Kolhapur Dharan: Dams of Kolhapur District and How to Check Water Storage

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“Dharan” is the Marathi word for a dam, so a search for Kolhapur dharan is a search for the dams of Kolhapur district. Most people typing it want one of two things: how full the dams are right now, or which dams the district has. We cannot give you a live reading, and we will not present an old number as today’s. In this guide, we give you a list of the dams, a dated storage snapshot, the main facts about Radhanagari and a plain way to check current levels.

Every figure below carries its source and date. Where two sources disagree, we show both.

Key Takeaways

• The Marathi word “dharan” (धरण) means dam. Kolhapur dharan searches are about the dams in and around Kolhapur district, with Radhanagari the best known.
• Saamana reported on 25 August 2026 that the district’s 17 dam projects held 92.16 TMC against a capacity of 93.77 TMC. That is a snapshot from two months before this article, not a current reading.
• Agrowon reported on 8 April 2026 that Radhanagari, Kalammawadi and Tulshi together held 14.16 TMC, against 14.85 TMC a year earlier.
• Sources disagree on when Radhanagari was started and finished. We show the spread.
• Maharashtra’s Water Resources Department publishes a daily storage list. When we looked on 25 October 2026, its latest entry was dated 15 October 2026.
• One third-party dam page was headed “20 Oct 2026” but said its data was as of 19 Aug 2026. Always check the “data as of” date.
• For flood and discharge alerts, follow official notices, not social media posts.

What Does Kolhapur Dharan Mean?

A dharan is a dam or reservoir. In Kolhapur district it covers large irrigation dams such as Radhanagari and Tulshi, bigger projects such as Warna and Dudhganga, and many small and medium projects. News reports use the Marathi word in headlines, such as Agrowon’s April 2026 report on adequate storage in the Radhanagari, Kalammawadi and Tulshi dams.

The dams matter because the district depends on its rivers. This article is about the dams, not river gauge readings in the city.

Is Kolhapur Dharan the Same as Kolhapur Dam Water Storage?

Mostly. People use the first phrase to find the dams and the second to find how full they are. We cover both, but we only give dated figures for the second.

Which Dams Does Kolhapur District Have?

Saamana’s report of 25 August 2026 listed 17 dam projects with their storage. Marathi names and spelling vary, so we give the names as the report listed them, in our translation.

Project (as listed)	Stored, TMC	Percent full
Radhanagari	8.27	99
Tulshi	3.46	100
Warna	33.67	98
Dudhganga	25.20	99
Kasari	2.66	96
Kadvi	2.52	100
Kumbhi	2.63	97
Patgaon	3.58	95
Chikotra	1.29	85
Chitri	1.89	100
Jangamhatti	1.22	100
Ghataprabha	1.54	99
Jambhare	0.82	100
Ambeohol	1.24	100
Sarfnala	0.67	100
Dhamani	1.29	34
Kode (lift irrigation)	0.21	100

Source: Saamana, 25 August 2026. Those figures are the report’s own and are two months old. They do not show today’s levels.

What Did the Report Say About the Total?

The report says the 17 projects have a combined capacity of 93.77 TMC and held 92.16 TMC on that day. It adds that the district had earlier faced worries about a delayed monsoon, and that local bodies had to start alternate-day water supply. It then describes steady rain from the start of July. We have not verified the report’s description of events beyond what it says.

Why Is Dhamani So Low in That Table?

The report lists Dhamani at 34 percent. It does not explain why, and we did not find another source that does. Do not draw conclusions from a single line in a table.

What Do the Dam Names Mean for Readers?

Some names in news differ from the names in tables. For example, the Agrowon report names Kalammawadi, while Saamana’s table lists Dudhganga. They may be related, but we did not verify it, so we do not merge them.

What Did October 2026 Reports Say About Water Use From the Kolhapur Dams?

The storage table above is from late August. Reports from October describe a different concern, water planning for the dry months ahead. We read these on 26 October 2026, and each is a news report dated as shown. Things may have changed since, so check with the Kolhapur Municipal Corporation (KMC) or the district office.

