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| Meenachil River (Gauna, Kavanar, Valanjar, Indiar) | |
|---|---|
 Meenachil River, view from Erattupetta | |
| Location | |
| Country | India |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Western Ghats |
| • elevation | 1,156 m (3,793 ft) |
| Mouth | |
• location | Vembanad Lake |
| Length | 78 km (48 mi) |
The Meenachil River or Meenachilaar (Malayalam: മീനച്ചിലാർ), also known as Kavanar, Valanjar, is a river in Kerala. It is one of the most treacherous rivers in Kerala due to its flash floods, heavy undercurrents and woods and debris it carries from the mountains. It flows through the heart of Kottayam district, Kerala state in southern India. 78 km long, originates in the Western Ghats main tributaries are Theekoy aaru from Vagamon hills, Poonjar Aaru and Chittar, flowing westward through the city of Kottayam and other towns like Poonjar, Teekoy, Erattupetta, Bharananganam, Pala, Mutholy, Cherpunkal, Kidangoor and Kumarakom before emptying into the Vembanad Lake on the shore of the Indian Ocean.[1][2]
General elevation ranges from 77 m to 1156 m in the highlands and less than 2 m in the lowlands and 8 to 68 m in the midlands. The Meenachil has a watershed area of 1208.11 km2. The river has a total annual yield of 2,349 million cubic metre and an annual utilizable yield of 1110 million cubic metre. The river has 38 tributaries including major and minor ones.
The name Meenachil is derived from the name of Goddess Meenakshi of Madurai.[citation needed] The river finds mention in Arundhati Roy's Booker Prize-winning novel, The God of Small Things.[3]
- ^ Hiran, U. (10 November 2019). "Revival hopes for river mouth at Pazhukkanila". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
- ^ Hiran, U. (30 March 2019). "'Green audit' launched at Meenachil river". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
- ^ Roy, Arundhati (1997). The God of Small Things. New Delhi: IndiaInk. ISBN 8186939024.