Mettur Dam

About Mettur Dam:

• It is one of the largest dams in India, built in 1934.
• Location:
  • Mettur, Salem District, Tamil Nadu.
  • It was constructed in a gorge where the Kaveri River enters the plains.
• It provides irrigation facilities to parts of Salem, the length of Erode, Namakkal, Karur, Tiruchirappali and Thanjavur districts for 271,000 acres (110,000 ha) of farmland.
• Features:
  • The total length of the dam is 1700 m with a maximum level of 120 feet and a capacity of 93.4 tmc ft.
  • The dam creates Stanley Reservoir.
  • Set at the foot of the dam in 1937 is the Mettur hydroelectric and thermal power plant, with a hydro-power generation of 32 MW.
  • There is a park adjoining the Dam on the opposite side with lawns and fountains, and also has the Muniappan/Aiyanar statue in the vicinity.

Key Facts about Kaveri River:

• Kaveri, also spelled Cauvery, is a sacred river of southern India. It is known as the Ganga of South India.
• Origin: It rises on Brahmagiri Hill of the Western Ghats in southwestern Karnataka state.
• It flows in a southeasterly direction for 765 km through the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and descends the Eastern Ghats in a series of great falls.
• The Cauvery basin extends over the states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and the Union Territory of Puducherry.
• The river drains into the Bay of Bengal at Poompuhar in the Mayiladuthurai district of Tamil Nadu.
• Major left bank tributaries: Harangi, the Hemavati, the Shimsha and the Arkavati.
• Major right bank tributaries: Lakshmantirtha, the Kabbani, the Suvarnavati, the Bhavani, the Noyil and the Amaravati

 

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Q1) Which are the major tributaries of Kaveri river?

Major left bank tributaries of Kaveri river are Harangi, the Hemavati, the Shimsha and the Arkavati. Major right bank tributaries are Lakshmantirtha, the Kabbani, the Suvarnavati, the Bhavani, the Noyil and the Amaravati.

Source: Mettur dam water release date nears, TN farmers busy procuring seeds and fertilisers