Koyna Dam

About Koyna Dam:

• Location: It is one of the largest dams in the state of Maharashtra and is located at Koyna Nagar in Satara district.
• It is a rubble-concrete dam constructed on the Koyna River.
• The construction of this dam was completed in 1963 and is among the chief civil engineering projects built after the independence of India.
• The main purpose of dam is hydroelectricity, with some irrigation in neighbouring areas.
• Koyna Hydroelectric Project is the largest completed hydroelectric power plant in India, with a total installed capacity of 1,920 MW. 
• The catchment area of the Koyna Dam blocks up the Koyna River and creates the Shivsagar Lake, which is roughly 50 km long.
• The dam plays a vital role in flood control during monsoon season.

Key Facts about the Koyna River:

• It is a tributary of the Krishna River in the western part of Maharashtra.
• Origin: It rises near Mahabaleshwar, a famous hill station in the Western Ghats. 
• The river is just 100 metres wide and flows slowly.
• Unlike most of the other rivers in Maharashtra, which flow East-West direction, the Koyna River flows in North-South direction.
• The river merges with the Krishna River at Karad in the Satara districtof Maharashtra.
• Due to its electricity-generating potential through the Koyna Hydroelectric Project, Koyna River is known as the Life Line of Maharashtra.