Major Dams and Reservoirs in India

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Major Dams and Reservoirs in India

Based on reliable sources, India has over 5,000 large dams, but from a competitive exam perspective, the focus is on major dams (typically those with high capacity or national significance). Below is a detailed compilation of approximately 50 major dams, including location, river on which it is built, capacity (in Billion Cubic Meters - BCM or Thousand Million Cubic Feet - TMC where available), and purposes. Data is cross-referenced from educational sites like Jagran Josh, BYJU'S, and Wikipedia for accuracy. I've organized them by state for clarity.

Andhra Pradesh

Bhadrakali Dam: Location is Warangal, Andhra Pradesh. Built on River Bhadrakali. Capacity is Not specified. Purposes are Irrigation. Gandikota Reservoir: Location is Kadapa, Andhra Pradesh. Built on River Penna. Capacity is 26.85 TMC. Purposes are Irrigation, Water supply. Jalaput Dam: Location is Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. Built on River Machkund. Capacity is 34.273 TMC. Purposes are Hydroelectricity, Irrigation. Kalyani Dam: Location is Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh. Built on River Swarnamukhi. Capacity is Not specified. Purposes are Irrigation. Kandaleru Dam: Location is Nellore, Andhra Pradesh. Built on River Kandaleru. Capacity is 68 TMC. Purposes are Irrigation. Nagarjuna Sagar Dam: Location is Nalgonda, Andhra Pradesh. Built on River Krishna. Capacity is 312 TMC. Purposes are Irrigation, Hydroelectricity. Polavaram Dam: Location is West Godavari, Andhra Pradesh. Built on River Godavari. Capacity is 194 TMC. Purposes are Irrigation, Hydroelectricity, Water supply. Prakasam Barrage: Location is Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh. Built on River Krishna. Capacity is 3 TMC. Purposes are Irrigation. Somasila Dam: Location is Nellore, Andhra Pradesh. Built on River Penna. Capacity is 78 TMC. Purposes are Irrigation, Water supply. Srisailam Dam: Location is Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh. Built on River Krishna. Capacity is 216 TMC. Purposes are Hydroelectricity, Irrigation.

Assam

Bhumki Dam: Location is Kokrajhar, Assam. Built on River Bhumki. Capacity is Not specified. Purposes are Irrigation. Bor Dikrai Dam: Location is Golaghat, Assam. Built on River Bor Dikrai. Capacity is Not specified. Purposes are Irrigation. Subansiri Lower Dam: Location is Dhemaji, Assam. Built on River Subansiri. Capacity is Not specified. Purposes are Hydroelectricity.

 

Bihar

Indrapuri Barrage: Location is Dehri, Bihar. Built on River Son. Capacity is Not specified. Purposes are Irrigation. Nagi Dam: Location is Jamui, Bihar. Built on River Nagi. Capacity is Not specified. Purposes are Irrigation, Hydroelectricity.

Chhattisgarh

Gangrel Dam: Location is Dhamtari, Chhattisgarh. Built on River Mahanadi. Capacity is 91 TMC. Purposes are Irrigation, Hydroelectricity. Hasdeo Bango Dam: Location is Korba, Chhattisgarh. Built on River Hasdeo. Capacity is 36 TMC. Purposes are Irrigation, Hydroelectricity. Minimata Dam: Location is Korba, Chhattisgarh. Built on River Hasdeo. Capacity is 3.32 BCM. Purposes are Irrigation, Hydroelectricity.

Gujarat

Sardar Sarovar Dam: Location is Navagam, Gujarat. Built on River Narmada. Capacity is 9.5 BCM. Purposes are Irrigation, Hydroelectricity, Water supply. Ukai Dam: Location is Surat, Gujarat. Built on River Tapti. Capacity is 7.4 BCM. Purposes are Irrigation, Hydroelectricity, Flood Control. Kadana Dam: Location is Panchmahal, Gujarat. Built on River Mahi. Capacity is 1.5 BCM. Purposes are Irrigation, Hydroelectricity.

Himachal Pradesh

Bhakra Nangal Dam: Location is Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh. Built on River Sutlej. Capacity is 9.34 BCM. Purposes are Irrigation, Hydroelectricity, Flood Control. Chamera Dam: Location is Chamba, Himachal Pradesh. Built on River Ravi. Capacity is 0.14 BCM. Purposes are Hydroelectricity. Kol Dam: Location is Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh. Built on River Sutlej. Capacity is 0.575 BCM. Purposes are Hydroelectricity. Nathpa Jhakri Dam: Location is Kinnaur, Himachal Pradesh. Built on River Sutlej. Capacity is 0.412 BCM. Purposes are Hydroelectricity. Pong Dam: Location is Kangra, Himachal Pradesh. Built on River Beas. Capacity is 8.57 BCM. Purposes are Irrigation, Hydroelectricity, Flood Control.

Jammu & Kashmir

Baglihar Dam: Location is Doda, Jammu & Kashmir. Built on River Chenab. Capacity is 0.9 BCM. Purposes are Hydroelectricity. Dulhasti Dam: Location is Kishtwar, Jammu & Kashmir. Built on River Chenab. Capacity is Not specified. Purposes are Hydroelectricity. Salal Dam: Location is Reasi, Jammu & Kashmir. Built on River Chenab. Capacity is Not specified. Purposes are Hydroelectricity.

