Siruvani Waterfalls (and the dam named after it) is located west of

Coimbatore Coimbatore (Tamil: kōyamputtūr, ), also known as Kovai (), is one of the major Metropolitan cities of India, metropolitan cities in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located on the banks of the Noyy ...

in the Western Ghats in

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. The

reservoir A reservoir (; ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam, usually built to water storage, store fresh water, often doubling for hydroelectric power generation. Reservoirs are created by controlling a watercourse that drains an existing body of wa ...

at Siruvani was built by the

Indian government The Government of India (ISO: Bhārata Sarakāra, legally the Union Government or Union of India or the Central Government) is the national authority of the Republic of India, located in South Asia, consisting of 36 states and union territor ...

for

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of Indi ...

, and funded by the Tamil Nadu government, to meet the drinking water requirements of

. The gateways on either side of the road across the dam showcase typical

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 ...

and

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architectural styles. Siruvani is also home to indigenous tribes like the Mudugar and Irulas. The area has become a popular spot for

ecotourism Ecotourism is a form of nature-oriented tourism intended to contribute to the Ecological conservation, conservation of the natural environment, generally defined as being minimally impactful, and including providing both contributions to conserv ...

History of the dam

The government approved the construction of the masonry

gravity dam A gravity dam is a dam constructed from concrete or stone masonry and designed to hold back water by using only the weight of the material and its resistance against the foundation. Gravity dams are designed so that each section of the dam is ...

in February 1915. Work was delayed, according to information from the Archaeology Department, Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage (TWAD) Board, and the district gazette. Initially, the villagers of Boluvampatti and Alandurai opposed the scheme, as they feared it would affect their way of life. However, the benefits of additional water to the growing villages outweighed their initial apprehension. The construction of the dam began in 1927. The site is located in rugged terrain, with hazards including wild animals. Construction workers stayed in the guest house near Iruttu Pallam. Forest guards continue to accompany those who visit the dam. The initial cost of construction was Rs. 2,17,725 for 7 meters (23 feet). The site was selected because it had perennial streams. The areas below the Siruvani, Muthikulam Falls, Gobiyaru, Solaiyaru, Pattiyaru, Veeraru, and Paambaru Falls, the primary sources of supply, were identified for construction. There were plans to commission a hydroelectric project at Siruvani, but the move was dropped as the Pykara project in the Nilgiris was mooted at the time. Major and minor construction works continued until 1984, and the total cost was Rs. 26.12

crores Crore (; abbreviated cr) denotes the quantity ten million (107) and is equal to 100 lakh in the Indian numbering system. In many international contexts, the decimal quantity is formatted as 10,000,000, but when used in the context of the Indian ...

(Rs. 261.2 million). The water drawn from the dam in 1931 was 113

lakh A lakh (; abbreviated L; sometimes written lac) is a unit in the Indian numbering system equal to one hundred thousand (100,000; scientific notation: 105). In the Indian 2, 2, 3 convention of digit grouping, it is written as 1,00,000. F ...

litres The litre ( Commonwealth spelling) or liter (American spelling) (SI symbols L and l, other symbol used: ℓ) is a metric unit of volume. It is equal to 1 cubic decimetre (dm3), 1000 cubic centimetres (cm3) or 0.001 cubic metres (m3). A cubic ...

for a population of more than 95,000. In the 1970s, the water drawn was scaled down to 130 lakh litres from 186 lakh litres in the summer, as inflow into the Muthikulam reduced by half.

Gallery

Siruvani Falls view from path 2 falls.jpg, View of Siruvani falls from path towards falls Siruvani Waterfalls Upper part.jpg, View of all cascades of Siruvani falls above the bathing area Siruvani Falls Upper Cascades.jpg, View of upper cascades above the bathing area Siruvani Falls lower cascades.jpg, View of lower cascades above the bathing area Siruvani Falls bathing area.jpg, Bathing area below the main cascades of the falls

References

{{Coimbatore district Waterfalls of Tamil Nadu Coimbatore district

History of the dam

Gallery

See also

References