• 6 October. The Times of India reported that KMC would enforce a 10% cut in water supply from 16 October, and was considering alternate-day supply for the city and suburbs, possibly before Diwali. It quotes municipal commissioner Rajendra Bharud as saying that the state water resources department had issued an advisory asking local bodies to conserve water, and that water in the Kalammawadi and Radhanagari dams needs to last until August 2027. He is quoted as saying the El Nino effect is expected to continue until August 2027. KMC lifts about 200 to 210 million litres a day, the report says. Read the Times of India report.
• 14 October. Zaobao India reported that KMC would cut the daily supply time from two hours to one and a half hours from that Friday, and that the collector, Dr Vijay Rathod, directed a 10% buffer stock in all dams, excluding dead storage, at a district drought monitoring committee meeting. It says the move came despite public opposition and full storage in the Radhanagari and Kalammawadi dams, and that alternate-day supply was still only under consideration. Read the Zaobao India report. The same day, eSakal reported the collector’s order for a 10% buffer stock in each dam, with drinking water as the top priority.

What this means for reading dam figures: a dam can be nearly full and the authorities can still ask people to use less, because the aim in these reports is to make the stored water last until the next monsoon. These reports do not give a dam level for October, and we have not found one for this guide, so a full storage figure from August is not evidence about water supply in November. Residents were also reported to be asking for leaks and illegal connections to be dealt with first. We did not verify those claims.

What Was the Storage Earlier in the Year?

Agrowon reported on 8 April 2026 that Radhanagari, Kalammawadi and Tulshi together held about 14.16 TMC, almost the same as the previous year, when they held 14.85 TMC. The report’s headline says the storage was adequate. That was a spring figure, before the monsoon, so it shows how much water was left at that time and nothing about the monsoon since.

The comparison is useful in one way: dam storage changes a lot over a year. A single number without a date cannot tell you anything.

What Do We Know About Radhanagari, the Best-Known Kolhapur Dharan?

Radhanagari is the dam most people mean when they say Kolhapur dharan. Wikipedia describes it as a gravity dam on the Bhogawati river near Radhanagari, used for irrigation and hydroelectricity, with a height of 42.68 m and a length of 1,143 m. It says construction was initiated by Rajarshi Shahu on 18 February 1907.

The Times of India (7 July 2025) gives a different timeline. It calls it the oldest dam in Maharashtra, says construction started in 1909 with funding from Rajarshi Shahu Maharaj, and says it was completed in 1935 and came into full use three years later. It also reports that radial gates with a discharge capacity of 64,000 cusecs would be fitted.

Detail	Wikipedia	Times of India (7 July 2025)
Start of construction	18 February 1907	1909
Completion	Opening date shown as 1954, with stages 1909-1918 and 1939-1954	1935, full use three years later

We do not settle this. If you need a date for a school project or a publication, check a primary or official source.

The dam is a separate attraction from the nearby Radhanagari Wildlife Sanctuary, which our Kolhapur tourist places guide covers as a nature day trip.

What Are the Automatic Gates?

Several reports describe seven automatic gates at Radhanagari. An eSakal web story (26 July 2025) says each gate releases 1,470 cusecs, and Wikipedia says the gates work without electrical or mechanical power. These are the sources’ descriptions. We did not inspect the dam, and the Times of India report says new radial gates were planned, so the gate arrangement may change.

How Is Radhanagari Linked to Kolhapur City?

Wikipedia says the city’s water needs are satisfied through the dam and that it supports agriculture and the jaggery industry. That is a general statement without a date, so check the municipal corporation for current supply details.

How Do You Read a Kolhapur Dam Water Storage Figure?

Three numbers show up in most reports, and mixing them up is the most common mistake. Capacity is how much a dam can hold. Storage is how much it holds on a given day. The percentage is storage divided by capacity. Saamana’s 25 August report gives all three kinds: a combined capacity of 93.77 TMC for 17 projects, 92.16 TMC stored and a percentage for each project.

TMC stands for thousand million cubic feet, a unit used in Indian water reporting. Some official documents use cubic metres instead, so check the unit before you compare two sources. Cusecs, which describe how fast water flows out, are a different unit again.

Why Does the Percentage Matter More Than the Volume?

A small dam can be 100 percent full and still hold little water. In the Saamana table, Tulshi is at 100 percent with 3.46 TMC, while Warna is at 98 percent with 33.67 TMC. If you only look at the percentage, you will not see that Warna holds about ten times as much. If you only look at the volume, you will not see which dams have room left. Read both.

What About Older Documents?

Older government and academic documents describe the projects in detail, but their figures are old and often in other units. One example is a document on major and minor irrigation projects in the district, hosted on lbp.world, which describes the Tulshi project. It says construction began in 1972 and was completed in 1978, with a dam height of 48.6 m and a capacity of 98.29 million cubic metres. We do not know when the document was written, so use it for background only. A current figure needs a current source.

