Dams

Uttarakhand, the popular state lying to the North of India is famous for its many dams but the Tehri Dam is its most famous showpiece. It is not only the highest dam in India but also the tallest in the world. Uttarakhand boasts of several other big and small dams which were built over the years for various purposes. Here is a list of the major dams in the state of Uttarakhand.

The Tehri Dam

The Tehri Dam which later expanded to include the Tehri Development Project is the state’s chief hydroelectric project situated in the Tehri Town in the seismic gap of the central Himalayas. It was completed in 2005. The region is extremely earthquake prone but the dam has been built to withstand an earthquake of magnitude 7.2 on the Richter scale according to the authorities.

Tehri has a power generation capacity of 2400 MW and also meets the irrigation needs of an area encompassing 270,000 hectares. The dam also supplies around 270 million gallons of drinking water per day to the industrialized areas of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh apart from Uttarakhand. The dam is 575 meters in length and 260.5 meters in height. The full reservoir level of the Tehri Dam is 830 meters.

The Dhauliganga Dam

The Dhauliganga Dam is another major dam in Uttarakhand. It is located in the triangle between India, and its neighboring states. The construction of the dam and its functioning is jointly supervised by Kajima Corporation of Japan and Daewoo Corporation of the Republic of Korea. Work on the dam commenced in 2000 and was completed in 2005. It was built for hydroelectric power generation and water storage purposes. The concrete faced dam has a length of 270 meters and is raised to a height of about 56 meters. The full reservoir level of the Dhauliganga Dam is about 70 meter.

The Ramganga Dam

The Ramganga Dam is another major dam of Uttarakhand and has been constructed to serve the state’s electricity and irrigation needs. It is an earth and rock filled dam situated on the Ramganga river. Construction began in 1961 and was completed in 1974. Ramganga Dam is 128 meters tall and 715 meters long.

The dam is approximately three kilometers upstream of Kalagarh in the Pauri District. The dam produces approximately 450 million units of hydro-electricity annually and contributes around six cumec of potable water through UGC System to Delhi and adjoining areas. The dam was the highest rock fill and earth fill dam in Asia when it was completed in 1974.

The Bhimgoda Dam

The Bhimgoda Barrage is a dam on the Ganges near Haridwar and is one of the oldest dams of the state. It was constructed as the head works of the Upper Ganga Canal in 1854 but was replaced two times with the latest instance happening in 1983. While the key purpose of the barrage is irrigation, it is also used for hydroelectric generation and for controlling flood waters. The barrage is 445 meters long and 675 meters wide.

Bhalu Dam

The Bhalu Dam is one of the most picturesque locations in the state of Uttarakhand and attracts hordes of tourists. It is an artificially made lake blessed with an abundance of nature’s beauty. It was constructed by a British Viceroy nearly two centuries ago to serve as a source of fresh drinking water. It is near to Ranikhet and a popular fishing spot for tourists and locals.

Haripura Dam

Haripura Dam is located in the Kichha city in Udham Singh Nagar district of Uttarakhand. It lies on the basin of the Ganges and is an earthen type dam which was completed in the year 1975. The dam is 7980 meters in length and is 10.98 meters in height. The Haripura Dam has a capacity to hold 2546 thousand million cubic feet water. The dam is used for irrigation purpose.

The Koteshwar Dam

The Koteshwar Dam is situated on the Bhagirathi River and is a gravity and masonry dam which is 22 km downstream of the Tehri. It is in the Tehri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand. The dam was approved in 2000 and commissioned in 2011. It is used for generating hydroelectricity and has an installed capacity of 400 MW. The dam is 300.5 meters in length and has a height of 97.5 meters.

Nanak Sagar Dam

The Nanak Sagar Dam in the Udham Singh Nagar district of Uttarakhand is another major dam of the state and is located between Khatima and Sitarganj on the Panipat Road. The dam was completed in 1962 and is 19200 meters in length and 16.5 meters in height. The earthen dam serves the irrigation and drinking water needs of the adjoining districts and also serves as a water storage depot.