The Vijayanagara empire spread over erstwhile Karnataka and some parts of Andhra Pradesh was in a semi-arid region. Owing to paucity of water, the people of this region had to plan a method of water conservation to keep up a constant supply for irrigation and other domestic purposes. The following points elaborate on the various ways in which this was done –

• Tungabhadra – the only natural source of water in this region was the river Tungabhadra. The capital Vijayanagara was located in a natural river basin formed by the north-eastern flowing river Tungabhadra. The city region depended on the river for irrigation purposes.

• Hiriya Canal – this canal was built by the Raya dynasty and it separated the Sacred centre from the Urban Core in the capital area. It drew water from the Tungabhadra and its main usage was for irrigation as well as some religious purposes like Abhishekas.

• Rain water - Granite hills formed a bridle and surrounded the city giving it natural protection. Granite being a non -porous rock allowed streams of rain water to roll down from the hills. This run-off was held in reservoirs by building embankments.

• Kamalapuram Tank – this was a water reservoir that stored water not only for irrigation but also for usage during droughts.

Thus, these are the ways in which the water resources were developed in the Vijayanagara empire.