Vaigai Dam

About Vaigai River:

• It is a river in Tamil Nadu.
• Course:
  • Origin: It originates from the Varusanadu and Megamalai hills of the Western Ghats. 
  • It travels through the Pandya Nadu region of Tamil Nadu generally in the south-east direction and rarely causes floods.
  • It drains into the Palk Strait near the Pamban Bridge in Ramanathapuram district.
  • Length: It is 258 kilometres long.
• It drains an area of 7,741 sq.km, which entirely lies in the state of Tamil Nadu.
• The river basin is flanked by the Western ghats on the south and west, the southern slope of Palani hills (Kodaikanal hills), Sirumalai hills, Alagar hills etc. on the north, and the Bay of Bengal on the east.
• Vaigai gets major feed from the Periyar Dam in Kerala. Water from the Periyar River in Kerala is diverted into the Vaigai River in Tamil Nadu via a tunnel through the Western Ghats.
• Tributaries: Its main tributaries are Suruliyaru, Mullaiyaru, Varaganadhi, Manjalaru, Kottagudi, Kridhumaal, and Upparu.
• The river finds a mention in Sangam literature dated to 300 before Common Era.
• It is the major river in the fabled city ofMadurai, the capital of the ancient and prosperous Pandya kingdom located in southern Tamil Nadu.
• The river fulfills the drinking water requirements of five districts in Tamil Nadu, namely, Theni, Madurai, Ramnathapuram, Sivagangai, and Dindigul.

Q1: Which dam is built on Vaigai River?

The Vaigai Dam is built on the Vaigai River. It is located near Andipatti in the Theni district of Tamil Nadu, India.It was built in 1959 and is often referred to as the lifeline of the region.

Source: TOI