Cauvery Basin Research Articles

The impact of short-duration precipitation events over the historic Cauvery basin: a study on altered water resource patterns and associated threats

The Cauvery Delta, the ‘Rice Bowl’ of India follows a time-tested cultivation pattern over several irrigation zones. However, in this era of the Anthropocene, it is now well-established that short-duration, intense precipitation episodes will batter the flood plains year after year. The purpose of this first study is thus to quantify the impacts that such episodes may have on the floodplains of the Cauvery Delta and the concomitant threats to the historic Kallanai Dam. Precipitation events during the North-East monsoon period are driven not just by warm rain microphysics but also by large frozen hydrometeors falling from deep clouds causing undesirable flooding over the region to the extent of 66%. Additionally, from an assessment of the velocity heads and the floodwater depths, this study projects a heightened vulnerability. The total extent of submergence along riverbanks and other flow paths was estimated to be 145.98 {mathrm{km}}^{2} out of which 65.14% of the submerged area is agricultural land. The most important conceptual advance established in this paper is that sub-zones in major watersheds that are currently safe will get inundated in the RCP8.5 warming scenario in 2050.

Flash drought as a new climate threat: drought indices, insights from a study in India and implications for future research

Abstract A flash drought (FD) event is a relatively new form of severe occurrence, described by the quick onset and intensification of drought situations with serious consequences. This paper aims to understand the wide variety of studies and serve as a basis for future research potentials of FDs. An effort has been made to understand the advantages and limitations of the existing indices used for FD identification. A study in India was carried out for the identification of FDs using daily gridded data of soil moisture for eight days (octad). The results reveal that the Indus basin faced around 82% and the Cauvery basin faced about 88% of severe FDs during the monsoon and non-monsoon seasons, respectively. Additionally, the results show that the Indus basin faces FD in the monsoon season since the basin has mostly barren areas and wasteland. This review also highlights the role of humidity, wind and radiation, soil characteristics, climate oscillations, and the relation between FDs and heavy-rainfall-induced flash floods. Furthermore, the paper has depicted some specific research-needs to monitor, forecast, plan, and respond with crucial points.

Contribution of climate and catchment characteristics to runoff variations in Indian river basins: a climate elasticity approach

ABSTRACT The relative influence of climate and catchment characteristics to the variations in runoff in five Indian river basins is assessed using the climate elasticity approach based on the Budyko hypothesis. From 1980 to 1999, catchment characteristics are found to be the main contributor to runoff variation for all of the basins except Upper Mahanadi sub-basin, where climatic factors are the major contributor. Among the climatic factors, runoff is more responsive to changes in precipitation than to changes in potential evapotranspiration. The mean contribution of climate (catchment) to runoff variation is largest at the Cauvery (Krishna) basin. The findings may be useful in planning sustainable water resources infrastructure. Investigation of the relationship between runoff changes in the basins and their land use and land cover changes, as well as the vegetation index, adds to the novelty and usefulness of the study.

Gravity-magnetic appraisal of the southern part of the Cauvery Basin, Eastern Continental Margin of India (ECMI): evidence of a volcanic rifted margin

The Cauvery sedimentary basin of India, a part of the Eastern Continental Margin of India (ECMI), has evolved as a consequence of its breakup from East Antarctica in the early Cretaceous. This study covers approximately 10,000 km2 in the southern part of the Cauvery basin. A total of 5,161 gravity-magnetic observations were made in an area bounded by 78°–79°E longitude and 9°–10°N latitude. The gravity anomaly map shows a dominant NE-SW trend with a total relief of 83 mGal from −77 mGal to 6 mGal. The map reveals very prominent NE-SW trending linear gravity high bands and two circular/elliptical gravity lows around Madurai and Ramanathapuram, respectively. The residual gravity map reveals NE-SW trending alternative bands of gravity highs and lows, revealing a ridge-depression structure. The gravity modeling shows the presence of underplated material, which may be related to magmatic activity during the Cretaceous. The magnetic map reveals two prominent E-W trending linear structures, which probably represent the disposition of a shear zone under the Cauvery Basin. Based on the filtered magnetic and gravity map, we have prepared an interpreted basement geology map. The magnetic map and residual gravity map suggest that the basement rock of the basin is crystalline (granite/gneiss) and may not comprise a high-grade metamorphic rock Eastern Ghat Orogeny.

