Water Resource of Tamilnadu

Water Resource of Tamil Nadu

1. Tamil Nadu constitutes  4% of India’s land area and is inhabited by 6% of India’s population,
2. but has only 2.5% percent of India’s water resources.
3. More than 95% of the surface water and 80% of the ground water have already been put into use.

Multipurpose River Valley Projects of Tamilnadu

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Mettur Dam The Mettur Dam was constructed in a gorge, where river Cauvery enters the plains. It is one of the oldest dams in India. It provides irrigation to Salem, Erode, Karur, Tiruchirappalli, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, and Nagapattinam districts farmlands.

Bhavani Sagar Dam The Bhavani Sagar Dam is located 80 km away from Coimbatore city in the district of Erode. It has been constructed across the river Bhavani. This dam is one of the biggest earthen dams in the country.

Amaravathi Dam The Amaravathi dam is situated 25 km away from Udumalpet in Tirupur district. The dam has been constructed across the river Amaravathi, a tributary of Cauvery. The dam was built primarily for irrigation and flood control. A small hydropower station has also been installed recently.

Krishnagiri Dam Krishnagiri dam is situated at a distance of 7 km from Krishnagiri towards Dharmapuri.

Sathanur Dam Sathanur Dam was constructed across the river Thenpennai in Chengam taluk. It is in the midst of Chennakesava hills. It irrigates the land in Thandrampet and Tiruvannamalai blocks. There is also a large crocodile farm and a fish grotto. Parks are maintained inside the dam for tourists and the gardens are used by the film industry.

Mullaiperiyar Dam Mullaiperiyar dam was built by the British administration in 1895. It has been constructed on the Periyar river, which originates from Thekkady hills of Kerala. The dam was built mainly for watering the farming land of Tamil Nadu, which is perennially drought-prone.

Vaigai Dam This dam was built across the river Vaigai near Andipatti. The dam with a height of 111 feet can store water up to 71 feet. It is located 7 km from Andipatti and 70 km from Madurai. This dam was opened on 21 January, 1959.

Manimuthar Dam Manimuthar dam is located about 47 km from Tirunelveli.

The Papanasam Dam It is also known as Karaiyar dam and is located about 49 km away from Tirunelveli. The dam is used to irrigate Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi districts.

Parampikulam Aliyar Project It is a joint venture of Tamil Nadu and Kerala states. It envisages the construction of seven interconnected reservoirs by harnessing the water of seven rivers, which include major rivers of Parambikulam and Aliyar.

Parappalar Project Parappalar project is located near Ottanchatram. Its storage capacity is 167 million cubic feet of water. It is about 75 km from Madurai and is in Palani taluk.

Hogenakkal Integrated Drinking Water Project

1. Hogenakkal Integrated Drinking Water Project is a fluorosis mitigation drinking water project being undertaken at Hogenakkal, Dharmapuri district, state of Tamil Nadu, India.
2. It is scheduled to be executed by Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board (TWAD),
3. with funding from Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) using Tamil Nadu's share of Cauvery river water. T
4. he project aims to supply safe drinking water to drought prone & fluorosis affected Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri districts of Tamil Nadu.
5. Completed and Launched in 2013

Kudimaramathu Scheme:

1. It is a scheme by Tamil Nadu government which aims to restore the water bodies of Tamil Nadu such as dams, lakes and reservoirs, with the help of local farmers.
2. In Tamil, the word “Kudi” means people and “Maramathu” means repairing or construction. Kudimaramathu is a centuries-old system of collective repair of water bodies, which discontinued in the colonial era.
3. It has been restarted by the Tamil Nadu government.
4. Through this scheme the Tamil Nadu Government attempts to revive an ancient lake management system.
5. The scheme is very crucial for Tamil Nadu as it has been facing unprecedented drought over 100 years.
6. It was launched in March 2017.