Basava Sagar Dam, also known as Narayanpur dam, is the second major dam under the Upper Krishna Project. It is located near Bijapur district in Karnataka. Built over Krishna River, it is situated in Narayanpur. This lies in Yadgir district in Karnataka. This district is of rich historical significance because it belongs to the Raichur constituency. The dam has played a constructive role towards irrigation and for generation of hydroelectric power. Thus, it has played a vital role in the growth of this region. This dam supplies water to 4.21 lakh hectares of land.

Construction

The length of the dam is more than 10.5 kilometers and it has a height of 29.72 meters. The length of the spillway is 459 meters. There are 30 gates for releasing water. The filling period extends from June to November and the depletion period is from November to May. This project has an estimated storage capacity of 37.6 TMC and the live capacity is 30.5 TMC.

History

Basava Sagar dam was inaugurated in 1982 when it was constructed in the form of an earthen dam. The sole purpose of the dam was to make this region self-reliant in irrigation.

Nearly 50 crores INR were spent towards the construction of this dam in 1982. Initially, this project was meant only for irrigation. However, later on it also served the purposes of downstream electrical generation and drinking water.

Effect of the Project

There was a miserable happening in 1992. Two gates of the Narayanpur dam failed partially. This has also happened at the same in 2005 when one of the gates collapsed and caused much harm to the dam. Emergency action was taken and it was possible to control the dam. But lakhs of cusecs of water had to be released which caused dropping of the Basava Sagar reservoir. It dropped to several meters as a result of this.

Nearby Tourist Attractions

Narayanpur is famous for its scenic beauty. There is a popular mountain top from where you can enjoy views of natural beauty. One can enjoy waterfalls as well as visit popular temples here. Dhab Dabi waterfalls are a famous tourist attraction here and a must visit. Around here is Chintanalli, which has the Ghavi Siddheshwara temple. There is a bridge over Bheema River, which is also a spectacular seeing. The Sleeping Buddha is another beautiful spot where one can see four hills that looks like the saint is resting. Waganagera Fort is a famous ancient fort here, another thing of interest to tourists.

This place is rich in natural resources as well as in the mineral Uranium.

How to Reach

By Train

Yadgir railway station is closest from the dam. It is one of the largest dams in this region as it lies between the two big cities - Gulbarga and Raichur. Yadgir is well connected to most parts of the state.

By Road

The dam lies at a distance of 71 km from Gulbarga and 69 km from Raichur. One can drive down or take a bus from other neighboring cities like Hyderabad, Raichur, Belgaum, Bangalore, Hubli and Bellary.