Kallanai Dam
| Kallanai Dam | |
|---|---|
 Kallanai Dam with its floodgates open | |
| Location | Thanjavur district,Tamil Nadu, India |
| Purpose | Irrigation |
| Status | Operational |
| Construction began | c.150 CE |
| Built by | Karikala cholanofChola dynasty |
| Operator(s) | Government of Tamil Nadu |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Barrage |
| Impounds | River |
| Height (foundation) | 5.4 metres (18 ft) |
| Length | 329 metres (1,079 ft) |
| Width (base) | 20 metres (66 ft) |
Kallanai(also known as theGrand Anicut) is an ancientdambuilt byKarikalaofChola dynastyin 150 CE. It was built (in running water) across theKaveririver flowing fromTiruchirapalli DistricttoThanjavur district,Tamil Nadu,India.The dam is located in Thanjavur district,[1][2]15 km fromTiruchirapalliand 45 km fromThanjavur.[3][4][5]It is the fourth oldest water-diversion or water-regulator structure in the world and the oldest in India that is still in use.[6][7]Because of its spectacular architecture, it is one of the prime tourist spots in Tamil Nadu.
History
[edit]The dam was originally built by KingKarikalanof the Chola Dynasty inc. 100– c. 150 CE.It is located on the river inTrichy district,exactly 14 km from the city ofTiruchirappalliand 45 km from the city of Thanjavur. The idea behind the construction of the dam was to divert the river to thedelta districtsthereby boosting irrigation.[3][4][5]This dam was re-modeled by theBritishduring the 19th century. In 1804, Captain Caldwell, a military engineer, was appointed by the British to make a study on the Kaveri river and promote irrigation for the delta region.[8]He found that a large amount of water passed onto the Kollidam leaving behind a small volume for irrigation purposes.[8]Caldwell initially proposed a solution by raising the dam and hence raised the dam stones to a height of 69 centimetres (27 in), thus increasing the capacity of the dam.[3]Following this, Major Sim proposed the idea ofundersluicesacross the river with outlets leading to theKollidam River(Coleroon) thus preventing formation of silt.[3]TheLower Anaicutbuilt bySir Arthur Cottonin the 19th century across Coleroon, the major tributary of Cauvery is said to be a replicated structure of Kallanai.[3]
Geography
[edit]TheKaveririver splits into two at a point 20 miles (32 km) west of Kallanai. The two rivers form theisland of Srirangambefore joining at Kallanai. The northern channel is called theKollidam(Coleroon); the other retains the name Kaveri, and empties into theBay of BengalatPoompuhar.On the seaward face of its delta are the seaports ofNagapattinamandKaraikal.[9]
Description
[edit]The purpose of the Kallanai was to divert the waters of the Kaveri across the fertiledeltaregion for irrigation via canals and to its northern delta branch Kollidam/Coleroon. Downstream of the barrage, the river Kaveri splits into four streams known as Kollidam Aru, Kaveri, Vennaru andPuthu Aru.However, the flood waters can be allowed, by opening the barrage/anaicut gates, to pass through the other three delta branches also to join the sea.[10]It is constructed from unhewn stone spanning the Kaveri and is 329 m (1,079 ft) long, 20 m (66 ft) wide and 5.4 m (18 ft) high.[11]The dam is still in excellent condition, and supplied a model to later engineers, including SirArthur Cotton's 19th-century dam across the Kollidam, the major distributary of the Kaveri.[12]The area irrigated by the ancient irrigation network is about 69,000 acres (28,000ha). By the early 20th century, the irrigated area had been increased to about one million acres (400,000 ha).[13]
The delta farmers of Tamil Nadu have demanded the Tamil Nadu government to honorKarikala Cholan,who built this dam.[14]
Gallery
[edit]-
Plaque bearing the dam's name -
Engineering wonder of Karikalan's period -
Fishing in the sluices, Kallanai dam, Tiruchirappalli -
Another view, Kallanai dam -
Kallanai dam -
Water being discharged from Kallanai in August 2018 witnessing beauty of kallanai in river Kauvery
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^"Flowing waters for fertile fields".The Hindu.India. 29 August 2011.
- ^Singh, Vijay P.; Ram Narayan Yadava (2003).Water Resources System Operation: Proceedings of the International Conference on Water and Environment.Allied Publishers. p. 508.ISBN81-7764-548-X.
- ^abcdeSyed Muthahar Saqaf (10 March 2013)."A rock solid dam that has survived 2000 years".The Hindu.Retrieved13 November2013.
- ^ab"Incredible India! A 2,000-year-old functional dam".India Today.26 August 2013.Retrieved15 February2019.
- ^ab"Karikalan cholan memorial inaugurated - Times of India".The Times of India.13 February 2014.Retrieved15 February2019.
- ^Christopher V. Hill (2008).South Asia: An Environmental History.ABC-CLIO. pp. 33–.ISBN978-1-85109-925-2.
- ^"Kallanai Dam || Thanjavur Tourism".www.thanjavurtourism.com.Retrieved2 November2018.
- ^abSkempton 2002,p. 114.
- ^Wiebe E. Bijker (19 September 2006)."Dikes and Dams, Thick with Politics".Maastricht University. Archived fromthe originalon 25 April 2012.Retrieved7 November2011.
- ^"Grand Anicut A00677".WRIS, India.Retrieved7 November2016.
- ^"Places to visit".IIM-Trichy, India. Archived fromthe originalon 19 December 2011.Retrieved7 November2011.
- ^Govindasamy Agoramoorthy; Sunitha chaudhary; Minna J. HSU."The Check-Dam Route to Mitigate India's Water Shortages"(PDF).Law library — University of New Mexico. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 20 July 2013.Retrieved7 November2011.
- ^"Fit case for World Heritage status".The Hindu.Trichy, India. 10 September 2007. Archived fromthe originalon 14 September 2007.
- ^"CM's word on Karikalan memorial cheers farmers in Cauvery Delta".The New Indian Express.Retrieved26 July2023.
Bibliography
[edit]
- Skempton, A. W. (2002).A Biographical Dictionary of Civil Engineers in Great Britain and Ireland: 1500-1830.Thomas Telford.ISBN978-0-7277-2939-2.
- Rita (2011).Inventive Indians.Westland.ISBN978-93-80658-03-2.[permanent dead link]
Further reading
[edit]- Rahman, Abdur; Project of History of Indian Science, Philosophy, and Culture (1999).History of Indian Science, Technology and Culture: Ad 1000-1800.Oxford University Press India.ISBN978-0-19-564652-8.
{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)