Dams in 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 sites of the dams also serve as some of the major tourist attractions with several reservoirs acting as fish breeding centers in the state.

The most prominent among the dams and reservoirs in the state of Tamil Nadu 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. Even if the Aliyar reservoir is a small in size, still, the dam provides some of the fascinating getaways which include an aquarium, a park and a mini theme park. All these places of attraction are taken care of by the Tamil Nadu Fisheries Corporation. 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 or sluices; the Vettaikaranpudur Canal, the Pollachi Canal and the river sluices. The project was approved in the month of September 2002 for the generation of Hydro Electric Power. Under this scheme, the discharges for irrigation were let down through Slucies River of the Aliyar Dam and are planned to be used for the generation of power in a power house, which is intended to be situated at the toe of the dam. 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. Another major reservoir in the Tamil Nadu state is the Amaravathi reservoir, which is situated at Amaravathinagar. This dam is also in close proximity to the Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary in the district of Coimbatore.

The Bhavani River creates the Bhavanisagar reservoir in the Bhavanisagar district in Tamil Nadu. The Bhavanisagar Dam is also known as the Lower Bhavani Dam. 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. Another major reservoir of the state of Tamil Nadu is the Chittar reservoir. This reservoir is constructed on the River Chittar. The River Chittar and its five tributaries originate from the Courtallam hills of the district of Tirunelveliin the state of Tamil Nadu in the southern parts of India. 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 for its bewitching sight of waterfalls and cascades and the spending view of the surrounding. This reservoir in the Bhavanisagar district provides water for the irrigation of about 8,903.27 hectares of land. Another notable reservoir is the Gundar reservoir. It is one of the most beautiful and unspoilt spot in the state of Tamil Nadu. Previously, the Berijam Lake once impounded in the Gundar reservoir. Some of the major attractions close to the Gundar reservoir are the La Salette church, Dolphins Nose, Pambar falls and Vattakanal. The Gundar reservoir is surrounded by Nilgiri strobilanthes and deep purple melastoma malabathricum. Eye-catching views of deep valleys and pear orchards can be enjoyed from the high altitude of the Gundar reservoir.

The Kodaganagar reservoir is situated on the River Kodagananar. This reservoir serves the entire river basin expanding to almost 2000 square kilometers. 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. The surrounding area of the Kodaganagar reservoir is completely made of hard rock terrain and there is unsystematic exploitation of groundwater through several wells used for the purpose of irrigation. The number of energized wells in the district of Dindigul, set beside in the Kodaganagar reservoir alone has been raised from 60 thousand to about 72 thousand in the year 1998. The Sirumalai Hills form the drainage boundary in the course of flow of the River Kodagananar. There is also a huge surface water savoir at Attur at the foothill of the Sirumalai hill range.

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. The native species commonly available in the Krishnagiri reservoir were preserved but seldom used for commercial purposes. The species available in this reservoir are P. sarana, M. vittatus, Notopterus sp., Ompok bimaculatus, murrels and others. A year after, species like rohu, catla, mrigal, L. fimbriatus, C. cirrhosa, L. calbasu, C. carpio, C. reba, L. kontius, Oreochromis mossambicus, P. dubius and Rhinomugil corsula are also stocked. Initially, breeding rate was very high, but now it has become moderate. This was a healthy drift, demonstrating the achievement of proper preservation. The present yield of the reservoir is just 10.6 kg/ha/year with a range of 8.61 to 13.00 kg every hectare.

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. This reservoir of Tamil Nadu state is one of the notable tourist destinations the region which has different amusement options for the tourists like bird watching, boating and trekking. At the Kullursandai reservoir one can get to see a large variety of migratory as well as other local birds and it is one of the best attractions of the area. The most favourable time to visit the beautiful place to experience its full glow is during the month of August to February. The Manimukthanadi reservoir in the state of Tamil Nadu is a dam in the south Arcot district. This reservoir is situated in the Kalkad region of Tamil Nadu. 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. This species is not only circulated all over the district of Madurai, but all over the state of Tamil Nadu.

