsha in the Kunigal Taluk of Tumkur district. It was built by Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV, the king of Mysore under the guidance of his Diwan, Sir M Visweswaraiah.
- Iggaluru Dam
- Iggaluru Dam, also known as the Iggaluru Barrage, is constructed across the Shimsha River in Iggaluru,Channapatna. The dam stands at a height of 60 feet (18.29 meters) and features a composite structure with a central masonry spillway flanked by earthen sections.
Power generation
Shimsha has a waterfall at Shimshapura in
Malavalli Taluk. This is also the location of the Shimsha Hydro Electric Project which has an installed capacity of 17,200 kilowatts. The plant was established in December 1937 to augment power supply of the Shivanasamudra Project (1902). The foundation stone for project was laid by Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV, the king of
Mysore.
Issues
Sand mining
The sand found on the river bed of the Shimsha river is mined and used for construction activities, sometimes illegally. Due to the environmental issues that can be caused by
sand mining, this activity is currently banned.
Pollution
Discharge of waste from towns and cities on the way are major contributors to pollution in the Shimsha. However, the Government is trying to clean up the river and has released funds for the same.
See also
-
Pharping Hydro Power Project
Accidents
In 1897, a railway bridge over this river collapsed during a heavy flood, killing about 150 passengers.
