The Kerala government recently gave the go-ahead for the proposed 163-megawatt (MW) Athirappally Hydroelectric Project.

Information about some of India’s tallest waterfalls is provided in the B2b section. Kindly pen them down along with their respective states. They can be asked in the match the pair type question.

Athirappally Waterfalls

• The famous Athirappally Waterfalls is located on the Chalakudy River in Thrissur district of Kerala.
• It originates from the upper reaches of the Western Ghats at the entrance to the Sholayar ranges.
• It is the largest waterfall in Kerala, which stands tall at 80 feet and is nicknamed “The Niagara of India”.
• Controversy about a state-proposed hydroelectric dam on the Chalakudy River above the waterfalls began in the 1990s and continued through 2021.

Issues with the Hydel project

• A number of families belonging to the Kadar tribal group are facing displacement here.
• The dam will also affect irrigation and tourism possibilities in the downstream parts of the Chalakudy River.
• The falls and its surroundings are part of a crucial biodiversity-rich region coming under the Ecologically Sensitive Zone 1 of the Western Ghats.
• The Ghats themselves are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and are one of the eight “hottest hot-spots” of biological diversity in the world.

Back2Basics: Waterfalls in India

• Vajrai Falls (560m): Satara, Maharashtra
• Kunchikal Falls (455m): Shimoga, Karnataka
• Barehipani Falls (390m): Odisha
• Nohkalikai Falls (340m): East Khasi, Meghalaya
• Dudhsagar Falls (310m): Karnataka, Goa

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