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Rajasthan: A Desert Paradise
Rajasthan (“Abode of the Rajas”) is a state of India located in the north-western region. Initially named the Rajputana State (“Country of the Rajputs”), Rajasthan is a very culturally rich state, with an abundant number of magnificent forts and palaces, handicrafts, heritage and very rich history of brave and valiant Rajput warriors. Jaipur is the capital city of Rajasthan. The largest fort in India, the Chittorgarh Fort, and the fort with the longest walls in India and the second-longest in the world after the Great Wall of China, the Kumbhalgarh Fort, both are in Rajasthan. Rajasthan is typically an arid region, with the north-western part of the state including the Thar Desert or the Great Indian desert. Upon moving further towards the western region, the place is called “Marusthali” (Land of the Dead), owing to the arid, dry and barren wastelands and sand dunes.
With such dry climatic conditions, water resources are scarce and extremely precious. Since the medieval times, the rulers took utmost care of the water resources and undertook several measures to conserve water. They constructed baolis, small check dams, wells and canals to ensure conservation and regular supply to the royal court households as well as the ordinary citizens.
Dams of Rajasthan
With the passage of time, people have forgotten and abandoned the traditional methods of water conservation, which are still considered to be the best water conservation techniques in a natural way, even when viewed with respect to the current scenario.
In modern times, dams are constructed to serve a variety of purposes, such as for human consumption, irrigation, generation of hydroelectric power, etc. A dam is a concrete structure that is built across a river or a stream in order to retain water. Multipurpose and large-scale dams are used for hydroelectricity production and industrial and agricultural growth.
In Rajasthan, a large number of dams have been constructed for similar purposes, especially for factors such as human use and irrigation. Some of the largest and major dams are:
Rana Pratap Sagar Dam
Built on the Chambal River. Location: Rawatbhata. Used for the generation of hydroelectricity.
Bisalpur Dam
Built on the Banas River. Location: Tonk. Used for human consumption and irrigation purposes.
Jawahar Sagar Dam
Built on the Chambal River. Location: Kota. Used for the generation of hydroelectricity as well as for human consumption and irrigation purposes.
Meja Dam
Built on the Kothari River. Location: Bhilwara. Used for human consumption and irrigation purposes.
Jawai Dam
Built on the Jawai River. Location: Pali. Used for human consumption and irrigation purposes. Also, a popular tourist spot.
Other Dams:
Harsora/Harsora Bund
Built on the Ganga River basin. Location: Harsora. Used for irrigation purposes.
Himmatgarh Dam
Built on the Mahi River basin. Location: Banswara. Used for irrigation purposes.
Hema was Dam
Built on the Bandi/Sumer River. Location: Pali. Used for irrigation purposes.
JaiSamand Dam
Built on the Gomti River. Location: Udaipur. Used for human consumption and irrigation purposes.
Hindlot Dam
Built on the Ganga River basin. Location: Baran. Used for irrigation purposes.
Conclusion:
In this article, we saw an overview of the state of Rajasthan along with some of the dam structures constructed here. Rajasthan is typically an arid region, with the north-western part of the state including the Thar Desert or the Great Indian desert. With such dry climatic conditions, water resources are scarce and extremely precious. In modern times, dams are constructed to serve a variety of purposes, such as for human consumption, irrigation, generation of hydroelectric power, etc. A dam is a concrete structure that is built across a river or a stream in order to retain water. Some of the major dams mentioned are Rana Pratap Sagar Dam, Bisalpur Dam, Jawahar Sagar Dam, Meja Dam and Jawai Dam. Other dams included are Harsora Bund, Himmatgarh Dam, Hema was Dam, JaiSamand Dam and Hindlot Dam.
