Athirappilly Falls is situated in Athirappilly panchayath in Thrissur district of Kerala, on the southwest coast of India. Located on the west-flowing Chalakudy River near the Vazhachal Forest Division and the Sholayar ranges, this 24-metre (80 ft) waterfall and the nearby Vazhachal Falls are popular tourist destinations. Controversy about a state-proposed hydroelectric dam on the Chalakudy River above the waterfalls began in the 1990s and has continued through 2011.
The 145 kilometres long Chalakudy River, originates in the Anamudi mountains of the Western Ghats and flows through the Vazhachal Forest toward the Arabian Sea. The river initially runs smoothly but becomes more turbulent as it
nears Athirappilly. At Athirappilly Falls, the water
surges around big rocks and cascades down in three separate plumes. Below the falls, the river remains turbulent for about 1 kilometre until it reaches Kannamkuzhi. Then it calms and flows smoothly until reaching the dam at
Thumburmuzhi.
Forest wildlife in the area includes the Asiatic elephant, tiger, leopard,bison, sambar, and lion-tailed macaque. The unique 180 metres elevation riparian forest in the Athirappilly-Vazhachal area is the only location where all four South Indian species of hornbills the Great Hornbill (the State Bird of Kerala), Malabar Pied Hornbill, Malabar Grey Hornbill, and the Indian Grey Hornbill are found living together. If the proposed 163-MW Athirappilly hydroelectric project is built, these unique birds may vanish from these forests because it will submerge the hornbills'
Plantations in the area contain teak, bamboo, and eucalyptus. Environmentalists claim that Athirapally is its-kind riparian ecosystem in Kerala. V.S. Vijayan, Chairman of the Kerala State Biodiversity Board anDirector of the Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON), Coimbatore, has been Down to Earth magazine as affirming that the Vazhachal forest division is the second most biodiverse ar State. The International Bird Association has declared it an ‘Important Bird Area' and the Asian Nature ConFoundation has recommended that the area should be declared a sanctuary or a national park, he points out.
