Why in the News?
Due to heavy rainfall in the river's catchment area, the water level in the Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) across the Cauvery recently surpassed the 100-ft mark, although its capacity reaches 124.80 feet. 

About Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) Dam:

• Situated in Karnataka's Mandya district, it lies beneath the merging point of the Kaveri river with its tributaries, Hemavati and Lakshmana Tirtha.
• It is a type of gravity dam.
• The dam is named for the then ruler of the Mysore Kingdom, Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV.
• The dam was designed by Sir M. Visvesvaraya, a famous Indian engineer.
• The reservoir is also the main source of drinking water for all of Mysore city and almost the whole of Bangalore.
• The water released from this dam is further used as an important source of water in the state of Tamil Nadu.
• An ornamental garden named “Brindavan Gardens” is attached to the dam.

Kaveri River:

• Kaveri or Cauvery is a sacred river of southern India. It is known as the Ganga of South India.
• It rises on Brahmagiri Hill of the Western Ghats in southwestern Karnataka state.

Drainage Basin:

• It flows in a southeasterly direction through the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, and descends the Eastern Ghats in a series of great falls.
• Before emptying into the Bay of Bengal south of Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu, the river breaks into a large number of distributaries forming a wide delta called the “garden of southern India.”

Tributaries of Kaveri:

• Arkavathi, Hemavathi, Lakshmana Theertha, Shimsa, Kabini and Harangi.