Tamil Nadu are erected mainly with the aim of providing sufficient water for the agricultural lands and also for the generation of hydroelectric power. Most of the rivers flowing in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu are evenly dammed in such a way that no district of the state runs short of the basic water requirements. There are several dams in Tamil Nadu which contribute immensely in boosting the agricultural economy of the state. The locations of the dams also serve as some of the major tourist attractions with several reservoirs acting as fish breeding centres in the state.

Aliyar Reservoir
The most prominent among the dams and reservoirs is the Aliyar reservoir which was constructed across the River Aliyar. This dam was built chiefly to cater to the irrigational requirements of the close by areas. It is situated close to Pollachi in the Coimbatore district in Tamil Nadu. This dam is located on the foothills of Valparai, in the Anamalai range of the Western Ghats. The Aliyar Dam was built between the years, 1959 to 1969. Presently, the discharges of this dam are being let down through three sets of canals; the Vettaikaranpudur Canal, the Pollachi Canal and the river sluices. The Aliyar reservoir project being a micro Hydel scheme is backed financially by the Ministry of Non-conventional Energy Sources of the Government of India.

Bhavanisagar Reservoir
The Bhavani River creates the Bhavanisagar Reservoir in the Bhavanisagar district in Tamil Nadu. The Bhavanisagar Dam is situated in between the Sathyamangalam and the Mettupalayam in the district of Erode in Tamil Nadu. The height of this reservoir is around 32 meters and the capacity of the reservoir is around 32.8 TMC.

Chittar Reservoir
Another major reservoir of the state of Tamil Nadu is the Chittar Reservoir. This reservoir is constructed on the River Chittar. This reservoir of Tamil Nadu state is one of the major sources of water for irrigation for the surrounding areas. The Chittar reservoir has become one of the most favourable tourist destinations in Tamil Nadu. This reservoir in the Bhavanisagar district provides water for the irrigation of about 8,903.27 hectares of land.

Kodaganagar Reservoir
The Kodaganagar Reservoir is situated on the River Kodagananar. This reservoir serves the entire river basin expanding to almost 2000 sq km. The water of the Kodaganagar reservoir is mainly used in the district of Dindigul and a small part in the district of Karur in the state of Tamil Nadu.

Krishnagiri Reservoir
Another known reservoir in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu is the Krishnagiri Reservoir. This reservoir in Tamil Nadu was founded upstream of Sathanur Dam. Even if the Krishnagiri reservoir occupies the same area to that of the dam, the reservoir is much shallower.

Kullursandai Reservoir
Kullursandai Reservoir situated over the Kowsiga Mahanadi. Kowsiga Mahanadi is a tributary of the Arjuna Nadi. The Kullursandai is situated in the district of Virudhunagar in the state of Tamil Nadu. Kullursandai reservoir is one of the notable tourist destinations the region.

Manjalar Reservoir
The Manjalar Reservoir present in the state of Tamil Nadu caters to the water requirements of the district of Madurai. The reservoir is very small in size and it mainly acts as a breeding place tilapia fishery. Almost 80 percent or more of the fishery production in the Tamil Nadu state is bred at this Manjalar Reservoir.

Mettur Dam
One of the most prominent dams in the state of Tamil Nadu is the Mettur Dam. This dam is located at a distance of about thirty km from Salem. This dam was constructed in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu in the year 1934. The Mettur Dam was built in a gorge, where the Kaveri River enters the plains. The Dam has a height of 65 metre, length 1616 metre, area 15,540 hectare and capacity 2648 cubic metre. This dam facilitates irrigation in the districts of Thanjavur, Salem and Tiruchirappali for 271,000 acres of farm land. The Mettur Hydro Electrical power project is also quite large. The dam irrigates 1,310 sq km of agricultural land every year. The installed capacity of the dam for hydro-power generation is 32 MW.

Pambar Reservoir
The Pambar Reservoir was constructed on the River Pambar. The Pambar reservoir stands at an altitude of 1,400 feet. The Parambikulam Dam is located at Udumalaipettai, in the district of Palakkad in the Western Ghats of India. The Parambikulam Dam ranked number one in India as well as in the top ten embankment dams in the world with a volume capacity in the year 2000.

