Major Dams in India

A DAM is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of water or underground streams. 

Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, aquaculture, and navigability. Hydropower is often used in conjunction with dams to generate electricity.

A dam can also be used to collect water or for storage of water which can be evenly distributed between locations.

Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees (also known as dikes) are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions.

Major Dams in India

The major dams in India have helped the inhabitants in a number of ways like:
1. Providing adequate water for domestic, industrial, and irrigation purposes.
2.Hydroelectric power production and river navigation.
3. These major dams in India and their reservoirs provide recreation areas for fishing and boating.
4. They have helped in the reduction of floods.

Highlights on some important Dams in India:

• Oldest Dam In India:-

Kallanai Dam ( Tamil Nadu)

Kallanai (also known as the Grand Anicut) is an ancient dam, which is built (in running water) across the Kaveri river in Thanjavur District in the state of Tamil Nadu in India. 

Located at a distance of 15 km from Tiruchirappalli, the dam was originally constructed by the Chola king Karikalan in c. 100 BC – c. 100 AD.

It is located on the Kaveri river approximately 20 KM from Trichy city, the dam comes under Thanjavur district. 

It is the fourth-oldest water-diversion or water-regulator structures in the world and the oldest in India which is still in use

Length: 329 m

Built by: Karikala

Construction began: c. 100 BC – c. 100 AD

Location: Thanjavur District

Width (base): 20 m (66 ft)

Impound: Kaveri River

• Longest Dam in India:-

Hirakud Dam ( Odisha)

Hirakud Dam is built across the Mahanadi River.

It's about 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from Sambalpur in the state of Odisha in India.

Behind the dam extends a lake, Hirakud Reservoir, 55 km (34 mi) long. 

It is one of the first major multipurpose river valley projects that started after India's independence. It is the longest and the second largest dam in the world.

Height: 61 m

Opened: 1957

Location: 16.5 km from Sambalpur, Odisha

Spillway capacity: 42,450 cubic metres per second (1,499,000 cu ft/s)

Length: 4.8 km (3 mi) (main section); 25.8 km (16 mi) (entire dam)

Spillways: 64 sluice-gates, 34 crest-gates

• Highest Dam in India:-

Tehri Dam (Uttarakhand)

The Tehri Dam is the highest dam in India and one of the highest in the world. 

It is a multi-purpose rock and earth-fill embankment dam on the Bhagirathi River near Tehri in Uttarakhand, India. 

It is the primary dam of THDC India Ltd. and the Tehri hydroelectric complex. 

Phase 1 was completed in 2006. 

The Tehri Dam withholds a reservoir for irrigation, municipal water supply, and the generation of 1,000 megawatts (1,300,000 hp) of hydroelectricity. 

The dam's 1,000 MW variable-speed pumped-storage scheme is currently under construction with expected commissioning in May 2018.

Height: 260.5 m(855ft)

Opened: 2006

Location: New Thehri , Uttarakhan

Spillway capacity: 15,540 m3/s (549,000 cu ft/s)

Length: 575 m (1,886 ft)

Spillways: 2, Controlled Gates

Other major Dams in India:-

 Bhakra Nangal Dam (Himachal Pradesh)

Height: 226 meters

Length: 520 meters

Type: Concrete gravity

Reservoir Capacity: 7,501,775 acre·ft

River: Sutlej River

Location: Himachal Pradesh

Installed capacity: 1325 MW

Sardar Sarovar Dam (Gujrat)

Height: 163 meters

Length:1,210 meters

Type: Gravity Dam

Reservoir Capacity: 7,701,775 acre·ft

River: Narmada River

Location: Gujarat

Installed capacity: 1,450 MW

Nagarjunasagar Dam (Telangana)

