A History of South India from Prehistoric Times to the Fall of Vijayanagar c7.23

c7.23

The three great rivers of the plateau proper are the Godāvari, the Krishna and the Kaveri; and to these may be added the Mahanadi. Among the minor rivers, the Penner, Palar, Pennar and the Tambraparni are important. In the early part of their courses these rivers seem rather to drain the country than water it as they flow rapidly in deep rocky valleys, but as they approach the more level ground of the coastal plain, dams have been thrown across all of them and their waters turned to account for irrigation. The deltas of the Godāvari, Krishna and Kaveri are covered with wide expanses of irrigated crops.