Bhimgoda Barrage

The Bhimgoda Barrage, also referred to as the Bhimgoda Weir or Bhimgoda Head Works, is a barrage on the Ganges River at Har ki Pauri near Haridwar in Haridwar district, Uttarakhand, India. Built as the headworks of the Upper Ganges Canal, an initial barrage was completed by 1854 and replaced twice; the final one completed in 1983. The primary purpose for the barrage is irrigation but it also serves to provide water for hydroelectric power production and control floods. The area behind the barrage is known as the Neel Dhara Bird Sanctuary and is a popular destination for various waterbirds and tourists.
Background.
The initial barrage was constructed between 1840 and 1854 to supply the Upper Ganges Canal with water and control flooding. This was done during a significant period of infrastructure development in India. Lord Dalhousie, the Governor-General of India at the time inaugurated the project. A permanent barrage was later erected upstream of the barrage between 1913 and 1920 to support the canal better. A new barrage was constructed downstream between 1979 and 1983 to replace the older barrage upstream. The Pathri and Mohanpur Mohammadpur Power Plants along the canal's length were commissioned in 1955 and 1952, respectively.
Design and operation.
The barrage is long and sits at the head of a catchment area. It contains 15 spillways gates and 7 undersluice gates, all wide. The flood discharge of the barrage is . Adjacent to it, on the right bank of the river, the barrage diverts water into the Upper Ganges Canal. The canal system is immense, consisting of of main canal and branches, providing irrigation for up to . At a distance of down the main canal, water reaches the 20.4 MW Pathri Power Plant at . It contains three 6.8 MW Kaplan turbine-generators and has a design hydraulic head of . Further down the main canal, and south of Manglaur, is the 9.3 MW Mohammadpur Power Plant at . It contains three 3.1 MW Kaplan turbine-generators and has a design head of . The design discharge of both power plants is about . Although both power plants are owned by Uttaranchal Jal Vidyut Nigam Ltd., canal flows are regulated by the Uttar Pradesh Irrigation Department.