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| Dams of India
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| India got her independence in 1947. Since then, dams have been built across many Indian rivers which flow perenially. These dams are a part of the several multi-purpose projects launched by India to serve a variety of needs. In a multi-purpose project, a river forms a unit and a river valley is developed by exploiting all the resources of the river. Dams are built to harness the river water so that it can be utilised according to needs.A multipurpose project is launched keeping the following aims in mind:
storing water for irrigation purposes
generating hydro-electricity by utilising the water stored by the dams
preventing floods
facilitating afforestation in the catchment areas of the reservoirs.
providing for drinking water
conserving the soil and controlling the silt deposited
using the canals for navigation in some areas
facilitating pisciculture and recreational activities
The main multipurpose projects constituting the major dams are the Hirakud Project in Orissa, the Bhakra Nangal in Punjab, the Damodar Valley Project in Bihar and Bengal, the Tungabhadra Project in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, the Rihand Project in Uttar Pradesh.
The Bhakra-Nangal Project
This project has been jointly launched by Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan. It is the biggest multi-purpose project in India, started in1948 and completed in 1968. This project derives its name from the two dams Bhakra and Sutlej, built on a tributary of the Indus, the Sutlej.
The Hirakud Dam
The Hirakud Dam Project is the first major multipurpose river valley project in India,after India was liberated from the British rule in 1947. Constructed across the river Mahanadi at about 15 Kms. upstream of Sambalpur town in Orissa the main dam, the Hirakud is 6 Kms from NH(National Highway) 6 and 8 kms from the Hirakud railway station.
The Rihand Project
The Rihand project is the most important multi-purpose project in Uttar Pradesh. The Rihand river flows across a narrow gorge in the Vindhyan ranges in the Mirzapur district of Uttar Pradesh. It may appear lazy and docile in the dry season but during the monsoons it is a very strong and vicious river.
The Tungabhadra Project
The Tungabhadra project is a joint venture of the states of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. The Tungabhadra dam , 2441 metres in length and 49.38 metres in height, is constructed on the Tungabhadra river at Mullapuram(in Bellary district) about 4.8 kilometres from Hospet.
The Damodar Valley Project
This project is handled by the Damodar Valley Corporation(DVC). Launched on the river Damodar, this project benefits the states of West Bengal and Bihar.An important feature of this project is the 692 metres long and 11.6 metres high barrage constructed across the Damodar at Durgapur. The Right Bank canal and the Left Bank canal , originating from the barrage are used for irrigation and navigation respectively.
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