The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India recently brought to light a delay in the Revised Administrative Approval for an incomplete hydroelectric project in Maharashtra. This hold-up has locked up funds for over six years, causing significant bureaucratic issues.
The Water Resources Department (WRD) of the Maharashtra government initially gave Administrative Approval for the construction of a 2×40 MegaWatt (MW) hydroelectric project at Koyna Dam Foot in 2004. This project is based on the left bank of the Koyna Dam.
About the Koyna Dam
The Koyna Dam, located in Koyana Nagar, Satara District, is Maharashtra’s largest dam. Nestled in the Western Ghats, it lies on the state highway that links Chiplun and Karad. The dam was constructed on the Koyna River, which originates from Mahabaleshwar, a renowned hill-station in Sahyadri mountain ranges.
The project started in 1951, and the first turbine began functioning in 1962. Currently, the dam’s stage V of the Koyna Hydroelectric Power Project is under construction. The main use of the dam is to provide hydroelectricity, supplemented by some irrigation facilities in neighboring areas.
The Koyna Dam plays a vital role in controlling floods during the monsoon season and supplies water to Paschim Maharashtra, contributing to the hydroelectric power of nearby regions. It forms the Shivsagar Lake, which spans approximately 50 km in length.
Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary and Sahyadri Tiger Reserve
In 1985, the Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary, covering an area of around 423.55 km2, was established. Later in 2007, the sanctuary, along with the Chandoli National Park, was declared part of the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve by The National Tiger Conservation Authority. This made it one of the largest civil engineering projects implemented after Indian independence.
The Maharashtra State Electricity Board runs the entire Koyna hydro-electric project.
Key Facts about the Koyna River
The Koyna River, a tributary of the Krishna River, originates from Mahabaleshwar in the Satara district, Western Maharashtra. Uniquely, it flows North-South, contrasting with most other Maharashtra rivers that flow East-West.
Covering an area of 2,036 km2, the river runs through the Deccan terrain of the Satara district in Maharashtra State. With an elevation range of 550 – 1,460 m above mean sea level, the river typifies a physiographic setup characterized by the Deccan plateau in the Western Ghats region.
The Koyna Dam at Koynanagar dams the river, forming the Shivsagar reservoir. Four tributaries support the Koyna River: Kera, Wang, Morna, and Mahind. Of these four rivers, Kera, Wang, and Morna are dammed.
