Mr. K. N. Padmanabha Panicker has authored a comprehensive article in the newspaper "Indian Patriot," dated June 6, shedding light on the Kothayar dam. This dam, a crucial component of agricultural infrastructure in South Trivandrum, has unfortunately accrued substantial expenses from the Travancore Government treasury. In this article, the history of the aforementioned dam works is summarized, covering its inception and subsequent developments. It has been learned from reliable sources that Mr. Panicker visited Pechipara* a few weeks before writing about these works. During this visit, he conducted numerous inquiries and acquired the necessary knowledge for his article.

We believe that this article will be of interest to the readers of the "Swadesabhimani" newspaper. Mr. Panicker has expressed the following:

“For many years, the people of South Travancore have been grappling with the shortage of water needed for paddy cultivation in the lands of Nanchinad. In 1837, the Government of Travancore initiated an investigation into this matter, which remained under deliberation until 1857. However, it was concluded that the grievance could not be resolved, leading to the decision to conclude the deliberations in 1857. ***(text missing) *** Although the peasants' complaints attracted the attention of the government again, perhaps because of his (the Dewan’s) unexpected resignation, no favourable decision was taken. Subsequently, when the Dewan Mr. Nanoo Pillai became the administrator, the issue of agricultural reform in South Travancore came under the Government's deliberations for the third time. Some of the ponds he had in common ***(text missing) ***had to vacate the post prematurely.

Meanwhile, Mr. A. H. Jacob, who had served as Chief Engineer in this state for an extended period and had been making concerted efforts to assist the farmers, conceived the idea of redirecting the water flow from Pechipara, the source of Kothayar. This could be achieved by constructing a dam to impound water and subsequently releasing it to irrigate the lands of Nanchinad. Mr. Walch, who had temporarily assumed the position of Chief Engineer in Travancore during Mr. Jacob's furlough, being a seasoned engineer with extensive experience in the British service, recognized and appreciated Mr. Jacob's innovative plan. Before long, the plans and estimates for the Kothayar dam works reached the administrative office. Mr. Shankarasubba Iyer, who served as the Dewan at that time, approved the estimated amount of Rupees Seven Lakhs Ninety Six Thousand. At that time, the plan was to construct a dam in the Ashlar masonry* style, horizontally at the source of the river and to excavate a canal from the dam to Pandyankal near Ponmana. In the year 1069, equivalent to 1893 in the English calendar, the process of clearing forests in the area commenced. The following year saw the commencement of earthworks.

During that period, overseer of the work and the Executive Engineer was Mr. F. J. Jacob, who happened to be the nephew of the Chief Engineer, Mr. Jacob.

The Chief Engineer, Mr. Jacob, had left his job while the dam works had not yet reached the completion stage. Mr. W. Japp replaced him and successfully convinced the government that there were flaws in the system employed by his predecessors. Subsequently, he formulated a new plan for the dam works.

According to him, the dam should be constructed perpendicular to the flow of the river at its origin, and the built-up area should be significantly increased compared to the existing plans. He argued that only by doing so the dam would stand for a longer duration. It was noted that this aspect was not adequately addressed in Mr. Jacob's plans. Mr. Japp emphasised that if the construction were to take place in that location with an expanded area, it should be built on rock. He prepared a detailed memorandum and submitted it to the Government, emphasising the absence of a rock foundation beneath the dam that was nearing completion. A request was made to sanction an estimate of Rupees Twenty Eight Lakhs for the construction of a new dam using Surkhi concrete**. Additionally, it included the excavation of two waterways and several smaller canals. The administration leaders acknowledged that Mr. Jacob's objective was to reroute water to different areas in South Travancore, with the intention of preventing the Pechipara water from reaching the sea. In contrast, Mr. Japp aimed to store a significant amount of water in the dam for agricultural purposes throughout South Travancore. The government approved Mr. Japp's revised and expanded proposal, and the Dewan Mr. Krishnaswami Rao granted permission for it. Meanwhile, Executive Engineer Mr. Jacob was transferred from Kothayar, and Mr. H. A. Minch was appointed as his replacement. While the dam construction was advancing according to Mr. Japp’s plan, Mr. C.A. Smith assumed the role of Chief Engineer. Although he acknowledged the overall soundness of the dam work plan, considering the expenditure, he complained that the estimated amount was not sufficient. Mr. Smith identified numerous shortcomings in the existing plan and prepared a new plan with a budget of Rupees Seventy Eight Lakhs. The Dewan, Mr. T. P. Madhava Rao, approved the sum.. Subsequently, both Mr. Madhava Rao and the engineer Mr. Smith resigned from their positions before the completion of the project. In their stead, Mr. S. Gopalachari and Mr. A. H. ... (text missing) ... assumed their roles."

Notes from the translator:

*Pechipara is where the dam is located.

*Ashlar masonry is a type of stone construction where all stones are dressed or cut to a uniform shape, size, and surface appearance. They are then laid in horizontal courses, or layers, with very little of a supporting substance called mortar between them. Ashlar masonry is a very old type of construction.

*Surkhi is used as a partial replacement of sand in concrete provided to be very useful in the strength of concrete. The utilisation not only protects the environment from pollution but also maintains an ecological balance in the environment, which is otherwise disturbed by the extraction of sand used for concrete.