UP's 140-Year-Old 'Parichha Dam' To Receive Global Heritage Irrigation Award In France

Lucknow, August 19: The 140-year-old Parichha Dam in Jhansi has been awarded the prestigious World Heritage Irrigation Structure (WHIS) designation by the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID). The recognition, which will be presented during the 26th ICID International Congress and 77th International Executive Council Meeting in France in October, highlights the dam's significant contribution to irrigation in the region.

Principal Secretary, Irrigation and Water Resources, Anil Garg, announced that the department has received a letter from ICID informing them that the historic dam will be honored with the WHIS Award-26 during the October event in Marseille, France.

Parichha Dam, located on the Betwa River in Jhansi, has been a crucial component of the Betwa Canal System for nearly 140 years. With a length of approximately 1,174 meters and a height of 16.8 meters above the riverbed, the dam features 318 steel gates that regulate and release water as needed. Its water storage capacity, which was previously around 1,700 million cubic feet, has been enhanced to approximately 2,400 million cubic feet.

Despite its age, the dam continues to operate efficiently, providing irrigation to several areas in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh and supplying water to the Parichha Thermal Power Project with a generation capacity of 920 MW.

The dam's construction began in 1881 and it became operational in 1886. Its selection for the WHIS Award-26 is a testament not only to its historical significance but also to the legacy of Bundelkhand's irrigation system, which has supported agriculture and provided water to farmers for generations. The Yogi government is working towards preserving and recognizing the state's historic water structures while simultaneously strengthening modern irrigation infrastructure. This global recognition is a significant outcome of these efforts.