Berijam Lake, Water reservoir in Dindigul district, India.
Berijam Lake is a water reservoir situated near Kodaikanal in the Dindigul district. The body of water sits at a high elevation surrounded by dense forests that are part of the Upper Palni Shola forest reserve.
The reservoir was constructed in 1867 and replaced a naturally formed lake that had developed from ancient landslides. Funding came from Sir Vere Levigne, a British official who was instrumental in developing the region.
The lake area contains remnants of a British transit camp that served as a military escape route from Kodaikanal during World War II.
Visitors need to obtain a permit from the Forestry Department office in Kodaikanal before entering the area. Access times are restricted and managed by local authorities.
Pollen grains preserved in the lake sediments have been studied to reconstruct 20,000 years of climate history, from cold, dry conditions to the cool, humid climate of today. The reservoir's storage capacity fell from 1.91 to 1.804 cubic hectometres between 1911 and 1987 because of siltation.
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