Height: 124 meters

Length:1,450 meters

Type: Masonry Dam

Reservoir Capacity: 9,371,845 acre·ft

River: Krishna River

Location: Telangana/Andhra Pradesh

Installed capacity: 816 MW

• List of  Dams in India:-

Andhra Pradesh:-

 a).Smasila Dam - Pennar River

 b).Srisailam Dam - Krishna River

Gujarat :-

a).Ukai Dam - Tapti River

b).Dharoi Dam - Sabarmati River

c).kadama Dam - Mahi River

d).Dantiwada Dam - Banas River

Himachal Pradesh and Punjab Border:-

a).Bhakra Nangal Dam - Sutlej River 

Himachal Pradesh:-

a).Pandoh Dam - Beas River 

b). Nathpa Jhakri Dam - Satluj River 

c).Chamera Dam - Ravi River 

Jammu and Kashmir:- 

a).Baglihar Dam - Chenab River Dumkhar 

b). Hydroelectric Dam - Indus River 

c). Uri Hydroelectric Dam - Jhelum River 

Jharkhand:-

a).Maithon Dam - Barakar River 

b). Chandil Dam - Swarnarekha River 

c).Panchet Dam - Damodar River 

Karnataka:- 

a).Tunga Bhadra Dam - Tungabhadra River 

b).Linganamakki Dam - Sharavathi River 

c).Kadra Dam - Kalinadi River 

d).Alamatti Dam - Krishna River 

e).Supa Dam - Kalinadi or Kali river 

f).Krishna Raja Sagara Dam -Kaveri River 

g).Harangi Dam - Harangi River 

h).Narayanpur Dam - Krishna River 

i).Kodasalli Dam - Kali Rive

Kerala :- 

a).Malampuzha Dam - Malampuzha River 

b).Peechi Dam - Manali River 

c).Idukki Dam - Periyar River 

d).Kundala Dam - Kundala Lake 

e).Parambikulam Dam - Parambikulam River 

f).Walayar Dam - Walayar River 

g).Mullaperiyar Dam - Periyar River 

h).Neyyar Dam - Neyyar River 

Madhya Pradesh:- 

a).Barna Dam - Barna River 

b).Bargi Dam - Narmada River 

c).Bansagar Dam - Sone River 

d).Gandhi Sagar Dam - Chambal River 

Maharashtra:- 

a).Yeldari Dam - Puma river 

b). Ujani Dam - Bhima River 

c). Pawna Dam - Maval River 

d). Mulshi Dam - Mula River 

e). Koyna Dam - Koyna River 

f). Jayakwadi Dam - Godavari River 

g). Bhatsa Dam - Bhatsa river 

h).Wilson Dam - Pravara River 

i).Tansa Dam - Tansa river 

j). Panshet Dam - Ambi River 

k). Mula Dam - Mula river 

l). Kolkewadi Dam - Vashishti River 

m). Girna Dam - Girona river 

n). Vaitarna Dam - Vaitarna river 

o). Khadakwasla Dam - Mutha River 

p).Gangapur Dam - Godavari river 

Telangana:- 

a).Radhanagari Dam - Bhogawati River 

b). Lower Manair Dam - Manair River 

c). Mid Manair Dam - Manair River and SRSP Flood Flow Canal 

d). Upper Manair Dam - Manair River and Kudlair River 

e). Singur dam - Manjira River 

f). Nizam Sagar Dam - Manjira River 

Odisha:-

a).Indravati Dam - Indravati River 

b).Hirakud Dam - Mahanadi River 

Tamil Nadu:- 

a).Vaigai Dam - Vaigai River 

b).Perunchani Dam - Paralayar River 

c).Mettur Dam - Kaveri River 

Uttarakhand:- 

a).Tehri Dam - Bhagirathi River 

b). Dhauli Ganga Dam - Dhauli Ganga River 

• Drawbacks of Dams:-

While most of us feel that dams are full of benefits, there are some drawbacks that we need to be aware of:-

• First and foremost, the construction of dams has a negative impact on the lives of people who are staying near the dam. 

• In most cases, villages or settlements near the proposed dam areas have to be relocated. Although this may seem to be a very easy task, it is a mammoth task for the government authorities. 

• There are sentiments associated with areas and relocating people from their homeland is the biggest constraint that governments have to deal with.