Nirar Dam

Nirar Dam is a gravity dam built across the Nirar River near Valparai in Coimbatore district, Tamil Nadu, close to the Tamil Nadu-Kerala border. Constructed as part of the Parambikulam Aliyar Project, it stores water for irrigation and hydroelectric generation and diverts water to the Sholayar system. Surrounded by dense forests of the Anamalai Hills and tea plantations, the dam and its reservoir offer scenic views and are visited as a viewpoint en route to Valparai.

Visitors can expect a scenic reservoir set amid forested hills and tea estates of the Anamalai range near Valparai. The dam is viewed from designated viewpoints and approach roads; direct access onto the dam structure is generally restricted. The surroundings include dense evergreen forest, hills and the Nirar reservoir waters. It is primarily a brief sightseeing and photography stop, often combined with drives through the Valparai ghat roads and nearby forest areas.

Nirar Dam was constructed in the 1960s as part of the Parambikulam Aliyar Project (PAP), a joint inter-state irrigation and hydroelectric project involving Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Built across the Nirar River, a tributary in the Anamalai Hills, the dam stores and diverts water to the Sholayar system for irrigation in Coimbatore and Tiruppur districts and for power generation.