The Allunkal Dam is a concrete
diversion weir built across the
Kakkad River in
Chittar panchayat of
Ranni taluk in
Pathanamthitta district
Pathanamthitta District (), is one of the List of districts of Kerala, 14 districts in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kerala. The district headquarters is in the town of Pathanamthitta. There are four municipalitie ...
of the Indian state of
Kerala
Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...
.
The dam is long and tall above the bed.
It is part of the Ullunkal Hydroelectric Project, a small-scale private
hydroelectric
Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is Electricity generation, electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies 15% of the world's electricity, almost 4,210 TWh in 2023, which is more than all other Renewable energ ...
project operated by EDCL Power Projects Limited, a subsidiary of Energy Development Company Limited (EDCL).
Access
The dam is located about from the nearest town of Chittar, from
Seethathodu and from the district headquarters in
Pathanamthitta
Pathanamthitta (), is a municipality, city in southern Kerala, India, spread over an area of . It is the administrative capital of Pathanamthitta district. The town has a population of 37,538 (as of 2011 census). The Hindu pilgrim centre Sab ...
.
Chengannur
Chengannur () is a Municipalities of Kerala, municipalityhttps://lsgkerala.gov.in/system/files/2017-10/localbodies.pdf in the Alappuzha district of Kerala, India. It is located south east of the district headquarters in Alappuzha and about ...
is the nearest railway station, about away.
Project history
In 1994, the project was allotted to Travancore Electro Chemical Industries Limited (TECIL), and later, it was taken over by Energy Development Company Limited (EDCL).
The project was commissioned in by then-Electricity Minister
A.K. Balan. The contract with the government is for 30 years. The electricity generated is paid by the company to
Kerala State Electricity Board
Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) is an Indian public sector undertaking under the Government of Kerala that generates, transmits and distributes electricity in the state. Established in 1957, the agency comes under the authority of the Po ...
(KSEB). In addition to the Ullunkal project, EDCL has the Karikkayam Hydroelectric Project in the Kakkad River downstream of the Allunkal dam, with an
installed capacity
Nameplate capacity, also known as the rated capacity, nominal capacity, installed capacity, maximum effect or gross capacity,2018 Kerala floods
On 16 August 2018, severe floods affected the south Indian state Kerala, due to unusually heavy rainfall during the monsoon season. It was the worst flood in Kerala in nearly a century. Over 483 people died, and about one million people were e ...
, resulting in a loss of around ₹ 25 crore.
Power generation
The power station is located near the dam on the bank of the Kakkad River. It has a total installed capacity of 7 MW with two 3.5 MW S-type
Kaplan turbines. The annual production of electricity at the plant is about 32 million units (MU).
The electricity generated at the Allunkal power house is distributed to KSEB's
Kakkad power station switch yard at Seethathodu through a dedicated long double-circuit transmission line.
After the generation of electricity in the power house, water is released directly into the Kakkad River through a tailrace channel, and the
tailwater
Tailwater refers to waters located immediately downstream from a hydraulic structure, such as a dam, spillway, bridge or culvert. Generally measured and reported as the average water depth downstream of a hydraulic structure, tailwater can vary ba ...
is collected at the power house in Karikkayam for further power generation.
See also
*
List of dams and reservoirs in Kerala
There are 81 dams in Kerala. Of the 81 dams, the Kerala State Electricity Board owns 59 dams which form 45 reservoirs, the Kerala Irrigation Department owns 20 dams which form 20 reservoirs and the Kerala Water Authority vests the control of 2 ...
References
{{Reflist
Dams in Pathanamthitta district