Kaveri and Hydroelectricty

CONTENTS
S.No.
1

Topic
Introduction, Number and Kinds of Dams

Author
Saumya Sodhani

Page
1-5

2 3 4

Uses of Kaveri River Size of Dams How is electricty produced?

Sidhaant Gambhir Sambhav Jain Shreyas Kapur

6-7 8 9-11

Distribution of Power

Sarthak Bahl

12-13

How is the ecosystem disturbed?

Sara Bhalla

Introduction, Number and Kinds of Dams

The primary uses of Kaveri are providing water for irrigation, water for household consumption and the generation of electricity.An estimate at the time of the first Five Year Plan puts the total flow of the Kaveri at 12,000,000 acre feet (15 km3), of which 60% was used for irrigation.The water for the Kaveri is primarily supplied by monsoon rains. Dams, such as the Krishna Raja Sagara Dam and Mettur Dam, and those on its tributaries such as Banasura Sagar Dam project on a Kabini tributary, store water from monsoon periods and release the water during the dry months. The hydroelectric plant built on the left of Sivanasamudra Falls on the Kaveri in 1902 was the first hydroelectric plant in Asia. The Krishna Raja Sagara Dam has a capacity of 49 tmc ft. and the Mettur Dam which creates Stanley Reservoir has a capacity of 93.4 tmc ft. KINDS OF DAMS ON KAVERI RIVER Buttress Dams can be built using a smaller amount of concrete than that required for a Gravity Dam and, as a result, are cheaper to build. This is possible because Buttress Dams are designed to transfer some of the loads (forces) on them to the foundation on which they are built i.e. the strength of the foundation is used to help resist the loads which could not be resisted simply by the weight of the dam wall alone. In all cases the impermeable membrane of concrete dams is the whole dam wall. Earth Dams are built of homogeneous, impermeable earth material so that the impermeable membrane is the whole dam wall. Earth and Rock Fill Dams have a relatively narrow, impermeable earth or clay core inside the dam but most of the dam is constructed of permeable rock fill which, by itself, would be incapable of retaining water. The impermeable membrane in these dams is the clay core.

KRISHNA RAJA SAGARA DAM (Buttress Dam) Krishna Raja Sagara, also popularly known as KRS, is the name of both a lake and the dam that creates it. It is located close to the settlement of Krishnarajasagara. The dam is across Kaveri River, in Mandya District near Mysore in Karnataka state, India. There is an ornamental garden attached to the dam, called Brindavan Gardens.

DAM A Fountain in the Brindavan Gardens

The dam was built across river Kaveri, the life giving river for the Mysore and Mandya districts, in 1924. Apart from being the main source of water for irrigation in the most fertile Mysore and Mandya, the reservoir is the main source of drinking water for all of Mysore city and almost the whole of Bangalore city, the capital of the state of Karnataka. Sir. Mokshagundam Visvesvarayya served as the chief engineer during the construction of this dam. The dam is named for the then ruler of the Mysore Kingdom,Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV. BRINDAVAN GARDENS The Brindavan Gardens is a show garden that has a botanical park, with fountains, as well as boat rides beneath the dam. Diwans of Mysore planned and built the gardens in connection with the construction of the dam. KRS Dam was the first to install automated Crest gates during 1920 which was initiated by Sir. M V. Display items include a musical fountain. Various biological research departments are housed here. There is a guest house, and a four star luxury heritage hotel Royal Orchid for tourists. FLORA & FAUNA KRS Dam & Garden The landscape of the area represents a complex of agricultural land, rural habitation, sparingly spread trees and patches of original vegetation at the close by Arabithittu Wildlife Sanctuary. Which attracts wide varieties of local and migrant birds. Over the years nearly 220 species of birds have been recorded here in large numbers.

