Three rivers reach the Vembanad through Kottayam, and Erattupetta stands where the Poonjar joins the Meenachil

Background

Erattupetta, the town whose girls' higher secondary school was before the Kerala High Court this week in a dispute over a co-education scheme, sits on the river system that drains Kottayam district.
The important rivers of Kottayam district are the Meenachil River, the Muvattupuzha River and the Manimala River.
The Meenachil River is 78 km long, has a catchment area of 1272 square kilometres and a utilizable water resource of 1110 mm3, and flows through the taluks of Meenachil, Vaikom and Kottayam.
It is formed by several streams originating from the Western Ghats in Idukki district; at Erattupetta the Poonjar River joins it and the river takes a sharp turn westward; at Kondur it is joined by the Chittar and at Lalam it receives the Payapparathodu.
The important towns in the Meenachil basin are Pala, Poonjar, Ettumanoor and Kottayam, and the river branches into several streams before emptying into the Vembanad Lake.
The Muvattupuzha River originates in Idukki district, flows through Vaikom taluk and also empties into the Vembanad Lake; the most important town in its basin is Vaikom.
The Manimala River flows through Kanjirappally and Changanassery taluks, is joined by the Chittar further down, and flows on into Alappuzha district; the important town in its basin is Mundakkayam.
Kottayam district has a total area of 2208 square kilometres, is divided into high land, midland and lowland with the bulk in the midland, and has no coastal area at all.