Dams in India

Dams in India

What is a dam?

A dam is a massive structure built over a river or water stream to hold water. Dams have a long history; early dam builders employed natural materials such as rocks, clay, or wood. However, concrete is often used in the construction of mega modern dams.

Dams, which are man-made, generate artificial lakes known as reservoirs. Reservoirs may be used for multiple purposes, such as creating energy, storing water for agricultural and industrial, and supplying water to homes. In addition, other purposes like fishing, boating, and other recreational activities are done with the help of a Dam. Dams have been used for ages to help avoid floods also and because of all these reasons Dams are very important and useful construction for human beings.

Brief History

The Mesopotamians may have been one of the first people to construct dams. The Jawa Dam, situated in modern-day Jordan, is the earliest known Dam. It was constructed in the 4th-century B.c. Dams supplied farmers with a consistent supply of water for agricultural irrigation. This enabled the ancient Mesopotamians to feed an expanding population.

The Romans were also skilled dam builders. Dams were constructed to divert water for drinking, bathing, and agricultural purposes. In Spain, the Cornalvo Dam is one of the oldest dams currently in service. The ancient Romans erected it in the first or second century C.E. Many civilizations started building dams for their multiple uses.

Dams in India

The history of dams in India begins with constructing India’s first Dam, the Kallanai, upon the Cauvery River by Emperor Karikalan of the Chola dynasty some two thousand years ago. The Dam is still operational and supplies water to millions of acres of land. The Dam is 329 metres long and 20 metres wide. However, it wasn’t until after independence that India’s obsession with large dams got stronger, with the inauguration of a flurry of projects such as the Hirakud built-in 1957, Gandhisagar of 1960, Bhakra-Nangal of 1963, and Nagarjuna Sagar (1967). Since then, the country has been working tirelessly to control its rivers for the sake of electricity, agriculture, and home and industrial water supplies. As a result, almost half of the country’s big dams were completed between 1970 and 1990. Maharashtra has the most major dams in the nation (1845); besides Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh has 905 dams and Gujarat has 666.

Some famous Dams in India

• Uttarakhand’s Tehri Dam

As of 2020, the Tehri Dam, built-in Uttarakhand’s Tehri area, is the tallest in India. Tehri Dam is being constructed over the Bhagirathi River. It is a multi-purpose rock and earth-fill embankment dam that rises 260 metres tall and 575 metres long. The breadth of the crest is 20 metres, while the width of the base is 1128 metres, making it the largest Dam in India.

The project was started in 1978 and was finished in 2006. It was constructed to produce energy, regulate floods, and supply water for cultivation and drinking. This Dam’s water reservoir has a total storage space of 3540 Mm3. It has two gate-controlled spillways capable of ejecting water at 15,540 cubic metres per second.

It supplies power to states in northern India, including Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir. The Tehri Hydro Development Corporation India Limited, founded in 1988, manages the Tehri Dam’s operation, administration, and maintenance.

• Himachal Pradesh’s Bhakra Nangal Dam

In Himachal Pradesh, the Bhakra Nangal Dam is being constructed over the Sutlej River. It is a concrete gravity dam with a height of 225 metres and a length of 520 metres, making it one of the largest dams in India.

The water reservoir constructed by this Dam is known as ‘Gobind Sagar Lake,’ and it is India’s second-biggest. It is named after Guru Gobind Singh, the Sikhs’ tenth guru, and has a capacity of 9.34 billion cubic metres of water. This reservoir is 88 kilometres long and 8 kilometres wide.

Bhakra Nangal Dam construction began in 1948 and was finished in 1963. It is a multifunctional dam utilised for irrigation, rainfall storage, and power generation and distribution in the states of Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, and Haryana.

Besides, it is a well-known tourist destination. At Gobind Sagar Lake, visitors may participate in various water activities. The Bhakra Beas Management Board is in charge of the project’s management and administration.

• Himachal Pradesh’s Chamera Dam

Chamera Dam is an earthen dam built across the Ravi River as part of a hydropower project. It lies in the Himachal Pradesh district of Chamba, close to Dalhousie. The Dam’s construction resolved the challenges of water and energy scarcity. Its construction began in 1985 and was finished in 1994. It is 226 metres in height and 295 metres in length.

This Dam required the displacement of around 1000 people. However, numerous rehabilitation schemes were implemented, and homeless persons were compensated. People were also offered free education and medical care.

Chamera Lake is the name given to the reservoir generated by this Dam. It is a popular tourist destination since the lake provides a variety of water sports activities such as rowing, paddle boating, sailing, motor boating, and so on. In addition, private yachts and shikara are available on the lake. Many travellers come here to enjoy a peaceful time.

Conclusion

The Dams are constructed very hugely, which makes them marvellous, and the dams reflect the potential of human beings. They play a very important and helpful role in providing electricity and water supply, making human life easy but might become dangerous if not used properly. Dams may cause Earthquakes and failure in structure causes a heavy flood.