METTUR DAM- (Buttress Dam) The Mettur Dam is one of the largest dams in India built in 1934. It was constructed in a gorge, where the Kaveri River enters the plains. The dam is one of the oldest in India. It provides irrigation facilities to parts of Salem, the length of Erode, Namakkal, Karur, Tiruchirappali and Thanjavur district for 271,000 acres (110,000 ha) of farm land. The total length of the dam is 1,700 m (5,600 ft). The dam creates Stanley Reservoir. The Mettur Hydro Electrical power project is also quite large. The dam, the park, the major Hydro Electric power stations and hills on all sides make Mettur a tourist attraction. Upstream from the dam is Hogenakal Falls. The government of India's water resources ministry site the Mettur dam is an old multipurpose project of the south Indian state (province) of Tamil Nadu across the Cauvery river. It irrigates 1,310 km2 (510 sq mi) of land each year. Its installed capacity for hydro-power generation is 32 MW. The maximum level of the dam is 120 ft (37 m) and the maximum capacity is 93.4 tmc ft.In 2012,Mettur dam would not be opened for irrigation on the scheduled dte of 12 June. The capacity of the dam is 93.4 billion ft (2.64 km) nearly twice that of its Karnataka counterpart of KRS, is revered as the life and life hood giving asset of Tamil Nadu. This dam was built in line with KRS Dam which was designed by Sir M Vishveswariah in 1911 and completed in 1917 near Mysore.

BANASURA SAGAR DAM (Earthen Dam) Banasura Sagar Dam, which impounds the Karamanathodu tributary of the Kabini River, is part of the Indian Banasurasagar Project consisting of a dam and a canal project started in 1979. The goal of the project is to support the Kakkayam Hydro electric power project and satisfy the demand for irrigation and drinking water in a region known to have water shortages in seasonal dry periods.

In the dam's reservoir there is a set of islands that were formed when the reservoir submerged the surrounding areas.The islands with the Banasura hills in the background provide a spectacular view. the largest earth dam in India and the second largest of its kind in Asia. The dam is made up of massive stacks of stones and boulders. Location The Banasura Sagar Dam is located 21 km from Kalpetta, in Wayanad District of Kerala in the Western Ghats. It is the largest earthen dam in India and the second largest in Asia and an ideal starting point for hikes into the surrounding scenic mountains. It is an important tourist attraction. Banasura Sagar Dam is at the foot of the Banasura Hill. Etymology The Banasura Sagar Dam is named after Banasura, the son of Mahabali who was a very respected king of Kerala. Tourism The dam has become a popular tourist destination. Many people visit the place to go trekking at the Banasura Hill. The Banasura Hill Resort, located about 20 km from the dam was rated as Asia's largest Earthen Resort by BBC.

Usage of Kaveri River

DAMS AND SIZES: Kaveri may be a small river among the 7 giant rivers of India mentioned above (with Saraswati dry now), but it does have many dams. KRS Dam, Karnataka But the two key dams to note are Krishna Raja Sagar dam in Mandya district of Karnataka and Mettur dam in Salem district of Tamil Nadu. KRS dam, built in 1924, is 125 feet tall, 3 KM in length and can store a max capacity of 49 TMC of water. Mettur Dam, Tamil Nadu Mettur dam, built in 1934, is 120 feet tall, 1.7 KM in length and can store a max. capacity of 93.4 TMC of water. Leaving aside dead storage capacity, you can assume that KRS dam can hold about 44 TMC of water and Mettur can hold about 88 TMC of water. So approximately, Mettur can hold twice as much water as KRS dam. Incidentally, KRS was built entirely by the great engineer Bharat Ratna, Sir M. Vishveshwaraiah and I have heard that he gave the design for Mettur dam too. One thing is in common. Both are very vital dams and both are very old. One other important thing to note, all dams in Karnataka together can hold only around 10% of the annual water flow in Kaveri that is in excess of 725 TMC. AGREEMENTS: Kaveri water sharing discussions and disputes go back over 200 years. Right from the beginning of 19th century, there are discussions involving the Mysore independent princely state (now part of Karnataka) and Madras British Presidency (now Tamil Nadu). The two key agreements to note are from 1892 and 1924. There were other minor agreements too. While Karnataka kept asking right after independence to repeal these British era agreements and form new one, Tamil Nadu insisted on the same, as there was a huge advantage for it to keep them. So everything boiled down to 1991 tribunal interim order and 2007 final order from Indian government. Details of Kaveri water sources, usage area and contentions. The table in the image above (click on it for a bigger display) shows the basin area, drought area, sources of water per each state's arguments, quantity sought by each state and what is currently in vogue per the 2007 Kaveri Water Tribunal verdict. The numbers are complex, and contentious. Lots of court paperwork exists for those who want to research further. If you see one of the rows showing the demand of states involved, the total quantity of water will be 157% of what is available during an

