Thamirabarani River

Thamirabarani River Latest News

Nobody has the right to pollute a water body in the name of religion, the Madras High Court recently said while flagging the large-scale dumping of clothes and other articles in the Thamirabarani river during rituals for the dead.

About Thamirabarani River

• The Thamirabarani River – also known as the Tamraparni River or Porunai River, a rare perennial river in southern India flowing entirely through the Tamil Nadu state.  
• The river contains a small amount of copper, which gives the river water a distinct reddish tinge. 
• In Tamil, copper is called Thamiram and hence the river is named Thamirabarani.  
• Porunai is its classical name in Sangam literature, where it has extensive literary references.
• Course:
  • It originates from the Agastyarkoodam peak of the Pothigai hills of the Western Ghats.
  • It flows entirely within Tamil Nadu before meeting the Gulf of Mannar near Tuticorin. 
• Total Length: Approx. 128 km
• Major Tributaries: Gadananathi River, the Manimuthar River, and the Pachaiyar River.  
• Prominent dams include:
  • Papanasam Dam
  • Karaiyar Dam
  • Manimuthar Dam
  • Servalar Dam
  • Gadananathi Dam
• Major Waterfalls:
  • Banatheertham Falls (132 ft, near Kariyar reservoir)
  • Agasthiyar Falls
  • Kalyana Theertham
• Temples like Papanasam Temple and Agasthiyar Temple are located along its banks.
• Biodiversity:
  • It is one of the richest rivers in the world with fish and is dominated by more than 16 species of native snakehead fish. 
  • It is estimated that nearly 669 fish species are found in the river. 
  • All the three species of otters in India, the Eurasian otter, the smooth-coated otter, and the Asian small-clawed otter, inhabit the Thamirabarani River.

News: BB

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