Pechiparai Reservoir

Pechiparai Reservoir, Kanyakumari District, with the Western Ghats in the background

Pechiparai Reservoir is a reservoir located 43 kilometres (27 mi) from the town of Nagercoil, near the village of Pechiparai in Kanyakumari District, Tamil Nadu, India.

The reservoir was formed by the construction of the Pechiparai Dam, which was built across the Kodayar River about 1 mi (1.6 km) below the confluence of the Kallar, Chittar and Kuttiyar tributaries. It was built during the period 1897 - 1906 by the European engineer, Mr. Minchin,(called as mookanthurai by the local people) during the reign of the Travancore Maharaja Moolam Thirunal.

The original cost of construction of the dam was Indian Rupees 26.1 Lakhs (in the late 19th century). The catchment area of the reservoir is 207.19 km² (80.00 sq mi), and the depth is 14.63 m (48.0 ft). The dam is a straight gravity type masonry dam 425.5 m (1,396 ft) long and 120.7 m (396 ft) high above the deepest foundation. There is no inspection gallery.

Water flowing through the gate of Pechiparai dam

The water from the reservoir is used for both irrigation of crops and for drinking purposes, which has led to conflict between farmers who want to use all the water for their crops, and local authorities, who don't have another place to draw drinking water from, for supply to the urban areas. The dam is surrounded by hills of the Western Ghats.^[1][2]

References

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Kanyakumari District
History	Travancore Battle of Colachel Travancore-Cochin
Administration	Taluks Agastheeswaram Kallkkulam Thovalai Vilavancode Blocks Agastheeswaram Killiyoor Kurunthancode Melpuram Munchirai Rajakkamangalam Thiruvattar Thovalai Thuckalay Municipalities Colachel Kuzhithurai Nagercoil Padmanabhapuram Town panchayats Agastheeswaram Alur Anjugramam Aralvaimozhi Arumanai Asaripallam Attoor Azhagappapuram Azhagiapandiapuram Boothapandi Edaikodu Eraniel Ezhudesam Ganapathipuram Kadayal Kaliyakkavilai Kallukuttam Kanyakumari Kappiyarai Karungal Keezhkulam Killiyur Kodimunai Kollancode Kothanalloor Kottaram Kulasekaram Kumarapuram Manavalakurichi Mandaikadu Marthandam Marungoor Mulagumudu Myladi Nallur Neiyyur Pacode Palapallam Pazhugal Ponmanai Puthalam Pudukadai Reethapuram South Thamaraikulam Suchindram Thalakudi Thengampudur Theroor Thingalnagar Thiruparappu Thiruvattar Thiruvithamcode Unnamalaikadai Valvaithankoshtam Vellimalai Verkilambi Vilavoor Villukuri
Religious sites	Devi Kanya Kumari Temple Thanumalayan Temple Kumara coil Marunthuvazh Malai Mondaicaud Bhagavathi Temple Nagaraja Temple Our Lady of Ransom Church, Kanyakumari St. Arockiya Nathar Church, Vavathurai Pancha pathi Peer Mohammed Dargah Sivalayams Sri Adikesavaperumal Temple St. Xavier's Church Swamithope pathi Thirunadhikkara Thiruppathisaram Thirucharanathumalai Chitharal Jain Monuments
Tourism	Kanyakumari Kalikesam Mathur Aqueduct Mukkadal Dam Muttom Olakaruvi Padmanabhapuram Palace Pechiparai Reservoir Sothavilai Beach Thiruparrapu Udayagiri Vattakottai Fort Vattakottai Vattaparai Falls
Major festivals	Pongal Deepavali Christmas Ayya Vaikunda Avataram Ganesh Chaturdhi New Year Onam Ramzan Saraswati pooja Sivalaya Ottam
Education	Colleges Cape Institute of Technology Bishop Agniswamy College of Education CSI Institute of Technology Malankara Catholic College Nesamony Memorial Christian College Noorul Islam College of Engineering Ponjesly College of Engineering Scott Christian College South Travancore Hindu College St. Xavier's College of Engineering Sun College of Engineering University College of Engineering,Nagercoil Schools SRKBV School Carmel Higher Secondary School Excel Central School Excel Global School Government Higher Secondary School, Peruvilai Scott Christian Higher Secondary School
Railway stations	Eraniel Kanyakumari Kulitthurai Kuzhitthurai West Nagercoil Junction Nagercoil Town Viranialur

Coordinates: 8°26′33″N 77°18′49″E / 8.44249°N 77.31354°E / 8.44249; 77.31354