Porewater and solid phase speciation geochemistry of phosphorus in the Western Bay of Bengal: An assessment of depositional pathways

In this study, we used a combination of porewater phosphate and solid-phase P speciation to examine the present-day benthic biogeochemical cycling and pathways of phosphorus (P) deposition at four sites in the western Bay of Bengal (BoB). We concentrate on two regions, with 2 sediment cores from each region. One is the Palar basin where ancient phosphorites and phosphatic grains were discovered before, and the other in the Cauvery basin, where no phosphories are known to occur. Both of these regions fall in the depths of the oxygen minimum zone (OMZ). Our results suggest that the influx of lithogenic material, or lack of it, largely regulates the sedimentary cycling of P in BoB. Both locations lack active phosphogenesis due to substantial inputs of non-reactive P relative to reactive P from river runoff and its quick burial by the ballasting effect, which appears to prevent P from transforming into an authigenic phase. Despite the oxygen-depleted conditions, low bacterial respiration limits the microbial reduction of iron oxyhydroxide and makes the redox cycling of iron a weak player in the sedimentary cycling of P in the studied cores. The burial efficiency of P is relatively high in the Cauvery basin cores owing to the high sediment accumulation rate and suggests that most of the sedimentary P is undergoing burial with a minimum regeneration. Lack of/Very low recent sedimentation in the Palar basin is possibly due to the reported migration of river course towards the south during the mid-to Late Holocene.

High-resolution calcareous nannofossil biostratigraphy and facies of Nimar Sandstone Formation (Bagh Group), central India and its bearing on Oceanic Anoxic Event 2

It is proposed to consider Narmada Valley Late Cretaceous sequences in three sectors with proper selection of stratotype in each sector: Eastern Sector: comprising of Lameta group of rocks with type area in Jabalpur area, essentially laid down in lacustrine-paedogenic milieu and containing a variety of fossils including dinosaur remains of Late Maastrichtian age. No evidence of sea incursion is available in the Eastern Sector either via the Narmada lineament or the K-G Basin. Central Sector: comprising of the Bagh Group in ascending order of: Nimar Sandstone Formation–Nodular Limestone Formation–Coralline-Bryozoan Limestone Formation, laid down in estuarine complex entirely within Turonian without any evidence of Cenomanian and Coniacian age calcareous nannofossils or other fossils being present. In the western part of Central Sector: Siliciclastic rocks and limestones referred to as Nimar Sandstone Formation curiously lack Late Cenomanian marker species, hence could be of Early Turonian age. Western Sector: comprises of Lacustrine sediments associated with Deccan Flood Basalt. The absence of the Cenomanian/Turonian Boundary and Black shales negates the presence of global OAE2 events in the Narmada lineament, but several OAE events are recognised in the Cauvery Basin, southeastern India. Uranium- and Thorium-rich Lower and Upper Nimar Sandstone Formation overlying crystalline basement are interpreted to have been essentially laid down in a fully marine estuarine milieu with reworked plant, and palynofossils including dinosaur remains. Calcareous nannofossils recovered from Upper Nimar Sandstone Formation over four decades ago and assigned Late Turonian age is revised based on modern data incorporating calcareous nannofossil and planktonic foraminifera datum and now suggest an older age of Early Turonian matching a zone with FAD of Quadrum gartneri at the base and FAD of H. helvetica at the top. It must be emphasised that except for the solitary and unique incursion of Early Turonian (ca. 93.9 Ma) sea along the Narmada lineament reaching eastward (>300 km) up to the present town of Indore, no other marine intrusion ever took place on Indian shield except along collision facing Subathu–Dogadda lineament during Late Maastrichtian. It would be erroneous to suggest that the global eustatic rise of sea level caused the entry of the Turonian sea along the Narmada lineament; instead, it was earlier speculated by me that Large Igneous Province activity of Mahajanga Flood Basalt of Madagascar (ca. 93.9 Ma) could have most probably caused a short-lived Turonian sea to enter Narmada lineament from the west around C/T boundary.

