The dam that is constructed on the Krishna River towards the northern part of Karnataka state is known as Almatti Dam. Construction of the same was completed during July 2005. This is the main source of water for the reputed Upper Krishna Irrigation Project. The estimated electric output of the dam for one year is around 560MU. The Upper Krishna Irrigation Project that has an actual electric output of 290MW per year is situated towards the right of the Almatti Dam. Some of the technical sophistications of this project include 55MW generators (5 in number), 15MW generator (1 in number) and vertical Kaplan turbines. Once utilized for power generation that benefits the irrigation requirements, water is then poured back into the reservoir at Narayanpur.

The dam was estimated to cost about 14.7billion INR for setting up; however since KPCL (Karnataka Power Corporation Limited) took up the project midway, the estimated costs were reduced by half and came up to 6.74billion INR. Towards the completion of the project, the actual costs were worked out to just about 5.2 billion INR. It took around 40 months to complete the dam. Bijapur and Bagalkot districts are the areas where this dam is located in. Around 130TMC at 519m MSL can be stored in this dam.

Construction

The full limit of the storage capacity of the Almatti Dam was fixed at about 519m MSL, as per instructions from the Supreme Court of India. However disputes for water were being held continuously among the states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra. These disputes were brought to an amicable solution by the Brijesh Kumar Tribunal and the storage capacity was raised to around 200TMC at 524m MSL.  90.01TMC was the average capacity of the dam as per figures available for August 2013.

Attractions

Around the dam, terraced gardens over 7 layers have been set up for entertaining the tourists. Tourists coming here can enjoy the musical fountains and boating trips on the lakes here. Rock Hill, a garden on the other side of the dam, has a man-made forest that contains artificial animals and birds to represent the country’s rural lifestyle.

Nearby Tourist Attractions

Many important tourist destinations are found in and around Almatti Dam, other than the seven layered terraced gardens. For the spiritual minded, many mosques and temples are located in the vicinity of the dam. Many culture-rich places that give you a peek into the rich history of the place are found nearby. They are:

• Anand Mahal
• Citadel
• Jama Masjid
• GolGumbaz
• Kudalasangama (Temple)
• Malik –e- Maidan
• Narasimha Temple
• Bara Kaman
• ChandiBawadi
• Lotus lake
• Bijapur Palace

How to Reach

Road

Located on the famous highway connecting Bangalore and Bijapur, this dam is easily accessible by buses operated by KSRTC (Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation). It takes a five-hour bus drive from Bangalore to Almatti Dam. Buses are available frequently from the IT city to reach this place.

Train

Bijapur railway station, located at about 66km from Almatti, is the nearest railhead. It takes roughly around 70 minutes to reach the dam from here.