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River Chaliyar, Chaliyarpuzha

Country India

States Kerala, Tamil Nadu

District Kozhikode

Tributaries

- left Iruvazhinjipuzha, Cherupuzha, Engappuzha

- right Cherupuzha Nilambur

City Nilambur, Edavanna, Areekode,
Kizhuparamba, cheekode, Vazhakkad, Cheruvadi,
Mavoor, Peruvayal, Aakode, Feroke,Beypore.

Source Kakkadampoyil Clif

- location Western Ghats, South India, India

- elevation 11.183 m (37 ft)
- coordinates 11°10′59″N 75°49′01″E11.183°N 75.817°E

Mouth
- location Beypore, Arabian Sea, India

- elevation 0 m (0 ft)

Length 100 km (100 mi) approx.

Chaliyar River is the fourth longest river in Kerala at 169 km in length. The Chaliyar river is also known as Beypore River as it nears the sea. Nilambur, Edavanna, Areekode, Kizhuparamba, Cheruvadi, Mavoor, Peruvayal, Feroke and Beypore are some of the towns/villages situated along the banks of Chaliyar River.

Name

The river has two names - Chaliyar and Beypore River, 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 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.

Course

The Chaliyar originates in the Western Ghats range at Elambalari Hills located near Cherambadi town in the Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu and flows through Malappuram District for most of its length and then for around 17 km it forms the boundary between Malappuram District and Kozhikode District before entering the city of Kozhikode for its final 10 km 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.Near the origin of river are the

Economy

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 Kallai 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. Kallai 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, etc. 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 Kallai, though with far less output. Many have closed down.

Ecology

Chaliyar River was in the news a few years ago because of the ecological damage caused by a pulp factory at Mavoor, that released effluents into the river and affected the marine life. This factory has since closed down.

History

1. Legend of the Chaliyar

A State Level convention held in the wake of K. A. Rahman's death at Kozhikode said it was time to get the killer unit closed, redeploying/compensating the workers and paying compensations to the villagers affected by pollution. And on January 20, ten persons hospitalized after a sulphur dioxide gas leak from the factory and next day Kerala State Pollution Control Board ordered closure of the CS2 plant. On January 26, the people embarked on a new phase of struggle by starting a relay hungerstrike in front of the factory under the leadership of Abdul Salim, Rahman's son. Kerala's human rights groups have called for a boycott of Grasim products.

Working relentlessly for the Chaliyar, Rahman finally succumbed to cancer gifted by the emissions from the factory but said, even while dying, that his people would continue the struggle. Ultimately, his people won over the might of pr-industry lobby. Rahman's name can be seen in the cancer death register that he himself introduced three years before his death. Though incomplete, the register itself remain a symbol of the determination of Rahman to fight the mighty. As per the entries in the register, 213 people died of cancer in Vazhakkad village aloneafter facing the brunt of the mercury and cadmium discharged into the river. Another 79 died in the nearby areas.

Tributaries

• Cherupuzha (Mavoor)
o Engappuzha
o Iruthullippuzha
o Kadungampuzha
• Iruvanjippuzha
o Pulingappuzha
o Chalippuzha
o Muthappanpuzha
• Cherupuzha (Areekode)
• Kuthirappuzha
o Kottappuzha
• Kuruvanpuzha
• Kanjirappuzha
• Karimpuzha
o Cherupuzha (Karulai)
o Punnappuzha or Pandiyar
 Maruthappuzha or Kalakkanpuzha
 Karakkodan puzha
• Pandippuzha
• Neerppuzha
In addition to these rivers some creeks also join Chaliyar from Neelithode, Poonkudi, Vadasseri, Edavanna, Kunduthodu and Mampad.