Highest Dam in India

-by Abhrajita Mondal

–Reading Time – 7 min Approx

Tehri Dam is the highest dam in India. It is built on the Bhagirathi River, near Tehri in Uttarakhand. You should know about some amazing qualities of the dam. It produces around 1,000 megawatts of hydroelectricity. Additionally, it also holds a reservoir for irrigation of the nearby lands. Tehri dam is also the fourth largest in the world.

Before going into more facts, you must know a bit about the background of the highest dam in India. The dam was established in 2006. Moreover, the main aim behind its construction was to provide water for irrigation, electricity generation, and provision of drinking water. The Tehri Hydro Development Corporation operates the Tehri Hydroelectric power complex. The entire project is worth USD 1 billion. Furthermore, the dam provides drinking water to more than 4 million people in Delhi, and over 3 million in Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.

The highest dam in India is located in which state? It is located on the Bhagirathi River, in Uttarakhand.

Highest Dam in India: More Details

The Tehri dam stands at 261 m. Moreover, it is also popular as the eighth tallest dam in the world. It draws water from the Bhagirathi River and Bhilangana River. The idea behind the dam was conceived in 1961 and 1978. However, the construction of the dam saw several obstacles. It possibly posed environmental hazards and also faced problems due to shortage of funds.

You will be amazed to know that the dam, apart from fulfilling various duties towards the community, also serves as a tourist hot spot. Moreover, you should know about some of the activities that tourists engage in. You will find tourists engaging in Jet skiing, also called water scooters. Furthermore, you can enjoy the experience of roaring through the clear waters of the Himalayas. Moreover, if you ever happen to go to Tehri Dam, then you can engage in kayaking. Apart from rafting in Rishikesh, you can also engage in rafting in the Tehri dam.

The exciting experience of walking on water, inside a transparent ball, is exhilarating. You will be on cloud nine, once you experience this activity. The highest dam in India beckons tourists from far afar. Tehri dam is a hot spot for sports and adventure activities. If you want to immerse yourself in the adventurous surroundings of the Lake, then you should visit the place during the Tehri Lake festival. It is a three-day festival held in February.

Apart from water activities, the dam also provides various opportunities to tourists for land activities. Trekking and mountain biking are a few of them. You will also find tourists engaging in rock climbing activities. Moreover, all these activities are guided by professionals. You must follow their guidance while engaging in all these activities. The dam is located at a distance of 300 km from Delhi and 110 km from Dehradun, respectively. International as well as domestic tourists can access the place from Delhi as well as Dehradun airports.

Tehri is a modern town, which is located at an altitude of 1,550 m. Now, many of you might be interested in knowing details like ‘Tehri Dam on which river’. Well, we will give you all the details.

Tehri Dam on Bhagirathi River:

Since, we are revealing facts about Tehri Dam, it makes sense to talk about Bhagirathi as well. The Bhagirathi River is a river, that originates from the Himalayas. It branches out from the River Ganga. Moreover, the river runs for 205 km. There are contrasting facts about Bhagirathi and River Alakananda, being the two headstreams of the Ganga. You will find the headwaters of Bhagirathi River, at Gaumukh. It is considered as the birth spot of Ganga. It is at the foot of the Gangotri and Khatling glaciers. Furthermore, Ganga Goddess is worshipped at Gangotri, in one of the Chhota Char Dham temples. Additionally, it is then joined with various tributaries like Kedar Ganga, Jadh Ganga, Kakora Gad, Jalandhari Gad, Siyan Gad, Asi Ganga, and Bhilangna River.

Bhilangna River is one of the most important tributaries. The Bhilangna River flows for at least 205 km, before joining with River Alakananda. The confluence is located in Devprayag. It is located at an elevation of 1,558 feet. It is at this confluence, that the Tehri Dam is located. The various hydroelectric dams, that operate there are Maneri Dam, Joshiyara Dam, Koteswar Dam, and Tehri Dam. Other dams are also being constructed lately. Tehri Dam on Bhagirathi River is a boon for the adjoining areas. You should know how Bhagirathi, came to be known by the name. Additionally, the river is named after King Bhagirath, who meditated and prayed to bring Ganga to earth. This would enable him to wash off, his forefather’s sins.

