Koyna Hydroelectric Project
Encyclopedia
The Koyna Hydroelectric Project is the largest completed hydroelectric power plant of India
. It is a complex project consisting of total four dam
s with the largest Dam built on Koyna River
known as Koyna Dam
hence the name Koyna Hydroelectric project. The project uses potential of water from Koyna River. The project site is situated in Satara district
near Patan
. The village Helwak
near the dam was later known as Koynanagar.
The total Installed capacity of the project is . The project consists of 4 stages of power generation. All the generator
s are located in the underground Powerhouses excavated deep inside the surrounding mountains of the Western Ghats
. A dam foot powerhouse
also contributes to the electricity generation. Due to the project's electricity generating potential the Koyna River
is considered as the life line of Maharashtra
The project gets advantage of the height of Western Ghats also known as Sahyadri. Thus very large hydraulic head
is available in a very short distance toward the Arabian Sea
.
. The 1928 financial crisis caused the project to shelve. However after the independence of India, it was taken over by Government of Maharashtra
. Then In 1951 Koyna dam division was started to look into the project. The project got approved in 1953 and work commenced in early 1954.
The project is composed of four dams with major contributors Koyna Dam
and Kolkewadi Dam
. The water from Shivasagar reservoir formed by koyna dam is used for electricity generation in 1st, 2nd and 4th stages. This water is drawn from head race tunnels situated underground below the reservoir. Then it travels through vertical pressure shafts to the Underground Powerhouses. The discharged water from these stages is collected and stored in Kolkewadi Dam
situated near village Alore
at a lower level than Koyna dam. The water is drawn from penstocks of Kolkewadi dam to an underground power station in the 3rd stage and then discharged to the Arabian sea.
The electricity generated in all the stages is delivered to the main electrical grid. The project is run by Maharashtra State Electricity Board
.
The 1st and 2nd stages share same powerhouse with total 8 Pelton turbine units. Each of the two stages has 4 turbines having capacity of 65 MW each for 1st stage and 75 MW each for 2nd stage. The water from Shivasagar reservoir is taken through an intake structure known as Navja tower near village Navja into the head race tunnel. Then it travels towards the surge tank
. It is further divided into 4 pressure shafts which run vertically downward delivering water to the turbines. Then the water is discharged into the tail race tunnel.
A dam foot powerhouse was also constructed during this period which is used to generate electricity by the water which is discharged from the Koyna dam for irrigation
purpose. It has 2 Francis turbine
units of 20 MW capacity each. This powerhouse is run according to the irrigation requirements of the downstream areas.
The combined installed capacity of the two stages and the dam foot powerhouse is 600 MW.
was proposed to divert the water coming out of Tail Race Tunnel of Stage I & II. But it was later observed that the water still had some hydraulic head
of about 120 m which could be used. To use this head, a dam known as Kolkewadi Dam
was constructed at this location. It serves the porpose of forming a balancing reservoir and maintaining the head. This dam impounds the tail race water from the first and second stages. This water is darwn through penstocks through the dam and electricity is generated by 4 Francis turbine
units with a capacity of 80 MW each. The tail race water from these stages, which comes almost at sea level, is then flows through a cannel and joins the Arabian Sea
near Chiplun
.
The installed generating capacity of this stage is 320 MW.
state increased tremendously which resulted in inadequate power supply in peak hours of demand. Considering need of power, the Planning Commission accorded approval to Stage IV with installation capacity of 4 × 250 MW. Thus, one more stage called Stage-IV was added to power system of Stage I and II, thus converting the Koyna Power Station into peaking power Station Complex with load factor
of about 18.7%. This scheme also draws water from the existing Shivasagar reservoir same as 1st and 2nd stages.
A nonconventional intake system by piercing the lake from bottom by blasting the rock plug using dynamite
s is done for this stage. This double lake tapping process was done for this stage, the first of its kind in Asia
, on 13 March 1999.
