Mullaperiyar Dam completed
The Periyar dam, built under John Pennycuick between 1887 and 1895, began diverting water east to the Madurai region of the Madras Presidency.
The Mullaperiyar Dam was constructed between 1887 and 1895 on the Periyar river in Travancore under the direction of Colonel John Pennycuick of the Madras Public Works Department. It diverted west-flowing water through a tunnel into the Vaigai basin to irrigate the drought-prone districts of the Madras Presidency. The project transformed agriculture in what are now the Theni, Madurai, Dindigul, Sivaganga and Ramanathapuram districts. Pennycuick is still honoured in the region, and the dam later became the subject of a dispute between Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