How Do You Check the Radhanagari Dam Water Level and Other Kolhapur Dharan Figures?

Use an official source and check its date.

1. The Water Resources Department of Maharashtra publishes a daily storage list. When we opened it on 25 October 2026, the latest entry titled “today’s water storage” was dated 15 October 2026. So even the official page may lag by days.
2. The department’s Pravah dashboard says it shows storage, trends and alerts for dams and reservoirs across the state.
3. Local news reports often quote the engineers’ daily figures during the monsoon. Use the report’s date, not the day you read it.

Why Is the “Data as of” Date Important?

One third-party page we found, mumbaiwaterlevel.com’s Kolhapur page, carries the heading “Kolhapur Dam Water Levels Today (20 Oct 2026)” and also says “Data as of 19 Aug 2026”. The heading date and the data date are about two months apart. A reader skimming the title would think the numbers were from 20 October. This is why we do not copy any “today” numbers from third-party sites.

What About Discharge and Cusecs?

Discharge is the water released from a dam, often quoted in cusecs. Saamana’s 25 August report listed discharges that day, such as 1,400 cusecs from Radhanagari and 1,400 from Warna. Those are old. For kolhapur dam discharge during a flood watch, rely on official alerts from the district administration and the Water Resources Department.

Why Do Kolhapur Dharan Numbers Matter?

Dam storage decides how much water is left for farms and towns in the dry months. The Saamana report of 25 August 2026 shows how fast the picture can change: it says that in June the rains were late and local bodies had to move to alternate-day water supply, and that by late August the dams were nearly full after steady rain from July. That is the report’s account, in our translation.

For readers, the lesson is simple. A Kolhapur dharan figure from spring tells you about spring, and one from August tells you about August. When you plan around water, whether for a trip, a farm or a news story, look for the newest dated figure and say its date out loud.

What Should You Do During Heavy Rain?

We are not giving safety instructions beyond a basic one: follow official alerts. If you live near a river, pay attention to notices from the district administration, and do not rely on forwarded messages.

Can You Visit the Dams?

We did not find a verified visiting policy for the dams. Access rules, timings and safety restrictions change, especially in the monsoon. Check with the local authority before you plan a trip, and follow any signs at the site.

What Practical Tools Help You Plan?

• The WRD daily storage list for the latest official figures and the date they were published.
• The Pravah dashboard for state-level storage and alerts.
• News reports with a clear date, for local context such as discharge.
• A notes app to record each figure with its source and date.

What Should You Do Next?

1. Decide what you need: a list of dams, a storage figure or discharge alerts.
2. Open the official list and note the date on it.
3. Compare with a dated news report if you need local detail.
4. Write down each figure with its source and date.
5. Check again before you rely on it, because dam levels change.

Frequently Asked Questions About Kolhapur Dharan

What does Kolhapur dharan mean?

Dharan is the Marathi word for dam. A Kolhapur dharan search is a search for the dams of Kolhapur district.

What is the Radhanagari dam water level today?

We cannot give a live figure. Check the Water Resources Department’s daily storage list and note its date. Saamana reported 99 percent for Radhanagari on 25 August 2026, which is an old figure.

How many dams are in Kolhapur district?

Saamana’s 25 August 2026 report listed 17 dam projects. Other lists may count small tanks as well, so the number depends on the list.

When was Radhanagari dam built?

Sources differ. Wikipedia says construction was initiated on 18 February 1907, and the Times of India says it started in 1909 and was completed in 1935.

Is there a Kolhapur dam discharge update?

Discharge changes by the hour in heavy rain. Follow official alerts from the district administration and the Water Resources Department.

Where can you see a Kolhapur dams list?

The table above is the 17-project list from Saamana’s 25 August 2026 report. The Water Resources Department also publishes storage lists.

Conclusion

Kolhapur dharan means the dams of the district, and Radhanagari is the best known. The figures change through the year, so any number is only as good as its date. Use an official source, write down the date and be careful with pages that show “today” in the heading but older data underneath.

Written by LocalReports Editorial Team

Disclosure: This article was drafted with AI assistance and was reviewed by the Local Reports Editorial Team. Storage figures come from news reports and an official page read on 25 October 2026 and are shown with their own dates; they are not current readings. Marathi source text was translated by us. Dam history dates conflict between sources and are not settled here. Please check the Water Resources Department for current levels.