Pothundi Dam

Coordinates: 10°32′34″N 76°38′08″E / 10.54278°N 76.63556°E / 10.54278; 76.63556
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Pothundi Dam
Palakkad District, Kerala
Coordinates10°32′34″N 76°38′08″E / 10.54278°N 76.63556°E / 10.54278; 76.63556
PurposeIrrigation
StatusOperational
Opening dateDam in 19th century and irrigation scheme in 1968
Dam and spillways
Height32.61 metres (107.0 ft)
Length1,680 metres (5,510 ft)
Reservoir
Total capacity50,914,000 m3 (41,277 acre⋅ft)
Active capacity43,900,000 m3 (35,590 acre⋅ft)
Surface area2.75 km2 (1 sq mi)
Normal elevation108.204 metres (355.00 ft)

Pothundi Dam is an irrigation dam near Pothundi village in the

quick lime.[2]

Pothundy Dam Gardens

A popular festival held on the shores of the reservoir is known as the Nemmara Vallengi Vela Festival.[2]

Topography

The dam is built in the

taluk, about 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) from Nemmara and 42 kilometres (26 mi) from Palakkad and 17 kilometres (11 mi) from Nelliampathi.[2]

History

The dam, built in the 19th century for irrigation, was developed as a medium irrigation project completed in 1971 at a cost of Rs.23.425 million.[1][3] The dam also provides water supply, and the reservoir has been developed as an important inland fisheries project.[4]

Features

View of the Surrounding hills and the reservoir from atop the dam.

The dam is an earth-filled structure built to a height of 32.61 metres (107.0 ft) and a length of 1,680 metres (5,510 ft). The gross storage capacity of the reservoir is 50,914,000 m3 (41,277 acre⋅ft) and the live storage, excluding dead storage, is 43,900,000 m3 (35,590 acre⋅ft).

Chittur and Alathur taluks. In view of favorable soil conditions, the irrigation practice under this project is a rice-based system in the Palghat plains. The storage from the reservoir is also utilized to the extent of 15,380,000 m3 (12,469 acre⋅ft) for providing drinking water supply to Nemmara and Ayalure villages.[5][1][3]

Reservoir fishing is well developed and covers an area of 363 hectares (900 acres). The various species of river fishes found in the reservoir are

mrigal, gourami, and catla. According to FAO statistics, the stocking is 1.241 million fingerlings per year with stocking rate of 684 fingerlings per ha per year.[4] The fisheries development in the reservoir has been done under the Indo-German Reservoir Fisheries Development Project. According to the State Fisheries Department, the fish catch was about 7,057 kilograms (15,558 lb) per year during 1992–93 with a yield of 19.4 per ha.[6] The production units proposed under this project were broodfish stock, mini-hatchery, and rearing components, apart from the pens to be set up in the reservoir periphery and the floating cages offshore.[4]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Pothundi Irrigation Project JI02682". Government of India. Archived from the original on 26 May 2015.
  2. ^ a b c "Dams in Kerala". ENVIS Centre Kerala.
  3. ^ a b "Places Of Tourist Interest". National Informatics Centre. Archived from the original on 10 May 2016.
  4. ^ a b c "3. Kerala". Food and Agricultural organization.
  5. ^ Panda 2013, p. 283.
  6. ^ Sugunan 1995, p. 125.

Bibliography

External links