The
Ukai
Ukai is a census town in Tapi district in the Indian state of Gujarat.
Demographics
India census, Ukai had a population of 10,858. Males constitute 54% of the population and females 46%. Ukai has an average literacy rate of 76%, higher than t ...
Dam, constructed across the
Tapi River, is the second largest reservoir in
Gujarat
Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...
after the
Sardar Sarovar. It is also known as Vallabh Sagar. Constructed in 1972, the dam is meant for irrigation, power generation and
flood control
Flood control methods are used to reduce or prevent the detrimental effects of flood waters."Flood Control", MSN Encarta, 2008 (see below: Further reading). Flood relief methods are used to reduce the effects of flood waters or high water level ...
. Having a catchment area of about 62,255 km
2 and a water spread of about 52,000 hectares, its capacity is almost same as that of the
Bhakra Nangal Dam
Bhakra Dam is a concrete gravity dam on the Sutlej River in Bhakra Village near Bilaspur in Bilaspur district, Himachal Pradesh in northern India. The dam forms the Gobind Sagar reservoir.
The dam, located at a gorge near the (now submerg ...
. The site is located 94 km from
Surat
Surat is a city in the western Indian state of Gujarat. The word Surat literally means ''face'' in Gujarati and Hindi. Located on the banks of the river Tapti near its confluence with the Arabian Sea, it used to be a large seaport. It is now ...
.
The dam is an earth-cum-masonry dam. Its embankment wall is 4,927 m long. Its earth dam is 105.156 meters high, whereas the masonry dam is 68.68 meters high. The dam's left bank canal feeds water to an area of 1,522 km
2. and its right canal provides water to 2,275 km
2 of land.
A fort built by the
Gaekwad dynasty
The Gaekwads of Baroda (also spelled as Gaikwads, Guicowars, Gaekwars) ( IAST: ''Gāyakavāḍa'') are a Hindu Maratha dynasty origin of the former Maratha Empire and its subsequent Princely States. A dynasty belonging to this clan ruled the pr ...
of
Baroda
Vadodara (), also known as Baroda, is the second largest city in the Indian state of Gujarat. It serves as the administrative headquarters of the Vadodara district and is situated on the banks of the Vishwamitri River, from the state capital ...
was submerged in the reservoir. It can be spotted when water levels in the reservoir goes down.
Ukai Hydro Power Station
There are four hydro turbine units, each of 75 MW with a total installed capacity of 300 MW. All the above units were made by
BHEL
Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) is an Indian central public sector undertaking. It is under the ownership of Ministry of Heavy Industries, Government of India. It is based in New Delhi, India. Established in 1956, BHEL is India ...
. Commissioning dates of units 1 to 4 are: 8 July 1974, 13 December 1974, 22 April 1975 and 4 March 1976.
See also
*
Sardar Sarovar Dam
The Sardar Sarovar Dam is a concrete gravity dam built on the Narmada River in Navagam near the town of Kevadiya, Narmada District, in the state of Gujarat, India. The dam was constructed to provide water and electricity to four Indian state ...
*
Wier-Cum Causeway on Tapi
*
Songadh Fort
Songadh fort is a 16th-century fort in Songadh town of Tapi district, Gujarat, India. The fort gots its name from the Gujarati language terms ''son'' (gold) and ''gadh'' (fort). It is located near the Tapi River Ukai Dam at an elevation of 112 me ...
References
Dams in Gujarat
Dams on the Tapti River
Hydroelectric power stations in Gujarat
Surat district
Masonry dams
Dams completed in 1972
1972 establishments in Gujarat
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