Koyna Dam, Hydroelectric dam in Maharashtra, India
The Koyna Dam crosses the river valley with a concrete structure that holds back the waters of Shivsagar Lake in the Western Ghats of Maharashtra. The facility includes turbine halls at the base and a row of spillway gates along the crest to manage seasonal rainfall.
Construction began in the late nineteen fifties and finished in the mid-sixties to harness hydropower for growing energy needs. A major earthquake struck the region only a few years after completion, prompting extensive safety reviews of the structure.
The dam forms Shivsagar Lake, which provides water resources to agricultural communities and supports the traditional farming practices of Maharashtra.
Visitors can view the reservoir and surrounding hill ranges from public vantage points, with the monsoon period between June and September bringing peak water levels. Access roads wind through hilly terrain, so plan extra travel time for arrival and departure.
Researchers drilled boreholes near the structure to monitor earthquake activity that began after the reservoir filled. These measurements help understand how large water bodies can influence geological stress in the earth's crust.
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