UJANI DAM (Syllabus: GS Paper 1 – Geography)

Context: Recently, tragedy struck in Maharashtra's Pune district as six individuals, including two children, drowned when their boat overturned in the Ujani dam backwaters.

Ujani Dam

• Location: Located on the Bhima River near Ujjani village in Solapur district, Maharashtra.
• Construction: Built between 1977 and 1980 for irrigation and hydroelectric power.
• Total length: 2,534 m.
• Height: 63 meters.
• Storage capacity: 117 TMC (live: 54 TMC, dead: 63 TMC).
• Power generation capacity: 12MW.
• Bhima River: It is a tributary of the Krishna River.
• Course: Originates in Bhimashankar hills near Karjat, Pune District.

o Flows southeast through Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Telangana.

o Merges into Krishna River at Kadlur (Raichur), Karnataka.

• Geography: 861 km long, bounded by Western Ghats, Balaghat Range, and Mahadeo Hills.
• Basin area: 48,631 sq. km, 75% in Maharashtra.
• Major tributaries: Sina and Nira rivers.