Prestigious and Major Dams in India

Prestigious and Major Dams in India

India has made a lot of progress in dams and water reservoirs after independence, and now is one of the world’s most fertile dam-builders. Near about 4300 large dams have already been constructed and many more are in the pipeline. Almost half of these dams are more than twenty years old. These dams are major attraction for tourists from all over India and abroad. All of these dams do have their unique importance for attraction of tourists and birds not only from India but also from the whole world.  One of these famous Indian Dams ‘Tehri Dam’ is the eighth highest dam in the world. The ‘Idukki Dam’ is the first Indian arch dam built across the Periyar river in Kerala and is the largest arch dam in Asia. The Grand Anicut of Kallanai, located on Holy Cavery River in Tamil Nadu, is the oldest dam in the world. Indira Sagar Dam is the Largest Reservoir in India followed by other top big and large water reservoirs. These major dams in India with canals and channel provide an ideal environment for wildlife. Highlighted below are some of these major dams that play a vital role in the prosperity of India.

Bhakra Dam-Himachal Pradesh
Bhakra dam is located in Bhakra village in the district of Himachal Pradesh. It lies between 31° 24′ 39″ N, and 76° 26′ 0″ E. Bhakra dam is 15 km from Nangal city and 20 km from Naina Devi town.  This is the largest dam in India with a height of 225 meters and is spread across 168.35 km2. Bhakra Dam is the second tallest dam in Asia. The length of dam is 518.25 meters (1,700 ft) and it’s width (crest) is 9.1 m (30 ft). The 90 km long reservoir created by the Bhakra Dam is spread over an area of 168.35 km2.
In terms of storage of water, with the capacity of 9.34 billion cubic meters (km3) it withholds the third largest reservoir in India, the first being Indira Sagar dam in Madhya Pradesh with capacity of 12.22 billion cubic meters and second Nagarjunasagar Dam with 11.56 billion cubic meters. Bhakra Dam is a multipurpose dam. Its construction started in 1948 by Sir Louis Dane, the then Lieutenant Governor of Punjab. Successive stages were completed by the early 1970s.  At the ceremony for marking the dedication of the Bhakra-Nangal Project to the Nation, in October 1963, the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru said, “This dam has been built with the unrelenting toil of man for the benefit of mankind and therefore is worthy of worship. May you call it a Temple or a Gurdwara or a Mosque, it inspires our admiration and reverence“.
Pong Dam-Himachal Pradesh
The Pong dam is built on the river Beas in Himachal Pradesh near Talwara. Initially the dam was built for water storage. However, the dam was later modified and commissioned for the generation of hydroelectric power. When the construction of the dam was completed in 1974, it was the tallest of its kind in India. Maharana
Pratap Sagar is the artificial lake created by the construction of this dam. This lake has now become a very popular bird sanctuary and a major tourist destination. Initial ideas for the construction of Pong dam was made as long back as in 1926. The construction of a dam on a river is however not at all a child`s task and consequently a survey of the Indus river and its tributaries were carried out in the year 1927 by the Punjab Government. However, the construction was not carried out immediately because it was declared that the flood waters made the construction of the dam very difficult. Finally, the construction work started in 1961 and it took 13 years to complete the project. The hydroelectric power plant was established between the years 1978 and 1983. However, the construction of the dam led many people to lose their homes.
Indira Sagar Dam
The Indira Sagar Dam in the Khandwa district of Madhya Pradesh holds the largest reservoir in India with capacity of 12.22 billion cubic meters and second Nagar Junasagar Dam with 11.56 billion cubic meters.  Indira Sagar Dam Project is a multipurpose Project with long concrete gravity dam for Irrigation and power generation.  Indira Sagar Dam on the river Narmada, with a full submergence of 913 sq kms is proposed to be 92m high
and 653 m long with a slightly curved alignment of 880 m radius across river Narmada near village Narmada Nagar of Development Block Punasa of the Khandwa district in Madhya Pradesh. Indira Sagar Dam will have a gross storage of 12.22 Bm3 and a live storage of 9.75 Bm3. Indira Sagar dam will have an installed capacity of 1000 MW and annual irrigation of 2.65 Lakh Ha. on a CCA of 1.23 Lakh Ha. The total drainage area at the proposed dam site of Indira Sagar Project is 61642 square kms.
Tehri Dam –Uttaranchal
The Tehri Dam located in Uttarakhand is the highest dam in India, 2nd highest in Asia and 8th highest in World. It is on the Bhagirathi River near Tehri Garhwal in Uttarakhand, India. Tehri dam is about 260.5 metres (855 ft) high rock and earth-fill embankment dam. Its length is 575 metres (1,886 ft), crest width 20 metres (66 ft) and base width 1,128 metres (3,701 ft).
The dam creates a reservoir of 2.6 cubic kilometres (2,100,000 acre•ft) with a surface area of 52 square kilometres (20 sq mt). The installed hydro capacity is 1,000 MW along with an additional 1,000 MW of pumped storage hydroelectricity. The Tehri Dam and the Tehri Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Power Plant are part of the Tehri Dam Hydro power Complex which also includes the 400 MW Koteshwar Dam.
