Malaprabha River is the Tributary of Which River?
Malaprabha River is the tributary of which river? Explore its origin, course, length, and district-wise break-up of the catchment area of the Malaprabha River.
The Malaprabha River, which flows through the Guledagudda taluka in Karnataka, has been seen as dried up recently, which is causing major problems for those living along its banks.
But do you know, Malaprabha River is a tributary of Which River? Explore this article and learn about its origin, course, and length.
About Malaprabha River
The Malaprabha River is the right-bank tributary of the Krishna River, and it flows in the state of Karnataka.
It originates from the Chorla Ghats, a section of the Western Ghats, at an elevation of about 792 m, about 35 m south-west of the Belgaum district in Karnataka.
The river flows east and northwest and joins the Krishna at Kapila Sangam in the Bijapur district at an elevation of about 488 m. The total length of the Malaprabha River is 306 km before meeting the Krishna River.
The Bennihalla and the Hirehalla are the two important tributaries of the Malaprabha River.
Location of Malaprabha River
The Malaprabha River lies in the western part of the Krishna basin, and it lies between the 74° 20' and 74°30' E longitudes, and 15°20' and 15 °40' N latitudes.
This river cover about 540 sq. km of the Belgaum district in Karnataka. Along with the Malaprabha River, two important transport routes connect it, which are the Belgaum-Goa (N 4A) and Belgaum - Mapusa State Highway.
Geological Characteristics of Malaprabha River
The Malaprabha River represents two main geological characteristics, which are the tertiary and sedimentary formations of the Pre-Cambrian age.
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Tertiary Basalt: Around 96% of the total Malaprabha basin is covered by the tertiary basalt. The hydrology of this is different from other sedimentary rocks. As various basalt flow units can form a multi-aquifer system, somewhat similar to a sedimentary rock sequence.
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Sedimentary Rock: The sedimentary formation of Malaprabha is of pre-Cambrian age. This type of rock is found in the southeastern part of the river, and these rocks act as a good aquifer
District-Wise break-up of the Catchment area of Malaprabha River
| State | District | Area of the district falling in the catchment (km²) | Percentage of the area of district within the catchment |
| Karnataka | Belgaum | 3,880 | 33.6% |
| Bijapur | 1,950 | 16.9% | |
| Dharwar | 5,499 | 47.6% | |
| Raichur | 220 | 1.9% | |
| Total | 11,549 | 100.0% |
So, this article was all about the Malaprabha River. This river plays an important role in various activities of Karnataka related to agriculture, local fisheries, and municipal drinking supply. So, take a note from this article, and stick it in your notebook.
Prabhat Mishra is a Subject Matter Expert and digital journalist with an extensive background in the competitive exam landscape and over 4 years of experience in education, national and international news, and current affairs. Over his tenure with top knowledge platforms like Mentorship India, IAS BABA, IAS SARTHI, and now Jagran Josh, he has a deep understanding of government exams like UPSC and State PCS, including UP and Bihar, as he has already qualified for the UPPCS 2022 Mains and Bihar 68th Mains. With his core expertise in history, polity, geography & current affairs, he specialises in creating well-researched, aspirant-centric content and simplifying complex topics for competitive examinations.
