Though the Shirur dam across the river Markandeya was designed primarily for irrigation, it is a popular spot for family outings. Watching water flow through the dam’s gates is a spectacular sight. This water serves a catchment area of 432 sq. km.
Check out: Malaprabha Dam, Belagavi
Quick Facts About Shirur Dam
- Built on: River Markandeya
- Type: Concrete Gravity Dam
- Length: 1356 meters
- Height: 39.1 meters
- Full Reservoir Level (FRL): 704 meters
- Maximum Water Level: 704 meters
- Minimum Draw Down Level (MDDL): 690.55 meters
- Gross storage capacity: 3.696 TMC
- Purpose: Irrigation
- Address: Shirur Dam, Basapur, Pachhapur, Belgaum – 591122. (Map)
The Beauty Of The Shirur Dam
Set against the Western Ghats, the dam is impressive at first sight. It has 7 radial crest gates and three canal outlets. Lush greenery abounds on both sides of the reservoir.
During the monsoons, when the water level rises, the gates are opened to make the sight even more spectacular.
Shirur Dam – Nearby Tourist Attractions
If you’re a nature lover, the area around the dam is worth exploring. The Ghataprabha River is also nearby. Other sights to check out in the vicinity include:
Godchinamalki Falls
About an hour’s drive from the dam is the beautiful Godchinamalki Falls. This waterfall is actually made up of two waterfalls. Water first falls down a height of 25 meters into a rocky valley and then falls another 20 meters.
Toy Factory
The Gokak toy factory is famed for its wood-carved toys. Toys are made from a variety of woods including hale, polki and hariwala. There are 144 variants of these toys with the forms of animals, birds, fruits and vegetables being the most popular.
Ghataprabha Bird Sanctuary
This bird sanctuary is known as the landing spot for many migratory birds. Bird watchers come here often in search of the Demoiselle crane, the European white stork and other such birds. It covers an area of 28km along the Ghataprabha River.
How To Reach Shirur Dam
By Road
Shirur is well connected to other parts of Karnataka by the NH 48. It is a distance of around 536 km from Bangalore and 37km from Belgaum. You can drive down in your own car or travel by bus.
By Rail
The Rani Channamma Railway Station in Belgaum is the closest station to the Shirur dam. It is about 42km from the dam and well connected by road. Public and private transport options are available from the station to the dam.
By Air
The Belgaum Airport is 50km away from the dam. One can hire a taxi from here to the dam.