Varasgaon is a

dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use ...

on the Mose river which supplies water to city of

Pune Pune (; ; also known as Poona, ( the official name from 1818 until 1978) is one of the most important industrial and educational hubs of India, with an estimated population of 7.4 million As of 2021, Pune Metropolitan Region is the largest i ...

, Maharashtra,

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. It is situated on Mose river. It is also called Veer Baaji Pasalkar Dam. It is one of the three major dams which provide water to

city. It is located around 40 km from

city. The Panshet dam is adjacent to Varasgaon dam, and together both have become a popular picnic spots. During the monsoon or just after monsoon the hills around are lush green with plenty of

waterfall A waterfall is a point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf. Waterfalls can be formed in severa ...

. Water sports are also played in this dam.

Impact of Lavasa

About 30 minutes from Varasgaon is

Lavasa Lavasa ( Marathi: , lavāsā) is a private, planned city built near Pune, India. It is stylistically based on the Italian town Portofino, with a street and several buildings bearing the name of that town. A or project being developed by HCC, ...

whose construction was halted by the Bombay High Court on 7 December 2010, partially due to the proximity as it is feared that it could lead to contamination of water supply to Pune. Apart from this, around 18 indigenous tribal villages were displaced with meager or no compensation due to the Lavasa project. Villagers have reported misappropriation of land (in the name of agricultural irrigation) through compensation cheques that bounced on depositing and agents that threaten the locals with death if the land wasn't sold to them. Some were relocated to hill tops where Varasgaon water was then supplied to them by tankers.

References

External links

Varasgaon Dam

{{Hydrography of Maharashtra Tourist attractions in Pune Dams in Pune district Year of establishment missing