Palakkad district is blessed with irrigation facilities. Dams
have been constructed across almost all the important tributaries
of the Bharathapuzha to provide irrigation facilities to the
district. Six out of the ten completed irrigation projects
of Kerala are in Palakkad district. Those are Walayar, Malampuzha,
Cheerakuzhi, Gayathri (Meenkara, Chulliar), Malnagalam and
Pothundy. The toatal ayacut of all these completed projects
is 77,306 hectares. In addition to this, the construction
of two major irrigation projects, viz., Chitturpuzha and Kanhirapuzha
are in progress. The total ayacut of these projects is 54,200
hectares.
Walayar Dam:
This dam is constructed across the river Walayar, a tributary
of Bharathapuzha, The ayacut is 6476 hectares. This project
was started in 1953, partially commissioned in 1956 and completed
in 1964.
Malampuzha Dam:
The Malampuzha dam is a 6,066 ft. masonry structure built
across Malampuzha, a tributary of Bharathapuzha, with a net
- work of canal systems. It has an ayacut of 42,090 hectares.
The dam and reservoir are located about eight kilometers from
Olavakode railway station and 13kms. from Palakkad town. The
project was started in 1949and commissioned in 1955. Having
a catchments area of 145 sq.kms., the reservoir has a capacity
of 8000m.e.ft.of water. There are two canal systems. The left
back canal traverses a distance of 32 kms. to irrigate cultivable
areas in the taluks of Palakkad, Chittur and Alathur. The
right bank canal with a length of 32kms and irrigates areas
in Palakkad taluk. The reservoir also provides drinking water
to Palakkad town.
Gayathri Project (Meenkara -
Chulliar Dams):
This project consists of two storage reservoirs; Meenkara
dam across the Meenkara river and Chulliar dam across Chulliar
river. Both these rivers are tributaries of Bharathapuzha.
There is a net work of canal systems with a total ayacut of
10,930 hectares of land in Chittur taluk. The first stage
of the projects, viz.,dam across Meemnkara river with canals,was
sanctioned in 1956 and opened for irrigation in 1960. The
total cost of the project is Rs.220 lakhs.
Mangalam Dam:
This dam is constructed across the Cherukunnapuzha, a tributary
of Mangalam river. There is a canal system with an ayacut
of 6,880 hectares, in Alathur taluk. The project and left
bank canal were completed and opened in 1956. Further extension
of the right bank canal was continued and the project was
fully completed in 1966.
Pothundy Dam:
This dam is constructed across the tributaries of the Ayalur
river ( sub-tributary of Bharathapuzha), namely, Meenchadypuzha
and Padipuzha. It has an ayacut of 19,930 hectares in Chittur
and Alathur taluks. The Project, started in 1958, has been
completed and commissioned.
Chitturpuzha Project:
The Chitturpuzha Project envisages extension of irrigation
facilities to an additional area of 9,200 hectares by remodeling
and reconstructing, wherever necessary, of the four ayacuts
in Chitturpuzha and the existing canal system. The ayacuts
at Moolathara, Thembaramadakku, Kunnakattupathy and Narnee.
The total ayacut will be 32,400 hectares.
Kanhirapuzha Project:
This project on completion will provide irrigation facilities
to an area of 9,720 hectares. This is being constructed across
Kanhirapuzha, a sub-tributary of Bharathapuzha. An expansion
programme of the scheme by constructing a reservoir across
the Thuppanadupuzha is also on the anvil. This will benefit
an additional area of 4700 hectares in Ottapalam taluk. The
total ayacut of the project will be 21,800 hectares.
The Attapady Valley Irrigation Project is under construction
to provide irrigation facilities to 12,140 hectares.
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