RAS question
Mettur Dam is built on which river in Tamil Nadu?
Correct answer: (A) Kaveri.
Mettur Dam in Tamil Nadu is built on the Kaveri River.
Explanation
Mettur Dam, also known as Stanley Reservoir, is located in Salem district, Tamil Nadu, and is built on the Kaveri River. INDIA WRIS WIKI uses the spelling Cauvery and says that, after Hogennekkal Falls, the river takes a southerly direction and enters the Mettur Reservoir, which was constructed in 1934. The dam-reservoir belongs to the Kaveri/Cauvery system, not to a neighbouring or separate Tamil Nadu river. Mettur is among India's oldest and largest dams, provides irrigation support to the Kaveri delta region, and generates hydroelectric power.
Why the other options are wrong
- (B) Pennar is wrong because Mettur Dam is fixed to the Kaveri River, while Pennar flows mainly through Andhra Pradesh.
- (C) Vaigai is wrong because Vaigai Dam is a separate dam on the Vaigai River, not the Mettur Dam.
- (D) Palar is wrong because it is a different Tamil Nadu river, whereas Mettur Dam is tied to the Kaveri/Cauvery system.
Concept
Geography of India river-system mapping connects major dams and reservoirs with their rivers and states. For RAS preparation, Mettur Dam's river link often connects location, irrigation and hydroelectric power.