The water in head race tunnel is directly drawn from the reservoir and delivered to the head surge tank
. Then four pressure shafts take the water vertically downward. The four huge Francis turbine
units of capacity 250 MW each generate electricity and tail race water is taken into the Kolkewadi dam
reservoir through tail race tunnel.
A revolutionary Gas Insulated Switchgear
system is used in the Underground Powerhouse of this stage.
The installed capacity of this stage alone is 1000 MW. This stage is mostly used to cater for the peak hour demands of the electric grid.
• This is the largest completed hydroelectric project of India
.
• The water used for generation of electricity joins Arabian sea
near Chiplun
while the water which is discharges through the spillway
s of the dam in monsoon season joins the Bay of Bengal
through Krishna River
.
• The process of doubble lake tapping was done first of its kind in Asia
tic region at the 4th stage of this project.
• All the components of the project such as Powerhouse
s, Head race and tail race tunnels, Pressure shafts are constructed underground.
• The modern Gas Insulated Switchgear
system is used in 4th stage of the project
will employ pumped storage scheme. Also lake tapping is proposed for the intake system.
though has submerged a significant amount of Rain forest of the Western Ghats
, it has helped a lot to the surrounding forest by supplying water all round the year. Hence a wide biodiversity
of plants and animals is observed in the evergreen forest surrounding the reservoir area.
), Euphorbia longan, andElaeocarpus
spp., apart from many other species of trees. The sanctuary has a diverse variety of fauna including tigers and panthers; gaurs and sambars; barking and mouse deers; pythons and cobras; common langurs and Indian Giant Squirrel
s. Many species of birds are found in the sanctuary including brown capped woodpecker; Asian Fairy Bluebird
; and Crested Goshawk
.
Another attraction of the sanctuary is Vasota Fort
which lies deep in the forests and is located at a height of above sea level. The legend states that the fort was constructed by Malwa king Raja Bhoja
in 1170.
Pdt. Jawaharlal Nehru
visited Koyna Project. To commemorate this event a tablow was unveiled at his gracious hands on the right flank hillock of Koyna Dam.
This project came up with an idea of immortalising this place and this event by constructing a beautiful park and naming it as "Nehru Memorial Park". This park is a major attraction for tourists. A upstream side view of dam is visible from this garden. There is an auditorium
named 'Yashogatha' (meaning: story of success) which reviles a small element of the tremendous efforts taken by the engineers and workers associated with project.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. It is a complex project consisting of total four dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
s with the largest Dam built on Koyna River
Koyna River
The Koyna River rises in Mahabaleshwar and is a tributary of the Krishna River in western Maharashtra, India. It rises near Mahableshwar, a famous hill station in the Western Ghats. Unlike most of the other rivers in Maharashtra which flow East-West direction, the Koyna river flows in North-South...
known as Koyna Dam
Koyna Dam
The Koyna Dam is one of the largest dams in Maharashtra, India. It is a rubble-concrete dam constructed on Koyna River which rises in Mahabaleshwar, a hillstation in Sahyadri ranges...
hence the name Koyna Hydroelectric project. The project uses potential of water from Koyna River. The project site is situated in Satara district
Satara district
Satara District is a district of Maharashtra state in western India with an area of 10,480 km² and a population of 2,808,994 of which 14.17% were urban . Satara is the capital of the district and other major towns include Wai, Karad, Koregaon, Koyananagar, Rahimatpur, Phaltan, Mahabaleshwar...
near Patan
Patan
Patan may refer to places in Afghanistan, India and Nepal:Afghanistan*Patan, AfghanistanIndia*Patan district, in the state of Gujarat**Patan, Gujarat, the main city of the same district*Patan, Rajasthan, an historical city in Rajputana...
. The village Helwak
Helwak
Helwak is a town on the Chiplun–Karad highway in the state of Maharashtra, India just off the Kumbharli Ghat. It is located near the Koyna Dam in Satara at an elevation of ....
near the dam was later known as Koynanagar.
