Major Dams of India: List with River and State

In today's article, we have given a list of major dams in India. This is one of the most important topics in the general awareness section, the questions related to the dams of India are often asked in competitive examinations. Therefore, today's article is going to be very important from an exam point of view as well.

In the previous article, we had given you information about the major waterfalls of India and the major lakes of India, you can also read those articles to enhance your knowledge.

The total number of large dams in India is about 5334. India has the largest number of dams in the world after China and America. About 450 large dams are under construction in India.

The list of major dams of India is given below, which are frequently asked in the examinations.

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The list of major dams of India and their related rivers and states is given below.

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Some Major Dams of India in detail

Here is a detailed of some major dams in India which are frequently asked in the examinations.

Tehri Dam (The Biggest or Highest Dam in India)

• Tehri Dam is the highest dam in India.
• It is also known as Swami Ramteerth Sagar Dam.
• This dam is located in Tehri district of Uttarakhand state.
• The height of Tehri Dam is 261 m.
• Tehri Dam is not only the tallest dam in India but also the tallest dam in Asia.
• The Tehri Dam is built at the confluence of two major Himalayan rivers, the Bhagirathi River and the Bhilangana River.
• The Bhagirathi River is a tributary of the Ganges River.
• It is the largest hydroelectric power plant (2400 MW) in India.
• It is an embankment dam.
• Tehri Dam serves irrigation, water supply, and hydroelectric power generation of 1,000 MW.
• The total expenditure for this project was US$1 billion.
• It is 575 meters (1,886 ft) long, 20 meters (66 ft) wide at the summit, and 1,128 meters (3,701 ft) wide at the base.
• The dam creates a reservoir of 3.54 cubic kilometers (2,870,000 acre ft) with a surface area of 52 square kilometers (20 sq mi).
• The electricity generated by Tehri Dam is distributed to Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Delhi, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Chandigarh, Rajasthan, and Himachal Pradesh.
• From this dam, 2400 MW of power generation, irrigation of 270,000-hectare area, and 102.20 crore liters of drinking water per day are to be made available to Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.

Hirakud Dam (The Longest Dam in India)

• Hirakud Dam is the longest dam in India.
• It is located in Odisha state.
• Hirakud Dam is the longest dam in India.
• This dam is built on the Mahanadi, 15 km away from Sambalpur in the state of Odisha.
• It is the longest earthen dam in the world.
• The total length of this dam is 25.8 km (16.0 mi) while the total length of the main dam is 4.8 km (3.0 mi).
• It drains an area of 133,090 km² (32.89 × 106 acres), more than twice the area of Sri Lanka.
• The total height of this dam is 60.96 (200) feet.
• This dam is used for power generation and irrigation.
• Hirakud Dam has three canals, the main canal Bargarh, Sasan Canal, and Sambalpur Canal.
• Electricity production started in 1956 along with agricultural irrigation.
• This project provides power to the 'Rourkela Steel Plant'.
• Due to the embankment of the dam, an artificial lake of 743 km² length has been formed.
• It is called 'Hirakud' which is the largest artificial lake in Asia.
• It is one of the first major multipurpose river valley projects undertaken after India's independence.
• Hirakud Reservoir was declared a Ramsar site on 12 October 2021.
• The total cost of the project in 1957 was ₹1,000.2 million.

Sardar Sarovar Dam

• Sardar Sarovar Dam is the second largest dam in India.
• Sardar Sarovar Dam is located in the Narmada district of Gujarat state, India.
• This dam is built on the Narmada River.
• This dam is 138 meters high, its height including the foundation is 163 meters and its length is 1210 meters.
• The dam was built to provide water and electricity to four Indian states: Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan.
• The project was the dream of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the first Deputy Prime Minister of India, and Jawaharlal Nehru laid the foundation stone of the project in 1961.
• For some reason, the construction of the dam started in 1987, but the project was halted by the Supreme Court of India in 1995 in the backdrop of the Narmada Bachao Andolan over concerns of displacement of people.
• The project was revived in 2000-01 but with a reduced height of 111 meters under Supreme Court directions, which was later increased to 123 meters in 2006 and 139 meters in 2017.
• It was inaugurated in 2017 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
• The Statue of Unity, the world's tallest statue, is opposite the dam.
• This statue has been made as a symbol of tribute to Sardar Patel.
• This dam is called the 'Lifeline of Gujarat'.

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Rihand Dam

• Rihand Dam is located in Sonbhadra district of Uttar Pradesh.
• The Rihand Dam is situated on the Rihand River.
• The Rihand River is a tributary of the Son River.
• Rihand Dam is also known as Govind Ballabh Pant Sagar.
• It is named after Pandit Govind Vallabh Pant, the first Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.
• The reservoir of Rihand Dam is called Govind Ballabh Pant Sagar and is the largest artificial lake in India.
• The maximum height of the dam is 91.46 while the length is 934.45 meters.
• Its foundation stone was laid by the country's first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru on 13 July 1954 and it was inaugurated nine years later on 6 January 1963.
• The catchment area of this dam extends to Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh, while it supplies irrigation water to Bihar.
• The catchment area of this dam is 13,333.26 square km while the total capacity is 10.6 billion cubic meters.

