Bhavanisagar Dam

Bhavanisagar Dam or Lower Bhavani Dam, is located in Erode district, Tamil Nadu, India. It is constructed on the Bhavani River. It is known as south Asia's largest earthen dam and is the second largest in the world. The dam is situated some west of Sathyamangalam, and is from Punjai Puliampatti, from Gobichettipalayam and north-east of Mettupalayam.
History.
The Lower Bhavani Project was the first major irrigation project initiated in India after independence in 1948. Construction of the dam started in January 1948, and was completed in 1953 at a cost of 210 million Indian rupees. The dam is situated on the site of the village of Palayur. Before construction the people in Palayur were shifted to villages including Rajan nagar,Pudu Vadavalli,Pudu Peerkadavu ,Pattramangalam ,Pudu Kuyyanur,Bhasuvapalayam,Gandhinagar, Kasthuri nagar, which were created by the government in the Sathyamangalam forest area.
Dimensions.
The dam is long by high. The full reservoir level is and the dam has a capacity of .
Hydrography.
Bhavanisagar dam is constructed on the Bhavani River. The dam receives water from two main catchment areas in the Western Ghats. The water is fed into the Bhavani river known as Upper Bhavani. The eastern catchment area includes the Upper Bhavani, Avalanche and Emerald lakes, Kundha, Gedhai, Pillur and Nellithurai. The western catchment area includes Portimund, Parson’s valley, Pykara, Glenmorgan, Chinkara, Maravakandy, Moyar, and Thengumarahatta. The dam is fed by both Southwest and Northeast monsoons.
The dam feeds water into Lower Bhavani Project Canal and Bhavani River. Bhavani River feeds Thadapalli and Arakkankottai channels at Kodiveri check dam and also feeds Kalingarayan channel at Bhavani.
Power generation.
The dam has two hydroelectric power stations, one on the east bank canal and the other on the Bhavani River. Each has a capacity of giving a total capacity of .