Malampuzha Dam is the second largest reservoir in Kerala, located near Palakkad, in the state of Kerala in South India, built post independence by the then Madras state. Situated in the scenic hills of the Western Ghats in the background it is a combination of a masonry dam with a length of 1,849 metres and an earthen dam with a length of 220 metres. The dam is 355 feet high and crosses the Malampuzha River, a tributary of Bharathappuzha, Kerala's second longest river. There is a network of two canal systems that serve the dam's reservoir of 42,090 hectares.
The dam project was begun in 1949 and completed in 1955. foundation stone for the project was laid on 27 March 1949, by the then Public Works Minister of Madras State, Sri M. Bhaktavatsalam as Palakkad was a part of the Madras Presidency during those times. The dam was constructed in record time, and on October 9, 1955, the then Chief Minister of Tamilnadu, Sri. K Kamaraj, inaugurated the dam.The total catchments area is 145 square kilometres, while the reservoir has a capacity of 8000 cubic meters of water. The canal systems serve to irrigate farm land while the reservoir provides drinking water to Palakkad and surrounding villages. The dam was constructed by Tamilnadu government but later the dam and Palakkad district belongs to Kerala state.
