In Kerala canals account for 31.3 per cent of the net irrigated area of the state. Although much of the state enjoys sufficient amount of rainfall its variability is higher along the Malabar Coast. Important canals of the state include.
1. Malampuzha Project Canals-an 18S0 meter long and 38 meter high dam has been built across Malampuzha River in 1967 whose canals irrigate 38,527 hectares of land in Palakkad district:
2. Balayar Project Canals-Canals taken out from the barrage built across the Balayar River (tributary of the Koryar River) irrigate about 3,200 hectares of land in Palakkad district.
3. Mangalam Project Canals-this project involves the construction of a 27 meter high dam across the Mangalam River to impound 563 lakh cubic meters of water which is utilised in irrigating 3,400 hectares of land in Malappuram and Thrissur districts.
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4. Others-Parambikulam-Aliyar project irrigates 1.01 lakh hectares; Periyar canals 31,162 hectares in Kozhikode district and the Pamba canals 33,995 hectares in Kollam district.