Risala Dam, Nandalpar, Maharashtra

Risala Dam, Nandalpar, Maharashtra

Risala Dam is an earthfill dam on Risala River located in Nandalpar Village in Tirora Taluk in Gondia District in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is situated in the Nagzira National Park. The dam was constructed in 1967 by the Government of Maharashtra.

The Dam

This dam is an earth fill gravity dam built across the Risala River. The height of the dam above lowest foundation is 19.2 m (63 ft) while the length is 205 m (762.5 ft). The maximum / gross storage capacity is 6.359 MCM. The dam is also a popular tourist attraction and known for its scenic beauty.

Connectivity

The dam is located at about 12 Kms from Kardi Bus Stop, 19 Kms from Tirora Bus Stand, 20 Kms from Tirora, 22 Kms from Tirora Railway Station, 36 Kms from Bhandara, 52 Kms from Gondia and 106 Kms from Nagpur Airport. The dam is situated at about 12 Kms to the east of Kardi Bus Stop on Tirora to Bhandara route.

Location

Chorkhamara Dam, Chorkhamara, Maharashtra

Chorkhamara Dam, Chorkhamara, Maharashtra

Chorkhamara Dam is an earthfill dam on Sasanda River located in Chorkhamara Village in Tirora Taluk in Gondia District in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is situated in the Nagzira National Park. The dam was constructed in 1923 during the British Raj.

The Dam

This dam is an earth fill gravity dam built across the Sasanda River. The height of the dam above lowest foundation is 21.05 m (69.1 ft) while the length is 1,178 m (3,865 ft). The volume content is 300 km3 (72 cu mi) and gross storage capacity is 21,051.00 km3 (5,050.40 cu mi). The dam is also a popular tourist attraction and known for its scenic beauty.

Connectivity

The dam is located at about 6 Kms from Wadegaon, 17 Kms from Tirora, 17 Kms from Tirora Bus Stand, 19 Kms from Tirora Railway Station, 35 Kms from Sakoli, 43 Kms from Bhandara, 47 Kms from Gondia, and 133 Kms from Nagpur Airport. The dam is situated on the Tirora to Goregaon route. The dam is situated on the Tirora to Sakoli route via Wadegaon.

Location

Bodalkasa Dam, Bodalkasa, Maharashtra

Bodalkasa Dam, Bodalkasa, Maharashtra

Bodalkasa Dam is an earthfill dam on Bhagdeogoti River located in Bodalkasa Village in Tirora Taluk in Gondia District in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is situated in the Nagzira National Park. The dam was constructed in 1917 by the British Raj.

The Dam

This dam is an earth fill gravity dam built across the Bhagdeogoti River. The height of the dam above lowest foundation is 19.2 m (63 ft) while the length is 510 m (1,670 ft). The volume content is 0.010762 km3 (0.002582 cu mi) and gross storage capacity is 0.017392 km3 (0.004173 cu mi). The dam is also a popular tourist attraction and known for its scenic beauty. A Maharashtra Government Rest house is situated near to this dam.

Connectivity

The dam is located at about 14 Kms from Tirora, 15 Kms from Tirora Bus Stand, 16 Kms from Tirora Railway Station, 26 Kms from Goregaon, 35 Kms from Gondia, 59 Kms from Bhandara and 133 Kms from Nagpur Airport. The dam is situated on the Tirora to Goregaon route.

Location

Nagzira National Park – Safari

Nagzira National Park – Safari

Jeep Safari Timings:

Season	Morning Timings	Evening Timings
1 Oct – 30 Nov	6:00 am – 10:00 am	2:30 pm – 6:30 pm
1 Dec – 29 Feb	6:30 am – 11:00 am	2:00 pm – 6:00 pm
1 Mar – 29 Apr	5:30 am -10:00 am	3:00 pm – 6:30 pm
1 May – 5 Jun	5:00 am – 9:30 am	3:30 pm – 7:00 pm
16 Jun – 30 Sep	Closed	Closed

Safari Gates:

Entry for	Entry gates
Nagzira	·      Mangezari ·      Chorakhmara Gate 1 ·      Chorakhmara Gate 2 ·      Pitezari
New Nagzira	·      Chorakhmara Gate 1 ·      Chorakhmara Gate 2 ·      Umarzari
Nawegaon	·      Jambhadi ·      Kholi ·      Baki ·      Pitambartola Gate

Safari Jeeps Entry:

Entry Gates	No of Vehicles in the Mornings	No of Vehicles in the Evenings
Pitezari	11	11
Mangezari	3	3
Chorakhmara Gate 1	6	6
Umarzari	7	7
Chorakhmara Gate 2	5	5
Chandrapur Gate (Koka)	5	5
Jambhadi	3	3
Pitambartola	5	5
Kholi	3	3
Baki	3	3

Please note that the Forest department is not providing any vehicles. Only recognized private vehicles are available for the safari. The number of persons per vehicle shall be six visitors, one guide and one driver.

