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| Mathur Aqueduct | |
|---|---|
 A evening view along the walkway of Mathur Aqueduct. | |
  Location within Tamil Nadu | |
| General information | |
| Type | Reinforced concrete aqueduct |
| Location | Mathur, India |
| Coordinates | 8ยฐ20โฒ10โณN 77ยฐ17โฒ40โณE๏ปฟ / ๏ปฟ8.3361111ยฐN 77.2945667ยฐE |
| Construction started | 1966 |
| Completed | 1966 |
| Cost | โน12.9 lakhs (1966) |
| Client | Government of Tamil Nadu (Irrigation Department) |
| Height | |
| Height | 115ย ft (35ย m) |
Mathur Aqueduct is an aqueduct in Thiruvattar taluk of Kanniyakumari district of Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It was built in 1966 over the Pahrali River and takes its name from Mathoor, a hamlet near the aqueduct, which is about 3ย km from Thiruvattar town and about 60ย km from Kanniyakumari.
Purpose
editMathoor Aqueduct was constructed in 1966 as a drought relief measure over the river Pahrali[1] to carry water for irrigation from an elevated level of one hill to another. The irrigation water feeds the taluks of Vilavancode and Kalkulam.
Construction
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The aqueduct is built across the Parali river, a small river that originates in the Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu hills of the Western Ghats. Mathoor Aqueduct itself carries water of the Pattanamkal canal for irrigation over the Parali, from one hill to another, for a distance of close to 1ย km. This aqueduct is needed because of the undulating land terrain of the area, which is also adjacent to the hills of the Western Ghats.
Mathoor Aqueduct is a concrete structure supported by 28 huge pillars, the maximum height of the pillars reaching 115ย ft. The trough structure is 7ย ft in height, with a width of 7.5ย ft. The trough is partly covered with concrete slabs, allowing people to walk on the bridge and to see the water going through the trough. Some of the pillars are set in rocks of the Pahrali river, though some of the pillars are set in hills on either side.The bridge has been constructed at Mathoor across the river Parazhiyar at a cost of Rs. 12.90/- lakhs[2]
There is road access to one end of the aqueduct and to the foot of the aqueduct (the level where the Pahrali flows) on the opposite side. There is a huge flight of stairs, made more recently, that allows one to climb from the level of the Pahrali river to the trough.
Irrigation water flows through the trough for a large part of the year, except in the summer (from February to May).
Tourist attraction
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In recent times, Mathoor Aqueduct has become a popular tourist attraction in Kanyakumari district. The tourism department and the local Panchyat office have improved facilities for visiting tourists.
From the centre of the aqueduct, one can see a vast expanse of greenery, with rolling hills of the Western Ghats in the background, and the meandering Pahrali river flowing below.
Mathoor Aqueduct is about 60ย km from the popular tourist town of Kanyakumari and about 60ย km from the city of Trivandrum, the capital of Kerala state. [3]
Technical specifications
edit| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Length of flume | 1,250ย ft (380ย m) |
| Width of trough | 7.5ย ft (2.3ย m) |
| Height of trough | 7ย ft (2.1ย m) |
| Water velocity | 5.1ย ft/s (1.6ย m/s) |
| Discharge capacity | 204ย cuย ft/s (5.8ย m3/s) |
| Number of pillars | 28 |
| Span length | 40ย ft (12ย m) |
| Bed level (start) | 91ย in (2.3ย m) |
| Bed level (end) | 90ย in (2.3ย m) |
Notes
edit- ^ "Mathur Aqueduct: Walk into the spectacular". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
- ^ "Mathoor Hanging Bridge | Kanniyakumari District, Government of TamilNadu | India".
- ^ "Mathur Hanging Bridge". Archived from the original on 20 July 2006. Retrieved 28 October 2006.
External links
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