Kalingarayan Canal


Mamannar Kalingarayan Canal is a long irrigation canal in the Erode district, Tamil Nadu, India. It was constructed by Kongu Nadu Chieftain Mamannar Kalingarayan Gounder and completed in 1283. The canal's source is the Kalingarayan Anicut dam near Bhavani, Erode. The canal irrigates approximately of agricultural land.
Project, including the canal and the Kalingarayan Anicut dam started in 1271 and was completed in 1283, taking over 12 years.
The dam was constructed by Kalingarayan king.

Course and architecture

The canal connects Bhavani and Noyyal rivers, two major tributaries of the Kaveri. It is one of the oldest river linking projects in India. The Canal starts at Kalingarayan Anicut on Bhavani river and joins Noyyal river near Kodumudi. The canal is long and was designed to reduce the water current, to avoid damage to the canal banks and to increase the ground water table. The canal crosses three other canals via aqueducts.
As the initial portion of the canal runs through the highly industrialized and urbanized areas of Erode Municipal Corporation, the discharge of untreated effluents from the textile dyeing units and leather tanneries introduce major pollutants. To prevent mixing of sewage into the canal, the Government of Tamil Nadu have built concrete walls on the sides and a baby canal of has been constructed alongside the main canal to carry the sewage. The entire stretch of first 30 km of the canal running through Erode Municipal Corporation is proposed to be provided with concrete lining and baby canal in phased manner. Also, navigable roads were developed along the banks throughout this stretch.