A review of small-bodied theropod dinosaurs from the Upper Cretaceous of India, with description of new cranial remains of a noasaurid (Theropoda: Abelisauria)

ABSTRACT Small-bodied theropod dinosaurs are rare on southern landmasses but have been known from India for a century. Excavations by Charles Matley and Durgansankar Bhattacharji in uppermost Cretaceous sediments at Bara Simla, central India in 1917–1919 recovered small theropod vertebral and limb elements originally interpreted as coelurosaurians and separated into at least three species (Compsosuchus solus, Laevisuchus indicus, Jubbulpuria tenuis) based on features that can now be attributed to their serial position in the vertebral column. The comparatively recent discoveries of Noasaurus leali and Masiakasaurus knopfleri from similar-aged rocks in South America and Madagascar, respectively, and advances in basal theropod systematics led to a revised interpretation of most small-bodied Indian theropods as noasaurid abelisauroids. Here we review and redescribe Laevisuchus, Jubbulpuria, and Compsosuchus, including several elements that until now were thought lost, and describe a new partial noasaurid dentary from central India. The dentary bears the characteristic procumbent dentition of Masiakasaurus, which apparently is absent in Noasaurus. Likewise, cervical vertebrae of Laevisuchus more closely resemble those of Masiakasaurus than those of Noasaurus. Despite these similarities, phylogenetic analyses indicate that the balance of character data supports the Indian noasaurid species outside the sister-taxon pairing of South American and Malagasy species. Bones of small-bodied theropods have been recovered exclusively from the youngest Mesozoic localities in India (e.g., Pisdura, Bara Simla); to date they have not been reported from the slightly older localities in western and central India, from southern Indian sites in the Cauvery Basin, nor from the Vitakri Formation of Pakistan.

Late Campanian-Maastrichtian in Pondicherry Area (Cauvery Basin) Southern India: Bioevents and Palaeoenvironmental Inferences from Planktonic Foraminifera

Abstract The late Campanian/Maastrichtian succession exposed in the Pondicherry area provides one of the best exposed marine sections in the Cauvery basin and is examined for its foraminiferal contents. The biostratigraphic distribution of 72 species of planktonic foraminifera has been used to identify eleven planktonic zones and subzones and correlated to the global bioevents. The present biostratigraphic analysis has revealed four bioevents in the late Campanian-Maastrichtian sediments of the Pondicherry area. The first one was associated with the Radotruncana calcarata (CF10), which correlated to the late Campanian event (LCE); the second bioevent was associated with the Rugoglobigerina rotundata (CF7a) and the Rugoglobigerina scotti CF7b, which correlated to the (Campanian-Maastrichtian boundary event (CMBE); the third bioevent is associated with Globotruncana linneiana and Contusotruncana contusa, which correlated to middle Maastrichtian event (MME). The fourth bioevent associated with the Racemiguembelina fructicosa, which is correlated with the late Maastrichtian event (LME) associated with the Cretaceous/Paleogene boundary in the studied area. Three principal climate and faunal associations were identified in the present study in Cauvery basin; (1) worldwide cooling with minimal variation in the late Campanian-earliest Maastrichtian observed through extraordinary diversification for the Cretaceous mostly accomplished in the early Maastrichtian (Event-1, C31r), (2) warming and stable high diversity (Event-2, upper C31r to lower C30n), (3) return to global cooling and high-stress environments (Event-3, C30n),

Streamflow simulation using conceptual and neural network models in the Hemavathi sub-watershed, India

Water is one of the most valuable natural resources and a major element of a state's and country's socio-economic growth. The world's water resources and India are under huge pressure because of rising demand and a limited supply. Proper water management is the only solution for ensuring a close gap between demand and supply. Hydrological modeling offers an answer to this issue by establishing relationships between different hydrological processes. Several models have been developed in the past decade to simulate the rainfall and runoff relations. Some models are simple conceptual models based on spatially distributed event-based or continuous and artificial intelligence (AI) models. This study aims to compare two conceptual daily-based models and one AI model developed for the Hemavathi sub-watershed in the Cauvery Basin (India). Two daily runoff models are implemented using conceptual models, i.e., Sacramento and the Australian water balance model (AWBM) using Rainfall-Runoff Library (RRL) tool and Feed forward Backpropagation neural network (FFBPNN) model. The models were calibrated for daily streamflow values from 1990 to 2006 and then validated from 2007 to 2015. The effectiveness of model runoff predictions is evaluated using statistical parameters such as Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) and Correlation coefficient (CC) values. The NSE values for the FFBPNN is 0.88 (calibration) and 0.74 (validation), Sacramento model is 0.66 (calibration) and 0.48 (validation), and 0.63 (calibration) and 0.44 (validation) for the AWBM model. From the obtained results, the FFBPNN model performs well in terms of NSE and CC compared to Sacramento and AWBM models.

