Periyar (river)
| Periyar | |
|---|---|
 Location map of the Periyar River |
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| Origin | Western ghats in Kerala [1][2][3] |
| Mouth | Arabian Sea |
| Basin countries | India |
| Length | 244 km |
| Source elevation | 1830 m |
| Avg. discharge | 154 m³/s |
| Basin area | 5284 km² |
Periyar (meaning: big river) is a river originated and flowing entirely in the state of Kerala, India, with a length of 244 km in Kerala. It is one of the few perennial rivers in the region and provides drinking water for several major towns.[4] The Idukki Dam on the Periyar generates a significant proportion of Kerala's electrical power.[5]
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[edit] Origin and path
It originates from the Western Ghats (1800m MSL) in Kerala.[1][2] The total length is about300 km (244 km in Kerala) with a catchment area of 5284 km2 entirely within Kerala.It flows northwards for 48 km and at Thekkady joins the west-flowing Mullayar, which is a tributary of the periyar. During the colonial rule of the British, a dam named Mullaperiyar dam was constructed at the confluence of both the rivers Periyar and Mullayar to create the Periyar lake and reservoir and the Periyar National Park. An agreement between Madras province and Travancore state for the lease of 8000 acres of land for a period of 999 years has entitled Tamil Nadu to receive water from the dam.
From Periyar Thekkady lake and reservoir, water is diverted eastwards to Tamil Nadu via a tunnel enabling the water to join the Vaigai River. From Periyar Thekkady Reservoir, the Periyar river flows northwestward for 35 km through Vandiperiyar, Elappara and Aiyyappankoil to join the Idukki reservoir formed by the Idukki, Cheruthoni and Kulamavu dams. From Idukki reservoir, Periyar river flows northwestwards and then westward to join the Arabian sea at Munambam near Kodungallur and the Vembanad lake at Kochi.
Anamudi (2,695m) is the highest point of the Periyar basin.
[edit] Tributaries
Its major tributaries are:
Minor tributaries are: Muthayar, Perunthuraiar, Chinnar, Cheruthony, Kattappanayar
[edit] Hydro electric projects
The largest hydro- electric project of the state, namely Idukki with its arch dam is on this river. Pallivasal, Chenkulam, Panniyar, Neriyamangalam and Lower Periyar are the other hydro electric projects on river Periyar.
[edit] Dams
Mullaperiyar, Bhuthathankettu, Mattupetty, Munnar, Idukki,Cheruthoni, Kulamavu, Irattayar, Lower Periyar, Edamalayar, Chenkulam, Anayirangal and Ponmudi are the important dams across this river.
At Aluva, the river bifurcates into the Marthandavarma and the Mangalapuzha branches. The Mangalapuzha branch joins Chalakkudy river and empties into the Lakshadweep sea at Munambam, and the Marthandavarma branch flows southwards, through the Udhyogamandal area and joins the Cochin backwater system (part of Vembanad Lake) at Varapuzha.
[edit] Idukki Dam
The Idukki Dam on the Periyar is the biggest dam of its kind (a concrete, double curvature parabolic, thin arc dam[5]) in Asia and the second biggest in the world. Its generators have a power output of 780 MW (6 X 130), and generate electricity through the underground Power House facility at Moolamattam, built by an India-Canada Joint Venture. Power generation at Idukki is minimal during the monsoon. The dam also permits storage of water for the dry summer period when many other reservoirs in the area are low.
[edit] Pollution
The lower reaches of the Periyar are heavily polluted. Industries in the Eloor industrial zone discharge waste into the river. Greenpeace India describes the lower Periyar as "a cesspool of toxins, which have alarming levels of deadly poisons like DDT, endosulfan, hexa and trivalent chromium, lead, cyanide, BHC."[6][7]
[edit] References
- ^ a b [1] ces.iisc, Western Ghats rivers in Kerala.
- ^ a b [2] indiawaterportal.org, Status Report on Periyar River
- ^ [3] irenees.net
- ^ "Idukki District Hydroelectric projects". http://idukki.nic.in/dam-hist.htm. Retrieved 2007-03-12.
- ^ a b "Salient Features - Dam". http://expert-eyes.org/deepak/idukki.html. Retrieved 2007-03-12.
- ^ Greenpeace India
- ^ Periyar River Basin, Chapter 2, Environmental Program on Water Quality, Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Periyar (river) |
Coordinates: 10°10′36″N 76°09′46″E / 10.17667°N 76.16278°E
