Durgapur Barrage is situated across the Damodar River in Durgapur. It is located in the Burdwan district of West Bengal. It is a major part of the Damodar Valley Project creating hydroelectricity from Damodar and its tributary Barakar River. Durgapur Barrage constructed downstream is controlled by the government of West Bengal. The dam’s control along with the canal network was handed over to the West Bengal Government in the year 1964.
The Durgapur Barrage was built in 1955 to a length of 692 meters and height of 12 meters. The barrage constitutes 34 gates sized 18.3m ×4.9m. The tally of 34 is reached by taking into account the under sluices as well. The right and left under sluices are 18.3m x 5.5 m (60 ft x 18 ft). Among the canals, the right bank main canal is 88.5 kilometers long while the left main canal is 136.8 kilometers long. Besides the main canals there are also branches which make an accumulated length of 2,494 kilometers. The left bank canal discharges 260 cubic meters per second whereas the right bank canal discharges 64.3 cubic meters per second. The catchment area of the Damodar-Barakar Basin is 19,547 square kilometers. The linear waterway is 622 meters.
A few steps ahead from the main barrage is a canal. There is a short foot bridge. Try to have a look the lock gate is open. Enjoy the thrill in your body.
How to Reach
Arriving at Durgapur Barrage is easy because it can be easily accessed from all quarters of the country. The nearest airport to the barrage is Dhanbad airport which is situated at a distance of 94 kilometers. The nearest railway station is the Durgapur Junction Station located only 2 kilometers from the barrage making it easy for people to reach the barrage.
Other attractions near Durgapur Barrage
When you are through with the barrage, you can take a look around because there are quite a few places of interest nearby. Within a radius of 2-5 kilometers, there is the Durga Statue, Makalir Mandir, Ram Mandir, Loknath Babas Mandir and also Bhabani Pathak’s Cave and Tilla. The City Center Church and the Kumaramangala Park are also closeby.
If you are in a mood to shop or just wish to pick up a souvenir you can visit the Muchipara Market, and CBI Mamra Bazaar, Lal Bazaar which are within 5 kilometers of the Durgapur Barrage. The Faridpur Mini market is 7 kilometers from the barrage. There are also a couple of malls among which the Junction Mall and the Suhatta Shopping Mall are famous. If you wish to beat your fatigue, then catch a sip of your favorite drink at the High Octane Pub.