Tamil Nadu
Capital · Chennai · a state spanning the Eastern and Western Ghats down to the Coromandel coast
Peak elevation
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Rivers mapped
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Protected areas
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Capital · Chennai · a state spanning the Eastern and Western Ghats down to the Coromandel coast
Peak elevation
—
Rivers mapped
—
Protected areas
—
Loading terrain…
Cauvery346.9 km
Origin: Talakaveri, Kodagu (Coorg), Karnataka
Mouth: Bay of Bengal, via the Kaveri delta near Poompuhar
Major dams: Mettur Dam
Subject of the long-running Cauvery water-sharing dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, adjudicated by the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal.
Show on map →Kaveri69.7 km
Origin: Talakaveri, Kodagu (Coorg), Karnataka
Mouth: Bay of Bengal, via the Kaveri delta near Poompuhar
Major dams: Mettur Dam
Subject of the long-running Cauvery water-sharing dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, adjudicated by the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal.
Show on map →Kollidam198.2 km
The principal distributary of the Kaveri in its delta, historically known as the Coleroon.
Show on map →Palar290.8 km
Origin: Nandi Hills, Chikkaballapur district, Karnataka
Mouth: Bay of Bengal, near Vayalur
Runs dry on the surface for much of the year but sustains major groundwater aquifers along its basin.
Show on map →Ponnaiyar316.9 km
Mouth: Bay of Bengal, near Cuddalore
Major dams: Sathanur Dam
Also called the South Pennar; the Sathanur Dam on it irrigates the Tiruvannamalai region.
Show on map →Thamirabarani114.5 km
Origin: Agasthyamalai Hills, Western Ghats (Tirunelveli district)
Mouth: Gulf of Mannar, Bay of Bengal
One of the few rivers in India that flows entirely within a single state and stays perennial, unlike most other Tamil Nadu rivers.
Show on map →Vaigai306.4 km
Origin: Western Ghats (Varusanadu Hills), Theni district
Mouth: Palk Strait coast, Ramanathapuram district
Major dams: Vaigai Dam
Central to Madurai's water supply; heavily utilized upstream, so it rarely carries a strong flow to the coast.
Show on map →Amaravati182.5 km
Major dams: Amaravathi Dam
A tributary of the Kaveri; the Amaravathi Dam near Udumalpet is known for its crocodile farm.
Show on map →Arani68.1 km
Show on map →Bhavani73.2 km
Major dams: Bhavanisagar Dam
A major tributary of the Kaveri rising in the Nilgiris; the Bhavanisagar Dam irrigates the Coimbatore-Erode region.
Show on map →Cheyyar338.2 km
Show on map →Gundar7.7 km
Show on map →Manimuthar31 km
Major dams: Manimuthar Dam
A tributary of the Thamirabarani; the Manimuthar Dam supports irrigation in Tirunelveli district.
Show on map →Moyar90.8 km
Flows through the Moyar Gorge along the Tamil Nadu-Karnataka border, skirting the Mudumalai and Bandipur forests.
Show on map →Nambiyar36.2 km
Show on map →Noyyal159.6 km
A tributary of the Kaveri; its stretch through Tirupur is one of India's most-cited cases of textile-effluent river pollution.
Show on map →Pambar57.1 km
Show on map →Vellar333 km
Meets the Bay of Bengal at Parangipettai (Porto Novo), home to a well-known marine biology research station.
Show on map →Adyar48.3 km
Flows through Chennai city into the Bay of Bengal; its urban stretch is heavily encroached and polluted.
Show on map →Cooum61.9 km
Flows through the heart of Chennai and is infamous as one of India's most polluted urban rivers.
Show on map →Point Calimere
Major wintering ground for migratory flamingos and other wetland birds on the Palk Strait coast.
Show on map →Gulf of Mannar Marine
Offshore marine biosphere reserve
Designated a Ramsar site in 2022; overlaps the Marine National Park and Biosphere Reserve at the same location.
Show on map →Karikili Bird Sanctuary
Adjacent to Vedanthangal BS
Show on map →Pallikaranai Marsh
Chennai's last remaining natural wetland, buffering the city against flooding.
Show on map →Pichavaram Mangrove
One of India's largest mangrove forests, second only to the Sundarbans.
Show on map →Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary
Also a WLS
One of the oldest bird sanctuaries in India, with a protection history dating back over two centuries.
Show on map →Suchindram Theroor Wetland Complex
Show on map →Vaduvur Bird Sanctuary
Show on map →Karaivetti Bird Sanctuary
Show on map →Longwood Shola Reserve Forest
Shola-grassland ecosystem
Show on map →Nanjarayan Bird Sanctuary
Show on map →Koonthankulam Bird Sanctuary
Show on map →Chitrangudi Bird Sanctuary
Show on map →Vembannur Wetland Complex
Show on map →Vellode Bird Sanctuary
Show on map →Udhayamarthandapuram Bird Sanctuary
Show on map →Kanjirankulam Bird Sanctuary
Show on map →Kazhuveli Bird Sanctuary
Show on map →Sakkarakottai Bird Sanctuary
Show on map →Therthangal Bird Sanctuary
Show on map →Gulf of Mannar Biosphere
UNESCO; offshore marine biosphere reserve
India's first Marine Biosphere Reserve, spanning 21 islands and coral reefs between Rameswaram and Tuticorin.
Show on map →Agasthyamalai Biosphere
UNESCO; spans TN & Kerala; aligned coordinates
Shared with: Kerala
Part of the Western Ghats UNESCO World Heritage Site; shared with Kerala.
Show on map →Nilgiri Biosphere
UNESCO, India's first biosphere reserve; spans Karnataka, Tamil Nadu & Kerala
Shared with: Karnataka, Kerala
India's first biosphere reserve, designated in 1986; shared with Karnataka and Kerala.
Show on map →Mudumalai NP
Tiger reserve
Flagship species: Tiger, Asian elephant
Part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve; known for its elephant and tiger populations.
Show on map →Gulf of Mannar Marine NP
Coral reefs, dugong
Flagship species: Dugong
Established 1980; protects coral reefs and seagrass beds within the Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve.
Show on map →Indira Gandhi (Annamalai) NP
Tiger reserve
Flagship species: Tiger
Also known as Anamalai Tiger Reserve, in the southern Western Ghats.
Show on map →Mukurthi NP
Nilgiri tahr
Flagship species: Nilgiri tahr
High-altitude shola-grassland park in the Nilgiris, known for the endangered Nilgiri tahr.
Show on map →Guindy NP
Flagship species: Blackbuck, Spotted deer
One of the few national parks located within a major city, in Chennai.
Show on map →Kalakkad Mundanthurai WLS
Tiger reserve
Flagship species: Tiger
Tiger reserve in the southern Western Ghats, spanning rainforest and dry-zone habitats.
Show on map →Sathyamangalam WLS
Tiger reserve
Flagship species: Tiger, Asian elephant
Tiger reserve forming a key wildlife corridor linking the Western and Eastern Ghats.
Show on map →These notes aren’t tied to a map feature yet.