It was a pleasant surprise to know that there is a Dam in Coonoor and what made the visit more exciting was the fact that we had to trek in the striking mountain ridges along the Wellington-Coonoor strips.
It was a walk of more than a Kilometer uphill on wet rugged road strewn with pine leaves and branches. Mushrooms of various sizes had sprouted the entire route along with delicate ferns and moss.
The drive to the Ralliah dam is beautiful, silent, lonely, on winding roads uphill. We spotted the endemic button Quail and alas! They were too quick to get a sharp image.
Construction on the Ralliah dam was commissioned on 16th July 1938 and completed by 1941 by the Municipal Chairman, Coonoor.
The catchment area is 310 acres and the depth is 58 feet.
During monsoons the Ralliah dam fills up enough to supply drinking water to Coonoor town.
Place Statistics:
Type of Place: Dam
Situated: Coonoor, Tamil Nadu
Distance: Ooty 15 Km, Mettupalyam 46 Km, Combatore 100 Km, Mysore 150 Km, Bangalore 290 Km
Transport: Trekking
Facilities: Nil
