Major Dams in India
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A dam is built to stop the flow of water. It plays an important role in preventing floods and also provides irrigation facilities. There are around 5,200 dams in India. Out of the Indian states, Maharashtra has the highest number of dams. There are 1,845 dams in the state.
Dams play a key role in hydroelectricity production as well. Let’s take a look at the major dams in India.
Bhavani Sagar Dam (Tamil Nadu)
It was built in the year 1955 on the Bhavani river. The Bhavani Sagar dam is the largest earthen dam in India and the whole of South Asia. It is the second-largest earthen dam in the world. Located in Sathyamangalam district of Tamil Nadu, it comes under the jurisdiction of the Tamil Nadu government.
The dam is 130 ft tall and 8.4 km long. It has a capacity of 8 megawatts.
Tehri Dam (Uttarakhand)
The Tehri dam is the highest dam in India and is among the top 10 highest dams in the world. The dam was constructed in 2006 on the Bhagirathi river.
The dam is situated in the Tehri district of Uttarakhand. It functions under the supervision of National Thermal Power Corporation Limited. Tehri is an embankment dam which is 855 ft high and has a length of 1,886 ft.
Hirakud dam (Odisha)
The Hirakud dam was constructed on the Mahanadi river in 1957. It is one of the prominent multipurpose river valley projects in the country. Located in the Sambalpur city in Odisha, it is a composite dam and reservoir.
The Hirakud dam comes under the jurisdiction of the government of Odisha. Running across 55 kms, it is the longest dam in India. It is 200 ft tall as well.
Bhakra Nangal Dam (Himachal Pradesh)
The Bhakra Nangal was constructed in 1963 on the Sutlej river. Situated in Bilaspur district of Himachal Pradesh, it is the third largest reservoir in the country. A concrete gravity dam, it functions under the supervision of the government of Himachal Pradesh. It is 741 ft high and is a major tourist attraction.
Nagarjuna Sagar Dam (Andhra Pradesh)
The Nagarjuna Sagar dam was constructed on the Krishna river in 1967. Being the second-largest reservoir in India, it has 312 TMC gross capacity. Located in the Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh, it comes under the jurisdiction of the Telangana State Power Generation Corporation Limited. It is a masonry dam and is 407 ft high.
Sardar Sarovar Dam (Gujarat)
It was constructed in the year 2017 on the Narmada river. Sardar Sarovar dam is a concrete gravity dam which is located in the Navagam district of Gujarat. It is run under the supervision of Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Limited.
However, the construction of the dam was neither in social or economical favor of the localities. It gave way to the ‘Narmada Bachao Andolan’.
Tungabhadra Dam (Karnataka)
Built in 1953, the dam is located on the Tungabhadra river. The composite dam is situated in the Bellary district, Karnataka. The dam was built without using any concrete or cement.
Rihand Dam (Uttar Pradesh)
It came into existence in 1962 on the Rihand river. The concrete gravity dam is located in the Sonabhadra district of Uttar Pradesh. It is the largest dam in India by volume and has a total water capacity of 10.6 billion cubic meters. It comes under the jurisdiction of the Uttar Pradesh government and has a height of 300 ft.
Koyna Dam (Maharashtra)
Koyna dam was constructed in 1964 on the Biradar river. The rubble-concrete dam is located in Koynanagar, Maharashtra. Being one of the largest dams in Maharashtra, It functions under the supervision of the state government and is 339 ft high.
Kallanai Dam (Tamil Nadu)
Located in the Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu, it is one of the oldest dams in India built in 100 BC. The dam was constructed during the reign of the Chola dynasty. The 18ft tall dam on the Kaveri river runs under the supervision of the Tamil Nadu government. The barrage dam is the fourth oldest water regulator in the planet.
Mettur Dam (Tamil Nadu)
The Mettur dam on the Cauvery (Kaveri) river is the largest dam in Tamil Nadu. The gravity and masonry dam was built in the year 1934 in the Salem district of Tamil Nadu. The dam which is 214 ft high functions under the supervision of the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation Ltd.
Indira Sagar Dam (Madhya Pradesh)
The Indira Sagar dam was constructed in 2005 on the Narmada river. The multipurpose project is located in the Khandwa district of Madhya Pradesh.
The dam having a capacity of 12.22 billion cum comes under the Madhya Pradesh Irrigation and National Hydroelectric Power Corporation. It is the largest dam in India by water capacity.
Jayakwadi Dam (Maharashtra)
The earthen dam was built in 1976 on the Godavari river. It is situated in the Jayakwadi district of Maharashtra. It covers an area of 21,750 km and comes under the jurisdiction of Maharashtra government.
With 27 water gates, Jayakwadi dam is one of the largest dams in Asia. It is responsible for the creation of the Nathsagar Jalashay which irrigates most of the farmlands in the Jayakwadi district.
Somasila Dam (Andhra Pradesh)
The earth fill and gravity dam was built on the Penna river in 1989. It covers an area of 212.28 km. Situated in Nellore district, it comes under the jurisdiction of the government of Andhra Pradesh.
Ujani Dam (Maharashtra)
Ujani dam was built in 1980, on the Bhima river in the Solapur district of Maharashtra as a part of the Bhima Irrigation project.
The earth fill and gravity dam measures 185 ft in height. It comes under the jurisdiction of the government of Maharashtra.
Flamingos are spotted seasonally around the dam site, making it a perfect location for bird watching.
Ukai Dam (Gujarat)
The Ukai dam is the second-largest reservoir in Gujarat. It helps in irrigation, power generation and flood control in Tapi district. The dam which is 345 ft in height, creates the Vallabh Sagar reservoir. Controlled by the state government, the dam has somewhat the same water capacity as the Bhakra Nangal dam.
Mukkombu Dam (Tamil Nadu)
The East India company built the dam in 1838. It is located on the Kaveri river in Jeeyapuram village. With a meager height of 685 meters, it is one of the smallest dams in India.
Cheruthoni Dam (Kerala)
It was built in 1973 on the Periyar river in Kerala. The Cheruthoni dam in Idukki is the largest gravity dam in Kerala. It is 453 ft high. It functions under the Moolamattom power station.
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru once described dams as the ‘temples of modern India’. He said that dams play a key role in integrating agricultural development and village economy with rapid industrialization and growing urban economy.
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Answer) Maharashtra.
Answer) Jawaharlal Nehru.
Answer) Kallanai dam.