Mettur Dam

The Mettur Dam is one of the largest dams in India built in 1934. It was constructed in a gorge, where the Kaveri River enters the plains. The dam is one of the oldest in India. It provides irrigation facilities to parts of Salem, the length of Erode, Namakkal, Karur, Tiruchirappali and Thanjavur district for 271,000 acres (110,000 ha) of farm land.

The total length of the dam is 1,700 m (5,600 ft). The dam creates Stanley Reservoir. The Mettur Hydro Electrical power project is also quite large. The dam, the park, the major Hydro Electric power stations and hills on all sides make Mettur a tourist attraction. Upstream from the dam is Hogenakal Falls.

The government of India's water resources ministry site the Mettur dam is an old multipurpose project of the south Indian state (province) of Tamil Nadu across the Cauvery river. It irrigates 1,310 km2 (510 sq mi) of land each year. Its installed capacity for hydro-power generation is 32 MW.

The maximum level of the dam is 120 ft (37 m) and the maximum capacity is 93.4 tmc ft.In 2012,Mettur dam would not be opened for irrigation on the scheduled dte of 12th June.