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 kilometers from Salem. The site of the Mettur Dam is well-connected by rail with other parts of Tamil Nadu. There are also several buses which one can avail from Salem in order to visit the site of the Mettur Dam. This is also one of the largest dams of its kind in the world. 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. It is also among the oldest dams in India. This dam facilitates irrigation in the districts of Thanjavur, Salem and Tiruchirappali for 271,000 acres of farm land. The Mettur Dam is 1700 meters in length. The Stanley reservoir has been created by this dam only. The Mettur Hydro Electrical power project is also quite large. The dam, the park, the major Hydro Electric power stations and hills in the surrounding make Mettur one of the most suitable tourist attractions. Upstream from the dam is Hogenakal Falls. The dam irrigates 1,310 square kilometers of agricultural land every year. The installed capacity of the dam for hydro-power generation is 32 MW. The utmost level of the dam is 120 feet and the highest capacity is 93.4 tmc ft. Several factories can be seen close to the Mettur Dam including those of detergent and soap manufacturing factories, Vanaspathi units, galvanizing plants, etc. Tourists visiting this site can get to move into the tunnel of the Mettur dam and see the hydroelectric power station after taking proper permission from the concerned authority.

The Pambar reservoir was constructed on the River Pambar, which originates from the Idukki district of the state of Kerala, but afterwards it flows into the state of Tamil Nadu. One of the major attractions in close proximity to the Pambar reservoir is the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary. Some of the other attractions close to the site of this reservoir are Kumbakarai waterfalls and Thoovanam waterfalls. The Pambar reservoir stands at an altitude of 1,400 feet. Standing on the River Parambikulam, the Parambikulam Dam is an embankment dam. The Parambikulam Dam is located at Udumalaipettai, in the district of Palakkad in the Western Ghats of India. The Parambikulam Dam ranks number one in India as well as in the top ten embankment dams in the world with a volume capacity in the year 2000. The state of Kerala was supposed to receive 7.25 TMC feet of water per year from the Parambikulam Aliyar Project, including Parambikulam Dam. This was decided in the inter-state agreement between the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. However, in the year 2004, Kerala did not receive any water in the month of February. Thus the paddy in thousands of acres in Chittur taluk dried up.

Pechiparai reservoir is located at a place which is at a distance of about forty three kilometers from the town of Nagercoil and also close to the village of Pechiparai. The reservoir is located in the Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu, India. 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. Mr. Minchin, the European engineer, built the Pechiparai reservoir during the period from 1897 to 1906 in the period of the Travancore Maharaja Moolam Thirunal. The original cost of construction of the Pechiparai reservoir was Rs.26.1 lakhs in the later parts of the 19th century. The catchment area of the Pechiparai reservoir is around 207.19 square kilometers, and the depth is almost 14.63 meters. The Dam is straight gravity type stonework of 425.5 meters long and 120.70 meter in height above the deepest foundation. The water of the Pechiparai reservoir is used for both irrigation of crops and also for drinking purposes, which has led to the conflict between farmers who want to use all the water for their crops. However the local authorities have rebelled against this act, since they do not have another place to draw drinking water. The reservoir is surrounded by hills of the Western Ghats, thus giving it a picturesque setting and attracts large number of tourists.

The Periyar reservoir was constructed in the year 1895 on the Periyar River, thus submerging 26 square kilometers of evergreen forest. There is a Tiger reserve close to the Periyar reservoir. The Mullayar and Periyar river systems drain the catchment 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. One of the notable dams of Tamil Nadu is the Perunchani Dam. This is only meant for irrigation, situated at Perunchani, in the district of Kanyakumari in the state of Tamil Nadu. The Dam area covers an area of about 42 kilometers of land. It lies close to Nagercoil, the administrative headquarters-town of Kanyakumari district and the Kulasekhram town. The Perunchani dam is built between two hillocks across the Paralayar River. The dam is a straight gravity brickwork dam, having a height of 275.28 metres and 373.10 metres of bulkhead section. The Perunchani dam is situated amidst the pictorial surrounding of the Western Ghats and the lush greenery of the hills around.

