Sunei Dam 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, aqua ...

located in

Odisha, India Odisha (), formerly Orissa ( the official name until 2011), is a state located in Eastern India. It is the eighth-largest state by area, and the eleventh-largest by population, with over 41 million inhabitants. The state also has the third ...

.Sunei Dam is located at latitude 21° 28‘ N, longitude 87° 28’ E, at Salchua village of

Kaptipada Kaptipada is a community development block that forms an administrative division in Kaptipada subdivision of Mayurbhanj district in the Indian state of Odisha. Kaptipada was a Kaptipada estate, which was merged with Mayurbhanj State in 1890. D ...

block, about 21 km south of Udala town. The drainage area of Sunei up to the confluence with the Burhabalanga river is nearly 1200 km², while the catchment area of the dam site is 227 km sq.

History

The Sunei irrigation project was conceived in 1963 to establish a reservoir system along the Sono river and its tributaries to support agriculture with sufficient water supply. Construction of the Sunei irrigation system began in 1977 and was completed by 1987. Initially, it was intended to cover 7,200 hectares, but in the 1980s, the service area was expanded to the 12,500 hectares. This extension included the Barahmpur area of Balasore district, extending from Radho Dam, the terminal point of the Sunei irrigation project. The reservoir was filled in 1983, with full operation of the Mayurbhanj portion achieved in 1990, followed by the Balasore portion in 1992.

Construction

The Sunei Medium Irrigation scheme is located in the Northeast of Orissa State, in the Burhabalanga river basin, which outfalls to the

Bay of Bengal The Bay of Bengal is the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. Geographically it is positioned between the Indian subcontinent and the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese peninsula, located below the Bengal region. Many South Asian and Southe ...

. The Sono river, a tributary of the Burhabalanga, originates from the Similipal hill range in Mayurbhanj District, travels in the districts of Mayurbhanj meets the river Burhabalanga, after travelling 80 km from its source. The Chief Engineer were C.E. & B.M., S.& B. Basin, Laxmiposi, Baripada

Features

Description

The Sunei scheme is surrounded with lush green forests, with thick coverage in the Similipal region, thinning towards the periphery. The Similipal National Park and its tiger reserve, and the Similipal-Kuldiha-Hadagarh Elephant Reserve are situated to the north of the scheme. (Both the reserves constitute part of the

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

world network of Biosphere Reserve since 2009) Similarly Devkunda, a divine scenic spot popular with tourists due to its water fall and natural beauty, is situated 25 km from Udala and 3 km from

. The height of the dam is 30m and the length of the dam 2134m.

Distance

*7 km from Kaptiada *14 km from Udala *60 km from

Baripada Baripada () is a city and a municipality in Mayurbhanj district in the state of Odisha, India. Located along the east bank of the Budhabalanga river, Baripada is the cultural centre of north Odisha. In recent years, it has emerged as an e ...

History

Construction

Features

Description

Distance

References

Further reading