An Overview Of Dams Of Maharashtra: Salient Features

Maharashtra 

It is the second-biggest state in India and the second largest in the globe. On May 1, 1960, the bilingual Bombay State, which had existed since 1956, was divided into the mostly Marathi-speaking Maharashtra and the primarily Gujarati-speaking Gujarat as a consequence of a nationwide organisation of states based on language. The winter capital, Nagpur, is home to the state legislature’s winter session and is India’s most populous city. Godavari and Krishna are two of the state’s most important rivers. Only Marathi is spoken in this state, and it is the most frequently spoken language. Known as India’s most industrialised state, Maharashtra is located in western India. Maharashtra’s capital city is Mumbai, the financial and commercial centre of India.

Maharashtra is home to a large number of dams because of its many rivers. Water is stored in these dams for the benefit of nearby cities and communities. Several of these dams have hydroelectric generating units. Additionally, the dams attract a large number of tourists because of the spectacular environment they offer. The Bhima, Godavari, and Mula rivers all pass through this state.

Some of the dams include Aad Dam, Abhora Dam, and Achakdani Dam.

Maharashtra has around 1821 small, large and big dams which are built on major rivers like Bhima River, Koyna River, etc.  

The Koyna Dam, which spans the Koyna River in Mahabaleshwar and is the highest dam in Maharashtra by height (103.2 m), is the largest dam in Maharashtra in terms of total storage capacity (3140,000,000 m3), while the Ujjani Dam is known to be the largest dam in Maharashtra in terms of total storage capacity (3140,000,000 m3), while Koyna has a total capacity of 2,797,400,000 m3.

The Bhatsa Dam in Thane District, Maharashtra, is the state’s second-highest earth fill and gravity dam, measuring 88.5 metres in height and 959 metres in length. The facility can generate 15 megawatts of power. The Bhatsa dam has one of the largest surface areas and water storage capabilities in terms of gross storage capacity with an 88.5-meter height.

The Middle Vaitarna Dam, which is to be built on the Vaitarna River, would be Maharashtra’s third-tallest dam. The 82-meter-tall Vaitarna Dam and Upper-82-meter-tall Vaitarna Dam were built on the Vaitarna River in the Palghar and Nashik districts, respectively, and are good monsoon hangout spots near Nashik.

The Arthur Lake reservoirs are located near the Bhandardara tourist resort hamlet. Bhandardara Dam is the official name of Wilson Dam.

Randha Falls, Wilson Dam; Amruteshwar Temple; Ghatghar; Ratnagad fort; Arthur Lake; Sandhan Valley; and Mount Kalsubai are all popular tourist spots in Maharashtra.

The Bhima Dam, also known as the Ujjani Dam on the Bhima River, is an earthfill cum Masonry gravity dam in Maharashtra’s Solapur district. Ujani Dam’s enormous reservoir provides irrigation, fisheries, and a good bird-watching spot near Pune, particularly for flamingos.

Conclusion:

The use of dams is becoming increasingly vital in daily activities such as cooking, cleaning, bathing, washing, drinking water, gardening, and farming. The large dams and reservoirs offer fishing and boating opportunities. They also address human security concerns by decreasing or preventing floods. Dams store water in reservoirs during times of high flow, then release it during times of low flow, such as when natural water flows are insufficient to meet demand.