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. Once the water level of Sholayar reservoir reaches 160 feet, surplus water flows through the saddle dam, which is located on the rear side of the dam. If the water level crosses 165 feet, then the surplus water spills over to the Kerala Sholayar reservoir. Soolagiri Chinnar reservoir of Hosur taluk in the district of Dharamapuri in Tamil Nadu is a suitable destination for a weekend due to its beautiful surroundings. Rocky cliffs flank the Soolagiri Chinnar reservoir and lush green hills. The River Ponniyar flows close by this reservoir. Soolagiri Chinnar Reservoir is fast becoming a popular picnic spot. The name Soolagiri is derived from the adjacent hill that appears like the trident weapon or shoola of Lord Shiva. The reservoir has a long bank, which is easily accessible by vehicles. The tourists often enjoy a swim or splash in the shallow stretches along the banks of the 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. While creating this reservoir two villages were submerged. However, all of those inhabitants were relocated to Mettur. The total length of the dam is at about 1700 meters. The Mettur Hydro Electrical power project stands very close to this reservoir and is also quite massive. The dam, the park, the major hydroelectric power stations and hills on all sides, altogether make Mettur a pictorial attraction. 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. An adjacent canal also flows from this river to the reservoir. This reservoir is chiefly constructed for the initiation of fishing business. The Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary is located in close proximity to this reservoir and is visited by a large number of tourists round the year. Another notable reservoir in Tamil Nadu is the Uppar Reservoir. It is a very small and shallow reservoir in the state which yields a high production of Rohu, Tilapia and Mrigal. 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 River Vaigai, close to Andipatti, in the district of Theni in Tamil Nadu. The Government of Tamil Nadu has set up the Agricultural Research Station in the vicinity of this dam. This research station initiates the growth of different varieties of crops, including black gram, rice, sorghum, cotton and cowpea.

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. The reservoir has a dark and dense forest in its adjacent area. The government through several programmes has planned out the afforestation and the construction of water harvesting structures. 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 reservoir was designed several years ago with the purpose to store rainwater coming from Kalmaduvupallam, Bargur, Thamaraikarai, Mamarathupallam, Thattakarai and other areas in the Bargur forest areas. The Varattupallam reservoir usually stores more than 30 feet of water, with a capacity of about 3 TMC ft. of water. During the rainy season, when the reservoir contains enough water, animals like deer, elephants and other wild animals visit this area to have their fill of water. The water of the Varattupallam reservoir is mainly used for irrigation of crop in Varattupallam, Kakkayanaure, Kallimadaikuttai, Chellampalayam, Vattakadu and Kinathadi areas. Poor rainfall in the Bargur forest area has necessitated the continuous flow of water into the reservoir from the river.

The construction of Vattamalaikarai Odai reservoir was initiated in the year 1974 and the same was completed in the year 1981. Vattamalaikarai Odai reservoir is situated in Uthamapalayam. This reservoir features two canals; the right side main canal and left side main canal having a length of 10.20 kilometers and 10.11 kilometers respectively. The Vattamalaikarai Odai reservoir provides water for irrigational purposes to about 6,024 acres of land. Dense trees, Juli flora jungle and scrub jungles have grown along the slope soil. The farmers grew dry crops like Gingili, Drumstick, Groundnut, Sunflower, Coconut, Mango and Tamarind in the catchment area of the Vattamalaikarai Odai reservoir. During the months of monsoon about 20ft. of water is stored in this dam. 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. This reservoir forms one of the moderate preservers of plankton community in Tamil Nadu. Another reservoir of the state is the Willingdon reservoir which is constructed on the River Periya Odai.

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.