Chaliyar River

Chaliyar,one of the major rivers of Kerala,originates from the Ilambalari(Elembalai)Hills in Gudalur of Nilgiris District(in Tamil Nadu).Chaliyar River is the fourth longest river in Kerala With a length of 169 Kms.Chaliyar river has a total drainage area of 2,923sq Kms,of which 2,535sq Kms is in Kerala and the rest in Tamil Nadu.The Chaliyar river flows through Wayanad,Malappuram and Kozhikode districts.Chaliyar River is known in the lower reaches,which form part of the West Coast Inland Navigation system, as the Beypore River.Nilambur, Mampad, Edavanna, Arikkod, Vazhakkad and Feroke are situated along this river.The Chaliyar joins the Arabian Sea near Beypore.The Kavanakallu Regulator cum bridge is constructed over the Chaliyar River,13 Kms away from Kondotty Hill.About 27 Kms from Nilambur, beyond the Chaliyar is Valamthode.The river has two names-Chaliyar and Beyporepuzha,of which the former is more popular.The river meets the Arabian Sea at an 'azhi'(estuary),the southern part of which is known as Chaliyam and northern part as Beypore.Thus the river gets the names Chaliyar and Beyporepuzha.Chaliyar is one of the rivers which doesn't get dried up in the drought season.Many other rivers in Kerala get dried up during march and April.

Facts About Chaliyar River:
Country : INDIA
State : KERALA
Region : ASIA
District : KOZHIKODE
Length :169 Kms
Source : Kakkadampoyil Clif
Tributaries:
Left : Iruvazhinjipuzha, Cherupuzha, Engappuzha Right : Cherupuzha Nilamboor.
Chaliyar River originates in the Western Ghats range at Elambalari Hills located near Cherambadi town in the Nilgiri district of Tamil Nadu and flows through Malappuram District for most of its length and then for around 17 Kms it forms the boundary between Malappuram District and Kozhikode District before entering the city of Kozhikode for its final 10 Kms journey and finally empties into the Arabian Sea.Some of the Chaliyar's tributaries originate from Wayanad District and joins the main river in Malappuram.

During late 19th century and early 20th century,the Chaliyar was extensively used as a waterway for carrying timber from the forest areas in and around Nilambur to the various mills in Kallayi of Calicut city.Rafts made of logs were taken downstream during the monsoon season to Kallayi, where these were sawn to size in the timber mills dotting the banks of the river.Kallayi was during this period one of the most important centers in the world for timber business.The place was famous for wood of superlative strength and durability like teak,rosewood.Towards the second half of the 20th century,the activity came down drastically as tree felling was banned or strictly controlled with a view to stop deforestation.Many mills still operate in Kallayi,though with far less output.Many have closed down.

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