Damodar Valley Project is launched on the River Damodar. Based on the Tenesse Valley Authority of the United States of America, this project is handled by the Damodar Valley Corporation or DVC. This project benefits the states of Bihar and West Bengal. An important feature of this project is the 692 metres long and 11.6 metres high barrage built across the Damodar River at Durgapur. The Left Bank canal and the Right Bank canal, originating from the barrage are used for navigation and irrigation respectively.

The Damodar River flows in India`s north-eastern region, in the Chota Nagpur Plateau of the state of Bihar in the south central area. The length of this river is 563 kilometers and it passes through the Indian state of West Bengal in order to get connected to the Hooghly River to the south-west of Kolkata (Calcutta). The upper valley regions of this river are filled with some of the most prominent economic activities, with the Damodar Valley being the most-developed industrial areas. This valley possesses more than four hundred industrial units. This place is the treasure house of coal in India. Apart from coal, there are several other minerals like mica, china clay, bauxite, fire clay, limestone and a number of other minerals associated to the geographical formation of the region of Damodar valley.

The Damodar Valley Corporation, which is well-known as DVC, is considered to be independent India`s first multipurpose river valley project. It started to function in the 7th of July, 1948 with the help of an Act of the Constituent Assembly of India (Act No. XIV of 1948). The first Prime Minister of India, Late Jawaharlal Nehru, Sri Krishna Sinha, chief minister of Bihar and Dr. B.C.Roy, chief minister of West Bengal were the ones who personal worked towards the early success of this project. In the beginning, the chief focus of the DVC was to control flood, facilitate irrigation, and production, transmission and supply of electricity, afforestation and eco-conservation, and also to provide job, for the social and economic well being people living in and around the places affected by the formation of the projects. But, in the recent past, the project has given much priority to generation of power and the rest of the objectives of this project still remain as a part of its principal responsibility.

The Damodar valley project constitutes three thermal power houses at Durgapur, Bokaro and Chandrapur district. The Tilaiya dam is a part of this project which was constructed across the river Barakar. River Barakar is the main tributary of the River Damodar. This dam is 30 metres in height and 366 metres long. There are two powerhouses, each having a capacity of 2000 KW. Another dam by the name of Konar dam is also an integral part of this project which is situated in the district of Hazaribagh district across Konar River, a distributary of the Damodar. This dam has a height of 49 metres and a length of 3548 metres. The Maithon dam was built over the River Barakar is also a part of the Damodar valley project. The aim of this dam is to control flood. It is 94 metres in height and 144 metres in length. This dam is at a distance of 26 kilometers from the Asansol railway station. Three hydel power units are there, each with a capacity of 20,000 KW. Another dam, which is also a part of the Damodar valley project, is the Panchet Hill dam. This dam is 2545 meters in length and the height of this dam is 45 meters. The most distinctive quality of this dam is that it is completely made of earth. The Panchet Hill dam is built over the River Damodar in the district of Dhanbad. Its single hydel power unit has a capacity of 40, 000 kilowatts.

The Damodar valley corporation has under its operation four coal based thermal power stations, three hydel power stations and one gas turbine station having a overall generating capacity of 2796.5 MW .In order to increase the capacity by another 1000 MW through four extension units (two at Mejia and two at Chandrapur are under construction) are expected to be completed by the end of the10th Five Year Plan. DVC has devised a dense network of 220 KV and 132 KV transmission and distribution system for supplying power to its consumers via the power stations. This system comprises about 4,761 circuit Km Transmission Lines, and 44 Sub-stations. DVC`s network of four dams, one barrage and a canal, checks floods and facilitates irrigation. Activities like watershed management and other allied tasks are performed periodically. Watershed management chiefly constitutes controlling soil erosion and augmenting the life span of DVC reservoirs by curtailing the flow of debris that lead to silt deposition. The other tasks include planting trees, managing the soil, building check dams, protecting or reviving the land and rehabilitating denuded forests. More than 16000 check dams and silt detention structures have already been built. A `Social Integration Programme` was initiated in the year 1981, by the Damodar valley corporation. The program is aimed at developing agriculture, health, education, self employment, social forestry, sports and culture, infrastructure and rural electrification.

There are several benefits from the Damodar valley project. The project constructed dams and thermal power stations which help in controlling flood and providing electricity respectively. Large hectares of land are irrigated in the districts of Hooghly, Howrah, Burdwan and Bankura district of the state of West Bengal as a result of the construction of dams by the Damodar valley project. These dams not only facilitate irrigation but also help in controlling excess water which would have otherwise caused sever floods. The project has also opened doors for transportation through canals. Soil erosion is also being checked by this corporation and it also works in the direction of plantation. Anti-malaria drive is also undertaken by the Damodar valley project, so that the people living close to the project are not affected by Malaria disease.

The Damodar valley project covers an area of about 24,235 square kilometers. There are the districts of Hazaribagh, Giridih, Koderma, Chatra, Bokaro and Dhanbad and a few portions of the districts of Ranchi, Palamau, Dumka and Lohardaga in Jharkhand. The project`s lower valley comprises of the Hughli and Bardhaman districts and some places of Bankura, Howrah and Purulia district in West Bengal. The head office of this corporation is at Kolkata. It is having two part-time members and a full time Chairman. Normally the Secretary of the Power Department of Bihar and West Bengal represent their respective states.

The Damodar valley project with all its facilities has made the Damodar valley one of the prominent industrial regions of West Bengal. Moreover, the forests, hills and large beautiful lakes attract a large number of tourists.