UpdateBot at 15:12, 15 January 2022

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{{short description|River in Chennai, India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2018}}
{{cleanup reorganize|date=May 2017}}
'''Kosasthalaiyar River''', also known as '''Kortalaiyar''', is one of the three rivers that flow in the [[Chennai Metropolitan Area|Chennai metropolitan area]].

==The river and its course==
Kosasthalaiyar is {{convert|136|km|mi|adj=on}} long and originates near [[Pallipattu]] in [[Tiruvallur district|Thiruvallur district]] and drains into the [[Bay of Bengal]]. Its northern tributary [[Nagari river]] originates in [[Chitoor District|Chitoor district]] of [[Andhra Pradesh]] and joins the main river in the backwaters of [[Poondi reservoir]]. Its catchment area is spread over Vellore, Chitoor, North Arcot, Thiruvallur and Chennai districts. It has a catchment area in [[North Arcot|North Arcot District]] where it branches near Kesavaram Anicut and this tributary flows to the Chennai city as [[Cooum River]], while the main river flows to the Poondi reservoir. From Poondi reservoir, the river flows through [[Thiruvallur District]], enters the Chennai metropolitan area, and joins the sea at [[Ennore Creek]]. The river has 9 check dams. There are two check dams across the river at Tamaraipakkam and Vallur.<ref name="CheckDamAtBandikavanur"/> The excess discharge in the river is controlled by the Tamarapakkam Anicut<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/archives/from-the-archives-july-8-1969-sub-soil-water-for-madras/article28312314.ece|title=From the Archives (July 8, 1969): Sub-soil water for Madras|date=2019-07-08|work=The Hindu|access-date=2019-08-12|language=en-IN|issn=0971-751X}}</ref> located across the river in the downstream of Poondi reservoir. Vallur Anicut is a small check dam constructed near [[Minjur]] across the river to control water levels and feed irrigation channels in the area. It flows to a distance of {{convert|16|km|mi|0}} in the Chennai metropolitan area. The total catchment area of the river is {{convert|3757|km|mi}}, and the bed width ranges from {{convert|150|to|250|m|ft}}. The discharge capacity of the river is {{convert|110000|m3/s|cuft/s}}, and the anticipated flood discharge capacity is about {{convert|125000|m3/s|cuft/s}}.<ref name="RiverDrainageSystemInCMA">{{cite web
| url = http://www.cmdachennai.gov.in/pdfs/SeminarOnWaterways/5.pdf
| title = Session-3 River and Drainage System in CMA
| last = Kanthimathinathan
| first = T.
| publisher = Cooum Sub Basin Restoration & Management
| access-date = 14 August 2016
}}</ref> The river drains up to {{convert|50000|cuft/s|m3/s}} of flood water into the sea through the Ennore Creek during monsoons.<ref>{{cite news
| title = Work begins to deepen, desilt Ennore creek
| newspaper = The Hindu
| location = Chennai
| publisher = Kasturi & Sons
| date = 13 October 2018
| url = https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/work-begins-to-deepen-desilt-ennore-creek/article25209696.ece
| access-date = 15 October 2018}}</ref>

[[Galeru Nagari Sujala Sravanthi Project|Galeru Nagari irrigation project]] is under execution to supply [[Krishna river]] water from [[Srisailam Dam|Srisailam reservoir]] in Nagari basin of Chitoor district.

Every year, whenever the floodgates of Poondi reservoir are opened, a considerable volume of water gets drained into the sea through the Kosasthalaiyar River near the Ennore Creek.