average year. So it is impossible, to give what the states are asking, as the demand is too higher than supply. But at a higher level, approximately, 30% of the water river sources are in Tamil Nadu and 53% are in Karnataka. Also, approximately 54% of the river basin area is in Tamil Nadu and 42% is in Karnataka. And finally, the Government of India appointed (chaired by the Prime Minister of India) and monitored tribunal says 58% of the water should be used by Tamil Nadu and 37% by Karnataka. To keep matters simple, I am not getting into Pudhucherry and Kerala's matters which involve the final 5% of water usage. In reality, the core contention between the states is the source, usage and times of usage of water. CROP AND RAIN PATTERNS: Paddy cultivation in Kaveri delta Paddy, Sugarcane, Ragi and Jowar are the four major crops grown along Kaveri river basin. Out of these, Mandya district of Karnataka and Tanjavur, Pudukottai, Tiruchirapalli and Kadalur districts of Tamil Nadu grow the most water intensive Paddy. Kadalur in TN is also growing the most sugar cane, another highly water intensive crop. DOMESTIC WATER CONSUMPTION FROM KAVERI When it comes to drinking water projects using Kaveri, it is mostly in Karnataka. As you can see in the image here showing water consumption at urban local bodies, Bengaluru has a skyscraper literally. Many other towns and cities across south Karnataka depend heavily or solely on Kaveri for drinking water of urban population. For those seriously interested in learning more about Kaveri delta's crop patterns, please refer to India Water Portal for a wealth of information. In Karnataka, Mandya is the most blessed district as it grows very high quality crops using Kaveri. In Tamil Nadu, coastal Kaveri delta grows 3 crops in Kaveri delta. JunSep Kuruvai, July-Jan Samba paddy and Oct-Feb Taladi. Kaveri delta farmers of Karnataka get rain only from SW Monsoon (Jun-Sep). TN Kaveri farmers get both SW and NE Monsoons (NE starts in Oct).

Size of Dams
The primary uses of Kaveri are providing water for irrigation, water for household consumption and the generation of electricity.An estimate at the time of the first Five Year Plan puts the total flow of the Kaveri at 12,000,000 acre feet (15 km3), of which 60% was used for irrigation. The Torekadanahalli pumpstation sends 540 Mld (million liters per day) of water from Kaveri 100 km to Bangalore. The water for the Kaveri is primarily supplied by monsoon rains. Dams, such as the Krishna Raja Sagara Dam and Mettur Dam, and those on its tributaries such as Banasura Sagar Dam project on a Kabini tributary, store water from monsoon periods and release the water during the dry months. Even so, during the months of FebruaryMay, water levels are often quite low, and some channels and distributaries riverbeds may become dry. Flow generally begins to increase in June or July. However, in some years when rains are light, the low river level can lead to agricultural distress in areas dependent upon the Kaveri for irrigation. The hydroelectric plant built on the left of Sivanasamudra Falls on the Kaveri in 1902 was the first hydroelectric plant in Asia. The Krishna Raja Sagara Dam has a capacity of 49 tmc (thousand million cubic ft) ft. and the Mettur Dam which creates Stanley Reservoir has a capacity of 93.4 tmc ft. In August 2003, inflow into reservoirs in Karnataka was at a 29 year low, with a 58% shortfall. Water stored in Krishna Raja Sagara amounted to only 4.6 tmc ft.

