Kalingarayan Canal
| Kalingarayan Canal | |
|---|---|
| Specifications | |
| Length | 56.5 miles (90.9 km) |
| Status | open |
| History | |
| Date completed | 1283 |
| Geography | |
| Branch of | Bhavani River |
Kalingarayan Canal is a 56.2-mile (90.5 km) long irrigation canal in the Erode district, Tamil Nadu, India. It was constructed by Kongu chieftain Kalingarayan and was completed in 1283. This canal gets source from the Kalingarayan Anicut near Bhavani, Erode. Around 15,743 acres of agricultural land benefit from this project.
The construction of this irrigation project started in 1271 and was completed in 1283, taking over 12 years. This comprises the construction of the Kalingarayan Anicut dam and the Grand Canal of 56mile long.
Though the construction dates back to 13th century, it was well planned and designed to connect Bhavani river with Noyyal river. It is one of the oldest river linking projects in Tamil Nadu connecting two major tributaries of the Kaveri River.
The Canal takes a circuitous route between the Bhavani river and the Noyyal river. It could have reached the destination in 32 miles, if it had been run straight. But the canal was designed to reduce the water current, to avoid damage to the canal banks, and to increase the ground water table. It takes a low steep 56 mile route to link the Bhavani river with the Noyyal river. Another challenge faced during construction of the canal was the crossing of several other canals necessary to reach the River Kaveri. The solution was the construction of aqueduct bridges at the crossing spots. Throughout the course, it has three such aqueduct bridges:
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