The total Installed capacity of the project is . The project consists of 4 stages of power generation. All the generator
Generator
Generator may refer to:* Electrical generator* Engine-generator, an electrical generator, but with its own engine.* Generator , any of several closely related usages in mathematics.Computing:...
s are located in the underground Powerhouses excavated deep inside the surrounding mountains of the Western Ghats
Western Ghats
The Western Ghats, Western Ghauts or the Sahyādri is a mountain range along the western side of India. It runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea. The Western Ghats block rainfall to the Deccan...
. A dam foot powerhouse
Power station
A power station is an industrial facility for the generation of electric energy....
also contributes to the electricity generation. Due to the project's electricity generating potential the Koyna River
Koyna River
The Koyna River rises in Mahabaleshwar and is a tributary of the Krishna River in western Maharashtra, India. It rises near Mahableshwar, a famous hill station in the Western Ghats. Unlike most of the other rivers in Maharashtra which flow East-West direction, the Koyna river flows in North-South...
is considered as the life line of Maharashtra
The project gets advantage of the height of Western Ghats also known as Sahyadri. Thus very large hydraulic head
Hydraulic head
Hydraulic head or piezometric head is a specific measurement of water pressure above a geodetic datum. It is usually measured as a water surface elevation, expressed in units of length, at the entrance of a piezometer...
is available in a very short distance toward the Arabian Sea
Arabian Sea
The Arabian Sea is a region of the Indian Ocean bounded on the east by India, on the north by Pakistan and Iran, on the west by the Arabian Peninsula, on the south, approximately, by a line between Cape Guardafui in northeastern Somalia and Kanyakumari in India...
.
History
The Koyna River’s hydro-electric potential was understood in a general survey of hydro-electric possibilities in India in the first decade of 20th century. After the first World War, a hydro-electric project on the Koyna river was investigated by the Tata GroupTata Group
Tata Group is an Indian multinational conglomerate company headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. Tata Group is one of the largest companies in India by market capitalization and revenue. It has interests in communications and information technology, engineering, materials, services, energy,...
. The 1928 financial crisis caused the project to shelve. However after the independence of India, it was taken over by Government of Maharashtra
Government of Maharashtra
Government of Maharashtra is the government for the state of Maharashtra in Western India.It is an elected government with 288 MLAs elected to the legislative assembly for a 5 year term.-Ministers:...
. Then In 1951 Koyna dam division was started to look into the project. The project got approved in 1953 and work commenced in early 1954.
The Project
Koyna Dam
The Koyna Dam is one of the largest dams in Maharashtra, India. It is a rubble-concrete dam constructed on Koyna River which rises in Mahabaleshwar, a hillstation in Sahyadri ranges...
and Kolkewadi Dam
Kolkewadi Dam
Kolkewadi Dam or Kolkiwadi Dam is a dam located in the Konkan region of Maharashtra, India. It is located in Kolkiwadi, three kilometres near the village of Alore, near Chiplun....
. The water from Shivasagar reservoir formed by koyna dam is used for electricity generation in 1st, 2nd and 4th stages. This water is drawn from head race tunnels situated underground below the reservoir. Then it travels through vertical pressure shafts to the Underground Powerhouses. The discharged water from these stages is collected and stored in Kolkewadi Dam
Kolkewadi Dam
Kolkewadi Dam or Kolkiwadi Dam is a dam located in the Konkan region of Maharashtra, India. It is located in Kolkiwadi, three kilometres near the village of Alore, near Chiplun....
situated near village Alore
Alore
alore is divided into 10 part which are -market area,collany area,mohalla,mohite wadi,deul wadi,boadh wadi,sutar wadi,sonar wadi,devare wadi,deware market.Alore is a village in the Chiplun subdivision of Ratnagiri district, Maharashtra, India...
at a lower level than Koyna dam. The water is drawn from penstocks of Kolkewadi dam to an underground power station in the 3rd stage and then discharged to the Arabian sea.
The electricity generated in all the stages is delivered to the main electrical grid. The project is run by Maharashtra State Electricity Board
Maharashtra State Electricity Board
Maharashtra State Electricity Board is a state-owned electricity regulation board operating within the state of Maharashtra in India. The MSEB was formed on June 20, 1960 under Section 5 of the Electricity Act, 1948...
