Dams are architectural and engineering marvels of the country. They generate a huge amount of water energy; Provision of drinking water and irrigation systems for the state and surrounding areas. In Maharashtra, many top huge and tallest dams were built on rivers to generate electricity and provide drinking water. The dam is mainly used to generate electricity, suppress or control flooding, and provide water for various purposes such as drinking, irrigation, etc.
Here are the top 10 dams in Maharashtra by height:
Mula Dam
Built in 1974, Mula Dam is one of the top 10 largest dams in Maharashtra. It is located near the Baragoan Nandur village. For Ahmednagar district, which comes under dry zone and hence faces immense water scarcity, this dam is indeed like a lifeline. Construction of this critically important dam was completed in the year 1974.
The height of the dam above lowest foundation is 48.17 m while the length is 2,856 m. It is used for irrigation purposes in Rahuri, Newasa, Shevgaon, and Pathardi taluka. The main purpose for the construction of this dam was to supply water to the nearby villages from the reservoir, Dnyaneshwar Sagar.
With a storage capacity of around 26 TMC, the dam supplies drinking water to Ahmednagar City and its adjoining areas. The towns which benefit from this dam are Ahmednagar and Rahuri districts.
It is also the largest dam in Ahmednagar. To add to all of this, the dam is located in a beautiful place and attracts a number of tourists who love to come here and marvel at the backdrop.
Popular for its beautiful surroundings and boating facilities, the dam is one of the popular picnic spots around Ahmednagar. It’s surrounding lush greenery and clean water attracts hordes of tourists round the year.
In fact today Mula Dam is one of the favorite weekend destinations for people of Ahmednagar city. There are also many hotels and resorts around Mula Dam for accommodating visiting tourists. Overall it is one of the top 10 largest dams in Maharashtra.
Mulshi Dam
Constructed on the Mula River, Mulshi Dam is one of the top 10 largest dams in Maharashtra. It is the name of a major dam on the Mula River in India. It is located in the Mulshi taluka administrative division of the Pune district of Maharashtra State.
The water from this dam is used primarily for irrigation purposes. This dam has great significance for Maharashtra, as it not only provides electricity and water but is now serving as a great hydro-tourism destination.
Water from the dam is used for irrigation as well as for producing electricity at the Bhira hydroelectric power plant, operated by Tata Power. The station operates six 25MW Pelton turbines established in 1927 and one 150MW Pumped Storage Unit.
Water from this reservoir located in the Krishna River basin is diverted to the Bhira powerhouse for generating Hydroelectricity. The sprawling green fields and the hills that surround the dam will make you fall in love with the landscape.
In recent years Mulshi and adjoining areas have been developed as tourist destinations, adding accommodation for leisure guests. The place is around 2 hours drive from Pune and is a major attraction over the weekends. The best time to visit Mulshi is from August to October. Overall it is one of the top 10 largest dams in Maharashtra.
Ujjani Dam
Ujjani Dam is one of the top 10 largest dams in Maharashtra. It was constructed on a tributary of the Krishna River, named Bhima River. Therefore, this dam is also called the Bhima Dam. Created as a multi-purpose reservoir, the construction of the Ujani Dam project including the canal system on both the banks was started in 1969 at an initial estimated cost of Rs.480 million.
It is located on the Bhima River near the Ujjani village in the Solapur district of the state of Maharashtra. The Ujani Dam is an earth-fill cum masonry gravity dam and out of the 22 dams formed by the Bhima River, it is the terminal dam on the river and is the largest in the Bhima Valley that intercepts a catchment area of 14,858 sq. km.
With a total length of 2,534 m, the Ujani Dam is founded on massive basaltic rock formations and comprises a central portion which is the spillway dam of 602m in length. The total capacity of the reservoir created by the dam is 3,140,000,000 meter cube with a total surface area of 337 sq. km.
The lake formed by this dam is called Bhadalwadi Lake. The storage created by the Ujjani Dam has resulted in the irrigation of 500 sq. km particularly in the Solapur district, which has resulted in an increase in the yield of jowar and groundnuts. Moreover it is one of the top largest dams in Maharashtra.
Jayakwadi Dam
The Jayakwadi dam is one of the top 10 largest dams in Maharashtra. It comes under the list of the largest dams of Maharashtra. Its height is approx 41.30 m and length of 9.998 km with a total storage capacity of 2,909 MCM or 190 tmc ft.
The total catchment area of the dam is 21,750 km2. There are total of 27 water gates for the dam. The water preserved in this dam brings joy to the dry, drought-prone areas of the state.
Drinking water and water for other household purposes are also taken from this dam. It provides water for the industries of the nearby cities like Jalna and Aurangabad. The dam looks beautiful, especially with the bird sanctuary and garden surrounding it. Moreover it is one of the top largest dams in Maharashtra.
Koyna Dam
The Koyna dam is one of the top 10 largest dams in Maharashtra. It is located at a distance of 50 km from Aurangabad district. It is a rubble-concrete dam constructed on the Koyna River which rises in Mahabaleshwar, a hill station in the Sahyadri ranges.
