Indian National Committee INCID Secretariat

on Irrigation & Drainage (INCID)

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WHIS

Note On ICID World Heritage Irrigation Structures (WHIS) In India

ICID awards the World Heritage Irrigation Structures (WHIS) awards for Irrigation Structures that are more than 100 years old and are
still functioning.It includes both old operational irrigation structures as well as those having archival value. This recognition is on the
lines of World Heritage Sites (as recognized by UNESCO). Maximum four awards under the WHIS category are given every year.

The main objectives of recognition as a “World Heritage Irrigation Structures” are:

i. Tracing the history of and understanding the evolution of irrigation in the civilizations across the world.

ii. To select and collect information on historical irrigation structures from around the world, understand their significant achievements
and gather knowledge about the unique features that have sustained the project for such a long period; .

iii. To learn the philosophy and wisdom on sustainable irrigation from these structures. a

iv. To protect/preserve these historical irrigation structures

The benefits of recognition as WHIS include:

i. Understanding of the factors that make the heritage structures sustainable and learn lessons therefrom.

ii. Education opportunity for professionals, students and the general public.

On behalf of ICID, INCID every year invites nominations from the major irrigating States in prescribed format and recommends the
deserving proposals to ICID, which further evaluates the nomination through a jury of international experts. Upon the selection of the
structure as WHIS, ICID may provide small-scale technical guidance to the project authority/ Corporations/ NGO through a team of
experts from ICID for its further sustainability, conservation and safety management, as long as possible. More details in this regard can
be accessed from https://icid-ciid.org/award/his/44

India received the highest number of awards (four) in the years 2020 and 2021. Prior to that, India received 2 WHIS awards in the year
2018.So far India has received 10 awards in the WHIS category. The details of these are given below:
 WHIS AWARDS – 2023
Balidiha Irrigation Project, Odisha
Prakasam Barrage (Old Krishna Anicut), Andhra
Pradesh
RECENTLY IN JUNE 2022
INCID has submitted the following 4 irrigation structures for consideration under the 2022 edition of the WHIS awards
Baitarani Irrigation Project, Odisha
Construction taken up in 1871, Construction
completed in 1878, in service for more than 144 years.
· District : Jajpur/Bhadrak · Area Irrigated/ drained:
32752.63 Ha. · River basin/ Sub-basin: Baitarani
Basin · Consists of 1 diversion structure (Akhuapada
Anicut & Budha Anicut) having total length 463.93m.
Rushikulya Irrigation System, Odisha
Integrated project constructed during 1891 by the
British Empires to mitigate droughtproblem of Ganjam
District. · The structures lie in the Rushikulya Basin -
Badanadi and Padma Sub-Basins · Rushikulya
System consists of 2 medium size reservoirs and 4
numbers of Anicut, as under: i. Bhanjanagar reservoir
across BarangaNalla, a tributary of Badanadi near
Bhanjanagar ii. Sorada reservoir on a small Nalla
nearSorada iii. Sorisamuli Anicut across river
Badanadi, a tributary of Rushikulya at Sorisamulito
divert water of Badanadi to Bhanjanagar Reservoir iv.
Padma Anicut across river Padma, a tributary of
Rushikulya at Sorada todivert water of Padma to
Sorada reservoir v. Madhabarida Anicut across river
Badanadi near Madhabarida to divert Badanadi water
to Janivilli Anicut. vi. Janivilli Anicut at Janivilli across
Jayamangal Anicut, Odisha
Srivaikuntam Anicut, Tamil Nadu
Lower Coleroon Anicut (Lower Anicut), Tamil
Nadu
Commissioned in 1836 · Constructed by Sir Arthur
Cotton · Area Irrigated/ drained: 1,31,903 Acres of
lands in Thanjavur, Nagapattinam andCuddalore
districts. · Located in the Cauvery Basin & Lower
Coleroon Sub basin · District : Thanjavur
(Part),Ariyalur (Part) · North Branch length – 372 m
and Right Branch length – 493 m
Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage (Dowleshwaram
Anicut), Andhra Pradesh
Started: 1847, Commissioned: 1852 · Area Irrigated/
drained: 10,09,009 Ac (408331 ha) in East and West
Godavari Districts · Lies in Godavari river at
Dowleswaram, A.P. · Location: Between
Dowleswaram(V),Rajahmundry
Rural(M),EastGodavari District andVijjeswaram
(V),Nidadavolu (M),West Godavari District. · Gross
storage: 2.931 TMC · Population benefitted: 36
Mandals in East GodavariDistrict and 29 Mandals in
WestGodavari District.
river Rushikulya diverting water for providing irrigation
through RushikulyaMain Canal.
WHIS-2021
Dhukwan Weir, Uttar Pradesh
Constructed across Betwa river in Jhansi district (UP)
during 1905-1909
Commissioned in 1909
Supports agricultural & economic development in
Bundelkhand region
Supplements Parichha Weir
District Benefitted: Jhansi (UP), Datia&Bhind (M.P.)
Catchment area - 21341.60 Sq km
Original Storage of 3759 Mcft (presently 2206 Mcft)
Water supply for 24 MW Dhukwan Small H.P.
Irrigation for Rabi & Kharif crop
Rabi irrigated area increased from 62,000 acres in
1899-1900 to 6,01,927 acres (2,45,984 ha) presently
Veeranam Lake, Tamil Nadu
Located in Coleroon Basin and Sub-Basin
Commissioned in 9th Century.
Supplying roughly 50 - 180 million liters of water to the
Chennai city every day
Capacity of Veeranam tank - 1465 mcft
Irrigating an ayacut of 44,856 acres in 102 Villages in
Chidambaram, Bhuvanagiri&Kattumannarkoil taluks of
Cuddalore District
Grand Anicut, Tamil Nadu
Located in Cauvery Basin/Cauvery Sub Basin at River
Cauvery, Trichy district
Commissioned in 2nd century (survived 2000 years)
Also called Kallanai Dam
300 m long, 20 m wide, and 4.5 m high
Irrigates 13 lakh acres in Tiruchirapalli district (Trichy)
Diverts water from Cauvery River to fertile delta region
for irrigation via canals.
Kaligarayan Anicut & Channel System, Tamil
Nadu
Located in Cauvery Basin / Bhavani sub Basin at 92
km from Bhawanisagar dam
Commissioned in 1285 AD (735 years ago)
Kalingarayan channel head sluice has maximum
discharging capacity of 584 cusecs
Kalingarayan channel runs for 91 km
 Irrigates about 15743 Acres of land in Erode,
Modakkuruchi and Kodumudi Taluks of Erode District

