Chalakudy River
Encyclopedia
Chalakudy River or Chalakudy Puzha runs through Chalakudy
town which is in the Thrissur District
of Kerala
state, south India
. It is the 4th longest river in Kerala and its basin is between 10° 05’ to 10° 35’ North latitude and 76° 15’to 76° 55’ East longitude. This area is located in Thrissur
, Ernakulam
and Palakkad
districts of Kerala. The total drainage area of the river is 1704 km². out of this 1404 km² lies in Kerala and the rest 300 km² in Tamil Nadu. The length of the river is 145.5 km.
Chalakudy River is the one of very few rivers of Kerala, which is having relics of riparian vegetation in substantial level. The annual report of the National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources Lucknow, mentioned that the Chalakudy River is the richest river in fish diversity perhaps in India. The riparian forests of the Chalakudy River have revealed the existence of a thick riparian vegetation of more than 10 metres width for a distance of 10.5 km downstream from Peringalkuth, covering an area of 58.5 hectares. Out of this, 26.4 hectares lie within the Vazachal area, including three large islands densely covered by riparian forests.
The riparian forests of the area have been found to be characterised by the presence of typical riparian species of plants, in addition to evergreen and semi-evergreen species.Out of the 319 species of flowering plants identified from the study area, 24 are endemic species of the Western Ghats and 10 are rare and endangered. Moreover, the Chalakudy River is known for its diversity, as it contains 85 species of fresh water fishes out of the 152 species known from Kerala. Among these, 35 are endemic species of the Western Ghats and nine are considered to be endangered.
The river though has its origin in the Anamalai region of Tamil Nadu
, is actually a collection of some major tributaries originated from Parambikulam
, Kuriyarkutti, Sholayar, Karapara and Anakayam in Kerala
. The famous waterfalls, Athirappilly Falls
and Vazhachal Falls
, are situated on this river. The famous Hydro Electric Projects on Chalakkudy River are 'Sholayar Hydro Electric Project' and 'Peringalkuttu Hydro Electric Project'. For irrigation purposes Thumboormoozhy Dam is constructed across this river. It merges with the Periyar River
near Puthanvelikkara, adjacent to Manjali, North Paravur
in Ernakulam District
. The Parambikulam Dam
has been built on the Parambikulam River
, one of its four tributaries.
According to a report of the National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources, Lucknow, Chalakudy could well be the richest river in fish diversity in India, with thick vegetation on both sides.
Chalakudy
Chalakudy is a municipal town situated on the banks of Chalakudy River in Thrissur District of the Kerala State in India. It is the base camp for travellers to Athirappilly and Vazhachal Falls...
town which is in the Thrissur District
Thrissur district
Thrissur is a revenue district of Kerala situated in the central part of that state. Spanning an area of about 3,032 km2, Thrissur district is home to over 10% of Kerala’s population. Thrissur district was formed on July 1, 1949, with the headquarters at Thrissur City. Thrissur is known as...
of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
state, south India
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
. It is the 4th longest river in Kerala and its basin is between 10° 05’ to 10° 35’ North latitude and 76° 15’to 76° 55’ East longitude. This area is located in Thrissur
Thrissur district
Thrissur is a revenue district of Kerala situated in the central part of that state. Spanning an area of about 3,032 km2, Thrissur district is home to over 10% of Kerala’s population. Thrissur district was formed on July 1, 1949, with the headquarters at Thrissur City. Thrissur is known as...
, Ernakulam
Ernakulam district
-Economy:Agriculture constitutes the most important segment of the district’s economy and it is the biggest source of employment. Of the geographical 235319 hectares, crops are grown in 0 hectares. Coconut is the principal crop followed by rubber, paddy, and tapioca...
and Palakkad
Palakkad district
Palakkad District is one of the 14 districts of the Indian state of Kerala. The city of Palakkad is the district headquarters. Palakkad is bordered on the northwest by the Malappuram District, on the southwest by the Thrissur District and on the east by Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu. The...
districts of Kerala. The total drainage area of the river is 1704 km². out of this 1404 km² lies in Kerala and the rest 300 km² in Tamil Nadu. The length of the river is 145.5 km.
