The Kanjirapuzha Dam, a masonry earth dam built for providing irrigation to a Cultural Command Area of, is located in the Palakkad district in the Indian state of Kerala. The reservoir, which has three islands within it, also has an established commercial fisheries development programme operated by the Fisheries Department. Construction of the dam, including the irrigation system, was started in 1961 at an initial cost of Rs. 3.65 crores which was revised to Rs. 101.19 crores. The irrigation command was partially developed in 1980 with a total CCA of. To complete the irrigation development in the entire command a new scheme titled "Extension, Renovation and Modernisation Irrigation Project" under the Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme initiated by the Prime Minister of India, was approved by the Planning Commission in the year 2008 for an estimated cost of Rs 30.0 crore, to cover balance CCA of 1,247 hectare.
Geography
The Kanjirapuzhan Dam is located on the Kanjirapuzha River, a tributary of the Thuthapuzha River, which itself joins the Bharatapuzha River, a part of the west-flowing rivers from Tadri to Kanyakumari. The dam has a catchment area of, which lies entirely within the state boundary. The densely-covered green forest area of the catchment is called the "Vettilachola". Mannarkkad, the nearest town to the site of the dam, is away and Palakkad is away. It is built near to Agali Hills. Vaakkodan mala is another tourist spot.
Features
The project involving an earth masonry dam and irrigation canal system envisages benefits of irrigation to a gross command area of in the three districts of Palakkad, Mannarkkad and Ottappalam. Commercial fisheries and development of tourism by constructing a garden around the dam are also part of the project.
Dam
The irrigation project's head works consists of an earth masonry dam of length with the earthen section extending over a total length of. The masonry part of this composite dam is in length including the spillway in length, has a maximum height of above the deepest foundation level. The spillway, which is an Ogee shaped structure, and is designed for passing a flood discharge of per second and operated with three gates of size fitted over a crest level of EL. The total quantity of material used in the dam is 6,240 TMC. The design of the dam takes into account the seismic factors relevant to Seismic Zone-III. The construction work of the dam was started in 1961 and completed in 1980.
Reservoir
The reservoir created behind the dam has a gross storage capacity of 70.83 million cubic meter at a Full Reservoir Level of EL 97.54 m. The live storage between the FRL and Minimum Draw Down Level of EL 77.42 m is 69.23 million cubic meter. The Dead Storage in the reservoir is 11.32 million cubic meter. The area of submergence behind the dam is. The reservoir caused a submergence of one village resulting in the relocation of 44 tribal community families.
Irrigation development
Irrigation development under the project envisaged a Culturable Command Area of covering three districts; an annual irrigation efficiency of 225% was also envisaged to provide irrigation to. Two main canal systems, one on the left bank and the other on the right bank, draw water from the reservoir. The main Right Bank Canal is long and is designed to carry a discharge of per sec to bring an area of under its command. The main Left Bank Canal extends over a length of , has a carrying capacity of per second to provide irrigate benefits to an area of . When the project was partially commissioned in 1980 and the total CCA developed was and with an annual irrigation efficiency of 225% irrigation was provided to cover. Under a revised ERM project started in 2008–09, the distribution system is being improved to save water and extend the irrigation benefits to the balance CCA of.
