Krishna Raja Sagar (KRS) Dam

About Krishna Raja Sagara (KRS) Dam:

• It is a type of gravity dam located below the confluence of the river Kaveri with its tributaries, Hemavati and Lakshmana Tirtha, in the district of Mandya in Karnataka. 
• History:
  • The dam was constructed during the rule of the Maharaja of Mysore, Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV, and it was named in his honour.
  • The construction of the KRS Dam began in 1911 and was completed in 1931.
  • The dam was designed by Sir M. Visvesvaraya, a famous Indian engineer (often referred to as the ‘architect of modern Mysore’ or ‘father of planning in India’).
  • The creative beautification of the whole dam complex has been the achievement of Sir Mirza Ismail, the then Dewan of the princely State of Mysore.
• Usage:
  • The water from the dam is used for irrigation in Mysore and Mandya and is the main source of drinking water for Mysore, Mandya, and Bengaluru city. 
  • It also ensures power supply to the Shivanasamudra hydroelectric power station.
  • The water released from this dam flows into the state of Tamil Nadu and is stored in the Mettur dam in the Salem district. 
• Features:
  • It was built using a mixture of surki mortar and limestone. 
  • It is 2,621 metres (8,600 feet) long and 40 metres (130 feet) high.
  • Its reservoir is about 130 sq. km, which was the largest in Asia at the period when it was built.
  • It was the first dam to install automated crest gates.
  • Brindavan Gardens, an ornamental garden, is attached to the dam. 
    • The garden is designed based on the Shalimar Gardens of Kashmir in the Mughal style.