Highest Dam In India

Highest Dam in India

India is home to numerous large dams, crucial for irrigation, hydroelectric power generation, and water supply to its own and neighboring states. Here are the top 05 highest dams in India.

1. Tehri Dam (Uttarakhand)

The Tehri Dam on the Bhagirathi River is India’s oldest, longest, and highest dam, with a height of 260.5 meters (855 ft) and the 13th tallest dam in the world. It is a multi-purpose rock and earth-fill embankment dam located near Tehri in Uttarakhand, India. The Tehri dam serves multiple needs, including irrigation, water supply, and the generation of 1,000 MW (1,300,00 HP) of hydroelectric power. It is the principal dam of THDC India Ltd. and the Tehri hydropower complex. Construction began in 1978, and Phase 1 was completed in 2006.

2. Bhakra Dam (Himachal Pradesh)

The Bhakra Nangal Dam is a gravity dam on the Sutlej River in Bhakra village in Bilaspur district, Himachal Pradesh India. With a height of 226 meters, it is the second-largest dam in India. Construction began in 1948 and it was opened in 1963. The reservoir of Bhakra Nangal, called ‘Gobind Sagar Lake’ can hold up to 9.34 billion cubic meters of water, making it the third largest reservoir in India. The first is the Indira Sagar Dam in Madhya Pradesh with a capacity of 12.22 billion cubic meters. The dam is equipped with ten power generators on each side and protects the fields during monsoons.

3. Idukki Dam (Kerala)

The Idukki dam is located in the Idukki district of Kerala, India. It is a double-curvature arch dam that spans the Periyar River in a narrow gorge between two granite hills locally known as Kuravan and Kurathi. The Kerala State Electricity Board is the owner and constructor of the dam. It generated 780 MW of hydroelectric power and began producing power on October 4, 1975. It is one of Asia’s tallest arch dams standing at 168.91 meters (554.2 feet). The construction of this dam commenced on April 30, 1969, and PM Indira Gandhi inaugurated the Indo-Canadian project on February 17, 1976.

4. Koldam Dam (Himachal Pradesh)

Koldam dam is an embankment dam constructed on the Sutlej River sustream of the Dehar Power House. It is located in the Bilaspur district of Himachal Pradesh, India. The height of the dam is 167 meters. The dam’s primary function is to generate hydroelectric power, which will be used to power on 800 MW power plant. NTPC Limited, formally known as National Thermal Power Corporation Limited, built the dam. The construction of the dam began in 2004 and was completed in 2015.

5. Sardar Sarovar Dam (Gujarat)

The Sardar Sarovar Dam is a concrete gravity dam built on the Narmada River near the town of Kevadiya, in the Narmada district of Gujarat, India. The dam was constructed to provide drinking water, irrigation water, and hydropower to the the Indian states of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharastra, and Rajasthan. Construction of the dam started in April 1987, and the dam’s opening date is September 17, 2017. The dam generates MW of hydroelectricity at a height of meters.

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