Dams in India

A dam is a structure that stops or slows the flow of water on the surface or in the ground. Dams not only stop floods, but they also store water in reservoirs that can be used for things like irrigation, drinking, industry, aquaculture, and transportation. Dams and hydropower are often used together to make electricity. A dam can also be used to gather or store water that can be spread out evenly to different places. Most dams are built to keep water in place. Other structures, like floodgates or levees (also called dikes), are used to control or stop water flow into certain areas of land. The Jawa Dam in Jordan is the oldest dam we know of. It was built around 3,000 BC.

History

Ancient dams

Mesopotamia and the Middle East were the first places where dams were built. Dams were used to control the flow of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, which were affected by the weather in Mesopotamia.

The Jawa Dam in Jordan, which is 62 miles northeast of the capital Amman, is the oldest dam that we know of. This gravity dam used to have a stone wall that was 9 metres (30 feet) high and 1 metre (3.3 feet) wide. It was supported by an earthen rampart that was 50 metres (160 feet) wide. The building dates back to 3000 BC.

Roman engineering

“The Romans’ ability to plan and organise engineering construction on a large scale” was a key part of how they built dams. Roman planners came up with the then-new idea of large reservoir dams that could keep cities supplied with water even during the dry season. They were the first to use water-proof hydraulic mortar and Roman concrete. This made it possible to build dams that were much bigger than those that had been built before, like the Lake Homs Dam and the Harbaqa Dam, both in Roman Syria. The Subiaco Dam near Rome was the tallest Roman dam. Its height of 50 m (160 ft) was the highest in the world until it was destroyed by accident in 1305; since then, no one has been able to beat it.

Middle Ages

In the Netherlands, which is a low-lying country, rivers were often blocked by dams to control the water level and keep the sea from getting into the marshlands. Because it was easy to cross the river at these points, they often marked the start of a town or city and influenced the names of Dutch places. In the late 12th century, a dam was built on the river Amstel to start the city of Amsterdam, which used to be called Amstelredam. In the same way, a dam was built on the river Rotte, a small river that flows into the Nieuwe Maas, to start the city of Rotterdam. The central square of Amsterdam is still called Dam Square or just “the Dam.” It is where the 800-year-old dam used to be.

Industrial revolution

The Romans were the first to build arch dams, which are stable because of the reaction forces from the abutment. However, it wasn’t until the 19th century that engineers and builders had the skills and materials to build the first large-scale arch dams.

In the early 1800s, three of the first arch dams were built around the British Empire. Henry Russel of the Royal Engineers was in charge of building the Mir Alam dam in 1804 so that the city of Hyderabad would have water (it is still in use today). It was 39 feet tall and made up of 21 arches with different spans.

Modern era

In 1902, the Aswan Low Dam, a gravity masonry buttress dam on the Nile River in Egypt, was built. This was the start of the era of big dams. After taking over Egypt in 1882, the British started building in the country in 1898. Sir William Willcocks was in charge of planning the project, and Sir Benjamin Baker and Sir John Aird, whose company, John Aird & Co., was the main contractor, also worked on it. Ernest Cassel was the one who gave money and capital. When it was first built from 1899 to 1902, nothing like it had ever been done before. When it was finished, it was the largest masonry dam in the world.

Here is a list of some of India’s most important dams:

A look at some of India’s most important dams:

1. On the river, the Tehri Dam was built by the state of Uttarakhand.

a. Teesta

b. Alaknanda

c. Bhagirathi

d. Ghaggar

Answer (c) Bhagirathi.

2. Which of the following dams is located on the river Ravi?

a. Pong

b. Thein

c. Ukai

d. Baglihar

Answer (b) Thein

3. On the river, the Tehri Dam was built by the state of Uttarakhand.

a. Bhagirathi

b. Teesta

c. Alaknanda

d. Ghaggar

Answer (a) Bhagirathi

4. ______ is located on Sutlej river.

a. Koyna Dam

b. Nagarjuna Sagar

c. Bhakra Nangal Dam located

d. Gandhisagar Dam

Answer (c) Bhakra Nangal Dam

Conclusion

People say that dams are an important way to get water and are also very important for many other reasons. They give water to different places, like homes, farms, and factories, to use for different things. Dams are also used to make hydroelectric power and to move water through rivers.