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Khadakwasla is a dam situated 20 km from the City of Pune in Maharashtra,
India. This dam is one of the main sources of water for Pune. In the
vicinity of the dam, there is a Dental Centre, a Veterinary Hospital,
the well-known National Defence Academy and Central Water & Power
Research Station (CWPRS).
Just a few
kilometres up the road, lies Sinhagad Fort and the twin dams of Panshet
and Varasgaon which mainly supply water for irrigation. In 1961, the
Khadakwasla Dam had to be blown, as the Panshet Dam overflowed, causing
devastating floods in Pune. The dam
was later rebuilt. The original dam, built in 1879 as a masonry gravity
dam was the first of its kind in the world. |
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Many
people come here on weekends and during the monsoon season. Scenic
places around the dam include Peacock Bay, Kudje village, and
Neelkanteshwar, located near Bahuli village just past Kudje. The
Sinhagad road, bordering the dam, has become a favorite picnic spot too.
There is a "chowpatty" offering food and non-alcoholic drinks.
Getting There
By Air: Pune’s nearest airport located at Lohegaon,
Pune Airport, approximately
10 km from the city centre. Daily flights connect it to Mumbai and Delhi
as well as to other major cities such as Bangalore, Hyderabad and
Chennai. Private cabs, auto rickshaws or city-airport shuttle buses will
cover the distance from the airport to the city centre.
By Rail: Pune is one of the most important rail junctions in the Central
railways zone of Indian Railways. Plenty of trains connect it to major
destinations in the south, north and west of the country by mail,
express and superfast trains. The Deccan Queen and Shatabdi Express are
fast commuter trains from/to Mumbai, with travelling time of
three-and-a-half hours approximately.
By Bus: Maharashtra state roadways buses and buses operated by private
companies connect the different places in the state to Pune as well as
destinations in the neighbouring states of Karnataka, Goa and Andhra
Pradesh. Most people travelling to Pune from Mumbai, Nasik or Aurangabad
prefer to do so by road as the distance between Mumbai-Pune is 170 km,
Nashik-Pune 209 km and Aurangabad-Pune is 230 km. The roads are well
maintained with conveniently located motels and service stations enroute.
Getting Around Pune
Metered taxis and auto rickshaws ply the city streets; the latter are
the most popular mode of transport in Pune as they are economical and
fast. Pune Municipal Transport (PMT) buses reach every part of the city
and the suburbs from the terminals at Swargate, Deccan Gymkhana, Pune
Station, Shivaji Nagar Station, M G Bus Stand, Pune Corporation and
Saras Baug.
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