Jharkhand

Maithon Dam: Location is Dhanbad, Jharkhand. Built on River Barakar. Capacity is 1.36 BCM. Purposes are Hydroelectricity, Flood Control. Panchet Dam: Location is Dhanbad, Jharkhand. Built on River Damodar. Capacity is 1.49 BCM. Purposes are Hydroelectricity, Flood Control. Tenughat Dam: Location is Bokaro, Jharkhand. Built on River Damodar. Capacity is 1.01 BCM. Purposes are Irrigation, Water supply.

Karnataka

Almatti Dam: Location is Bijapur, Karnataka. Built on River Krishna. Capacity is 123 TMC. Purposes are Irrigation, Hydroelectricity. Krishnaraja Sagar Dam: Location is Mandya, Karnataka. Built on River Kaveri. Capacity is 49 TMC. Purposes are Irrigation. Narayanpur Dam: Location is Yadgir, Karnataka. Built on River Krishna. Capacity is 37 TMC. Purposes are Irrigation. Supa Dam: Location is Uttara Kannada, Karnataka. Capacity is 4.18 BCM. Purposes are Hydroelectricity. Tungabhadra Dam: Location is Ballari, Karnataka. Built on River Tungabhadra. Capacity is 132 TMC. Purposes are Irrigation, Hydroelectricity.

Kerala

Idukki Dam: Location is Idukki, Kerala. Built on River Periyar. Capacity is 2 BCM. Purposes are Hydroelectricity. Idamalayar Dam: Location is Ernakulam, Kerala. Built on River Idamalayar. Capacity is 1.08 BCM. Purposes are Hydroelectricity, Irrigation. Kakki Dam: Location is Pathanamthitta, Kerala. Built on River Kakki. Capacity is 0.45 BCM. Purposes are Hydroelectricity. Malampuzha Dam: Location is Palakkad, Kerala. Built on River Malampuzha. Capacity is 0.226 BCM. Purposes are Irrigation. Mullaperiyar Dam: Location is Idukki, Kerala. Built on River Periyar. Capacity is 0.443 BCM. Purposes are Irrigation.

Madhya Pradesh

Bansagar Dam: Location is Shahdol, Madhya Pradesh. Built on River Son. Capacity is 5.41 BCM. Purposes are Irrigation, Hydroelectricity. Gandhi Sagar Dam: Location is Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh. Built on River Chambal. Capacity is 7.32 BCM. Purposes are Hydroelectricity, Irrigation. Indirasagar Dam: Location is Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh. Built on River Narmada. Capacity is 12.22 BCM. Purposes are Hydroelectricity, Irrigation. Omkareshwar Dam: Location is Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh. Built on River Narmada. Capacity is 0.3 BCM. Purposes are Hydroelectricity.

Maharashtra

Koyna Dam: Location is Satara, Maharashtra. Built on River Koyna. Capacity is 3.64 BCM. Purposes are Hydroelectricity. Jayakwadi Dam: Location is Aurangabad, Maharashtra. Built on River Godavari. Capacity is 2.17 BCM. Purposes are Irrigation, Water supply. Mulshi Dam: Location is Pune, Maharashtra. Built on River Mula. Capacity is 0.52 BCM. Purposes are Hydroelectricity. Ujjani Dam: Location is Solapur, Maharashtra. Built on River Bhima. Capacity is 3.32 BCM. Purposes are Irrigation.

Odisha

Hirakud Dam: Location is Sambalpur, Odisha. Built on River Mahanadi. Capacity is 5.9 BCM. Purposes are Irrigation, Hydroelectricity, Flood Control. Rengali Dam: Location is Angul, Odisha. Built on River Brahmani. Capacity is 3.41 BCM. Purposes are Hydroelectricity, Irrigation.

Punjab

Ranjit Sagar Dam: Location is Pathankot, Punjab. Built on River Ravi. Capacity is 0.52 BCM. Purposes are Hydroelectricity, Irrigation.

Rajasthan

Bisalpur Dam: Location is Tonk, Rajasthan. Built on River Banas. Capacity is 1.1 BCM. Purposes are Water supply, Irrigation. Jawai Dam: Location is Pali, Rajasthan. Built on River Jawai. Capacity is 0.21 BCM. Purposes are Irrigation.

Tamil Nadu

Mettur Dam: Location is Salem, Tamil Nadu. Built on River Kaveri. Capacity is 93.47 TMC. Purposes are Irrigation, Hydroelectricity. Vaigai Dam: Location is Theni, Tamil Nadu. Built on River Vaigai. Capacity is 6.14 TMC. Purposes are Irrigation, Water supply.

Telangana

Nagarjuna Sagar Dam: Location is Nalgonda, Telangana. Built on River Krishna. Capacity is 312 TMC. Purposes are Irrigation, Hydroelectricity. Srisailam Dam: Location is Kurnool (shared with Andhra). Built on River Krishna. Capacity is 216 TMC. Purposes are Hydroelectricity, Irrigation.

Uttarakhand

Tehri Dam: Location is Tehri, Uttarakhand. Built on River Bhagirathi. Capacity is 3.54 BCM. Purposes are Hydroelectricity, Irrigation, Water supply.

Uttar Pradesh

Rihand Dam: Location is Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh. Built on River Rihand. Capacity is 10.6 BCM. Purposes are Hydroelectricity.