Pechiparai Reservoir
Pechiparai Reservoir is located at a place which is at a distance of about 43 km from the town of Nagercoil and also close to the village of Pechiparai. The reservoir is located in the Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu. The reservoir was created by the construction of the Pechiparai Dam, which was constructed across the River Kodayar about a mile downstream the confluence of the tributaries of Kallar, Chittar and Kuttiyar. The catchments area of the Pechiparai reservoir is around 207.19 sq km, and the depth is almost 14.63 meters. The water of the Pechiparai reservoir is used for both irrigation of crops and also for drinking purposes.

Periyar Reservoir
The Periyar Reservoir was constructed in the year 1895 on the Periyar River, thus submerging 26 sq km of evergreen forest. The Mullayar and Periyar river systems drain the catchments area of the reservoir. The altitudinal range of the reservoir is around 79-1,987 metres and the annual average rainfall experienced in this region is about 3,289 mm.

Sholayar Reservoir
Sholayar Reservoir is constructed in close proximity to Valparai. The plateau where this reservoir is constructed gets heavy rain throughout the year. During the rainy season, the water level reaches almost 162.77 feet against the full reservoir level of 160 feet.

Stanley Reservoir
Stanley Reservoir is one of largest fishing reservoirs in the states of south India. The source of water of this reservoir is the River Kaveri. The water of Stanley Reservoir is hold back by the Mettur Dam. The total capacity of Stanley Reservoir is more than 90,000,000,000 cubic feet. The Stanley Reservoir is one of the largest of its type in India and the construction of the same was completed in the year 1934.


Thirumurthi Reservoir
The Thirumurthi Reservoir is a moderately productive reservoir at the tail end of the Parmabikulam Aliyar system. This is a small reservoir and the construction of the same was completed around the year 1966. The Thirumurthi reservoir is the breeding place for many fish species. The River Chalakudy forms the Thunakadavu Reservoir.

Vaigai Dam
The Vaigai Dam in Tamil Nadu was mainly constructed to cater to the requirement of water for irrigation for the districts of Dindigul and Madurai as well as drinking water to Andipatti and Madurai. The Vaigai Dam is constructed across the Vaigai River, close to Andipatti, in the district of Theni in Tamil Nadu.

Varadamanadhi Reservoir
The Varadamanadhi Reservoir helps to increase agricultural production in the district of Dindigul. The water of Varadamanadhi reservoir is used in National agriculture production at large.

Varattupallam Reservoir
The Varattupallam Reservoir is situated at Varattupallam close to Anthiyur of Tamil Nadu. The Varattupallam reservoir is eventually depleting due to the scarcity of rain in Bargur hill area. The Varattupallam reservoir usually stores more than 30 feet of water, with a capacity of about 3 TMC ft. of water. The water of the Varattupallam reservoir is mainly used for irrigation.

Vattamalaikarai Odai Reservoir
The construction of Vattamalaikarai Odai Reservoir was initiated in the year 1974 and was completed in the year 1981. Vattamalaikarai Odai reservoir is situated in Uthamapalayam. The Vattamalaikarai Odai reservoir provides water for irrigational purposes to about 6,024 acres of land. During the months of monsoon about 20ft. of water is stored in this dam.

Vidur Reservoir
Another major reservoir in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu is the Vidur Reservoir which is also regarded as the shallowest of all reservoirs in the state. The average depth of the Vidur reservoir is 2.1 meters.

Another notable reservoir is the Gundar reservoir. It is one of the most beautiful and unspoilt spot in the state of Tamil Nadu. One of the notable dams of Tamil Nadu is the Perunchani Dam. The Manimukthanadi reservoir is a dam in the south Arcot district. This reservoir is situated in the Kalkad region of Tamil Nadu. Another reservoir of the state is the Willingdon reservoir which is constructed on the River Periya Odai. Another major reservoir in the Tamil Nadu state is the Amaravathi Reservoir, which is situated at Amaravathinagar.

Dams and reservoirs in Tamil Nadu cater to the basic requirement of water for the purpose of drinking by the people of the state and they also serve as the major source of water for the cultivation of vast stretch of agricultural lands. They also serve the purpose for the production of Hydro electricity. The natural beauty surrounding the dams in Tamil Nadu also acts as an option for a suitable tourist destination.