.
| Stage | | Installed capacity |
|---|---|
| 1st stage | 4 x 65 MW = 260 MW |
| Dam foot Powehouse | 2 x 20 MW = 40 MW |
| 2nd stage | 4 x 75 MW = 300 MW |
| 3rd stage | 4 x 80 MW = 320 MW |
| 4th stage | 4 x 250 MW = 1,000 MW |
| Total | 1,920 MW |
Stage I and II
The first stage of the project was approved in late 1953 and construction began in early 1954. Initially a two-stage construction was conceived. But the total generation capacity of the two stages was too large for load forecasts of that time. So a time lag of more than 10 years was proposed between the two stages. Within two years thereafter, it came to be noticed that the 10 years time tag between these two stages will not be affordable and to cope up with the power requirements, the two stages should be merged and both the stages should be constructed simultaneously. Hence, it was accepted that the two stages have to be executed as one.The 1st and 2nd stages share same powerhouse with total 8 Pelton turbine units. Each of the two stages has 4 turbines having capacity of 65 MW each for 1st stage and 75 MW each for 2nd stage. The water from Shivasagar reservoir is taken through an intake structure known as Navja tower near village Navja into the head race tunnel. Then it travels towards the surge tank
Surge tank
A surge tank is a standpipe or storage reservoir at the downstream end of a closed aqueduct or feeder pipe to absorb sudden rises of pressure as well as to quickly provide extra water during a brief drop in pressure...
. It is further divided into 4 pressure shafts which run vertically downward delivering water to the turbines. Then the water is discharged into the tail race tunnel.
A dam foot powerhouse was also constructed during this period which is used to generate electricity by the water which is discharged from the Koyna dam for irrigation
Irrigation
Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
purpose. It has 2 Francis turbine
Francis turbine
The Francis turbine is a type of water turbine that was developed by James B. Francis in Lowell, Massachusetts. It is an inward-flow reaction turbine that combines radial and axial flow concepts....
units of 20 MW capacity each. This powerhouse is run according to the irrigation requirements of the downstream areas.
The combined installed capacity of the two stages and the dam foot powerhouse is 600 MW.
Stage III
Initially a weirWeir
A weir is a small overflow dam used to alter the flow characteristics of a river or stream. In most cases weirs take the form of a barrier across the river that causes water to pool behind the structure , but allows water to flow over the top...
was proposed to divert the water coming out of Tail Race Tunnel of Stage I & II. But it was later observed that the water still had some hydraulic head
Hydraulic head
Hydraulic head or piezometric head is a specific measurement of water pressure above a geodetic datum. It is usually measured as a water surface elevation, expressed in units of length, at the entrance of a piezometer...
of about 120 m which could be used. To use this head, a dam known as Kolkewadi Dam
Kolkewadi Dam
Kolkewadi Dam or Kolkiwadi Dam is a dam located in the Konkan region of Maharashtra, India. It is located in Kolkiwadi, three kilometres near the village of Alore, near Chiplun....
was constructed at this location. It serves the porpose of forming a balancing reservoir and maintaining the head. This dam impounds the tail race water from the first and second stages. This water is darwn through penstocks through the dam and electricity is generated by 4 Francis turbine
Francis turbine
The Francis turbine is a type of water turbine that was developed by James B. Francis in Lowell, Massachusetts. It is an inward-flow reaction turbine that combines radial and axial flow concepts....
units with a capacity of 80 MW each. The tail race water from these stages, which comes almost at sea level, is then flows through a cannel and joins the Arabian Sea
Arabian Sea
The Arabian Sea is a region of the Indian Ocean bounded on the east by India, on the north by Pakistan and Iran, on the west by the Arabian Peninsula, on the south, approximately, by a line between Cape Guardafui in northeastern Somalia and Kanyakumari in India...
near Chiplun
Chiplun
Chiplun is a city and a municipal council in Ratnagiri district in the state of Maharashtra, India. Located on the Mumbai–Goa highway in western India. The city is about 320 km south of Mumbai in the Konkan region of Maharashtra. It is a fast developing city in Konkan with a strong cultural...