Its name comes from the town Koyna Nagar, which is its exact location. The Koyna dam is built on the Godavari River and is said to be one of Maharashtra’s largest dams. The dam also has India’s largest electric power plant and is often called the ‘lifeline of Maharashtra’.
The main purpose of the dam is hydroelectricity with some irrigation in neighboring areas. Today the Koyna Hydroelectric Project is the largest completed hydroelectric power plant in India having a total installed capacity of 1,960 MW. This dam has withstood many severe earthquakes with only a few cracks here and there.
It is one of the largest civil engineering projects commissioned after Indian independence. The Koyna hydro-electric project is run by the Maharashtra State Electricity Board.The breathtaking view of the waters gushing down the ramparts when the gates open will leave you awestruck. Overall it is one of the top largest dams in Maharashtra.
Bhushi Dam
Bhushi dam is one of the top 10 largest dams in Maharashtra. It is a masonry dam on the Indrayani River in Lonavala, Maharashtra, India. The dam was built in the late 1860s for the Great Indian Peninsular Railway as a source of water for their steam engines. As of 2014, it is owned by the Central Railway zone of the Indian Railways, the successor to the Great Indian Peninsular Railway.
It is a popular tourist attraction that is best visited during the monsoons when the water in the dam overflows and creates a sort of waterfall. Even though swimming is prohibited in the dam due to the inconsistent flow of the water, one can always enjoy the steps.
The overflowing water over the steps of Bhushi Dam and then through the rocky terrain make this place a hit among the people of nearby areas who throng in large numbers on weekends during monsoons. It tends to get so crowded that many individuals find it hard even to get a decent standing spot making it one of the top largest dams in Maharashtra.
Panshet Dam
It is one of the top 10 largest dams in Maharashtra. It is a dam on the Ambi river, a tributary of the Mutha River, about 50 km southwest of the city of Pune in western India. The height of the dam above its lowest foundation is 63.56 m while the length is 1,039 m. The volume content is 4.190 km3 and the gross storage capacity is 303,000 m3.
The dam was constructed in late 1950s for irrigation and, along with three other dams nearby, Varasgaon, Temghar and Khadakwasla, it supplies drinking water to Pune. Panshet Dam is a visual delight with a surreal landscape that offers a soothing retreat.
Panshet Dam is encompassed by luxuriant hills and a number of thundering waterfalls that makes it a perfect place for nature lovers too. Nestled amidst the lush green beauty of the mighty Sahyadris, one can find a lot of big and small waterfalls in its surroundings.
Besides, there are a plethora of water activities to enjoy at this dam – banana boat ride, pedal boating, motor boating, water scooter ride, and kayaking. Overall it is one of the top largest dams in Maharashtra.
Gangapur Dam
Gangapur Dam is one of the top 10 largest dams in Maharashtra. It is an earthfill dam on River Godavari, and the longest earthen reservoir of Asia.Roughly 10 KM far from the primary city of Nashik is the Gangapur Dam, an exceptionally entrancing traveler spot.
It is arranged on the banks of the hallowed Godai River. Being developed in the year 1954, it is worked in traditional style utilizing stones, earth, mud and sand.
People come here to spend a peaceful afternoon on the garden by the river, enjoying the blissful, picturesque scenery of the river, straight out of a dream. Migratory birds can be spotted in the evening, and there is a new boating facility to attract more tourists. That’s why it is one of the top largest dams in Maharashtra.
Bhatsa Dam
It is one of the top 10 largest dams in Maharashtra. Bhatsa Lake is one of the principal sources of water supply for Mumbai city. It is a multipurpose project, used for irrigation water supply & hydroelectricity. Height of dam is 89 meters & Length 959 meters.
Complete location near this lake is covered with greenery and jungle which is an ideal solitude location for a day out for leisure. The flowing stream with pin-drop silence and the humming of those birds near this fresh water river is an ideal hangout location.
By road the up and down hilly roads are surrounded by green grass till long distance. Due to Bhatsa lake the climate is very fresh throughout the year making it one of the top largest dams in Maharashtra.
Yeldari Dam
It is one of the top 10 largest dams in Maharashtra. It is an earthfill dam on Purna river near Yeldari in Jintur taluka of Parbhani district in the state of Maharashtra in India. It is the second-largest dam in the Marathwada region.
Yeldari Dam was intended to provide water for agriculture and generate electricity, but now many towns in Parbhani and Hingoli depend on the dam for drinking water. The height of the dam above its lowest foundation is 51.2 m while the length is 4,232 m.
The live storage capacity is 0.81 km3. The dam was built between 1958 and 1968 under the observation of Yashwantrao Chavan. It has a hydroelectric power station consisting of three units of 7.5 MW capacities each for 22.5 MW total capacity making it one of the top largest dams in Maharashtra.
Conclusion
As for the final say these are some of the top biggest dams in Maharashtra. These dams are some of the tallest dams which are constructed over many years ago. These dams are helpful in generating electricity & also there are quite a few beautiful sites nearby these dams for people to visit.
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