Dhom Dam - History, Timings & Entry Fee

Lake / Backwaters

Photo Credit: Flickr

Distance (From Panchgani Bus Station): 21 Kms

Trip Duration (Including Travel): 3-4 Hours

Place Location: Near Wai Town (10 Km)

Transportation Options: Bus / Cab

Travel Tips: None

At a distance of 21 km from Panchgani & 97 km from Pune, Dhom Dam is an earth fill and gravity dam situated near Wai in the Satara district of Maharashtra. It is one of the popular places to visit as part of Panchgani tour packages, and among the well-known places to visit near Pune for one day trip.

Built on the Krishna River, the construction of the dam was started in 1976 and completed in 1982. It is one of the largest civil engineering projects in India at that time and also the first dam to be built on the Krishna River in Maharashtra. The main purpose of the construction of the Dhom dam was to ensure adequate water supply for industries in the region, for agricultural activities and to supply potable drinking water to the populace of Panchgani, Mahabaleshwar, and Wai regions. The dam is also the chief source of water supply for farmers of Koregaon, Javli, and Khandala taluks of Satara. It is one of the popular places to visit in Panchgani.

The Dhom dam stands 50 feet tall from the lowest foundation and runs a length of 2,478 m. The water capacity of the lake is 14 TMC while the basement electricity house of the dam is designed to generate 4 MG of electricity. The Dhom Lake is formed by the backwaters of the dam and is about 20 km in length. The Dhom dam attracts tourists in large numbers because of the beautiful natural surroundings and boating activities. For enjoying water activities, tourists can hire water scooters, speed boats, banana boats, and motorboats from Sahyadri Boat Club near the dam. The boat club also provides horse riding and camping facilities for tourists.

The Dhom village was earlier known as Virat Nagar. The place is famous for its scenic beauty and the temples on the river banks. Narasimha Temple on the Krishna Ghat is a much-visited place and is a preferred locale by Bollywood for film shooting.

Boat Club Timings: 7 AM to 7 PM