.
The installed generating capacity of this stage is 320 MW.
Stage IV
Later in the 1980s, the electricity demand of the MaharashtraMaharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
state increased tremendously which resulted in inadequate power supply in peak hours of demand. Considering need of power, the Planning Commission accorded approval to Stage IV with installation capacity of 4 × 250 MW. Thus, one more stage called Stage-IV was added to power system of Stage I and II, thus converting the Koyna Power Station into peaking power Station Complex with load factor
Load factor
Load factor may refer to:* Load factor , the ratio of the lift of an aircraft to its weight* Load factor , the ratio of the number of records to the number of addresses within a data structure...
of about 18.7%. This scheme also draws water from the existing Shivasagar reservoir same as 1st and 2nd stages.
A nonconventional intake system by piercing the lake from bottom by blasting the rock plug using dynamite
Dynamite
Dynamite is an explosive material based on nitroglycerin, initially using diatomaceous earth , or another absorbent substance such as powdered shells, clay, sawdust, or wood pulp. Dynamites using organic materials such as sawdust are less stable and such use has been generally discontinued...
s is done for this stage. This double lake tapping process was done for this stage, the first of its kind in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, on 13 March 1999.
The water in head race tunnel is directly drawn from the reservoir and delivered to the head surge tank
Surge tank
A surge tank is a standpipe or storage reservoir at the downstream end of a closed aqueduct or feeder pipe to absorb sudden rises of pressure as well as to quickly provide extra water during a brief drop in pressure...
. Then four pressure shafts take the water vertically downward. The four huge Francis turbine
Francis turbine
The Francis turbine is a type of water turbine that was developed by James B. Francis in Lowell, Massachusetts. It is an inward-flow reaction turbine that combines radial and axial flow concepts....
units of capacity 250 MW each generate electricity and tail race water is taken into the Kolkewadi dam
Kolkewadi Dam
Kolkewadi Dam or Kolkiwadi Dam is a dam located in the Konkan region of Maharashtra, India. It is located in Kolkiwadi, three kilometres near the village of Alore, near Chiplun....
reservoir through tail race tunnel.
A revolutionary Gas Insulated Switchgear
Switchgear
The term switchgear, used in association with the electric power system, or grid, refers to the combination of electrical disconnects, fuses and/or circuit breakers used to isolate electrical equipment. Switchgear is used both to de-energize equipment to allow work to be done and to clear faults...
system is used in the Underground Powerhouse of this stage.
The installed capacity of this stage alone is 1000 MW. This stage is mostly used to cater for the peak hour demands of the electric grid.
Salient features of Koyna hydro-electric project
| Stage I & II | | Stage III | | Stage IV | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Dam | |||
| Catchement Area | 891.78 square kilometre | 25.04 square kilometre | Capacity of stage I & II is utilised |
| Capacity | 2797.00 mm3 | 36 mm3 | |
| Max. Height above foundation | 103.02 m | 63.30 m | |
| Length | 807.72 m | 497.00 m | |
| 2. Intake Works | |||
| Head Race Tunnel length | 3748 m | 4551 m | 4230 m |
| Intake Tunnel Diameter | 6.4 m Circular | 7.4 m 'D' Shape | 7 m * 9.50 m Horse shoe shape |
| Descharge Capacity | 164m3 /sec | 170 m3 /sec | 260 m3 / sec |
| 3. Pressure Shafts | |||
| Number | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Length(each) | 616 m | 192 m | 590 m |
| 4. Power House | |||
| Approach Tunnel Length | 864 m | 780 m | 988 m |
| Tail Race Tunnel Length | 2215 m | 4543 m | 2314 m |
| Number of Turbines | 4(stage I) + 4(stage II) + 2(Dam foot powerhouse) = 10 | 4 | 4 |
| Type of Turbine | Pelton(stage I & II) Francis(Dam foot Powerhouse) | Francis | Francis |
| Installed Generation capacity | 600 MW | 320 MW | 1000 MW |
| 5. Switchyard | 4572 m | 340 m | 134 m * 18 m under ground |
| 6. Load Factor | 60 % | 24 % | 18 % (1 + 2 & 4) |
• This is the largest completed hydroelectric project of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
• The water used for generation of electricity joins Arabian sea
Arabian Sea
The Arabian Sea is a region of the Indian Ocean bounded on the east by India, on the north by Pakistan and Iran, on the west by the Arabian Peninsula, on the south, approximately, by a line between Cape Guardafui in northeastern Somalia and Kanyakumari in India...
