Sholayar Dam

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Sholayar is situated 20 km from Valparai, a hill station in the Anaimalai Hills of the Coimbatore district, Tamil Nadu India. A part of the hydroelectric project of Tamil Nadu, special permission is required to visit the dam.

Sholayar Dam is built by Sholayar Flanking in 1964 and Sholayar Saddle Dam in 1965. The reservoir has an area of 8.705 square km and the length of the dam is 430.60 metres. The Sholayar Dam has a height of 66 metres and 430 metres width, Sholayar Flanking has a height of 28 metres and 19 metres width and Sholayar Saddle has a height of 259 metres and 109 metres width.

The Solaiyar dam is a vital reservoir under the Parambikulam Aliyar Project and has a water storage capacity of 160 ft (49 m). The reservoir’s overflowing waters are let into the Parambikulam Reservoir through the saddle dam. It is constructed by a team who was working under K Palanisamy, the most popular engineer in that area.

Valparai is a newly explored tourist spot located in the Anamalai hills of Westernghats. Entering the forest and tea gardens of valparai you can enjoy the presence of many streams, dams, valleys, waterfalls, high mountains, grass lands, flora and fauna.

Ecotourism is given more importance than regular form of tourism. Chinnakallar in valparai records maximum rainfall next to chirapungi. Valparai is the only hill station in the world which has 12 dams and hydro electric power stations.

Within 8 km distance there is a beautiful place which is the confluence of the three rivers Kuriarkutty, Karapara and Parambikulam, Old bird sanctuary and the Chalakudy River which flows across the dam.

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