CHAPTER VI

Profile of River Basins of Tamil Nadu

6. Profile of River Basins of Tamil Nadu

The river basins in Tamil Nadu are grouped into 17 major river basins as furnished below.

Figure 2. River Basins of Tamil Nadu

Table 9.Major River Basins of Tamil Nadu

Name of the Major River Basin Group River Basins in the Group
1. Chennai Basin Group 1. Araniyar
2. Kusaithalaiyar
3. Cooum
4. Adayar
2. Palar 5. Palar
3. Varahanadhi 6. Ongur
7. Varahanadhi
4. Ponnaiyaar 8. Malattar
9. Ponnaiyaar
10. Gadilam
5. Vellar 11. Vellar
42
 6. Paravanar
7. Cauvery 12. Cauvery
8. Agniyar 13. Agniyar
14. Ambuliyar
15. Vellar
9. Pambar and 16. Koluvanar
Kottakaraiyar 17. Pambar
18. Manimukthar
19. Kottakaraiyar
10. Vaigai 20. Vaigai
11. Gundar 21. Uthirakosamangaiyar
22. Gundar
23. Vembar
12. Vaippar 24. Vaippar
13. Kallar . 25.Kallar
2 26. Korampallam Aru
14. Thambaraparani 27. Thambaraparani
15. Nambiyar 28. Karmaniar
29. Nambiyar
30. Hanumanadhi
16. Kodaiyar 31. Palayar
32. Valliyar
33. Kodaiyar
17. PAP 34.West flowing river
Table 10.Area and Rainfall of the River Basins

Normal
Area of Normal Rain Non
Name of the Major Annual System
S.No the basin Volume system
River Basin Group Rainfall tanks
(sq.km) (Km3) tanks
(mm)
1. Chennai Basin Group 5542 1130 6.26 1304 215
2. Palar 10911 940 10.03 661
3. Varahanadhi 4214 1250 4.55 131 1290
4. Ponnaiyar 11257 920 11.17 1133
5. Vellar 7659 980 386 71
6. Paravanar 760 8.39 2 9
7. Cauvery 43867 930 45.32
8. Agniyar 4566 910 4.06 346 3629
9. Pambar and
5847 880 3.07 160 1161
Kottakaraiyar
10. Vaigai 7031 900 6.97 521 976
11. Gundar 5647 770 3.73 526 123
12. Vaippar 5423 800 5.00 151 711
13. Kallar 1879 600 1.04 15 184
14. Thambaraparani 5969 1110 6.09 1300
15. Nambiyar 2084 950 1.48 559 38
16. Kodaiyar 1533 1720 2.64 2 1460
17. PAP 3462 610 1.33
43