Koyna Dam a work of engineering marvel
A visit to the Koyna Dam is always breathtakingly awesome. It is where technology meets nature. Koyna is just not a dam and obviously not just a power generation station but a university in itself.
At the entrance towards the Shivaji Sagar words written in blue-white colour ‘This water is scared…This water nourishes all…This water brings prosperity to the nation!’ welcomes the visitor.
The majestic Koyna Dam houses the Koyna HydroElectric Project (KHP) — the largest hydroelectric power station in India with a total capacity of 1,960 mega watt. The dam is built over Koyna river considered as the lifeline of Maharashtra. The Koyna river has its origins at the popular hill station of Mahabaleshwar.
Though conceived around the period when Hoover Dam in the US was being made, the Koyna Dam was constructed later in 1962 and is far more unique and complex than any other dam in the world.
Located in the Satara district, Koyna Dam spreads to Ratnagiri district in coastal Konkan. The power generation is spread across in four stages.
Inside of the dam is far more interesting and unique. It is an engineering marvel with 33 floors which has spillways to generate water, irrigate fields and provide drinking water.
“It’s a unique project and an example of engineering marvel. It’s about being a lifeline, being a cradle of nature, excellence in civil engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, administration and hard work. Besides, there are also challenges constantly,” says Anil Rane, junior executive engineer of the project, as he conducted the visit of journalists who were taken a tour of the dam by the Maharashtra Government’s Water Resources Department and Mantralaya Ani Vidhimandal Vartarhar Sangh.
“The spillway of the dam is located at the centre. It has 6 radial gates. The dam plays a vital role of flood control in monsoon,” he said, highlighting, “The dam, from top to bottom, is around 33 floors.”
As the journalists take a colossal elevator to the ‘inspection gallery’, junior engineer A Sankpal said, “We generate power and irrigate fields and also provide drinking water…we conserve nature.” Sankpal was conducting a tour of the turbine rooms and explains how power is generated. Across all stages of the dam, a total of 14 to 18 turbines are operational.
Over the years, the dam has achieved many feats — in fact, this also the dam project, where the first and second lake-tapping of Asia was conducted in 1999 and 2012.
Plans are affot for expansion and another 400 mega watt would be added, the engineers said.