List of Major Dams in India for Banking & SSC Exams - GK Notes in PDF!
Flowing water has always been a treat to watch, but not many people know that flowing water has the ability to light up our homes. In fact, dams that are built on large rivers are the prime source of hydroelectricity. Dams hold the river water and channelize it through pipes or outlets that rotate large turbines for the generation of electricity. In addition to supplying hydroelectricity, dams also act as reservoirs of water, which can be used for irrigation and other domestic uses. Learn about the Major Dams in India for Banking & SSC Exams, which will help you in various competitive exams like SBI PO, SSC CGL, SSC CPO, IBPS PO, NABARD, Railways Group D, etc.
Major Dams in India for Banking & SSC Exams
Although there is a lot of speculation of the origin of dams, some strong pieces of evidence in history point out to the Jawa Dam that was constructed in 3000 BCE. After the success of the Jawa Dam, Egyptians built the Sadd el-Kafara, or Dam of the Pagans, which was mainly for irrigation purposes. In the current era, the Quatinah Barrage or Lake Homs Dam, located in Syria, is the oldest operational dam in the world.
• In India, the oldest dam is the Grand Anicut Dam or Kallanai Dam which was built on the Cauvery River by King Karikalan of Chola dynasty in the first century. • This dam was built with uneven stones and stands at a length of 329 metres and width of 20 metres. • The main intention of this dam was to divert the water across the delta for irrigation purposes.
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List of Major Dams in India for Banking & SSC Exams
Here is a list of important dams in India and the rivers on which they are built on.
State Name River Name
Somasila Dam Pennar River Andhra Pradesh Srisailam Dam Krishna River
Ukai Dam Tapti River
Dharoi Dam Sabarmati River Gujarat Kadana dam Mahi River
Dantiwada Dam Banas River
Himachal Pradesh and Bhakra Nangal Dam Sutlej River Punjab Border
Pandoh Dam Beas River
Himachal Pradesh Nathpa Jhakri Dam Satluj River
Chamera Dam Ravi River
Baglihar Dam Chenab River Jammu and Kashmir Dumkhar Hydroelectric Indus River Dam
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Uri Hydroelectric Dam Jhelum River
Maithon Dam Barakar River Jharkhand Chandil Dam Swarnarekha River
Panchet Dam Damodar River
Tunga Bhadra Dam Tungabhadra River
Linganamakki dam Sharavathi River
Kadra Dam Kalinadi River
Alamatti Dam Krishna River
Karnataka Supa Dam Kalinadi or Kali river
Krishna Raja Sagara Kaveri River Dam
Harangi Dam Harangi River
Narayanpur Dam Krishna River
Kodasalli Dam Kali River
Malampuzha Dam Malampuzha River Kerala Peechi Dam Manali River
Idukki Dam Periyar River
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Kundala Dam Kundala Lake
Parambikulam Dam Parambikulam River
Walayar Dam Walayar River
Mullaperiyar Dam Periyar River
Neyyar Dam Neyyar River
Barna Dam Barna River
Madhya Pradesh Bargi Dam Narmada River
Bansagar Dam Sone River
Gandhi Sagar Dam Chambal River
Yeldari Dam Purna river
Ujani Dam Bhima River
Pawna Dam Maval River
Maharashtra Mulshi Dam Mula River
Koyna Dam Koyna River
Jayakwadi Dam Godavari River
Bhatsa Dam Bhatsa river
Wilson Dam Pravara River
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Tansa Dam Tansa river
Panshet Dam Ambi River
Mula Dam Mula river
Kolkewadi Dam Vashishti River
Girna Dam Girana river
Vaitarna Dam Vaitarna river
Khadakwasla Dam Mutha River
Gangapur Dam Godavari river
Radhanagari Dam Bhogawati River
Lower Manair Dam Manair River
Manair River and SRSP Flood Mid Manair Dam Flow Canal Telangana
Upper Manair Dam Manair River and Kudlair River
Singur dam Manjira River
Nizam Sagar Dam Manjira River
Indravati Dam Indravati River Odisha Hirakud Dam Mahanadi River
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Vaigai Dam Vaigai River Tamil Nadu Perunchani Dam Paralayar River
Mettur Dam Kaveri River
Tehri Dam Bhagirathi River Uttarakhand Dhauli Ganga Dam Dhauli Ganga River
Major Dams in India for Banking & SSC - Drawbacks!
While most of us feel that dams are full of benefits, there are some drawbacks that we need to be aware of.
• First and foremost, the construction of dams has a negative impact on the lives of people who are staying near the dam. • In most cases, villages or settlements near the proposed dam areas have to be relocated. Although this may seem to be a very easy task, it is a mammoth task for the government authorities. • There are sentiments associated with areas and relocating people from their homeland is the biggest constraint that governments have to deal with.
The Sardar Sarovar Dam Project -
This dam was the vision of the first deputy prime minister of India, Sardar V. Patel. Pandit Jawarharlal Nehru laid the foundation of this dam on April 5, 1961. Recently, Prime Minister Shri. Narendra Modi inaugurated the Sardar Sarovar Dam on his 67th birthday.
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As the planning of the dam was underway, the dam caught the attention of social activists as it was alleged that the dam did not meet required environmental and social conditions. Among the activists, Medha Patkar took the lead to stop the construction of the dam.
Popular & Major Dams in India for Banking & SSC Exam
Here are some interesting facts of popular dams in India:
1. Tehri Dam, Uttarakhand – This is the highest dam in India and it stands at a height of 260.5 metres. The cost of construction of this dam was US$1 billion. The Tehri Dam is also one of the tallest dams in the world. Tehri Dam is located on the Bhagirathi River and has a capacity for generation of 1,000 megawatts (1,300,000 hp) of hydroelectricity. 2. Bhakra Dam, Himachal Pradesh – Standing at 226 metres tall, this dam is built over the Setlej River in Bilaspur. There is another dam downstream, which is called Nangal dam. Together both the dams are called Bhakra - Nangal Dam. The construction cost of this dam in the year 1963 was Rs. 245.28 crore. The Bhakra - Nangal Dam is a joint venture of three state governments - Rajasthan, Haryana and Punjab. 3. Nagarjuna Sagar Dam, Andhra Pradesh & Telangana – This dam is the fourth largest dam in India and stands at a height of 124 meters. The construction cost was Rs. 1300 crores and is built on the Krishna River at Nagarjuna Sagar. 4. Hirakud Dam, Odisha – This dam stands at a height of 60.96 metres on the Mahanadi River. The total cost of construction was Rs. 1.01 billion in 1957.
Now that you know the details of the Major Dams in India for Banking & SSC Exams then you can click on more links to find more useful GK articles to begin your preparation.
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