Kaveri or Cauvery, river, c.475 mi (760 km) long, rising in the Western Ghats, Karnataka state, and flowing SE across a plateau, through Tamil Nadu state, to the Bay of Bengal, S India; the Bhavani and Noyil are its main tributaries. In Karnataka the river is divided by Sivasamudram island and drops 320 ft (98 m), forming Kaveri Falls. On the left falls is India's first hydroelectric plant (built 1902). At its mouth is a great, fertile delta that is irrigated by an extensive canal system, one of the oldest in India; the Grand Anicut dam and canal were built in the 11th cent. by the Chola kings. The Kaveri, India's second most sacred river, is sometimes called the Ganges of the South. According to Hindu legend, Vishnumaya, daughter of the god Brahma, was born on earth as the child of a mortal, Kavera Muni. In order to bring beatitude for Kavera Muni, she became a river whose water would purify all sins.

Tamil Nadu is one of the drier states in India which depends heavily on water from the rivers originating from the neighboring states of kerala and karnataka. The state government has envisioned a project linking the kaveri, agniar, koraiyar, pambar, vaigai and gundar rivers which should potentially benefit the drier regions of the state during flood in kaveri.,

Project

The project involves the construction of a barrage about 250 meters downstream of kattalai bed regulator at mayanur village in karur district. A canal running a length of 255.60 KM will be constructed starting from this barrage and will link the gundar river through vaigai. On 24 June 2008, Tamil Nadu chief minister karunanidhi laid the foundation for the construction of barrage thus becoming the first state in India to be involved in river linking project.

Route

The link canal will run through krishnarayapurm, kulithalai taluks of karur district; srirangam and tiruchchirappalli taluks of tiruchchirappalli district; kulathur, pudukkottai, gandarvakkottai, alangudi, arantangi, thirumayam and avudayarkoil talukas of Pudukkottai district; Karaikudi, Devakottai, ilaiyankudi, tirupattur, sivaganga and manamadurai talukas of sivaganga district; tiruvadanai, paramakudi, kamudi, ramanathapuram, kadaladi and mudukulathur taluks of ramanathapuram district; tiruchuli, kariyapatti and aruppukkottai talukas of virudhunagar district.

Benefits

According to the National Water Development agency (NPP), the link canal could provide irrigation to 3.37 lakh hectares of cultivable land.

References