Situated about 10 km from Palakkad Town, Malapuzha Dam was completed in 1955 and is the largest reservoir in Kerala. The spot is also known for its scenic beauty and sprawling gardens. It is one of the major attractions in this part of Kerala.
Malampuzha Dam has brought prosperity to the district, making Palakkad the `rice bowl of Kerala'. Paddy is cultivated in 50,000 acres in two seasons each using waters from the Malampuzha dam.
The Malampuzha Garden and reservoir have a scenic setting with the forested hills of Western Ghats forming the backdrop, making it one of the foremost tourism centres in the State.
The dam across Malampuzha river has a total length of 2,069 metres. Of this, masonry dam has a length of 1,849 metres while the earthen dam covers the length of 220 metres. The catchment area of the dam is 147.63 km². Its storage capacity is 236.69 cubic metres. The full reservoir level of the dam is 115.06 m (375.15 ft)and Gross Storage at FRL is 226 mm3.The idea of constructing a dam at Malampuzha was mooted in 1914 by the then Madras Government. Palakkad was part of Madras presidency then. In March 1949, the then Public Works Minister K. Bhaktavalsalam laid the foundation stone for the construction of the dam. On October 9, 1955, the then Chief Minister, K. Kamaraj inaugurated it.
Before the construction of the dam, the area was known as Punnppara, Chovankadu, Iduppady, Vadukampadam, Thanjikapallam, Karakkad, Thoopallam, Varani, Akkarakadu, Kadukkamkunnam, Aanakuzhykadu, Thampurattypotta, Aanamukkara, Pandipotta, Thekkumpadam and Koshavan Idukku. Now the entire area is known as Malampuzha.
The dam was conceived as a multi-purpose project to provide water for irrigation, drinking, industries, power generation, fish farming and water transport.
born 25 July 1937) is a sculptor from Kuttamath in Hosdurg Taluk in Kasaragod district of Kerala state, India. He is the Former Chairman of the Lalit Kala Academy
Kunhiraman is the first sculptor recipient of the Raja Ravi Varma Award, which includes 1 lakh in cash, a citation and a statue, sculptured by Kunhiraman himself. It was conferred by Kerala's Chief Minister Oommen Chandy at Thiruvananthapuram.
References
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malampuzha_Dam
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palakkad#Etymology
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