Nagzira National Park – The National Park

Nagzira National Park – The National Park

The national park is considered as an oasis in the easternmost part of Maharashtra, the Vidarbha region. The national park is an important connecting link for the movement of tigers between Pench Tiger Reserve (Maharashtra) and Indravati Tiger Reserve (Chhattisgarh). The national park covers an area of about 655 sq. kms (253 sq. miles). It is divided into two main sections, with Navegaon Wildlife Sanctuary in the north and Nagzira Wildlife Sanctuary in the south. The landscape is characterized by undulating terrain with gentle hills and valleys.

It is surrounded by dense forests, grasslands, and water bodies, creating a diverse habitat for various wildlife species. The national park has two perennial tanks, one in Nagzira and the other in Thadezari. These two tanks guarantee a source of water to wildlife throughout the year. The sanctuary was visited by 30,000 tourists annually. The best time to visit this national park is during winter (Oct-Feb). The park is closed during monsoon (Jun-Sep). The park remains closed on Thursdays.

Flora:

For brief details, please refer below link;

https://explore-natural-beauty-of-india.blogspot.com/2025/02/nagzira-national-park-flora.html

Fauna:

For brief details, please refer below link;

https://explore-natural-beauty-of-india.blogspot.com/2025/02/nagzira-national-park-fauna.html

Nagzira Lake:

Nagzira Lake is situated at the heart of the Nagzira National Park. It is a significant water body in the national park and provides a source of water for the wildlife in the area. The lake is surrounded by lush greenery and offers a serene environment for nature lovers. Birdwatching and boating are also popular activities around Nagzira Lake.

Museum and Interpretation Center:

It is located inside Nagzira Tourist Complex and used for conservation education of the visitors. Varieties of stuffed birds can be seen here in showcases. Photographs on wildlife, pugmarks, hoot-prints, plaster casts, animal models and butterflies are displayed in the museum. The interpretation center is used as an auditorium to screen informative films and slides on wildlife, forests, and nature.

Watch Towers & Cabins:

There are five watch cabins and five watchtowers located within the sanctuary. These watch towers and cabins are observing the wildlife in the sanctuary.

Nagzira National Park – The Fauna

Nagzira National Park – The Fauna

There are about 34 species of mammals, 166 species of birds including migratory land and water birds, 36 species of reptiles and about 4 species of amphibia and several fishes in this national park.

Mammals:

There are nearly 34 species of mammal belonging to about 8 natural orders and 16 families are seen in this national park, out of which about 14 species are of endangered status. Some of the notable mammals found here are Bengal tiger, Indian leopard, jungle cat, small Indian civet, Asian palm civet, Indian wolf, golden jackal, sloth bear, honey badger, Indian giant flying squirrel, gaur, four-horned antelope, spotted deer, sambar deer, nilgai, Indian spotted chevrotain, elephant, and Indian pangolin.

Reptiles:

There are about 36 species of reptiles belonging to 2 natural orders and 11 families out of which about 6 species are of endangered status namely Indian rock python, Dhaman, Indian cobra, Russell’s viper, checkered keelback and Bengal monitor lizard.

Invertebrates:

The invertebrate fauna includes a number of butterflies and other insect species. There are about 49 butterfly species belonging to 9 families, can be found in this national park. The most prominent butterflies include the common rose, common Mormon, lime butterfly, common sailor, common Indian crow, and black rajah.

Birds:

There are about 166 species belonging to about 16 different orders and 47 families are found in this national park. About 15 species of migratory birds and 42 species of local migrants are reported from this national park. The bar-headed goose is a winter migrant from Ladakh and Tibet and inhabits Chorkhamara tank located adjoining the national park. There are 13 bird species of endangered status are reported here including Indian peafowl and the birds belonging to the Accipitridae family. Some of the birds found here are Red-collared Dove, Spotted Dove, Common Hawk-Cuckoo, Black-Winged Kite, Egret and Cormorant.

Amphibians:

There are about four species of amphibians in this national park. Some of them are tree frogs, bull frogs, six-toed frogs, an uncommon toad, and Ramanella Montana.

Fishes:

The Nagzira lake and the other waterbodies in and around this national park abound in many varieties of fresh water fishes.