How is Electricty Produced?

ABSTRACT Water or rather gravity has created a new source of energy, a problem that humanity faces. This energy is termed as renewable and can be harnessed by the turbines. The river Kaveris main purpose is for irrigation, however, it is also used as a source of energy. This energy, being renewable and cheap has its disadvantages, to which a solution I shall propose. Using the motion of the waves we can create a simple siphon device that would generate electricity through waves. The turbines inefficiencies can be tackled by re-using the huge amounts of heat generated. We used a fluid simulator to understand the dynamics behind generation of hydroelectricity. THE BASICS: HOW IS ELECTRICTY GENERATED? The electricity is generated in various steps, as described below (Considering the following figure):

RIVER

TRANSFORMER

INTAKE TURBINE TAILRACE

Fig 1: Basic Dam

Step 1: The river water flows from the tank to the intake pipe. Step 2: The water pushes the blades of the turbine, making it rotate. Step 2a: The turbine rotates, and is connected to a series of gear boxes, increasing the speed/torque ratio. Step 2b: This shaft rotates a dynamo generating electricity.

Step 2c: As the water flow is not stable, the dynamo is connected to another series of voltage stabilizers. A battery also comes into play if the turbine voltage falls below a specific level. Step 2d: A step up transformer converts this into 220 V AC. The following is an example of a 2 phase turbine circuit for converting it to 150 V AC (just as a reference):
Fig 2: Smoothing and Transforming Circuitry

Step 2e: The final electricity is then transported to the citizens. Step 3: The slowed down water flows through a draft tube and exits. WAVE ELECTRICTY GENERATION: A NEW IDEA The motion of the waves of a river can easily be used for hydroelectricity.

ROTOR

WAVE

FIXED BEARING

STRING

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As the wave pushes the buoy up, the fixed bearing remains at its position, forcing the string to pull on the rotor, which drives a dynamo, producing electricity. These devices in large numbers can produce a lot of energy. Another method that includes the use of a siphon pump can also be employed, but is out of the scope of this project. SIMULATIONS: As a static page, the simulation would be meaningless. The reader may download the files uploaded at: http://aspspider.infp/revalo/science/sim.simulink CONCLUSION: Through this project we understood the method of electricity production using moving water, understood the electronics and science behind it and suggested a new method that maybe used with dams using waves.

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Distribution of Electricty
Grand Anikut The purpose of the Kallanai was to divert the waters of the Kaveri across the fertile delta region for irrigation via canals. The dam splits the river Kaveri into 4 streams known as Kollidam Aru, Kaviri, Vennaru and Puthu Aru. It is constructed from unhewn stone spanning the Kaveri and is 329 m (1,079 ft) long, 20 m (66 ft) wide and 5.4 m (18 ft) high.[6] The dam is still in excellent repair, and supplied a model to later engineers, including Sir Arthur Cotton's 19th-century dam across the Kollidam, the major tributary of the Kaveri. The area irrigated by the ancient irrigation network is about 69,000 acres (28,000 ha). By the early 20th century, the irrigated area had been increased to about one million acres.

