Today’s article is about the highest dam in India.
People often get confused about the highest and longest dam in India. In today's article we are going to clear your confusion, so must read this article completely.
First of all, let us tell you that the total number of dams in India is approximately 5334. After China and America, India has the highest number of dams in the world.
First of all, let us know What a is dam and what is its use.
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What is a Dam and its Use
In simple words“A dam is a man-made barrier that stops the flow of water.”
Dams generally serve the primary purpose of maintaining the availability of water.
A dam can also be used to collect water which can be distributed equally among different locations.
Reservoirs created by dams not only prevent floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial uses, aquaculture, and navigation.
Dams are also used to generate electricity.
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The preliminary investigation for the Tehri Dam Project under the ministry of Jawaharlal Nehru was completed in 1961 and its design was completed in 1972 with a power plant of 600 MW capacity based on studies.
Construction began in 1978 but was delayed due to financial, environmental, and social impacts.
In 1986, technical and financial assistance was provided to India by the USSR, But years later it was interrupted due to political instability.
India was forced to take control of the project and at first placed it under the direction of the Irrigation Department of Uttar Pradesh. However, in 1988 Tehri Hydro Development Corporation was formed to manage the dam.
The construction work of Tehri Dam was completed in 2006.
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In the construction of Tehri Dam, 75% of the funds were provided by the Central Government and 25% by the State Government.
On 21 November 2019, the Government of India approved the acquisition of Tehri Hydro Development Corporation (THDC) by NTPC Limited.
The Tehri Dam project was opposed by environmental organizations and local people of the area. Lawyer and founder of Tehri Dam Anti-Sangharsh Samiti Virendra Dutt Saklani drew people's attention to the results associated with this big project.
Environmental activist Sunderlal Bahuguna led the anti-Tehri dam movement from 1980 to 2004.
The protest was mainly against the displacement of residents there and the environmental consequences of building such a large dam in the delicate ecosystem of the Himalayan foothills.
Sunderlal Bahuguna gave a slogan in protest against Tehri Dam - which is as follows, "We don’t want a dam. The dam is the destruction of the mountain."
He led a long legal battle over the relocation and resettlement rights of over 100,000 people from the area and this also delayed the completion of the project.
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One of the reasons for the opposition to this dam was that due to the construction of this dam, the flow of the Bhagirathi River became much less than normal. Due to this, the local residents protested against it.
The Chopra Committee had also warned in a detailed report against the construction of this dam that it could lead to the retreat of glaciers in the state of Uttarakhand.
Which, combined with structures built for hydropower generation and dams, can cause large-scale disasters.
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Let us tell you that dams can be as dangerous as they are beneficial for us. This is the reason why many people are in favor of it and many people oppose it.
Dams are seen as the biggest threat to river ecology, wildlife, fish habitat, and ultimately humans.
Aquatic life is affected by dams.
Due to dam construction, people have to be displaced from their places of residence on a large scale and the rehabilitation of people is often ignored by the government. Due to this, the normal life of the people is greatly affected.
Dams sometimes become the cause of disasters due to which dams are considered as 'high risk' infrastructure.
The natural flow of rivers is disrupted by dams.
Reservoirs created by dams sometimes also become the cause of earthquakes.
Dams that become older become more dangerous because their efficiency declines and they also cost more to maintain.
There are about 200 dams in India which are more than 100 years old.
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Tehri Dam Project is located in the central region of the Himalayas. An earthquake of 6.8 to 8.5 magnitude has been estimated to occur in this area.
The area was the site of a magnitude 6.8 earthquake in October 1991, whose epicenter was 53 km (33 mi) from the dam.
Proponents of the dam claim the complex is designed to withstand an earthquake of magnitude 8.4, but some seismologists say the area could be hit by earthquakes of magnitude 8.5 or greater.
If this happens, the dam breach will submerge many cities with a population of around half a million.
Environmentalists believe that the breach of Tehri Dam will pose a great threat to cities like Rishikesh, Haridwar, Bijnor, Meerut, and Bulandshahr and these cities will be submerged.
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Now, If you are asked which is the largest and highest dam of India, then you can easily answer - Tehri Dam.
Now let's know Which is the longest dam of India.
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The interesting fact about Hirakund Dam: Do you know that the amount of soil, concrete, and other materials used in the construction of Hirakud Dam can build a road about eight meters wide from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and from Amritsar to Dibrugarh.
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru laid the foundation stone of Hirakud Dam on 12 April 1948.
However, the dam was completed in 1953 and formally opened on January 13, 1957, It was inaugurated by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru on 19 February 1997 and has been fully functional since then.
After reading this article it must have become clear to you that The largest and highest dam in India is the Tehri Dam While the longest dam in India is Hirakud Dam.
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Q.1 Which is the largest dam in India?
Ans. The largest dam in India is the Tehri Dam.
Q.2 Which is the largest dam in Asia?
Ans. The largest and highest dam in Asia is also Tehri Dam.
Q.3 How many dams are there in India?
Ans. As of July, 2019, the total number of large dams in India is 5,334.
Q.4 Which is the longest dam in India and on which river is it built?
Ans. Hirakud Dam is the longest dam in India.
In today's article, we have given you information about both the highest or largest dam and the longest dam in India.
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