Vaitarna Dam is in the Palghar and Nashik districts of Maharashtra. It is constructed on the Vaitarna river and supplies water to Palghar and Mumbai districts. The dam is also known as Modaksagar dam. 

Districts/Region

Palghar District, Maharashtra, India. 

History

The original dam was built during the British period in 1701. It was led by British military engineer Lowsone, who died during the construction of its tunnel. Later the dam was renovated in 1954 during the Nehru tenure by BMC engineer Narayan Modak hence named after him. It is a Gravity dam and is the main source of water and electricity to the Mumbaikars.

Geography

Vaitarna Dam is situatedto the north of Mumbai at 105 KM in Wada taluka of Palghar district. Vaitarana river starts flowing towards the west and connects to the Arabian sea.

Weather/Climate

The prominent weather in the region is rainfall, the Konkan belt experiences High Rainfall (ranges around 2500 mm to 4500 mm), and the climate remains Humid and warm. The temperature reaches up to 30 degrees Celsius during this season.
Summers are hot and humid, and the temperature touches 40 degrees Celsius.
Winters have a comparatively milder climate (around 28 degrees Celsius), and the weather remains Cool and Dry

Things to do

Vaitarana offers a picturesque panoramic view of the lake neighbouring green mountains. The natural hilly and rocky mountain landscape allows tourists to try adventure sports like trekking, jungle trails, bird watching, boating, camping, mountain biking, etc. It is quite famous for family picnics and getaways amongst travel enthusiasts from Nashik and Mumbai. 

Nearest tourist places

• Tansa Lake: The quiet but immense water spread of the lake, is a spectacular place bestowed with natural beauty adjacent to Tansa wildlife sanctuary. The lake and sanctuary are 25 KM from Mahuli village. Mahuli is located 43.3 KM to the south of Vaitarna. Close to the lake is the Mahuli fort.
• Vajreshwari hot springs: Vajreshwari is known for its hot springs, the temple of Goddess Vajreshwari and the ashrams of Swami Muktananda and Swami Nityanand. It is a famous health resort and also a spiritual centre and visited by thousands of devotees each year. The springs are believed to be important due to their medicinal values.
• Jawhar Palace: Jawhar is a small hill station municipal council situated on a plateau of Sahyadris in the Palghar district. It is located at a distance of 58 KM to the north of Vaitarna. It is also popularly known as the ‘Mahabaleshwar of Palghar District’. As one of the lesser-known hill stations of Maharashtra, the place is bestowed with Panoramic beauty of dense forests, Valleys, Seasonal waterfalls. A must visit place during monsoon season where one can get amazing scenery as well as one can know the tribal way of life since a lot of tribal communities are staying here since long time. 

Special food speciality and hotel

The speciality of Palghar cuisines, Vadval, gets its uniqueness from the local vegetable produce. Its food festivals offer rare fish pickles and chutneys. There are several varieties of dishes, some of which are:Panmodi (Saweli), Aambil, Indel, Ubad handi, Thankuli, Tadi Patoli. 

Accommodation facilities nearby & Hotel/ Hospital/Post Office/Police station

Hotels and accommodation facilities are not available in Vaitarna. 
The nearest hotels are available in Igatpuri.
The nearest hospital is at a distance of 23 KM on Wada-Malwada road.
The nearest post office is available at Wada at a distance of 22 KM.
The nearest Police station is available at Wada at a distance of 23.1 KM.

Visiting Rule and Time, Best month to visit

Vaitarana is easily accessible throughout the year. The best time to visit Vaitarana is in the monsoon. Tourists are advised to take precautions during the monsoon season.

Language spoken in area 

English, Hindi, Marathi