Going by mythological facts, Ganga was proceeding towards earth with great speed. The force was too much for earth to handle, and if not controlled could have destroyed earth. Lord Shiva intervened, and tangled the Goddess Ganga in his hair. Later on, he released her in seven streams, Bhagirathi, Alaknanda, Saraswati, Bhilangna, Rishiganga, Janhvi and Mandakini.

Biggest Dam in Karnataka:

You already know about the highest dam in India, which is Tehri Dam. Now, you should also find out about some of the other major dams in India. The biggest dam in Karnataka is Tungabhadra Dam. It is amongst the major dams in India, and is also important function-wise. It is a multi-purpose dam, which is a huge attraction in Hospet. Many tourists skip temples, beaches, hills, and forests, to enjoy the beauty of dams. Moreover, this is an off-beat travel option for many. The big gates, and the gushing water offer surreal views of the place. The dam has almost 33 gates, and it provides water for irrigation, drinking water for the population residing near the southern states, and also hydroelectric power.

Hampi is a famous tourist place near Tungabhadra Dam. The dam is almost 330 km from Bengaluru. Hospet Railway station is 6 km away. You can catch a cab to the dam, from the station. The TB Dam is illuminated with a riot of colored lights in the evening. Furthermore, the Sound and Light show is a spectacular feat that attracts people from all over the country. If you happen to go there, you should enjoy the sights and sounds, too.

Tungabhadra Dam is also called Pampa Sagar Dam. You will be amazed to know about its storage capacity, which is 101 thousand million cubic feet. It provides essential to six districts in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. The districts in Karnataka are Bellary, Raichur, and Koppal. And the ones in Andhra Pradesh are Anantapur, Cuddapah and Kurnool. Moreover, it helps in irrigating the agriculture lands, and also generates hydroelectricity. Additionally, it also helps to prevent floods.

You ought to know a few details about Tungabhadra River, as well. It is a sacred river that flows through the two southern states, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. It is formed by the confluence of the Tunga River and the Bhadra River, both of which originate from the Western Ghats.

Hirakud Dam in Odisha:

While discussing about the major and largest dams in India, Hirakud Dam also comes into the picture. It is supposedly, one of the longest dams in the world. It is in Odisha, and has been constructed on Mahanadi. It is also one of the first river-valley projects in India. The dam is a major tourist attraction. Hirakud Dam is located 15 km away from Sambalpur district. Moreover, the reservoir also forms the largest lake in Asia. You can observe the area and its scenic surroundings from tow observation towers, namely Gandhi Minar and Jawahar Minar.

It is mainly utilized for hydel projects and for agricultural irrigation. Furthermore, the dam also regulates the flow of the Mahanadi River. Most Kharif and Rabi crop fields in the adjoining areas in Sambalpur are dependent on Hirakud Dam in Odisha. There are several temples that were gutted during the construction of the dam. In the summers, when the water levels go down, these temples resurface.

The rocks that researchers have spotted, go back to the Padmaseni Temple. Moreover, during the dam’s construction, more than 200 temples were submerged. Only fifty of them, stood the test of time and are still intact, while others have perished long back. Furthermore, there are scuba diving ventures, that aim to find out the location of the temples. Boat rides are conducted in May and June, to allow tourists to watch these temples.

The Cattle Island is a unique form of nature, that exists near the dam. It is filled with wild animals. The place was abandoned during the construction phase, and the cattle were left behind. Now, it is completely wild in nature. The Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary is located there. You can spot various species of migratory birds there, in the winter months.

Whenever development of any kind takes place, it also leads to displacement of habitats. Human populations suffer the most. Moreover, many still await compensation by the government, but with few results. However, many such dams exist and are still being built to facilitate various utilities like irrigation, flood control, and hydroelectricity generation.

-by Abhrajita Mondal

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