Mettur Dam

Mettur Dam (மேட்டுர் அணை)
Location Mettur, Salem District, Tamil Nadu, India
Coordinates 11°48′00″N 77°48′00″E / 11.80000°N 77.80000°ECoordinates: 11°48′00″N 77°48′00″E / 11.80000°N 77.80000°E
Opening date 1934
Dam and spillways
Height 120 ft.
Length 1700 meters
Reservoir
Creates Stanley Reservoir
Capacity: 93.4 billion ft³ (2.64 km³)
Details in Tamil

The Mettur Dam is one of the largest dams in India built in 1934.[1] It was constructed in a gorge, where the Kaveri River enters the plains. The dam is one of the oldest in India . It provides irrigation facilities to parts of Salem, the length of Erode, Namakkal, Karur, Tiruchirappali and Thanjavur district for 271,000 acres (110,000 ha) of farm land.

The total length of the dam is 1,700 m (5,600 ft). The dam creates Stanley Reservoir. The Mettur Hydro Electrical power project is also quite large. The dam, the park, the major Hydro Electric power stations and hills on all sides make Mettur a tourist attraction. Upstream from the dam is Hogenakal Falls.

The government of India's water resources ministry site[1] the Mettur dam is an old multipurpose project of the south Indian state (province) of Tamil Nadu across the Cauvery river. It irrigates 1,310 km2 (510 sq mi) of land each year. Its installed capacity for hydro-power generation is 250 MW.(Dam scheme 50 MW & tunnel scheme 200 MW)

The maximum level of the dam is 120 ft (37 m) and the maximum capacity is 93.4 tmc ft.In 2012,Mettur dam would not be opened for irrigation on the scheduled dte of 12 June.[2]

The 75-foot-high Platinum Jubilee Tower at Mettur Dam is a great place to catch a glimpse of the dam. The Tower also hosts a mini exhibition center on the Dam with photos and other resources that are quite informative. The tower is located roughly 2 km away from the Dam's main entrance. Salem Pahalpatty based engineer working in PWD Dept made an alternative plan for the construction of the dam.He explained the demerits of the British engineers' plan.And the British govt accepted his genius. He was Pahalpatty Pa Ve Manicka Nayakar.He was a multi dimensional personality. He was a Tamil scholar. He is one of the 30 plus reformists in Tamil Language.He was a Mathematician.His theorems are now studied in Calculus.He was a freedom fighter. Also devoted friend of poet Namakkal Ramalingam Pillai. They two visited the construction sight of a dam on Indi-Afgan border. They were captured by the rebels.Our Pa Ve Manicka Nayakar explained their leader that they also fight against the British rule.And they were honoured and sent back safely.

Water dispute

The Mettur Dam has received attention of the public during the recent past because of the Kaveri water dispute between the States of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.[3] Consequent to building dams, including the Kabini Dam, across the Kaveri River in Karnataka, the Mettur Dam does not receive much water during lean seasons. Thus, the Dam nearly goes dry during certain parts of the year, when water is most needed by the farmers and general public of the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. This has created serious dispute and tension between the neighbouring States of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Governments of the respective states, the Supreme Court and the Kaveri Tribunal have so far not been successful in solving the dispute. Meanwhile, Kaveri Water Tribunal has been constituted to solve the problem and the tribunal has passed it verdict of 419 tmc to Tamil Nadu, 270 tmc to Karnataka, 50 tmc to Kerala and 7 tmc to Puducherry, which has been held highly unsatisfactory by the states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka and has challenged the verdict in the supreme court. The Central government after being condemned by the Judge of the Supreme court has finally notified the Kaveri Tribunal verdict in the Gazette. Farmers and People across the Agricultural State of Tamil Nadu burst out of Jubilation as the result of the long pending justice being established. It is however undeniable that the people of Karnataka living in the Kaveri basin feel this is not justice.

The capacity of the dam is 93.4 billion ft³ (2.64 km³) nearly twice that of its Karnataka counterpart of KRS, is revered as the life and life hood giving asset of Tamil Nadu. This dam was built in line with KRS Dam which was designed by Sir M Vishveswariah[4] in 1911 and completed in 1917 near Mysore.

See also

 Pulavar Kuzhandhai wrote a book Kongu Naattu Kulamanighal in 1953.its reprint came in May 2006

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Mettur Dam". Archived from the original on 2006-08-19. Retrieved 2006-11-22.
  2. ↑ "Mettur dam not to be opened on June 12". 8 June 2012.
  3. ↑ "Inter-state Water Disputes". Water Ministry - Government of India. Archived from the original on 2007-02-12. Retrieved 2006-11-23.
  4. ↑ "Mettur Dam completes 74 years. Do you know how we struggled before building the dam with mysore Mettur Dam To Mysore Onthy way Reached Kolathout,..., India". Just91.com. Retrieved 2011-01-14.

External links

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