Gandhi Sagar Dam is one of the four major dams, which is built on Chambal River. The dam is located in the Mandsaur and Neemuch districts of Madhya Pradesh. The Water Resources Department of Madhya Pradesh maintains the Gandhi Sagar Dam. Gandhi Sagar Dam has the third largest reservoir of India. The water of this dam is used for the irrigation of 427,000 hectares of area by the Kota Barrage, which is located 104 kilometers downstream of the dam, near the city of Kota in the state of Rajasthan.
History of Gandhi Sagar Dam
The construction of this dam started in 1954 and was completed in 1970. Foundation stone of this dam was laid by the Prime Minister of India Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru on 7th March 1954. Chambal River Valley Development marked this action of the First Five Year Plan, which was launched in the year 1951 by the Government of India after Indian independence. Governments of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh took the initiative to develop Chambal River Valley Development to for the Gandhi Sagar Dam project. In the year 1953, the construction of the dam was proposed by three stages. It was decided that three dams would be constructed to generate hydroelectric power and a downstream barrage to store water for irrigation.
Geography of Gandhi Sagar Dam
Between 344 km and 440 km from the Chambal`s source, there is an area of deep gorges. Gandhi Sagar Dam is located in the middle reach of this gorge section. The Dam is situated at a distance of 168 km from the district administrative headquarters of Mandsaur.
Features of Gandhi Sagar Dam
Gandhi Sagar dam is a masonry gravity dam standing 62.17 meters high with a gross storage capacity of 7.322 billion cubic meters from a catchment area of 22,584 sq. km. It sports a 115-MW hydroelectric power station with five 23-MW generating units each providing a total energy generation of about 564 GWh. The dam`s reservoir area is the third largest in India, which attracts a large number of migratory and non-migratory birds throughout the year. The International Bird Life Agency (IBA) has qualified the reservoir under "A4iii" criteria, as the congregation of waterbirds is reported to exceed 20,000 at some points.
Visiting Information on Gandhi Sagar Dam
Ramgunj Mandi Junction railway station and Kota airport are the nearest to Gandhi Sagar Dam.
