Dowleswaram Barrage


The Dowleswaram Barrage was an irrigation structure originally built in 1850 on the lower stretch of the Godavari River before it empties into the Bay of Bengal. It was rebuilt in 1970 when it was officially renamed the Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage / Godavari Barrage.

Geography

The Godavari River empties its water into the Bay of Bengal after flowing nearly fifty miles from the Dowleswaram Barrage. Rajamahendravaram is a city situated on the left bank of Godavari River. Upstream, where the river is divided into two streams; the Gautami to the left and the Vasistha to the right, forms the joining line between the West Godavari and the East Godavari districts. The dam alignment crosses two mid stream islands.

Original Dowleswaram Barrage

The original Dowleswaram Barrage was built by a British irrigation engineer, Sir Arthur Thomas Cotton and completed in 1850. The barrage was constructed in four sections, which allowed flood passage during the construction period. The Dowleswaram Barrage was 15 feet high and 3.5 km long.
Cotton's many projects averted famines and stimulated the economy of southern India. Before this barrage was constructed many hectares of land has been flooded with water and was unused. The water would be worthlessly going into sea. But when Sir Arthur Thomas Cotton had built the barrage those unused lands were brought into cultivation and the water was stored and used. The Cotton Museum was constructed on behalf of Cotton's memory. It is a tourist attraction in Rajahmundry.

Modern Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage / Godavari Barrage

In 1970, the barrage was heightened to 10.6 m. The reservoir has 3.12 Tmcft gross storage capacity and dead storage of 2.02 Tmcft at MSL.