An anicut (Originated from

Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia ** Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, na ...

language அணைக்கட்டு - Aṇaikaṭṭu and

Kannada Kannada (; ಕನ್ನಡ, ), originally romanised Canarese, is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India, with minorities in all neighbouring states. It has around 47 million native s ...

language ಆಣೆಕಟ್ಟು - Āṇekaṭṭu) is a masonry

check dam A steel check dam A check dam is a small, sometimes temporary, dam constructed across a swale, drainage ditch, or waterway to counteract erosion by reducing water flow velocity. Check dams themselves are not a type of new technology; rather, ...

that is constructed across a stream to impound water for maintaining and regulating irrigation.“Anicut.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anicut. Accessed 1 January 2020. The water stored behind an anicut can be used for irrigation of crops or drinking water for humans and livestock. They also are used to increase the residence of water to recharge groundwater, especially wells located downstream. Anicuts are also used in wildlife sanctuaries to provide sufficient water hole for will animals or to provide habitats for aquatic flora and fauna.

Construction

The selection of an appropriate site for construction is very important as to minimize cost and maximize efficacy. The site should be where maximum storage of water is possible with minimum dam length, such as a deep, narrow section of a valley with steep slopes. Anicuts require a stream gradient of more than 1:100.

References

Masonry dams {{Dam-stub