Hirakud Dam –Orissa
Hirakud Dam  has been constructed across the Mahanadi River in Orissa which is hailed as one of the longest man-made dams in the world. This marvelous construction was made in the year 1956, and owing to its location has an ideal atmosphere for wildlife to flourish. The Hirakud Reservoir is also situated in the close vicinity of the dam and is a focal point of interest for tourists and large flocks of birds as well.
A number of migratory birds fly towards this destination during the winter season, and some of the common ones that can be spotted here include Common Pochard, Red-crested Pochard and Great Crested Grebe.  Any nature lover will enjoy the quaint atmosphere and lush greenery that is in abundance at the Hirakud Dam. The dam stretches over a length of 4.8 kilometres and spans between the Burla and Hirakund hill. In addition to being a stunning natural beauty, the dam is also responsible for a 307.5-megawatt power generation and the irrigation of 3,90,000 acres of land area stretching across Sambalpur, Bargarh and Subarnapur district. Situated near the Hirakud Dam is a hill called Budharaja hill which the Budharaja temple at its peak. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, this shrine has breathtaking views of the dam from its summit. Another temple which is a must-visit in Hirakud is the Ghanteshwari Temple which served as a lighthouse for the incoming ships and the bells were used to warn the sailors. Visit this destination for a tranquil getaway in the lap of nature.
Nagarjuna Sagar Dam – Andhra Pradesh
Nagarjuna Sagar Dam is considered to be one of largest dams built in the recent times in Asia. Nagarjuna Sagar Dam, as the tallest masonry dam, is also the pride of India. The project has catchment area of near about 215000 sq.km. The project also boasts of the largest canal system network in India. The construction of this mighty dam was completed in the year 1969 and it has a majestic height of about
124 meters. It is 1 km long, and has 26 crest gates. The dam can store upto 11,472 million cubic meters of water in the reservoir.  The construction of this dam commenced in February 1956 and after a brief gap, due to lack of modern equipment it was constructed with stone rather than concrete. The construction was completed fully in 1972 once the crest gates were installed. The dam has two canals, the left and right canals that supply water from the reservoir. It is also one of the earliest projects built in post-independence  India for irrigation and hydro-electricity generation. Exclusively for the purpose of tourism, a lake developed behind the dam, which boasts of its status as the third largest man-made lake anywhere in the world.  A beautiful landscape and strikingly scenic water body adds beauty to the impressive structure. The turbines for power generation are located towards Nalgonda (Telangana) district. The dam derives its name from a nearby hillock and island called Nagarjunakonda, where an ancient Buddhist Guru had once lived. There is a famous and well-maintained museum here that houses ancient artifacts. Apart from the lake where regular boating facilities are provided, tourists can also visit other attractions such as Ethipothala waterfalls, and Srisailam Wildlife Reserve close by. The dam was envisioned to be a temple of modern India, according to India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. Apart from meeting drinking water needs, irrigation and power requirements, the dam is an attractive tourist destination owing to the large reservoir, the mighty flow when the crest gates are open present a panoramic view which enthralls tourists. Hyderabad is the nearest airport, which takes you to Nagarjuna Sagar Dam.
Sardar Sarovar Dam –Gujarat
Sardar Sarovar Dam also known as “Narmada Dam” is a gravity dam on the Narmada river near Navagam, Gujarat in India. It is a part of the Narmada Valley Project, a large hydraulic engineering project involving the construction of a series of large irrigation and hydroelectric multi-purpose dams on the Narmada river. The project took form in 1979 as part of a development scheme to increase irrigation and produce hydroelectricity.
Indian government has approved the proposal to raise the dam’s height from 121.9 meters to 138.7 meters, making it the second highest dam in the world after Grand Coulee in the US. To the south west of Malwa plateau, the dissected hill tracts culminate in the Mathwar hills, located in Alirajpur district of Madhya Pradesh. Below these hills Narmada river flows through a long, terrific gorge. This gorge extends into Gujarat where the river is tapped by the Sardar Sarovar dam.  The benefits of the Sardar Sarovar Project are so large that they substantially outweigh the costs of the immediate human and environmental disruption. Without the dam, the long term costs for people would be much greater and lack of an income source for future generations would put increasing pressure on the environment. If the water of the Narmada river continues to flow to the sea unused, there appears to be no alternative to escalating human deprivation, particularly in the dry areas of Gujarat.