ESSAY ON MAJOR DAM’S IN KERALA

INTRODUCTION

Kerala is one of the most beautiful states in India.
Kerala known as “God’s own Country” is a state situated along the western coast of India and is blessed with lots of natural resources.
To protect the water resources, The State has built a number of major Dams.
Kerala have a number of Dams which are used for irrigation, power generation, water supply and other purposes.
These dams are an important part of Kerala’s infrastructure and have played a major role in the state’s development.
They are also major Tourist attractions and provide entertainment activities for the people.

SOME OF THE MAJOR DAM’S IN KERALA

1) IDUKKI DAM

The Idukki Dam is the largest arch dam in Asia and the second largest arch dam in the world.
It is located between two mountains in the Idukki district of Kerala.
The Dam is built across the Periyar River.
It was constructed in the 1970s, it has a height of 169m.
It has a total storage capacity of 780 Million Cubic Meters (MCM).
It is the largest hydroelectric project in the state.
The reservoir created by the dam is also a major tourist attraction.
It provides water for irrigation, drinking and power generation.

2) MALAMPUZHA DAM

The Malampuzha Dam is situated in Palakkad district and is the largest reservoir in Kerala.
The Dam is built across the Bharathappuzha River.
It is the largest irrigation dam in Kerala.
It has a height of 115.06 meters.
It has a total storage capacity of 115 Million Cubic Meters (MCM).
The Dam helps in providing irrigation to the District.
The dam also has a beautiful garden, amusement park and an aquarium for the tourists.
The reservoir created by the dam is used for fishing and boating.

3) BANASURA SAGAR DAM

The Banasura Sagar Dam is located in Wayanad district.
It is the largest earthen dam in India and Second largest earthen dam in Asia.
It is constructed across the Kabini River and has a height of 59 meters.
It has a total storage capacity of 79 Million Cubic Meters (MCM).
The dam helps in providing irrigation to the district.
It is used for irrigation and hydroelectric power generation.
The reservoir created by the dam is a major attraction for birdwatchers and tourists.

4) MULLAPERIYAR DAM

It is located in the Idukki district and is used for power generation and irrigation.
It was constructed in 1895.
The Dam is built across the Periyar River.
It is the oldest dam in Kerala.
The dam is used for generating hydroelectricity and it has a capacity of 160 MW.
It has a total storage capacity of 86 Million Cubic Meters (MCM).
The reservoir created by the dam is used for storing water for the state.

5) PEECHI DAM

The Peechi Dam is located in Thrissur district.
The Dam is constructed across the Manali River.
It has a height of 53 meters.
It has a total storage capacity of 110.43 Million cubic metres.
It helps in providing irrigation to the district and is also used for fish farming.
It is also a major tourist attraction in the district.
It also has a man-made lake which is a popular picnic spot.
The reservoir created by the Dam is a home to a variety of bird species.

6) KAKKAYAM DAM

7) BHOOTHATHANKETTU DAM

8) PARAMBIKULAM DAM

It is located in the Palakkad district.
It is constructed across the Parambikulam River.
The dam is operated and maintained by Tamil Nadu state but the ownership rests with Kerala.
It is mainly used for power generation, irrigation and water supply.
The reservoir created by the dam is used for boating, fishing and other water sports.
It also has a wildlife sanctuary which is a home to several rare species of animals including the Indian bison and the Nilgiri tahr.

9) IDAMALAYAR DAM

The Idamalayar Dam is located in the Eranakulam district.
It is a gravity dam.
It is constructed across the Idamalayar River.
It was constructed in 1987.
It is constructed across the Parambikulam River.
It has a height of 169 meters.
It has a total storage capacity of 153 Million cubic metres..
It serves many purposes such as generating hydroelectricity, providing drinking water and controlling floods.