India's largest earthen dam

Our first halt after checking in to the hotel, having breakfast and a wash, was the Banasura Sagar Dam, the largest earthen dam in India and the second largest in Asia. The water is used for hydroelectricity and also for irrigation and drinking water. The dam was constructed in 1979. Monitored by the Kerala State Electricity Board, the dam is used for the Kuttiadi Augmentation Scheme. Its catchment area is 6,144 sq km. The length of the main dam is 850 metres. The dam irrigates about 5,200 hectares in the Kuttiadi basin, and 3,200 hectares in the Karamanthodu basin.

Pictures show a view from the dam area and the water arrested by the dam.