Sholayar Dam, Hydroelectric dam in Athirappilly Grama Panchayat, India
Sholayar Dam is a hydroelectric facility that spans 430 meters across the Chalakkudi River and rises 66 meters high. The structure includes three penstocks for power generation and is part of a triple-dam system that also uses a flanking dam and a saddle dam.
Construction finished in 1965, marking the Kerala State Electricity Board's first major infrastructure project in the region. This work was a turning point for electricity generation and grid development across Kerala.
The area around the dam was home to the Kadar tribal people, whose daily lives changed significantly after construction began. The site reflects how traditional communities adapted when modern infrastructure arrived in their region.
The site sits in a green landscape with good pathways to walk around the dam and explore the surrounding nature. Daytime visits work best when light shows the water clearly and walking paths are easy to navigate.
The three turbines at the facility feed roughly 233 million kilowatt-hours of power into Kerala's grid each year, showing the economic importance of this installation. This energy output reveals how a single structure supports the electricity needs of an entire region.
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