Mettur Dam

• Mettur Dam :

 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[citation needed]. 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.