Banasura Sagar Dam

Another tourist attraction of Kalpetta is Banasura Sagar dam. It is the largest

earth dam in India and the second largest of its kind in Asia. The dam is made
up of massive stacks of stones and boulders.

Legend and ambience

Situated about 15 km from Kalpetta, the dam holds a large expanse of water
and its picturesque beauty is enhanced by the chain of mountains seen on the
backdrop. It is constructed in the Banasura Lake and the nearby mountains
are known as Banasura Hills. Legends say that the Asura king of Banasura,
(the son of King Mahabali, who is believed to visit Kerala during every Onam
festival) undertook a severe penance on the top of these hills and thus it was
named after him. The scenic mountains beckon adventure tourists and the
dam site is an ideal starting point for trekking.

During monsoon, visitors may also be able to see small islands in the dams
reservoir. They are formed while the flooded reservoir submerges the
surrounding areas too. The vast expanse of the crystal clear water of the dam
dotted with small islands is a photographers delight.

History
Banasura Sagar Dam consisting of a dam and a canal began operating as
part of the Indian Banasura Sagar Project. It aims at supporting the
Kakkayam Hydro electric power project and also contributes to the irrigation
and drinking water requirements of the people during summer, if there is water
shortage.
The water level in the Banasura Sagar reservoir of the Kuttyadi hydro electric project at
Padinjarethara has dipped considerably owing to the severe drought situation in the district.

At 4 p.m. on Friday, the water level was 761.55 m as against the Full Reservoir Level (FRL) of 775.6
m.

Last year
The water level during the same day last year was 758.7 m, official sources said.

The marginal increase in the water level does not mean that the quantity of water increased this year.

Owing to some technical reasons, the utilisation of water from the dam for power generation at the
Kakkayam power house till the end o February was comparatively low.

Low rain

The summer rain in the catchment area of the reservoir was very low this year.

Affect power generation

The decreasing water level would adversely affect the power generation of the Kuttyadi hydro electric
project in the near future, the sources said.
Moreover, nearly 25,000 metre cube water is being released to Kabani River every
day to tackle the drought situation in the area.
Water level in the Banasura Sagar reservoir of the Kuttiyadi hydroelectric project at Padinjarethara
has fallen considerably with the day temperature remaining high for the past three months.

The water level is far below the level recorded during the same period in the previous year, raising
the prospect of a power crisis in Malabar region and shortage of drinking water supply.
At 4 p.m. on Wednesday, the water level was 759.9 metre as against the Full Reservoir Level (FRL) of
775.6 m. The water level during the same day last year was 760.8 m, KSEB sources said.

Though the maximum capacity of the reservoir is 209 million metre cube (mmc), the remaining
water in the reservoir is only 44.15 mmc , which is sufficient only to generate power for the next 35
days, the sources said. The dam authorities have been providing one mmc of water every day to
Kakkayam power house for power generation for the past three months.

Moreover, nearly 25,000 metre cube water is being released to Kabani River every day to tackle the
drought situation in the area.

The summer rain in the catchment area of the reservoir was very low this year. The decreasing water
level would adversely affect the hydroelectric project in the near future, the sources added.