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Ambeghar, Ambi, and the Ambhora Dam in Maharashtra

Maharashtra, the state in western India, is one of the great states of India, with a total river basin area of around 50,000 square kilometres. The two largest rivers flowing through Maharashtra are the Godavari and Krishna. Dams were used to control a large flow of water into waterways but used to impound water for use in irrigation or industry. 

Many dams are built on the rivers, including the Ambeghar dam, Pravara Dam, Ambi dam, ambhora dam, Sardar Sarovar Dam, and Koyna Dam. But dams can be built only with enough water available in the river.

Dams In India

India is home to some of the largest manufactured dams in the world. A vast river network and heavy rainfall (notably in the Himalayas) combined with silty soils offer great potential for large dam construction. India has 80 large dams of over 15 metres, built mostly since the 1950s. Hydropower plants and dams built in Maharashtra state are classified into three categories: major dams, medium dams and minor dams. Maharashtra is one of the ten states of India, situated on the country’s west coast. It’s known for its natural beauty from God’s country tagline, the longest coastline, the highest number of forts, and beautiful alleys. In the states of Maharashtra, rivers Tapi, Godavari, Krishna, Koyna, Mula, mutha, Ambi and their tributaries are dammed and have storage capacities.

Basic Reasons to Built The Dam As Follows

Dams are built mainly to store water for irrigation purposes (called irrigation dams), to generate power by producing electricity (called power dams) or to provide flood control and drainage (called multipurpose dams). In general, dams are built primarily on rivers or natural lakes. The dams in the state have produced an overwhelming amount of water over the years and continue to do so. 

However, some of the best-known dams in Maharashtra are Koyna Dam, the Khadakwasla Dam, the Ambeghar dam,  the Latur Dam, the Ambi dam and the Ambhora Dam.

Ambeghar dam

Nearest City: Pen    

District: Raigad

State: Maharashtra

River Name: Local Nallah    

Basin: West flowing rivers from Tapi to Tadri    

Type of Dam: Earthen

Purpose of Dam: Irrigation

Year of Completion: 1973

Ambeghar Dam is located near Pen city in Raigad district, Maharashtra. It is an irrigation dam constructed over local nallah. The length of the Ambeghar Dam is 2.5 km with a height of 25 m, and it stores 8 TMC of water at its full reservoir level of 31.05 m. Ambeghar dam impounds waters towards the Arabian Sea after flowing through Kolad, Ratnagiri District. Due to its proximity to Rajapur City and Shahapur City (and the Konkan region ), it is one of the popular places for tourists visiting Maharashtra for a tour. Tourists can visit this place by hiring a local tourist cab from these cities or taking a flight from Mumbai to Rajapur Airport.

Ambi dam

Nearest City: Paranda    

District: Osmanabad

State: Maharashtra

River Name: Local Nallah    

Basin: Krishna

Type of Dam: Earthen

Purpose of Dam: Irrigation

Year of Completion: 1972 

Ambi Dam was constructed across the Krishna River in Maharashtra. It is around 14 kilometres from Ambad, a town situated in Satara District, located on the State Highway connecting Karad and Satara. Ambi Dam is a last-resort water supply project in the Indian state of Maharashtra. This dam was constructed to capture excess runoff waters from the western Ghats (Western Ghats montane rain forests) during monsoon.

Ambhora dam

Nearest City: Lonar    

District: Buldhana

State: Maharashtra

River Name: Local Nallah    

Basin: Godavari

Type of Dam: Earthen

Purpose of Dam: Irrigation

Ambhora dam is very popular for its tourism in the Buldana district of Maharashtra, India. The ambhora dam is one of the major sources and tourist places in the Buldana district.

The Ambhora Dam has created a major artificial lake in the district of Buldana, about 35 km from Jalna. The place takes its name from the nearby village of Ambhora. This dam is one of the most important dams in Marathwada because it provides backwater for irrigation for 3 lakh hectares of land in the Sangamner, Jalna and Parbhani districts. This dam was built on the Gad River, a tributary of the Painganga River.

Dams are constructed to hold excess water for the generation of electricity, construct the bridges and make it easier for sailboats, distribute water evenly during the drought period to prevent a shortage in drier areas, and many more purposes.

The Drawback of the dams

  • The construction of the dams has negative impacts on the people who live near the dam.

  • Due to dam construction, the relocation of people from the village is a major concern for the government.

  • The magnitude of dam failures has continued to rise with time, resulting in dramatic floods and more casualties.

  • The suicidal human displacement and thinning of the agricultural land.

Conclusion

The Ambeghar Dam is a gravity dam near Pen city in the Raigad District of Maharashtra. It is one of the Important projects of Raigad District. The dam is built to store water and prevent water overflow for agricultural use. The main works done at dams include water storage, flood control, diversion of water for irrigation, hydroelectric power production, etc. there are many drawbacks of dams there. Likewise, the construction of the dams has negative impacts on the people who live near the dam. Maharashtra is a state having multiple dams like the Ambi dam, ambhora dam, ambeghar dam, koyana dam and so on.

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Get answers to the most common queries related to the BANK Examination Preparation.

Which is the largest dam in Maharashtra state?

Ans. Jayakwadi dam on the Godavari river in the Aurangabad district and paithan tehsil, from Maharashtra, is the lar...Read full

Enlist top or major dams of Maharashtra state?

Ans. Koyna dam, Mula dam, Mulshi dam, Ujani and Jayakwadi dams are the top 5 or the major dams in Maharashtra. The Ambeghar dam is also a major dam...Read full

Which is the smallest dam in Maharashtra?

Ans. Among other dams in Maharashtra, the Ujani dam is the smallest one. It is also termed as Bhima dam or project. ...Read full

Which is the oldest dam in Maharashtra?

Ans. Radhanagari Dam is the oldest dam in Maharashtra. Present in Radhanagari on the Bhogawati river. It was opened ...Read full

Which is the biggest dam in India?

Ans. Tehri dam from Uttarakhand comes on the top of the list as the biggest dam in India. Followed by the Lakhwar da...Read full