Work on 10th check dam across the river is expected to by completed by the end of 2018 at a cost of {{INR}} 70 million. The structure would be 1.5 meters high, built across the 100-meter wide river. It would store water in the river for over 2 kilometers.<ref>{{cite news
| last = Lakshmi
| first = K.
| title = Work on 10th check dam across Kosasthalaiyar after Pongal
| newspaper = The Hindu
| location = Chennai
| publisher = Kasturi & Sons
| date = 5 January 2018
| url = http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/work-on-10th-check-dam-across-kosasthalaiyar-after-pongal/article22369997.ece
| access-date = 7 January 2018}}</ref>

==Channels==
The historic Korattur anicut located at Jamin Korattur in Tiruvallur district serves as a vital channel to regulating water to the Chembarambakkam reservoir. The dam was built in 1876 across the unpolluted stretch of the Cooum river and diverts excess water to the Chembarambakkam reservoir.<ref name="Hindu_TwoMoreCheckdams"/>

==Restoration==
In 2011, the Water Resources Department (WRD) initiated the tendering process under the Irrigated Agriculture Modernisation and Waterbodies Restoration and Management (IAMWARM) project to rejuvenate nearly 200 lakes falling under Kosasthalaiyar river sub-basin.<ref>{{cite news
| last = Lakshmi
| first = K.
| title = Life set to flow back to 200 lakes
| newspaper = The Hindu
| location = Chennai
| publisher = The Hindu
| date = 10 November 2011
| url = http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Chennai/article2614193.ece
| access-date = 13 Nov 2011}}</ref> The department also proposes to construct groynes to reduce formation of sand bars near the mouth the river.<ref>{{Cite news
| last = Lakshmi
| first = K.
| title = WRD plans groynes
| newspaper = The Hindu
| location = Chennai
| publisher = The Hindu
| date = 3 December 2011
| url = http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/article2683597.ece
| access-date = 4 Dec 2011}}</ref>

In May 2012, the Water Resources Department (WRD) planned to construct a check dam across the river near Bandikavanur village in Tiruvallur district, about {{convert|30|km|mi}} from Chennai, at a cost of {{INR}} 300 million. The Bandikavanur check dam, to be constructed about {{convert|500|m|ft}} upstream of the Karanodai bridge on Chennai–Kolkata National Highway, would be constructed at a height of {{convert|6.3|m|ft}} across the nearly {{convert|300|m|ft|adj=on}} wide river. The check dam would recharge the water table at a radius of {{convert|10|km|mi|0}}.<ref name="CheckDamAtBandikavanur">{{cite news
| title = Check dam to meet city's needs
| newspaper = The Hindu
| location = Chennai
| publisher = The Hindu
| date = 26 April 2012
| url = http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/article3355424.ece
| access-date = 18 May 2012}}</ref><ref name="Hindu_OneDamToSaveManyLitres">{{cite news
| last = Lakshmi
| first = K.
| title = One check dam to save many litres of water
| newspaper = The Hindu
| location = Chennai
| publisher = The Hindu
| date = 16 January 2013
| url = http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/one-check-dam-to-save-many-litres-of-water/article4310290.ece
| access-date = 18 Jan 2013}}</ref>

In 2018, two more check-dams were planned across the river. One of them will be located between Pudhukuppam and Kudiraipallam, downstream of Karanodai bridge. The dam will be built to a height of 1.2 meters across the river and the width will be nearly 335 meters, at a cost of {{INR}} 99 million. This will be the eighth check-dam built across the river. Another one will be built in Bandikavanur, about 30 km from Chennai. This will help recharge groundwater in a radius of 10 km.<ref name="Hindu_TwoMoreCheckdams">{{cite news
| title = Two more check-dams coming up soon across Kosasthalaiyar river
| newspaper = The Hindu
| location = Chennai
| publisher = The Hindu
| date = 17 June 2018
| url = https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/two-more-check-dams-coming-up-soon-across-kosasthalaiyar-river/article24183320.ece
| access-date = 28 July 2018}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Cooum river]]
* [[Adyar river]]
* [[Water management in Chennai]]
{{Portal bar|India|Geography|Environment|Water}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Chennai Topics}}
{{Hydrography of Chennai}}
{{Hydrography of Tamil Nadu}}

{{coord|13.212822|80.27696|display=title}}

[[Category:Geography of Chennai]]
[[Category:Rivers of Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Rivers of India]]

Kosasthalaiyar River - Revision history

UpdateBot at 15:12, 15 January 2022