Khandoli Dam

Khandoli Dam (Hindi: खंडोली डैम) is a dam located 10 km North-East of Giridih town towards Bengabad in Jharkhand, India. Khandoli is also an important tourist spot at the foot of the Khandoli hill. ^{[citation needed]} The reservoir of the Khandoli dam provides water supply to more than one lakh residents of the Giridih city.^[2][3][4][5]

Khandoli Dam
Location in Jharkhand
Official name	Khandoli Dam
Country	India
Location	Giridih, Jharkhand
Coordinates	24°14′22″N 86°20′55″E / 24.23944°N 86.34861°E / 24.23944; 86.34861
Status	Functional
Construction began	1955
Opening date	1957
Owner(s)	spot palace
Dam and spillways
Height	51 feet (16 m)
Length	2,718 feet (828 m)
Spillways	3
Spillway capacity	60 feet (18 m) clear Width ^[1]
Reservoir
Creates	Khandoli Lake
Total capacity	6,300 acre-feet (7,800,000 m^3)^[1]

Recently the urban development department has made plans to desilt the Khandoli lake after decades.^[6]

Wildlife

 

Great cormorant

Every year thousands of migratory birds arrive at Khandoli lake by travelling thousands of kilometres from northern Asia, Himalayan belt, Africa and Australia.^[7][8]Great cormorant, Siberian duck, Siberian crane, brahminy shelduck (ruddy shelduck), bar-headed goose, and mallards are among the species that migrate to the dam for breeding. The migration of birds generally begins from the second week of November every year for a warmer climate and return around March.^[8] As many as forty different species of birds come to Khandoli but their number has reduced over the years mainly due to pollution and poaching.^[7] Some animals such as rabbit, guinea pig, peacock, owls etc. are also kept in cages in the amusement park.

Tourism

Khandoli has been developed as a tourism attraction by district tourism department.^{[citation needed]} The number of tourists increase in the winter months for bird-watching due to the presence of migratory birds in the area. An amusement park spread over 6 acres (2.4 ha) is built near the lake which offers joy rides in toy train and swings. Elephant and camel safaris and numbers of other amusement facilities are available. A canteen is available for convenience of the tourists. A watch tower and 600 feet high hillock gives a view of Khandoli.^[9]

Adventure sports

 

Kayaking

Khandoli is a popular spot for aerial, mountaineering and water related adventure sports owing to the physical and the relief features of the area.^[10] Aerial adventure activities include hot air ballooning, paragliding and parasailing from both land and water. Khandoli Hill with its vast range of granite rocks with various shapes, offer varied challenges to rock climbers in rock climbing, rappelling, river Crossing (zip-line), trekking. The reservoir of Khandoli dam (Khandoli lake) is used by pedal boats, speed boats and water scooters for water related adventure activities such as scuba diving, rafting, canoeing, sailing, kayaking, ringo ride, waterskiing and surfing.^[11] Khandoli is also used to impart training in water sports at national level.^[11][12][13]

These adventure sports attract tourists from across country. Large number of tourists from Mumbai, Kolkata, Burdwan, Orissa and Bihar arrive to engage in water sports. The Khandoli area has been leased by the administration for further development for tourism.^[14]

External videos
Video of Khandoli by Dept. of Tourism, Jharkhand Govt showing the Khandoli lake, hill, amusement park, flora and fauna

References

1. "Information Panel at Khandoli Dam". Damodar Valley Corporation.
2. Prasad, India. Superintendent of Census Operations, Bihar, Sjivaraj Deo (1966). District census handbook, Bihar, Volume 14, Part 1. Govt. of Bihar. from the original on 2022-05-23. Retrieved 2020-12-12.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
3. Akhtar, Shahnawaz (April 28, 2009). . The Telegraph (Calcutta). Calcutta, India. Archived from the original on 19 August 2014. Retrieved 9 March 2012.
4. Prasad, Basudeo (1 January 2009). "Sustainable eco-tourism development: A case study of Jharkhand state". Spectrum. 1 (1): 62. from the original on 23 May 2022. Retrieved 6 April 2012.
5. Mandal, R.B. (2006). Water Resource Management. Concept Publishing Company. p. 35. ISBN 978-81-8069-318-2. from the original on 2022-05-23. Retrieved 2020-12-12.
6. Gupta, Amit (April 12, 2011). . The Telegraph (Calcutta). Calcutta, India. Archived from the original on 16 July 2014. Retrieved 8 March 2012.
7. Jaipuriar, Vishvendu (November 28, 2011). . The Telegraph (Calcutta). Calcutta, India. Archived from the original on 21 February 2015. Retrieved 8 March 2012.
8. Akhtar, Shahnawaz (December 6, 2005). . The Telegraph (Calcutta). Calcutta, India. Archived from the original on 21 February 2015. Retrieved 8 March 2012.
9. Akhtar, Shahnawaz (December 27, 2006). . The Telegraph (Calcutta). Calcutta, India. Archived from the original on 21 February 2015. Retrieved 9 March 2012.
10. "Adventure Tourism in Jharkhand". Website of Dept. of Tourism, Govt. of Jharkhand. from the original on 6 November 2011. Retrieved 9 March 2012.
11. Sahuliyar, Arti (November 4, 2009). . The Telegraph (Calcutta). Calcutta, India. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 11 March 2012.
12. "Giridih Tourism". Official Website of Giridih. Archived from the original on 18 December 2012. Retrieved 7 March 2012.
13. . Jharkhand. Envis Centre on Ecotourism, Govt of India. Archived from the original on 7 February 2012. Retrieved 7 March 2012.
14. "Goa experience, Giridih style - Ringo ride, water skiing & surfing on offer for budget tourists at Khandoli reservoir". The Telegraph (Kolkata). Calcutta, India. January 7, 2009. Retrieved 8 March 2012.^{[dead link]}

External links

•   Giridih travel guide from Wikivoyage