In pictures: Where the Vrushabhavathy meets the Arkavathy

The Vrushabhavathy river rises from the Bull Temple in Basavangudi and meets the Arkavathy, which rises from the Nandi Hills range, at Kudlu. Vishwanath Srikantaiah traces the journey of the two rivers and their relevance to Bengaluru.

There is not even a name for it, not Sangama, not anything, but just Kudlu… the meeting point. Here the Vrushbhavathy, which rises from the Bull Temple in Basavangudi, Bengaluru meets the Arkavathy, which rises from the Nandi Hills range.

Urban rivers have become ‘nullahs’ carrying sewage, the rural rivers—if you can even call it such—are dammed for urban water needs, for irrigation and for electricity.

The Arkavathy is born here.

At the birth place of the river, the well water is full and clean…

The gentleman has been crossing the Arkavathy daily for the last 50 years… he wades across it. He remembers the time when the river flowed wide and clean, and throughout the year.

The paddy and coconut give a lush appearance. It is a time of drought in the rest of Karnataka, but here the rains have been good… and there is the river for water.

An old ruined building looks on… what must it have seen through its life. The well in front of it is now dry and filled with rubbish. This is almost at the confluence of the tributary and the mother river.

From the left the Vrushabhavathy flows perennially. The sewage waters from the city of Bengaluru ensures this perenniality, nature however cleans up as best as she can along the way. The water is not smelly, but one can clearly discern the nutrients. On the right is the Arkavathy, dammed at many places to provide water for the city of Bengaluru. This has very little flow of water, yet the water here is cleaner.

Like a typical urban river at a reservoir called Bairmangala… this is the state of the Vrushbhavathy.

The clean , fresh water stream that is the Arkavathy.

… and the gushing stream that is the Vrushabhavathy.

Sand mining has brought down the river bed by at least 12 feet. It still continues, albeit in small quantities, as with this enterprising farmer.

From what we would call waste-water, grows paddy in the fields nearby.

The river reflects clouds, but it is dark times for rivers.

The bad waters have killed groundwaters, rendering them unfit to drink. Technology springs to the rescue with this spanking water ATM… drop a one rupee coin and get 10 litres of clean water… as for the rejects…?

… and in the channel flows the waters of a city and of a river… for mulberry, sugar cane, maize, coconut.

… and rice will be grown, as it has been for time immemorial, from the waters of the Arkavathy.

These tin sheds hide pumpsets, which directly pump water from the river into the fields nearby.

…and the waters grow rice.

The mighty Arkavathy, dammed.

The pictures and text were first published on the author’s Facebook page, and have been republished here with permission. 

Related Articles

Arkavati, Kumudvati: In deep trouble
In pictures: Bellandur lake’s fire and snow
Where does Bangalore get its water from?

Comments:

  1. G. Chandrashekar says:

    Nice article with good illustrations

  2. NarahariRao Ramesh says:

    Nice and informative about water Bodies around Bangalore

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Similar Story

Bengaluru’s trees must be preserved by its people: K Sankara Rao

In this video interview, the author of 'Trees of Bangalore' discusses the city's rich biodiversity and the need to conserve it.

“I have always been fascinated by trees. This long journey of documenting Bengaluru’s trees was addictive. The more I documented them, the more I wanted to do it,” remarked K Sankara Rao, author of Trees of Bangalore. Rao, a former professor at the Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Sciences (IISc.), has a long and varied experience in the field of Plant Biology with profound reverence and love for nature. Published in two volumes, Trees of Bangalore is a one-time documentation depicting the rich ecology of Bengaluru and works as a road map for policymakers to preserve this richness. Read…

Similar Story

Bengaluru’s insects and arachnids: How to understand their world and make friends

'Commonly Spotted Insects and Spiders in the City of Bengaluru' is a valuable guidebook for nature enthusiasts.

Would you believe me if I told you that amidst the hustle and bustle of Bengaluru, there’s a whole world of tiny architects, serial killers, woodworkers, and coordinated dancers, each leading very peculiar lives? Their small size often helps them escape detection, but they are hard to miss once you train your eyes to notice them. A new guide, Commonly Spotted Insects and Spiders in the City of Bengaluru, can help you tune in to this fascinating world of many-legged, antennaed and often winged creatures.  And maybe, with the interesting nuggets that the book provides about each animal, you will…