Jamshedpur, April 17: At the foot of Dalma Hills lies Dimna Lake, a stunning artificial reservoir, nestled in the majestic hills and dense forests.
In the late 1930s, Jamshedpur felt that water scarcity could hit the people of the city as the population was growing rapidly. To deal with the crisis, Dimna Nala Water Supply Scheme was introduced. Rainwater from an area of about 36 square miles from the hilly terrain flowed into the Dimna Nala. Nature had provided a readymade basin and a range of hills in such a manner that by closing two small gaps, a large quantity of water could be stored.
The construction began in February 1940. The project was successfully completed, and water was supplied to the city for the first time on April 17, 1944.
The total storage capacity of Dimna Lake is about 120 lakh cubic feet. The spread of water in the lake is approximately two square miles. The lake is 3 and a half miles long and about a mile wide. There are two short dams of the composite type, one 800 ft. long and the second 1,200 ft. long. The maximum height of the dam from the lowest level is 83 feet and the maximum width at the bottom is about 400 ft. An outlet with suitable valves is provided and there are pipelines through which water is carried to Jamshedpur. The source of water generation is rainfall. The harvested rainwater majorly supports local community, biodiversity and municipal water demand of Jamshedpur town during monsoon season.
The reservoir acts as a reserve for the city and Tata Steel in case of water crisis. A popular getaway, the best time to visit this place is at sunrise and sunset.