METTUR DAM The Mettur Dam is a large dam in India built in 1934. It was constructed in a gorge, where the River Kaveri enters the plains. The dam is one of the oldest in India. It provides irrigation facilities to Salem, Tiruchirappali and Thanjavur district for 271,000 acres (1,100 km) of farm land. The total length of the dam is 1,700 m (5,600 ft). The dam creates Stanley Reservoir. The Mettur Hydro Electrical power project is also quite large. The dam, the park, the major Hydro Electric power stations and hills on all sides make Mettur a tourist attraction. Upstream from the dam is Hogenakal Falls. The government of India's water resources ministry site[1] the Mettur dam is an old multipurpose project of the south Indian state (province) of Tamil Nadu across the Cauvery river. It irrigates 1,310 km2 (510 sq mi) of land each year. Its installed capacity for hydro-power generation is 32 MW. The maximum level of the dam is 120 ft (37 m) and the maximum capacity is 93.4 tmc Ft. In 2012, Mettur dam would not be opened for irrigation on the scheduled date of 12 June. KRISHNA RAJA SAGARA DAM The dam was built across river Kaveri, the life giving river for the Mysore and Mandya districts, in 1924. Sir M Vishweswaraiah who was the principal engineer, conceived of this project to supply Cauvery river water to agricultural lands of Mandya and Mysore districts and for ensuring power supply to the Shivanasamudra hydro-electric power station. One interesting fact about KRS is that Sir M Vishweshwaraiah used 'surkhi' a mixture of limestone and brick powder instead of cement in the construction of this magnificent structure. The walls of the dam are 2621 meters in length & 39 meters in height. The reservoir itself is spread

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over an area of 130 Sq. Kms - the biggest in Asia at the time it was built. Apart from being the main source of water for irrigation in the most fertile Mysore and Mandya, the reservoir is the main source of drinking water for all of Mysore city and almost the whole of Bangalore city, the capital of the state of Karnataka. The water released from this dam is further used as an important source of water in the state of Tamil, which has its own Mettur dam in the Salem district. Sir. Mokshagundam Visvesvarayya served as the chief engineer during the construction of this dam. The dam is named for the then ruler of the Mysore Kingdom, Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV.

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Ecosystem Disturbance
The Mettur Dam, built in 1934, is one of the largest dams in India. It was constructed in a gorge, where the Kaveri River enters the plains. The dam is one of the oldest in India. It provides irrigation facilities to parts of Salem, the length of Erode, Namakkal, Karur, Tiruchirappali and Thanjavur district. Krishna Raja Sagara, also popularly known as KRS, is the name of both a lake and the dam that creates it. It is located close to the settlement of Krishnarajasagara. The dam is across Kaveri River, in Mandya District near Mysore in Karnataka state, India.

When a dam is constructed, be it for hydropower or water supply, the destruction is highly visible. But the environmental impacts of a dam stretch much further downstream than the location of the actual dam site. Dams block migratory fish species from their spawning and feeding sites A flowing river allows migratory fish to move upstream and downstream according to the weather and feeding habitat. However, when a river is dammed, the fish cannot access their feeding and spawning sites since the dam blocks the river flow and changes the rivers course too. Dams disturb natural fluctuations in water flow This can be particularly damaging in seasonal floodplains, affecting deposits of nutrients as well as the lifecycles of species that depend on these fluctuations for feeding and breeding grounds. Dams change daily flows by releasing water as a reaction to human demands, like energy and irrigation, instead of as nature intended.

Water quality can be degraded Reductions in water quantities can increase salinity and make the water unusable for drinking and irrigation. Decomposition of organic matter and the leaching of mercury from the soil can introduce toxins. The transport of sediment along the river is disrupted This affects the morphology of the riverbed, downstream floodplains, and even coastal deltas. In turn, this can: increase flood risk hamper navigation lower groundwater tables

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cause an accumulation of toxic materials affect entire ecosystems. The build up of sedimentation in the reservoir also reduces the dam's capacity and operational lifetime. Reservoirs can emit climate-changing greenhouse gases. Submerged vegetation rots under anaerobic conditions, particularly in tropical areas, and gives rise to methane and carbon-di-oxide which are Greenhouse gases. These Greenhouse gases cause depletion of the ozone layer which leads to Global Warming. Damaging impact on Humans and livestock When dams are created, large tracts of land are inundated with millions of litres of river water. These lands are often agricultural and fertile, and the source of livelihood for local villagers. Human habitation like entire villages in the dam area is submerged. Local villagers and farmers are forced to move out. Animals which use the lands as grazing fields are displaced. The satisfactory rehabilitation of displaced persons is a big problem and causes severe resentment in them.

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