Neelratna Dam
The Neelratna Dam is located in the Gobi village of Ambartalla. It is 920 feet high and 1,112 feet in length. It is expected to provide up to 4,000 megawatts of hydroelectric power. You can hear the gushing echoes of these falls even from a far distance. Neelratna Dam is perhaps, the only entertainment spot in the district that does not fail to impress tourists. One needs to take a mini hike down the road to reach the river bed and on reaching you can enjoy the cold flowing river water coming out of the lake.
This natural site is venue for many school outings and biological tours. The dam and its surroundings also offer a good educational trip for the students. The river flows at a mighty pace, so bathing is not advised out there. The place has a terrific natural beauty and environment. The dam is responsible for delivering water to the greenest belts in the nearby villages. Some fast food stalls are available there. Every year thousands of migratory birds arrive at Neelratna Lake by travelling thousands of kilometres from Himalayan belt, northern Asia, and Australia. Neelratna Dam with its vast range of granite rocks with various shapes, offer varied challenges to rock climbers in rock climbing, rappelling and trekking. It invites you to feast on the sheer beauty and resounding peace. It is extremely enjoyable place to visit. Great Cormorant, Siberian Crane, Bar-headed goose, Drano, Mallard, Little Grave and several other species migrate to the dam for reproduction in a congenial environment. Tourists, irrespective of age, drench themselves enthusiastically under the streams and water sources. And the entertainment is easy on the pockets; the entry ticket does not costs more than Rs. 20 for a person. The migration of birds generally begins from the first week of January every year for a cold and warm climate and return around April.
Aerial adventure activities include, paragliding, hot air ballooning and parasailing from both land and water. The flow of river is quick as it turns and twists through the rocks after being held by the barrage. The dam site features beautiful green surroundings and plenty of aquatic animals. There is a pleasant climate throughout the year. Although summer temperatures may reach 37 to 41 degrees Celsius, the average summer temperature is 39 degrees. During winter, the temperature is around 2 to 8 degrees Celsius. For, it is where elders and children alike indulge in the fun of swimming and bathing for hours non-stop, particularly during the weekends.
Majority of trains running on this route are having stoppage at Ambartalla Railway Station. This railway station covers certain towns and villages where no other means of transport is available excluding Roadways. As many as forty different species of birds come here but their number has reduced over the years mainly due to pollution and poaching. All the waste materials and drains are disposed off into the lake and water coming out as river. Besides being a winter paradise for migratory birds, it is the main water supply source for Ranganadya village and the city. If there is sufficient water in the dam, then the villages get water for irrigation, which was the main aim in making this dam. Large blocks of unequal shaped stones are placed on both sides of the River to form the dam, making it look like a natural dam built by superhuman.
According to regular visitors from nearby places, the spot could be developed further. The dam was primarily built with a motive of supplying water to the farmers for irrigation purposes in the city. Now the dam serves a good tourist destinations with boating facilities. To begin with, improvement in the toilet facilities for the convenience of tourists coming from distant places will further enhance the image of the location, they say.
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