Kherkatta Dam is a medium irrigation project built across the Kotri River, about northwest of Kapsi in the Kanker district of Chhattisgarh, India. It is the largest dam of the district and gets its name from the neighbouring village of Kherkatta. The lake that the dam forms behind it is officially known as the Paralkot Reservoir, which extends in a northwest direction and partially into the Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki district. The distance of the dam is approximately from Pakhanjur, from Manpur and from Kanker.
The construction of the dam began in 1966 and was completed in 1981 by the Dandakaranya Development Authority, over a period of 15 years. The total cost of construction was estimated at .
Construction details
The length of the dam is , the height above the lowest foundation is and the highest
flood level is . Spread over an area of , its gross storage volume is and designed max. irrigation area is .
Benefits
The Kherkatta dam
was built in hopes of benefiting the locals with better
irrigation and cultivation systems.
The reservoir consists of two major gates which release water every couple of years through its
canals. The artificial lake is used to store water.
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Local water supply
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Distant water supply, if water is sent to cities via aqueducts
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Local source of fishing & boating
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Wildlife habitat
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Increased water pressure for those living in the valley
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Power generation
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Irrigation
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Flood water control
Ichthyofaunal diversity
The survey for Ichthyofaunal diversity study in the Paralkot Reservoir of
Kanker District was mainly focused on Ichthyofaunal diversity. 25
Species of
fishes belonging to 5 orders 11 family and 20 genera was recorded during the study.
Cyprinidae were most dominant group represent by 12 species,
Siluridae with 2 species,
Ophiocephalidae with 2 species,
Bagridae 1 species,
Mestacemballidae with 2 species,
Saccobranchidae 1 species,
Claridae 1 species,
Centropomidae 1 species,
Notopteridae 1 species,
Gobiidae 1 species and
Cichlidae 1 species. This was the first ever study on the fish diversity of reservoir and would help in explore the fish
fauna of Kherkatta dam.
Low utilization of developed water resources
The actual utilization as compared with the designed potential is very poor, about 69%. The reason could be the low rainfall or the low maintenance of the canal system.
Controversy
In May 2023, a food inspector from Pakhanjur ordered workers at the dam to drain over 2 million litres of water. The government official ordered the water to be drained after he accidentally dropped his phone into the
waste weir of the dam while taking a selfie.
Footage of the official sitting under an umbrella as water was pumped out of the reservoir was uploaded to social media. After the video went viral, the food inspector, the SDO of the Kapsi water resource subdivision and a sub-engineer were suspended from their positions.