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Nagarjuna Sagar Dam

• Nagarjuna Sagar Dam is located in the states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, India. 
• This dam is located between the Nalgonda district of Telangana and the Palnadu district of Andhra Pradesh.
• It is built on the river Krishna.
• The total height of the dam is 124 meters and the total length is 1,550 meters.
• The dam is named after the Buddhist scholar Nagarjuna.
• The Nagarjuna Sagar Dam was inaugurated on 10 December 1955 by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and was completed in 1967.
• The total capacity of the dam is 11.56 cubic km and the total catchment area is 215,000 square kilometres.

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Bhakra Nangal Dam

• Bhakra Nangal Dam is located in the Bilaspur district of Himachal Pradesh.
• The Bhakra Nangal Dam is built on the Sutlej River.
• Bhakra Nangal Dam is the second-highest dam in India.
• The total height of the dam is 226 meters and the total length is 520 meters.
• The construction work of the dam started in 1948 while it was inaugurated in 1963 by former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
• The total capacity of the dam is 7.551 million megaliters while the total catchment area is 56980 sq km.
• On 22 October 2013, the Government of India approved the release of a commemorative postage stamp to mark the 50th anniversary of the Bhakra Dam.
• The Gobind Sagar reservoir has been created by this dam, which is named after the 10th Guru Gobind Singh of the Sikhs.
• The electricity generated from Bhakra Dam is distributed among Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Chandigarh, and Delhi.
• States like Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan, and Himachal Pradesh get water from Bhakra Dam.

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Salal Dam

• Salal Dam is located in the Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir.
• Salal Dam is situated on the Chenab River.
• Salal Dam is also known as Salal Hydroelectric Power Station.
• It was the first hydroelectric project built by India in Jammu and Kashmir under the Indus Waters Treaty regime.
• The total height of the dam is 113 meters and the total length is 487 meters.
• The construction of this dam started in 1970 while it was inaugurated in 1987.
• Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, and Rajasthan are the states to be benefited from this project.

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Indira Sagar Dam

• Indira Sagar Dam is located in Khandwa district of Madhya Pradesh.
• This dam is built on the Narmada River. 
• The foundation stone of the project was laid on 23 October 1984 by Indira Gandhi, the Prime Minister of India. While the construction of the dam started in 1992.
• The height of the dam is 92 m and the length is 653 m.
• In terms of water storage, it is the largest reservoir in India, with a capacity of 12.22 billion cubic meters or 12.2 cu km, followed by the Nagarjuna Sagar Dam, located between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
• The total capacity of this dam is 12.220 cubic km and the catchment area is 61,642 sq km.

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Almatti Dam

• Almatti Dam is located in the Bijapur district of Karnataka.
• The Almatti Dam is situated on the Krishna River. 
• Almatti Dam is also known as the ‘Lal Bahadur Shastri Dam’.
• The construction work of this dam started in 1963 and was completed in 2005.

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Ukai Dam

• Ukai Dam is located in the Tapi district of Gujarat state.
• It is built on the Tapti River.
• It is also known as ‘Vallabh Sagar’.
• This dam is the second largest reservoir in Gujarat after the Sardar Sarovar Dam.
• Its construction work started in 1964 and was completed in 1972.
• The height of this dam is 105.156 meters and the length is 4,927 meters.

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Idukki Dam

• The Idukki Dam is located in the Idukki district of the state of Kerala.
• The Idukki Dam is built on the Periyar River.
• It is one of the tallest arch dams in Asia.
• The construction of the project began in 1963 and was inaugurated on February 17, 1976, by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
• The total height of this dam is 169.16 meters and the total length is 365.85 meters.

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Kallanai Dam

• Kallanai Dam is located in Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu state.
• It is built on the river Kaveri. 
• Kallanai Dam is also known as ‘Grand Anicut’.
• It is the oldest dam in India which is still in use.
• It is an ancient dam built in 150 AD by Karikal of the Chola dynasty.
• The total height of this dam is 5.4 meters (18 feet) and the length is 329 meters.

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Dams of India: Important Facts

• Tehri Dam is the highest dam in India. Its total height is about 260.5 meters.
• Bhakra Dam is the second-highest dam in India. Its total height is about 226 meters.
• Hirakud Dam is the longest dam in India with a total length of 25 km.
• Kallanai Dam is the oldest dam in India, which was built in 150 AD.
• Govind Ballabh Pant Sagar, created by the construction of Rihand Dam, is the largest artificial lake in India.
• Ranjit Sagar Dam is also known as Thein Dam.
• Rihand Dam is the largest dam in India by volume. It has a total capacity of 10.6 billion cubic meters.

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Major Dams of India [FAQ's]

Q.1 Which is the highest dam in India?

Ans. Tehri Dam is the highest dam in India.

Q.2 Which is the oldest dam in India?

Ans. Kallanai Dam is the oldest dam in India.

Q.3 Which is the largest dam in Asia?

Ans. Tehri Dam is the highest and largest dam in Asia.

Q.4 Which state has the maximum number of dams in India?

Ans. Maharashtra has the largest number of dams in India.

Q.5 Which river has the largest dam in India?

Ans. The largest dam in India is on the Ganges River.

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