Hydroelectric Power Plants in India

Hydroelectric power plants are designed to produce electricity by converting energy provided by water in the form of kinetic energy and then used to rotate the blades of a turbine.

Hydroelectric energy is one of the most preferred forms of energy in the world today. It is a kind of renewable energy and do not require the aid of burning fossil fuels for the generation of electricity/energy. When a certain volume of water reaches the top of a dam or flows downwards with great speed, it consists of potential energy. This potential energy can be converted to form hydroelectric energy by converting the potential energy into kinetic energy and allowing the water to run in the blades of the turbine which are put in place. The electricity produced is then distributed to the customers of the power plant.

Hydroelectric Power Plants in India: Background 

Hydroelectric power plants in India have gained a lot of momentum in recent times. India has realized that there is a huge potential for the generation of electricity from hydrological power plants and thus, many projects have been put into action to maximize this renewable form of energy generation. From the end of the 19th century, India has witnessed the start of hydroelectric power plant projects in different parts of the country. It is not possible to build such projects in every area and not all cities or villages can be introduced to electricity generated from this source due to multiple economic and geographical limitations. However, the number of power plants has increased over the years as there has been more emphasis on renewable energy sources in the last 20 years or so. 

List of all Hydroelectric Power Plants of India

No.

Name of Power Plant

State/UT and Year

Year of Establishment

Special Features

1

Tehri 

State- Uttarakhand

River- Bhagirathi

1978

Collaborated with USSR for its construction. The highest dam in India

2

Srisailam

State- Andhra Pradesh

River- Krishna

1960

Ranked second among largest hydropower projects in India 

3

Nagarjuna Sagar Dam

State- Andhra Pradesh and Telangana

River- Krishna

1967

This dam has 26 gates and is the largest masonry dam in the world

4

Bhakra Nangal Dam

State- Himachal Pradesh

River- Sutlej

1948

Important dam for Punjab and Haryana

5

Sardar Sarovar Dam 

State- Gujarat

River- Narmada

1987

This dam is the largest of them all in the Narmada valley project

6

Idukki

State- Kerala

River- Periyar

1976

Extremely important for Kerala

7

Shivanasamudra

State- Karnataka

River- Kaveri

1902

Recognized as the first hydropower plant of India

8

Koyna

State- Maharashtra

River- Koyna

1956

India’s largest hydel power project

9

Teesta Dam

State- Sikkim

River- Teesta

2003

Has three turbines for generation of hydel power

10

Ranjit Sagar Dam

State- Punjab

River- Ravi

1981

Popularly known as Thein Dam

11

Salal

UT- Jammu, and Kashmir

River- Chenab

1970

This took two separate stages for its construction 

12

Hirakud

State- Odisha

River- Mahanadi

1957

Multipurpose river valley project and very important for Odisha

13

Machkund Dam

State- Odisha

River- Machkund 

1955

 

14

Ranjit Dam

State- Sikkim

River- Ranjit

2000

Highest elevated dam of Sikkim

15

Bansagar

State- Madhya Pradesh

River- Sone

2006

Important for irrigational activities

16

Indira Sagar Dam

State- Madhya Pradesh

River- Narmada 

2005

Has the largest reservoir in India

17

Nathpa Jhakri

State- Himachal Pradesh

River- Sutlej 

1993

This dam has six turbines for hydel power generation

18

Omkareshwar

State- Odisha

River- Indravati

1996

This is a popular multipurpose project

19

Karcham Wangtoo

State- Himachal Pradesh

River- Sutlej

2005

About 98 meters high above the bed of the river

20

Mukkombu Dam

State- Tamil Nadu

River- Kaveri

1838

Smallest dam in India

Location of the Power Plants in India

All the hydroelectric power plants in India are built on large river bodies where there is an abundant source of water coming from the mountains. The power plants are all built on a dam which lies over the river bodies. 

Conclusion

Hydroelectric power plants in India are projects made to generate electricity from the potential energy of the water when water is stored in large volumes in a relatively high-altitude area and then let to fall in a low surface from a great height and convert the potential energy into kinetic energy with the help of turbines. These projects are becoming more and more popular in India as the urge for a sustainable future requires such projects to be in practice as much as possible. India is looking to increase the number of hydel power generating plants all over the countries and develop the level of power generation and widen its distribution across the different cities and villages of the country.

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What is the importance of hydroelectric power plants in India?

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Name some states of India which have hydroelectric power plants.

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