A Guide to Hirakud Dam

Hirakud Dam, which is the biggest dam in the world, is built across the Mahanadi River, 15 km away from the Sambalpur district of the Indian state of Odisha. The dam has a 55 Km long reservoir known as Hirakud reservoir, which was one of the most significant and first of its kind multipurpose river valley projects started after the independence of India. The dam drains an area of about 1,33,090 sq. Km, which is more than two times the area of Sri Lanka. It extends from the Laxmidungri hills on its left to the Chandili Dungiri hills on its right side.

The bulk of the dam has enough concrete and earth that can be used to make an 8 m wide road from Kanyakumari to Kashmir and also from Amritsar to Dibrugarh in Assam. 

Today, it is a famous tourist spot, and tourists from across the world visit this place to acknowledge the amazing architecture. If you are planning to visit the dam, then you may plan between September to March, as the weather at this time is very pleasant. 

History 

Hirakud dam was planned to eradicate the challenges of disastrous floods in the Mahanadi delta. M. Visveswararya was the first one to propose the idea of construction of this dam. However, the detailed report was submitted by 1945, and Sir Hawthorne Lewis laid the first stone on 15th March 1946. On 12th April 1948, the honourable Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru (the first Prime Minister of Independent India) laid the first batch of concrete. Though the construction was completed by 1953, the inauguration was done on 13th January 1957 by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. The total cost of the dam was approximately US$1.1 billion, and the power generation started in 1966. The construction of the dam had affected the lives of 1.5 lakhs of people.

Hydroelectric Power Houses

This dam supports two different powerhouses; one of them is present at the base of the dam, whereas the other is present 19 km southeast of the dam. The powerhouse 1 has 3 x 37.5 Kaplan Turbine 2 x 24 MW Francis turbine generators. These generators have a great capacity of 259.5 MW. The 2nd powerhouse has 3 x 24 MW generators with an installed capacity of 347.5 MW. 

Sights to Visit 

The dam has several sites that are a pleasure for the eyes. There are many rotating minarets (such as Gandhi Minar or Nehru Minar) that showcase the exquisite views of the river. If you want the best and the clearest view of the Hirakud dam, you must make your way to the Gandhi Minar. The site provides soothing sounds of birds chirping and burbling of water and is one of the best sites for bird-watching; therefore, do not forget to carry your binoculars. Another amazing sight to visit near the dam is Jawahar Udyan park, i.e., located below the dam. The reservoir of this dam is the largest artificial lake in Asia; therefore, it is also a very famous tourist spot. 

Lost Temples

The dam’s construction results in the submerging of several temples (more than 200) within it. During summers, the water level of the dam recedes, and you can spot the remnants of these temples. Though several attempts were made to know the historical significance of these temples, most of them have been destroyed now. Two antique stones were excavated from the remnants of Padmashiri Temple. These stones were ‘Shila Lekha’. The temples belong to the oldest and most highly populous villages, i.e., the Padmapur. Thus, the water of the Hirakud dam can be one of the most exquisite places for diving and exploring the remnants of these amazing temples. 

Purpose of the Hirakud Dam

The dam consists of three basic canals: Bargarh Canal, Sason Canal, and Sambalpur Canal. There were two primary purposes of this dam. The upper drainage system of the Mahanadi river usually suffers from periodic drought. However, the other side, which is the lower delta region, has a high frequency of floods that damages the crops. The dam provides water to the upper region and prevents flooding of the lower delta region. It also helps in generating hydroelectric power and irrigating up to an area of 75,000 sq km. 

Conclusion

The Hirakud Dam is the biggest dam in the world and is situated in the Sambalpur district of the Indian state of Odisha. On 15th March 1946, Hawthorne Lewis laid the first stone, i.e., the foundation stone of the Hirakud dam. P. Jawaharlal Nehru laid the first batch of concrete for this big project. There are two different powerhouses supported by this dam. Several rotating minarets showcase the exquisite views of the river. The construction of the dam results in the submerging of more than 200 temples within it. All these temples belong to Padmapur, i.e., an ancient village. The main purpose of the dam is to provide water to the upper region and prevent flooding of the lower delta region.