Geogenic and anthropogenic contamination in river water and groundwater of the lower Cauvery Basin, India

Degradation of water quality is a major challenge in both developed and developing countries since it poses a great risk to ecological health. The Cauvery river is one of the most important rivers of southern India, where the effect of seasonal variation on the quality of river water and its adjoining groundwater on the lower part of the basin has not yet been studied. Hence, the present study was carried out to evaluate the river water and adjacent groundwater for drinking and irrigational purposes, and also to identify the sources affecting the water quality. About 118 river water and 131 groundwater samples were collected over 4 months from May 2018 to August 2019. The water samples were analyzed for electrical conductivity (EC), pH, major and minor ions, and trace elements. The major, minor, and trace elements were then compared with the Bureau of Indian Standards and World Health Organization for drinking water quality assessment. The drinking water quality was assessed, indicating that both river water and groundwater were unsuitable in the coastal regions, especially during dry seasons. Irrigation water quality was also assessed, which indicates that most of the river water and groundwater samples were unsuitable near the coastal region. The quality of river water and groundwater in the lower Cauvery Basin was found to be better during wet periods compared to the dry season. It was observed that the rock–water interactions was the major factor controlling the water quality for groundwater and surface water, followed by anthropogenic activities such as disposal of domestic sewage and effluents into the river, as runoff from irrigated lands. The study emphasizes the development of a finer observational network for water quality, along with stringent monitoring of the disposal of contaminants in the rivers and groundwater.

Absence of Belemnites in the Post-Cenomanian Marine Successions of Cauvery Basin, India: Role of Sea Level, Paleogeography, and Belemnite Paleoecology

Abstract Belemnites were important Mesozoic marine organisms, and Cretaceous belemnite rostra are found worldwide, including the Cauvery Basin, south-eastern India. However, in the Cauvery Basin, belemnites of the families Belemnopseidae and Dimitobelidae are found only from the Albian-Cenomanian rocks but are absent in the overlying Turonian-Maastrichtian rocks. Although Belemnopseidae became globally extinct in the Cenomanian, Dimitobelidae was still thriving in the nearby Austral regions, so it is not clear why belemnites suddenly suffered local extinction. Moreover, in the post-Cenomanian interval, the newly evolved family Belemnitellidae was thriving globally but is absent in India. To understand the causes of this local extinction as well as the causes of the complete absence in the younger rocks, an analysis of different paleoecological-paleoenvironmental conditions was carried out of all Albian to Maastrichtian formations of the Cauvery Basin against the background of the global belemnite paleobiogeography and evolutionary patterns. The study reveals, during the end Cenomanian, shallowing of the basin caused the local extinction of the shelf-living Belemnopseidae and Dimitobelidae in this basin. In the younger intervals, since India was migrating towards the equator, the stenothermal Dimitobelidae did not survive the warmer water surrounding India and only thieved in the cooler Austral water. Perhaps for the same reason, Dimitobelidae never invaded India, even during the Late Cretaceous transgression. Moreover, during its northern voyage, India was surrounded by deep ocean, acting as a physical barrier for the shelf-dwelling Belemnitellidae of the Boreal Realm to invade India.

Stretching–buoyancy interplay in the magma-poor rifting process

Abstract The Cauvery Basin in East India represents a failed rift zone in the west and transform-related termination in the east. The deformation associated with a westward-propagating rift zone involves stretching and necking-related deformation from west to east. The rift axis and the flanks exhibit maximum and minimum deformation. In this study, we document the increasing role of buoyancy-driven processes and the development of the rift asymmetry during the advanced stages of rifting in a magma-poor setting. We use a series of reflection seismic profiles intersecting the failed rift zone maturing eastward. The onset of buoyancy-controlled extension correlates with the localized extension. It creates a relatively symmetrical axial dome, and exhibits rift flank rotations and central up-warping. This permanent uplift is associated with lower crustal ductile flow. Notably, the deep-seated syn-rift buoyancy forces progressively operate eastward. We deduce the associated transient dome uplift and its subsequent dissipation using a seismic flattening technique. The axial dome formation is associated with an upwelling asthenosphere and lower lithospheric mantle. This correlates with localized contraction within flat-lying fault blocks at its flanks, concurrently forming the typical hanging-wall and footwall geometry. The multiple shallow- to deep-seated mechanisms promote strain acceleration in the uplifted regions along the rift zone.

