
Solaiyar Dam, Upper Solaiyar Dam or Upper Sholayar Dam () is located from
Valparai
Valparai (originally known as Poonachimalai) is a Taluk and hill station in the Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu, India. It consists of Anamalai Tiger Reserve (earlier known as Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park (IGWLS&NP) and ...
, a
hill station
A hill station is a touristic town located at a higher elevation than the nearby plain or valley. The English term was originally used mostly in Western imperialism in Asia, colonial Asia, but also in Africa (albeit rarely), for towns founded by ...
in the
Anaimalai Hills
The Anamala or Anaimalai, also known as the Elephant Mountains, are a range of mountains in the southern Western Ghats of central Kerala ( Idukki district, Ernakulam district, Palakkad district, Thrissur district) and span the border of wester ...
of the
Coimbatore district
Coimbatore District is one of the 38 districts in the state of Tamil Nadu in India. Coimbatore is the administrative headquarters of the district. It is one of the most industrialized districts and a major textile, industrial, commercial, educa ...
,
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 ...
India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
. As it is a part of the
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 of Tamil Nadu, special permission is required to visit the dam.
Valparai is located from
Pollachi
Pollachi is a town and municipality in Coimbatore district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the administrative headquarters of Pollachi taluk. It is situated near the center of the South Indian Peninsula, surrounded by Western Gha ...
and from
Chalakudy
Chalakudy () is a municipal town situated on the banks of Chalakudy River in Thrissur district of the Kerala state in India. It is the headquarters of Chalakudy taluk. It is the base camp for travellers to Athirappilly Falls and Vazhachal Falls ...
, Kerala. The nearest railway station is
Pollachi
Pollachi is a town and municipality in Coimbatore district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the administrative headquarters of Pollachi taluk. It is situated near the center of the South Indian Peninsula, surrounded by Western Gha ...
.
The reservoir of Solaiyar dam is a vital reservoir under the
Parambikulam Aliyar Project and has a water storage capacity of . The reservoir's overflowing waters are let into the
Parambikulam Reservoir through the saddle dam.
It was constructed by a team working under K. Gopalswamy Mudhaliar, the most popular engineer in that area.
The Solaiyar Dam is part of the
Solaiyar Hydroelectric Project (HEP). The project comprises the main Soliayar Dam, the Solaiyar Flanking Dam, and the Solaiyar Saddle Dam.
History
Solaiyar Dam was officially opened in 1965; the Solaiyar Flanking was built in 1964 and the Solaiyar Saddle Dam in 1965.
Construction
The area of the reservoir is 8.705 square km.
The height of the main dam is 66 metres, its width is 430 metres, and length 430.60 metres.
The Solaiyar Flanking has a height of 28 metres and width of 19 metres.
The Solaiyar Saddle Dam is 259 metres high and 109 metres wide.
See also
*
List of dams and reservoirs in India
This page shows the state-wise list of dams and reservoirs in India. As of July, 2019, total number of large dams in India is 5,334. About 447 large dams are under construction in India. In terms of number of dams, India ranks third after China and ...
*
Aliyar Reservoir
Aliyar () Reservoir is a reservoir located in Aliyar (Village), Aliyar village near Pollachi town in Coimbatore District, Tamil Nadu, South India. The dam is located in the foothills of Valparai, in the Anaimalai Hills of the Western Ghats. It ...
References
Dams in Tamil Nadu
Buildings and structures in Coimbatore district
1965 establishments in Madras State
Energy infrastructure completed in 1965
20th-century architecture in India
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