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Context

• The Koyna dam authorities, owing to the poor storage in dams across Satara district, have proposed cuts in water discharge for both irrigation and power generation.

About Koyna Dam

• The Koyna Dam is Maharashtra's largest dam.
• The dam is located in the Satara District's Koyana Nagar.
• It is located on the state route between Chiplun and Karad in the Western Ghats.
• The Koyna Dam is a rubble-concrete dam constructed on the Koyna River, which originates in Mahabaleshwar, a high resort in the Sahyadri mountain ranges.
• The construction of the Koyna dam began in 1951, and the first turbine began operation in 1962.
• Stage V of the Koyna Hydroelectric Power Project is currently under construction.
• The dam's main aim is to supply hydroelectricity as well as irrigation facilities in nearby communities.
• The Koyna dam provides water to Paschim Maharashtra as well as hydroelectric power to the surrounding districts.
• During the monsoon season, the dam is critical for flood management.
• The catchment region traps the Koyna River, resulting in the 50-kilometer-long Shivsagar Lake.
• Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary, which covers an area of approximately 423.55 km2, was designated in 1985.
• The National Tiger Conservation Authority designated Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary and Chandoli National Park as part of the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve in 2007.
• It is one of the major civil engineering projects undertaken in India after independence. The Maharashtra State Electricity Board manages the Koyna hydroelectric project.

The Key Facts about the Koyna River

• The Koyna River is a tributary of the Krishna River that flows from Mahabaleshwar in the Satara district of Western Maharashtra.
• Unlike most other rivers in Maharashtra, which flow east to west, the Koyna River runs north to south.
• It has a total size of 2,036 km2 and is located in the Deccan topography of the district of Satara in the state of Maharashtra.
• It typically depicts a physiographic configuration characterized by the Deccan plateau in the Western Ghats region, with elevations ranging from 550 to 1,460 m above mean sea level.
• The Shivsagar reservoir is formed when the Koyna Dam at Koynanagar dams it.
• The Koyna River is fed by four tributaries. Kera, Wang, Morna, and Mahind are their names. Kera, Wang, and Morna rivers are among those dammed.

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