An anicut (
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
People, culture and language
* Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia
**Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka
** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...
: அணைக்கட்டு - Aṇaikaṭṭu ;
Kannada
Kannada () is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly in the state of Karnataka in southwestern India, and spoken by a minority of the population in all neighbouring states. It has 44 million native speakers, and is additionally a ...
: ಆಣೆಕಟ್ಟು - Āṇekaṭṭu ;
Telugu: ఆనకట్ట - ÃnaKaṭṭa) is a masonry
check dam that is constructed across a stream to impound water for maintaining and regulating irrigation.
[“Anicut.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anicut. Accessed 1 January 2020.
] The water stored behind an anicut can be used for irrigation of crops or drinking water for humans and livestock. They also are used to increase the residence of water to recharge groundwater, especially wells located downstream. Anicuts are also used in wildlife sanctuaries to provide sufficient water hole for will animals or to provide habitats for aquatic flora and fauna.
Construction
The selection of an appropriate site for construction is very important as to minimize cost and maximize efficacy. The site should be where maximum storage of water is possible with minimum dam length, such as a deep, narrow section of a valley with steep slopes. Anicuts require a stream gradient of more than 1:100.
References
Masonry dams
{{Dam-stub