Rivers of Tamil Nadu
River questions come in pairs: origin-and-river matching, and river-and-dam matching. This list carries both columns.
Syllabus: GS Unit II (Geography: water resources)
| River | Origin | Notable fact |
|---|---|---|
| Cauvery | Talakaveri, Coorg (Karnataka) | TN's lifeline; delta at Poompuhar; Mettur dam |
| Kollidam | Distributary of Cauvery at Upper Anaicut | Northern arm of the Cauvery delta |
| Palar | Nandi Hills (Karnataka) | Flows through Vellore belt; largely seasonal |
| Thenpennai (Pennaiyar) | Nandi Hills (Karnataka) | Sathanur and Krishnagiri dams |
| Vaigai | Varusanadu Hills (Western Ghats) | Madurai's river; Vaigai dam in Theni |
| Thamirabarani | Agasthyamalai (Pothigai hills) | Only perennial river originating within TN; Papanasam dam |
| Bhavani | Nilgiris (Western Ghats) | Major Cauvery tributary; Bhavanisagar dam |
| Amaravathi | Anamalai hills | Cauvery tributary; Amaravathi dam |
| Noyyal | Vellingiri hills | Flows past Coimbatore and Tiruppur |
| Vellar | Kalrayan/Shervaroy hills | Central TN river to the Bay of Bengal |
| Cheyyar | Javadhu hills | Palar tributary |
| Vaippar | Western Ghats (Virudhunagar belt) | Southern seasonal river |
| Gundar | Varusanadu hills | Southern seasonal river |
Frequently asked questions
Related lists
The dam-river matching list TNPSC asks: Mettur on Cauvery, Vaigai, Bhavanisagar, Sathanur, Papanasam, Amaravathi, Mullaperiyar and more.
All 38 districts of Tamil Nadu in one list, with the newest districts and their carve-outs, the way TNPSC asks them.
Every Chief Minister of Madras State and Tamil Nadu since 1946, with tenures, the exact list TNPSC draws sequence questions from.
Tamil Nadu's 5 national parks: Guindy, Gulf of Mannar Marine, Indira Gandhi (Anamalai), Mudumalai and Mukurthi, with the distinguishing fact TNPSC asks about each.
Compiled from official Tamil Nadu government sources and standard references. Time-sensitive counts carry an as-of note on the page. Sources: TNPSC official notifications. Figures are indicative and may change with each official notification. Data last reviewed: July 2026.
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