Hemavathi River and Gorur Dam Irrigation Heritage of Hassan

The Hemavathi river originates in the Bababudangiri range of Chikkamagaluru and flows through Hassan district, where it is impounded by the Gorur Dam (1979). The reservoir created by the dam submerged the Gorur village and surrounding agricultural lands, displacing thousands of farming families — creating a legacy of conflict and compensation disputes that shaped Karnataka's dam rehabilitation policy. The Hemavathi canal network irrigates parts of Hassan, Tumkur, Mysuru, and Mandya districts. Traditional tank irrigation in Hassan predated the dam by centuries, with the Hoysala kings constructing hundreds of tanks across the Hassan plateau to support paddy cultivation. The traditional tank-fed paddy varieties of Hassan — including a distinctive red rice — were partially preserved by NGO seed-saving initiatives.