near Chiplun
Chiplun
Chiplun is a city and a municipal council in Ratnagiri district in the state of Maharashtra, India. Located on the Mumbai–Goa highway in western India. The city is about 320 km south of Mumbai in the Konkan region of Maharashtra. It is a fast developing city in Konkan with a strong cultural...
while the water which is discharges through the spillway
Spillway
A spillway is a structure used to provide the controlled release of flows from a dam or levee into a downstream area, typically being the river that was dammed. In the UK they may be known as overflow channels. Spillways release floods so that the water does not overtop and damage or even destroy...
s of the dam in monsoon season joins the Bay of Bengal
Bay of Bengal
The Bay of Bengal , the largest bay in the world, forms the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. It resembles a triangle in shape, and is bordered mostly by the Eastern Coast of India, southern coast of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to the west and Burma and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to the...
through Krishna River
Krishna River
The Krishna River , is one of the longest rivers in central-southern India, about . It is also referred to as Krishnaveni in its original nomenclature...
.
• The process of doubble lake tapping was done first of its kind in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
tic region at the 4th stage of this project.
• All the components of the project such as Powerhouse
Power station
A power station is an industrial facility for the generation of electric energy....
s, Head race and tail race tunnels, Pressure shafts are constructed underground.
• The modern Gas Insulated Switchgear
Switchgear
The term switchgear, used in association with the electric power system, or grid, refers to the combination of electrical disconnects, fuses and/or circuit breakers used to isolate electrical equipment. Switchgear is used both to de-energize equipment to allow work to be done and to clear faults...
system is used in 4th stage of the project
Future plans
To utilse more amount of water form the Shivasagar reservoir, another dam foot powerhouse was proposed (and now under construction) on the left bank of the dam. This PowerhousePower station
A power station is an industrial facility for the generation of electric energy....
will employ pumped storage scheme. Also lake tapping is proposed for the intake system.
Tourism
The impounded water of the Koyna DamKoyna Dam
The Koyna Dam is one of the largest dams in Maharashtra, India. It is a rubble-concrete dam constructed on Koyna River which rises in Mahabaleshwar, a hillstation in Sahyadri ranges...
though has submerged a significant amount of Rain forest of the Western Ghats
Western Ghats
The Western Ghats, Western Ghauts or the Sahyādri is a mountain range along the western side of India. It runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea. The Western Ghats block rainfall to the Deccan...
, it has helped a lot to the surrounding forest by supplying water all round the year. Hence a wide biodiversity
Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar regions...
of plants and animals is observed in the evergreen forest surrounding the reservoir area.
Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary
Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary has dense forests with three major sections, Vasota, Maharkhor and Indavli Met, and the sanctuary is endowed with natural protective boundaries – Shivasagar Lake on one side, and the slopes of the Western Ghats on both the sides. This protective cover has enabled the emergence of a diverse variety of flora and fauna in the sanctuary. Some of the endangered species of trees found in the sanctuary are Dhup (Boswellia serrataBoswellia serrata
Boswellia serrata is Indian frankincense or Salai. It is found in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh & Andhara Pradesh in India.- Medical usage :...
