Kukadi River#Kukadi Irrigation Project
Kukadi River (alternate spelling: Kukdi) is a river of Maharashtra, India, a tributary of the Ghod River.{{cite book|author=Babar, Md.|title=Hydrogeomorphology: Fundamentals, Applications and Techniques|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HetiC6uWB2kC&pg=PA151|accessdate=11 September 2011|date=1 January 2005|publisher=New India Publishing|isbn=978-81-89422-01-1|page=151}} Its origin is near Kukdeshwar, where Lord Mahadeva's ancient temple is situated on the origin of Kukadi River. Several notable temples lie on its banks including the Vigneshwara Temple, Ozar and Malanga Devi temple. The Yedgaon Dam dams the river, creating an artificial lake.{{cite book|last=Mamoria|first=C. B.|title=Geography of India: agricultural geography|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=y5E_AAAAYAAJ|accessdate=11 September 2011|year=1975|publisher=Shiva Lal Agarwala}} During the months when it is visible, the riverbed is considered to be a wonder of nature, characterized by rock erosion from water movement and gorges that are gouged with large potholes. Folk tales abound about the river. The river valley is characterized by grape vineyards.{{cite book|last=Singh|first=Sanjay|title=Yatra2Yatra|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kWqPwWpkhg0C&pg=PA220|accessdate=13 September 2011|year=2009|publisher=Yatra2Yatra|pages=220–|id=GGKEY:LTN9ZD2D2Y0}}
Geography
Coordinates:
:At Junnar {{Coord|19|13|2|N|73|52|0|E|type:waterbody|display=inline}}
:Mouth: {{Coord|18|51|20|N|74|18|23|E|type:waterbody|display=inline,title}}
The Kukadi, originating in the Western Ghats, is an easterly flowing tributary of the Ghod.{{cite book|author=Deccan College Post-graduate and Research Institute|title=Bulletin of the Deccan College Research Institute|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=THhDAAAAYAAJ|accessdate=13 September 2011|year=1986|publisher=Dr. A. M. Ghatage, director, Deccan College Postgraduate and Research Institute|page=47}} The source of the river lies in the Western Ghats near Naneghat.{{cite web|url=http://www.ias.ac.in/currsci/feb252009/461.pdf|title=Breccia filled inflation clefts on the banks of the Kukadi River near Hanewadi, Ahmednagar District, Maharashtra|publisher=Scientific Correspondence, Indian Academy of Sciences|accessdate=11 September 2011}} The river passes to the north of Junnar and is situated outside Nighoj, near a road to Shirur.{{cite book|last=Gunaji|first=Milind|title=Offbeat tracks in Maharashtra|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JIjmDLardesC&pg=PA231|accessdate=11 September 2011|year=2003|publisher=Popular Prakashan|isbn=978-81-7154-669-5|pages=231–}} The Kukadi's tributaries include the tributeeies from the villages of Dimbhe, Manikdoh, Pimplegaon Joge, Wadaj, and Yedgaon. The river rises in the Western Ghat's high rainfall zone where the annual rainfall is greater than {{convert|4000|mm}}.{{cite book|author=Geological Society of India|title=Journal of the Geological Society of India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TWgdAQAAIAAJ|accessdate=13 September 2011|year=2004|publisher=Geological Society of India|page=482}}
Projects
=Kukadi L.B. Canal Project=
In 1900, the Kukadi L.B. Canal Project conducted a survey to ascertain whether the Ghod River supply could be combined with the Kukadi to supply the famine area of Solapur. The low-level rising contour, started from Kem, Maharashtra in the previous year, was continued and completed up to the Kukadi River. A canal line was also aligned from that river up to the Ghod River. Three more contours were run for the Nirgudsar Tank on the latter river, and an alternative dam site was examined at Sakora. The surveys, difficult and extensive, indicated that the Ghod water could be made available for the famine districts.{{cite book|author=Bombay (India : State). Public Works Dept|title=Irrigation administration report|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4slXAAAAYAAJ&pg=PR10|accessdate=13 September 2011|edition=Now in the public domain.|year=1900|publisher=Govt. Central Press|pages=x–}}
=Kukadi Irrigation Project=
The Kukadi Irrigation Project is a program underway by the Maharashtra Krishna Valley Development Corporation. Approved in 1968, it is almost complete, with the remaining work on some of the distributary systems still in process. It includes five storage dams across the five tributaries;{{cite web|url=http://www.kukadiprojects.com/kukadiprojects/Pages/Home.aspx|title=KUKADI PROJECT CIRCLE,PUNE|publisher=Maharashtra Krishna Valley Development Corporation|accessdate=11 September 2011|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120326002704/http://www.kukadiprojects.com/kukadiprojects/Pages/Home.aspx|archivedate=26 March 2012}} viz. Yedgaon Dam, Manikdoh Dam, Dimbhe Dam, Wadaj Dam and Pimpalgaon Joge Dam.{{cite web | url=http://india-wris.nrsc.gov.in/wrpinfo/index.php?title=Kukadi_Major_Irrigation_Project_JI00460 | title=Kukadi Major Irrigation Project JI00460 | accessdate=February 25, 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208140313/http://india-wris.nrsc.gov.in/wrpinfo/index.php?title=Kukadi_Major_Irrigation_Project_JI00460 | archive-date=December 8, 2015 | url-status=dead }}