Many claimed that when the British government decided to abandon the project due to high cost, the Colonel spent money from his own pocket to complete the project.

In Theni district, Pennycuick's birthday -- which is on January 15 -- is celebrated along with Pongal.

However, the Mullaperiyar dam has become an issue of contention between Kerala and Tamil Nadu over raising the storage level of the dam.

(With inputs from agencies)