Maithon Dam - Dam on Barakar River
The Maithon Dam is a beautiful dam located 52 km from Dhanbad at a place called Maithon.
Maithon Dam Description
The Maithon Dam is a single dam of its kind in whole South-East Asia. Its is located at Maithon, 52 km from the industrial city of Dhanbad, in the state of Jharkhand. It is 15,712 ft in length and 165 feet in height.Its uniqueness lies in its design.Its is the only dam in Whole South-East Asia with an underground power station.
It was inaugrated by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru on 27th September, 1957. It is currently controlled by the Damodar Valley Corporation.
It was constructed on the river Barakar for the control of flood, but gradually developed into a hydel power generating station, and most probably, a beautiful site for tourism.
It is used to generate around 60,000-KW of electric power.
The lake adjoined to it is spread into a vast area of 65 sq.km. The lake serves as an attraction for the tourist. Tourist can enjoy recreational facilities like fishing, swimming, boating etc. A tourist rest house is also constructed on an island located in the lake.
The famous Kalyaneshwari temple is located close to the dam. A deer park and a bird sanctuary are also located nearby. These sites help revive the scenic beauty of the place and also help the gross income from tourism industry.
Reaching the Maithon Dam
The dam is not too far away from township. It is only 8 km from the Barakar railway station and takes about 1 hour on bus from either of Dhanbad or Asansol.
Buses - Daily bus services are available from Dhanbad , Barakar, Asansol, Neamatpur
Local autos, taxis - Local taxis and auto-rickshaws are available to reach Maithon dam.