), Euphorbia longan, andElaeocarpus
Elaeocarpus
Elaeocarpus is a genus of tropical and subtropical evergreen trees and shrubs. The approximately 350 species are distributed from Madagascar in the west through India, Southeast Asia, Malaysia, southern China, and Japan, through Australia to New Zealand, Fiji, and Hawaii in the east. The islands of...
spp., apart from many other species of trees. The sanctuary has a diverse variety of fauna including tigers and panthers; gaurs and sambars; barking and mouse deers; pythons and cobras; common langurs and Indian Giant Squirrel
Indian Giant Squirrel
The Indian giant squirrel, or Malabar giant squirrel, is a large tree squirrel species genus Ratufa native to India. It is a large-bodied diurnal, arboreal, and herbivorous squirrel found in South Asia.-Description:...
s. Many species of birds are found in the sanctuary including brown capped woodpecker; Asian Fairy Bluebird
Asian Fairy Bluebird
The Asian Fairy-bluebird, Irena puella, is a medium-sized, arboreal passerine bird.This fairy-bluebird is found in forests across tropical southern Asia from the Himalayan foothills, India and Sri Lanka east through Indochina, the Greater Sundas and Palawan . Two or three eggs are laid in a small...
; and Crested Goshawk
Crested Goshawk
The Crested Goshawk is a bird of prey from tropical Asia. It is related to other diurnal raptors such as eagles, buzzards and harriers, and thus placed in the family Accipitridae.-Description:...
.
Another attraction of the sanctuary is Vasota Fort
Vasota Fort
Vasota Fort is located in Satara district in the Indian state of Maharashtra.. It was famously defended by Tai Telin a mistress of Pant Pratinidhi a killedar of the fort when he was captured....
which lies deep in the forests and is located at a height of above sea level. The legend states that the fort was constructed by Malwa king Raja Bhoja
Bhoja
Bhoja was a philosopher king and polymath of medieval India, who ruled the kingdom of Malwa in central India from about 1000 to 1050 CE. Also known as Raja Bhoja Of Dhar, he belonged to the Paramara dynasty...
in 1170.
Nehru Memorial park
When the project work was almost nearing completion, on 10 April 1960, the then Prime Minister of IndiaPrime Minister of India
The Prime Minister of India , as addressed to in the Constitution of India — Prime Minister for the Union, is the chief of government, head of the Council of Ministers and the leader of the majority party in parliament...
Pdt. Jawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru , often referred to with the epithet of Panditji, was an Indian statesman who became the first Prime Minister of independent India and became noted for his “neutralist” policies in foreign affairs. He was also one of the principal leaders of India’s independence movement in the...
visited Koyna Project. To commemorate this event a tablow was unveiled at his gracious hands on the right flank hillock of Koyna Dam.
This project came up with an idea of immortalising this place and this event by constructing a beautiful park and naming it as "Nehru Memorial Park". This park is a major attraction for tourists. A upstream side view of dam is visible from this garden. There is an auditorium
Auditorium
An auditorium is a room built to enable an audience to hear and watch performances at venues such as theatres. For movie theaters, the number of auditoriums is expressed as the number of screens.- Etymology :...
named 'Yashogatha' (meaning: story of success) which reviles a small element of the tremendous efforts taken by the engineers and workers associated with project.
Ozarda falls
Due to the large rainfall in the hilly region surrounding the reservoir, some beautiful falls are generated in the monsoon season. The largest of them is the Ozarda falls. This is also a major attraction for tourists visiting in monsoon season.See also
- Koyna DamKoyna DamThe Koyna Dam is one of the largest dams in Maharashtra, India. It is a rubble-concrete dam constructed on Koyna River which rises in Mahabaleshwar, a hillstation in Sahyadri ranges...
- Koyna Wildlife SanctuaryKoyna Wildlife SanctuaryKoyna Wildlife Sanctuary is a wildlife sanctuary located in Satara district of the Indian state of Maharashtra. The sanctuary is nested in the Western Ghats, covering an area of around 426.52 and with an altitude ranging from 600 to 1,100 meters...
- List of power stations in India
- List of conventional hydroelectric power stations