Pothundi Dam
Pothundi Dam is an irrigation dam near Pothundi village in the Palakkad district of Kerala state, India. Constructed in the 19th century, it is considered one of the oldest dams in India. It provides irrigation to an area of in the Palakkad district and drinking water supply to the Nemmara, Ayalur, Melarcode Panchayat. An unusual feature of the earth dam is the core wall, which is built with a mixture of jaggery and quick lime. A popular festival held on the shores of the reservoir is known as the Nemmara Vallengi Vela Festival. Topography The dam is built in the Pothundy village across the Meenichiladipuzha and Padipuzha rivers, which are tributaries of the Aylampuzha river, about upstream of the confluence, in the backdrop of the Nelliampathi hills. It drains a catchment area of at Full Reservoir Level, which is thickly forested with teak wood trees. The dam is in the Chittur taluk, about from Nemmara and from Palakkad and from Nelliampathi. History The dam, built in the 19th century for irrigation, was developed as a medium irrigation project completed in 1971 at a cost of Rs.23.425 million. The dam also provides water supply, and the reservoir has been developed as