Chalakudy River is the one of very few rivers of Kerala, which is having relics of riparian vegetation in substantial level. The annual report of the National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources Lucknow, mentioned that the Chalakudy River is the richest river in fish diversity perhaps in India. The riparian forests of the Chalakudy River have revealed the existence of a thick riparian vegetation of more than 10 metres width for a distance of 10.5 km downstream from Peringalkuth, covering an area of 58.5 hectares. Out of this, 26.4 hectares lie within the Vazachal area, including three large islands densely covered by riparian forests.
The riparian forests of the area have been found to be characterised by the presence of typical riparian species of plants, in addition to evergreen and semi-evergreen species.Out of the 319 species of flowering plants identified from the study area, 24 are endemic species of the Western Ghats and 10 are rare and endangered. Moreover, the Chalakudy River is known for its diversity, as it contains 85 species of fresh water fishes out of the 152 species known from Kerala. Among these, 35 are endemic species of the Western Ghats and nine are considered to be endangered.
The river though has its origin in the Anamalai region of Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
, is actually a collection of some major tributaries originated from Parambikulam
Parambikulam
Parambikulam is located in the Palakkad district of Kerala state, south India. Established in 1973, the Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary is in the Sungam range of hills, sprawling over 285 km². It is at a distance of 135 km from Palakkad town and is situated adjacent to the Indira Gandhi...
, Kuriyarkutti, Sholayar, Karapara and Anakayam in Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
. The famous waterfalls, Athirappilly Falls
Athirappilly Falls
Athirappilly Falls is situated in Athirappilly panchayath in Thrissur district of Kerala, on the southwest coast of India. Located on the west-flowing Chalakudy River near the Vazhachal Forest Division and the Sholayar ranges, this 24-metre waterfall and the nearby Vazhachal Falls are popular...
and Vazhachal Falls
Vazhachal Falls
Vazhachal Falls is a rushing watercourse in the Chalakkudy River in the Thrissur district of Kerala, South India. It is located 36km from Chalakkudi and 5km from Athirappilly Falls...
, are situated on this river. The famous Hydro Electric Projects on Chalakkudy River are 'Sholayar Hydro Electric Project' and 'Peringalkuttu Hydro Electric Project'. For irrigation purposes Thumboormoozhy Dam is constructed across this river. It merges with the Periyar River
Periyar River
Periyar is the longest river in the state of Kerala, India, with a length of 244 km. The Periyar is known as the lifeline of Kerala; it is one of the few perennial rivers in the region and provides drinking water for several major towns...
near Puthanvelikkara, adjacent to Manjali, North Paravur
North Paravur
North Paravur formerly known as Parur is a town, municipality in Ernakulam district in the Indian state of Kerala. It is an old and growing municipality. Paravur is the capital of Paravur Taluk in Ernakulam district...
in Ernakulam District
Ernakulam district
-Economy:Agriculture constitutes the most important segment of the district’s economy and it is the biggest source of employment. Of the geographical 235319 hectares, crops are grown in 0 hectares. Coconut is the principal crop followed by rubber, paddy, and tapioca...
. The Parambikulam Dam
Parambikulam Dam
Parambikulam Dam is an embankment dam on the Parambikulam River,Parambikulam located in the Palakkad district in the Western Ghats of Kerala, India, ranks number one in India as well as in the top ten embankment dams in the world in volume capacity in the year 2000.Per the agreement with Tamil...
has been built on the Parambikulam River
Parambikulam River
Parambikulam River, one of four tributaries of the Chalakkudi River, originates in the Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu, India.The Parambikulam Dam has been constructed across the river at Anamalai, located in the Western Ghats of Kerala. This dam ranks number one in India as well as in the top...
, one of its four tributaries.
According to a report of the National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources, Lucknow, Chalakudy could well be the richest river in fish diversity in India, with thick vegetation on both sides.