SSC
The Stanley Reservoir, formed by the Mettur Dam on the Kaveri, is located in:
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Answer: Option D — Tamil Nadu
Detailed Solution
The Stanley Reservoir is the reservoir formed by the Mettur Dam across the Kaveri river, in the Salem district of Tamil Nadu.
About the Mettur Dam and the Stanley Reservoir:
The Mettur Dam was built between 1925 and 1934 by the British government of the Madras Presidency.
It was designed by the engineer Colonel W. M. Ellis.
The reservoir was named after Sir George Frederick Stanley, the Governor of Madras at the time.
At the time of its completion, it was one of the largest dams in India and among the largest in the world.
It is a masonry gravity dam about 1.7 km long and about 65 metres high.
It is the main source of irrigation for the fertile Kaveri delta (Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam), which is called the "Rice Bowl of Tamil Nadu".
The release of water from Mettur on 12 June every year marks the start of the "kuruvai" paddy season in the delta.
It also supplies water for drinking and for hydroelectric power generation.
The Mettur Thermal Power Station is also located nearby.
About the Kaveri river:
- It rises at Talakaveri in the Brahmagiri hills of Kodagu (Coorg), Karnataka.
- It flows through Karnataka and Tamil Nadu into the Bay of Bengal.
- It is called the "Dakshina Ganga" ("Ganga of the South").
- Its tributaries include the Hemavati, Kabini, Shimsha, Arkavathi, Bhavani, Noyyal and Amaravati.
Other dams and structures on the Kaveri:
Krishna Raja Sagara (KRS) Dam: near Mysuru, Karnataka; built under M. Visvesvaraya.
Kallanai (Grand Anicut): near Thanjavur; built by the Chola king Karikala Chola around the 2nd century CE; one of the oldest water-diversion structures in the world still in use.
Hogenakkal Falls: a waterfall on the Kaveri at the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border.
The Shivanasamudra Falls: in Karnataka, site of one of Asia's first hydroelectric power stations (1902).
Kaveri water dispute:
The Kaveri Water Disputes Tribunal gave its final award in 2007, which was modified by the Supreme Court in 2018. The Cauvery Water Management Authority was set up in 2018.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Karnataka has the Krishna Raja Sagara Dam.
- ✗Kerala shares the Kaveri basin through the Kabini river.
- ✗Andhra Pradesh is not in the Kaveri basin.
Quick tip
Remember: Stanley Reservoir = Mettur Dam on the Kaveri, Salem, Tamil Nadu (completed 1934; named after Governor Stanley; water release on 12 June); Grand Anicut = Karikala Chola; KRS = Karnataka.
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Rivers, Lakes & Dams of India — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Rivers, Lakes & Dams of India, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers India's drainage system: the Himalayan rivers (the Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra systems), the peninsular rivers (Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri, Narmada, Tapi and Mahanadi), their tributaries and origins, waterfalls, lakes, and the major dams and multipurpose river projects. Exams ask about the origin of a river, its tributaries, the cities on its banks, and the river on which a dam is built. For example, the Bhakra Nangal Dam is on the Sutlej, the Hirakud Dam on the Mahanadi, and the Sardar Sarovar Dam on the Narmada. Remember that the Narmada and Tapi flow west into the Arabian Sea, while most peninsular rivers flow east. Practise the rivers, lakes and dams of India questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.