Taxonomic revision of the Late Cretaceous Pectinid Bivalves Neithea (Drouet) and Plicatula (Lamarck) from the Trichinopoly Group, Cauvery Basin, South India

Taxonomic revision of the Late Cretaceous Pectinid Bivalves Neithea (Drouet) and Plicatula (Lamarck) from the Trichinopoly Group, Cauvery Basin, South India

Onychocellidae (Bryozoa) from the Maastrichtian Kallankurichchi Formation, Ariyalur Group, southern India

Onychocellidae (Bryozoa, Cheilostomatida) are one of the dominant components of the cheilostomatid bryozoan fossil assemblage in the Kallankurichchi Formation of the Ariyalur Group, Cauvery Basin, South India. The present study describes and illustrates eleven species of Onychocellidae from the sedimentary deposits of this formation. Among these, ten species are already known from these deposits, while one species is left in open nomenclature. Bryozoan fauna thrived during transgressional period indicating shallow marine environment and low sedimentation rate.

Records of drill holes and repair scars on Rectithyris subdepressa (Brachiopoda) from the Maastrichtian Kallankurichchi Formation, India

In the post-Paleozoic communities, brachiopods are generally thought to be less attractive prey to predators than bivalves. However, recent studies have documented significant predation pressure on brachiopods throughout the Mesozoic and Cenozoic. The present study is aimed to document predation pressure on the Maastrichtian Rectithyris subdepressa from the Kallankurichchi Formation of the Cauvery Basin, India. While drilling intensity is a direct measure, repair scar frequency measures failed, non-lethal attacks. A drilling intensity of 7% and repair scar intensity of 4% is observed in the present study. These results, along with the stereotype of predatory behavior, such as the preference of size and location of the attack, indicate that both drilling and durophagous predators preyed upon Rectithyris subdepressa and the attacks are not accidental by nature. Although both predatory drill holes and repair scars could be successfully identified, specific groups could not be identified as the predators responsible for these attacks. While previous studies suggested a comparatively lower predation pressure on brachiopods than sympatric bivalves, brachiopods are the only drilled taxa in the Kallankurichchi Formation. While bivalves are the most abundant component, the large size and thicker shell of the epifaunal bivalves may explain the absence of drilling predation on the bivalves.

Rb–Sr and Sm–Nd ages of the basement from Cauvery Basin: Crustal linkage to the Madurai Block, Peninsular India

Rb–Sr and Sm–Nd ages of the basement from Cauvery Basin: Crustal linkage to the Madurai Block, Peninsular India

Post-drill geophysical characterization of two deep-water wells of Cauvery Basin, East Coast of India

The depth of the reservoir causes an increase in the degree of uncertainty in the prediction of reservoir quality. High frequency is suppressed with depth because Earth functions as a low-pass filter. The seismic amplitudes observed at various interfaces are influenced by spherical divergence, transmission losses, mode conversions, and inter-bed multiples. Seismic data have numerous essential components that must be thoroughly examined during hydrocarbon prospect identification and maturation, including post-critical reflections, events coherency (in near and far offsets), mode conversion, and interbed multiples. Seismic amplitudes are typically derived from 2D/3D seismic data and utilized directly or indirectly for reservoir interpretation and better prediction of subtle geological and geophysical information. To accurately depict subsurface geological features, stratigraphic architecture, and reservoir facies, it should be used in conjunction with the existing paleoenvironment data. When employed alone, the subsurface geophysical data may lead to erroneous interpretation of subsurface lithologies and inaccurate reservoir property predictions. Understanding these factors could help interpreters make better use of seismic data while maturing and de-risking the prospectivity. This study examines the post-drill geophysical characterization of two exploratory wells that were drilled in the deep-water area of the Cauvery Basin, East Coast of India. Analysis and correlation with a discovery well is done to understand the sediment depositional heterogeneity and corresponding seismic amplitude response, primarily for the cemented reservoir (dry well). To discover prospects and subsequently de-risk the existing prospect inventory, a dashboard checklist for in-depth study of seismic and well data has been developed. The top-down geophysical analytical approach that has been presented will aid in defining reservoir characteristics generally, estimating deliverability, and subsequently raising the geological probabilities and chance of success (COS) of any exploration project. The findings of this study allow critical analysis of seismic data to distinguish between softer/slower/possibly better reservoir rocks and hard/fast/tight rocks.

