New Delhi: Throughout the centuries, dams have helped in supplying water for irrigation and drinking purposes to people. India has several historic and important dams which have been greatly beneficial to the people of the respective regions. One of them, the Kallanai Dam holds a special place as it is the oldest dam in India still in use. Also, it is the world’s fourth oldest water-diversion structure. In this article, we will learn more about this historic dam.
Know about the Kallanai Dam
Also called the ‘Grand Anicut’, the Kallanai Dam is one of the world’s oldest irrigation dams constructed around 2000 years ago. The ancient dam was built across the Kaveri River in Tamil Nadu’s Trichy District.
Who constructed the dam?
Originally, Karikala, the Emperor of the Early Cholas of the Chola Dynasty built the Kallanai Dam around the 2nd century AD. The dam was constructed to divert the river water to the delta districts to boost irrigation. In the 19th century, the British administration in India re-modelled the dam. In 1804, the administration appointed a military engineer named Captain Caldwell to study the Kaveri River and facilitate irrigation in the regions in the delta. Also, it had to divert floods from the Kaveri River into the Kollidam branch of the river. He came up with a solution and raised the stones of the dam to a height of 0.69 m, which increased its capacity. In the 19th century, Sir Arthur Cotton built the Lower Anaicut across Coleroon, the major tributary of the river.
The length of the dam is about 329 m and its width is 20 m with a height of 5.4 m. At a point 20 miles west of Kallanai, the Kaveri River splits into two and those rivers form the Srirangam island before joining at Kallanai. While the northern channel is known as the Kollidam, the other is called Kaveri and it joins the Bay of Bengal at Poompuhar. It was built to divert Kaveri waters across the fertile delta region for irrigation purposes. Today, the dam has become a popular tourist spot and is also home to a large variety of flora and fauna.
Also known as the ‘Grand Anicut’, the Kallanai Dam is one of the oldest irrigation dams constructed around 2000 years ago. The ancient dam was built across the Kaveri River in Tamil Nadu’s Trichy District. knowledge Knowledge News, Photos and Videos on General Knowledge