WHIS-2020

Dhamapur Lake, Maharashtra Cumbum Tank, Andhra Pradesh

About 500 year old structure, constructed in 1530. Constructed across Gundlakamma and Jampaleru
Located in Konkan region of Sindhudurg District, on a rivers, Near Cumbum (V), Cumbum mandal of
stream in Karli river basin Prakasam district.
Built by villagers of Dhamapur and Kalse, entirely by Located in Manneru river basin
local fund. Commissioning: 1522 -1524 AD
Dhamapur Lake submerges about 61.44 Ha. Third largest pond in the world; the second largest in
Irrigates an area of 237 Ha every year Asia & the first in India.
Length of earthen dam - 271 m. About 7 km long & 3.5 km wide.
Main source of drinking water & irrigation for Catchment area -1113 sq. km
Dhamapur &Kalse Villages

Kurnool-Cuddapah Canal (KC Canal), Andhra Porumamilla Tank (Anantharaja Sagaram),

Pradesh Andhra Pradesh

KC canal system - first ever man-made trans-basin Located 3.2 km to east of Porumamilla village in
conveyance schemes in India Rajampeta Revenue Division of YSR Kadapa district,
Commissioned in 1863 & completed in 1871. in Maldevi river sub-basin of Pennar basin
Located in Tungabhadra river sub-basin in Krishna Rajampeta Revenue Division of YSR Kadapa district,
basin in Maldevi river sub-basin of Pennar basin
2.6 lakh acres of irrigated area Work commenced in 1367, Commissioned in October
Major source of irrigation canal in drought prone 1369.
Rayalaseema region Command area - 3864.67 acres
Initially designed for Navigation purpose; navigation Tank is elongated in shape, being 11.26 km long and 4
abandoned in 1933. km wide.
KC Canal interconnects rivers Pennar and Bund consists of four natural hills, connected by 3
Tungabhadra. First ever inter-linking of rivers of 2 short earthern dams, rivetted with Cuddapa Slabs.
basins in India.
 WHIS-2018

Large Tank (Pedda Cheru), Telangana Sadarmatt Anicut, Telangana

Built on Manair river in Godavari basin in Kamareddy Sadarmatt barrage, across Godavari in Khanapur of
district of Telangana Nirmal district
Built in 1897 during rule of the 6thNizam of Hyderabad Iconic structure installed by the then Hyderabad ruler
State. in 1891-92.
It has 1.8-km-long tank bund & 145-metre wall & 3 It is 437.4 m long on its left flank & 23.8 m on its right
sluices. flank.
Provides water for irrigation to over 900 acres in Designed by a French Engineer, JJ Ottley.
Kamareddy, Sarampally, Narsampally& old Rajampet. Provides water for paddy crops in its designed ayacut
of 13100 acres in present day
Khanapur&KademMandals.

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