Ponnaniyar Dam

Ponnaniyar Dam is an irrigation dam built across the Ponnaniyar River near Kadavur in Karur District, Tamil Nadu. Constructed in 1974, it creates a reservoir surrounded by low hills and scrub forest. The dam primarily supports irrigation for surrounding agricultural lands and also serves as a local scenic spot. Visitors come for reservoir views, photography and quiet picnics, especially when water levels are high after the monsoon season.

Visitors can expect an earthen and masonry dam with a reservoir set amid low rocky hills and dry scrub landscape near Kadavur. The site offers open views of the water spread, dam embankment and surrounding countryside. There is a simple approach road and open area near the dam for viewing and photography. The environment is quiet and rural, suitable for short walks, picnicking and observing the reservoir when water levels are good. No boating or commercial tourist infrastructure is typically available.

Constructed in 1974 by the Tamil Nadu Public Works Department (now Water Resources Department) across the Ponnaniyar River, a tributary of the Cauvery. The dam was built as an earthen and masonry structure to store monsoon flows and provide irrigation to drought-prone agricultural lands in Karur and adjoining areas, with a designed storage capacity to support ayacut irrigation.