Political Positions in the Manimekalai

The Manimegalai epic covers various social politics. The politics of the hour are seen in a different light than the politics of the time. During this period various religions and new rulers entered Tamil Nadu and created a chaotic politics. The epic features the politics, morals, monasticism, and Buddhist influence of the rulers. The influence of Vedic religion in the Milky Way, the impact of Buddhism in the Cauvery Basin and the impact of Jainism in the Madurai region shaped the social life of the people. Poompuhar was a city of historical significance in ancient times. Morality was held in that city. The king and the people lived equally without distinction. The king lived for the people. The news about the two kings, Karikarsolan and Manunithi Cholan, is indelibly etched in the minds of the people. Poompuhar has been a city of historical significance since ancient times. The city of Poompuhar is known to have been the first place of influence for Buddhism. Sittalaichattanar mentions such a special city in the first ear. They record that the city was ruled by a moral ruler and that the king and his people lived equally without distinction. It is said that people from different sections have come together for the Indira festival to be held in Poompuhar city.

Major, trace and rare earth elemental geochemistry of Santonian–Campanian onland‐offshore transition in a Gilbert‐type deltaic setting, Cauvery Basin, southern India

The spatially widely distributed and temporally protracted Santonian–Campanian stratigraphic records of the Sillakkudi Formation of the Ariyalur Group, Cauvery Basin, southern India represent an onland exposure of a Gilbert‐type delta. Here, we present geochemical, mineralogical, and petrographic analyses of two composite stratigraphic sections, and evaluate the climatic, tectonic, and other factors that contributed to the spatio‐emporal uniqueness of this formation. A range of low to intensive weathering, simultaneous exhumation/erosion, physical transport, and chemical weathering, prevalent at different parts of the source region and or the existence of multiple channels that drained varied source regions and hence varied lithologies at exhumation surfaces which in turn experienced seasonally varied flow conditions were interpreted. The prevalence of physical erosion during the initial stages of the deposition of the Sillakkudi Formation that progressed towards higher intensities of chemical weathering, in tune with the increase in atmospheric temperature and sea‐level rise during the later stages of the formation, is evidenced. Occurrences of positive and negative Eu anomalies and a progression from active to passive tectonic setting of samples, concomitant with change from tectonic control to relative sea‐level and the sediment influx controlled nature of deposition from Santonian–Campanian is recorded. Together, three sets of related factors namely, tectonics, increase of atmospheric temperature and sea‐level rise operated independently, and the enforced transience of transformation of the source terrain from active to passive margin, the transformation of depositional setting from fluvial to estuarine/intertidal to open marine, and shifting of principal loci of deposition from onland to offshore, are documented. The causal link between the progressive increase of sea‐level control over the depositional system during the Santonian–Campanian as recorded by this study could be due to the rise in atmospheric temperature that in turn might have been influenced by the movement of the Indian Plate from low latitudes towards the equatorial region. The second implication of the results is that the studies attempting to document tectonic setting, provenance, and weathering, with the help of geochemical discriminant diagrams, should also consider the spatial and temporal changes in the source area as well as depositional setting.

The lost titan of Cauvery

In 1987, authors P. Yadagiri and K. Ayyasami described a giant dinosaur, Bruhathkayosaurus matleyi, from the Late Cretaceous beds of the Cauvery Basin, India. Unfortunately, the fossil remains of this giant had disintegrated into dust before they reached the repository, making B. matleyi a dubious species. Gigantism is one of the many characteristic features of dinosaurs that grab public attention, and there is much fossil evidence that suggests gigantism was not limited to any specific group of dinosaurs. Nevertheless, this characteristic feature was very advanced and extensive among sauropod dinosaurs, which belonged to a group of long necked herbivorous dinosaurs. Sauropods evolved from basal saurischian dinosaurs about 200 Ma and survived until the K/Pg (Cretaceous–Palaeogene) mass extinction event, about 66 Ma. By the Late Jurassic period, many colossal size sauropods had evolved, such as Supersaurus, Diplodocus, Barosaurus, etc. but together with other Diplodocidae, they went extinct by the end of the Late Jurassic. During the Cretaceous, a new clade of sauropod dinosaurs evolved, the Titanosauria. The Titanosauria diversified into various genera, and in terms of size, they ranged from a 6‐m‐long Magyarosaurus, to the 35‐m‐long Argentinosaurus. Most of these giant titanosaurs, including Argentinosaurus, alongside Patagotitan, Dreadnoughtus, Puertasaurus, and Futalognkosaurus, are known from South America, making this continent truly a ‘land of giants’ during the Cretaceous. However, the latest discoveries of this group indicate that supersized titanosaurs were not just restricted to South America, with Paralititan from Africa and Australotitan from Australia. Loss of the fossil remains of B. matleyi has raised not only questions upon the validity of the species, but also questions the notion that any supersized dinosaur lived in India. Here we critically review pieces of evidence in support of supersize dinosaur remains from Southern India.