TheLower Anaicut orAnaikkarai is adam and bridge built on theKollidam (the northern distributary ofKaveri River) in the Indian state ofTamil Nadu.
It was built in 1902 by thecolonial administration of theMadras Presidency for irrigating the erstwhileSouth Arcot district. Stones from the ruins ofGangaikonda Cholapuram were used to construct the dam. It is situated about 70 miles below theUpper Anaicut and 25 km fromKumbakonam.[1][2][3] It has a shutter and sluice system that distributes the Kollidam water into various waterways.[4] At Lower Anaicut, the Kollidam branches off into Manniar and Uppanai.[5]
Lower Anaicut is the terminal barrage across the Kaveri river system for sharing the river water perCauvery Water Dispute Tribunal. 10tmcft water is allocated for the minimum environmental flows in the dowm stream of the Lower Anaicut. Another 4 tmcft is identified as unavoidable wastage to the sea from the Lower Anaicut/river basin. If Tamil Nadu is unable to use the available Kaveri waters and water over flows downstream of Lower Anaicut in excess of 14 tmcft, the excess water gone to sea is considered as part of the utilisable water under the share of Tamil Nadu per the Kaveri Water Dispute Tribunal.[6]
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)11°8′20″N79°27′6″E / 11.13889°N 79.45167°E /11.13889; 79.45167 (Lower Anaicut)