Chenkulam Dam is a dam located on the Mudirapuzha River in Vellathooval Panchayat of Idukki district of the Indian state of

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a 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 regions of Cochin, Malabar, South C ...

. It spans long and stands . It hosts a 48 MW power plant.

History

The project was commissioned in 1954 with a capacity of 48 MW (4 x 12 MW). The dam was constructed in 1957 as part of the Chenkulam Hydroelectric Project. In 2002, the project was upgraded from 48 MW to 51.2 MW.

Project

The Chenkulam Project was intended to use the tailrace water of the Pallivasal project. The dam is constructed of masonry. The power house is situated at Vellathooval, Devikulam Taluk. The water collected is conveyed through a penstock pipe to the Chenkulam powerhouse in Vellathooval, which generates 51.2 MW of electricity using 4 12 MW turbines. Annual production is 182 MU. Taluks receiving release flow are Udumpanchola,

Devikulam Devikulam () is a Grama Panchayat and small hill station of about from Munnar in the Idukki District of Kerala State, India. It lies above sea level. Etymology The name Devikulam is a conjunction of the words ''Devi'', from the goddess Devi a ...

, Idukki,

Kothamangalam Kothamangalam, , is a municipality in Ernakulam district of Kerala, India. The town is in the foothills of the Western Ghats, and is a part of the Idukki Lok Sabha constituency. The town serves as the headquarters of a taluk and a municipality ...

Muvattupuzha Muvattupuzha () is a town in the midlands directly to the east of Kochi in Ernakulam district, Kerala, India. It is located about from downtown Kochi, and is a growing urban centre in central Kerala. The town is also the starting poin ...

, Kunnathunadu,

Aluva Aluva (; also known by its former name Alwaye) is a town in the Ernakulam District in Kerala, India. It is a part of the Kochi metropolitan area and is situated around from the city center on the banks of Periyar River. A major transp ...

Kodungalloor Kodungallur (; also Cranganore, Portuguese: Cranganor; formerly known as Mahodayapuram, Shingly, Vanchi, Muchiri, Muyirikkode, and Muziris) is a historically significant town situated on the banks of river Periyar on the Malabar Coast in Th ...

and Paravur.

Reservoirs

Chenkulam reservoir formed behind the dam. The catchment area of the reservoir is approximately 5.18 sqkm. The tailrace discharge joins Mudirapuzha river and flows downstream to Kallarkutty Reservoir.

Specifications

* Release from dam to river: Sengulam Ar * Classification: MH (Medium Height) * Maximum Water Level (MWL): EL 849.49 m * Full Reservoir Level (FRL): EL 847.65 m * Storage at FRL: 0.71 Mm³ * Height from deepest foundation : 26.84 m * Length : 143.26 m

References

{{Dams in Kerala Dams in Kerala