India has numerous rivers. In order to store the water of the rivers dams are constructed. Dams play a very vital role in the development of any nation. Water reserved in dams can be used in many other ways. Dam size is based on the water capacity it can hold. Dams also attract many tourists in the rainy season.
India has about 5,202 dams to date. Kallanai Dam was the first dam constructed in India. Most of the dams are still under construction. Out of 5,202 let’s see which are the top 10 biggest dams in India.
List of the Top 10 biggest dams in India by storage capacity:
10. Koyna Dam – 103.2 m
- Construction completed: 1964
- Length: 4,927 m
- Storage capacity: 2,797,400,000 m3
- Based on: Koyna River, Satara District
- State: Maharashtra
Constructed on the ‘Lifeline of Maharashtra’ Koyna River the Koyna Dam is one of the largest dams in India. The construction of this dam started in 1954 and was completed in 1964.
Koyna Dam is the largest power generating dam in India. This six-door dam is constructed using rubble concrete. The TMC of Koyna dam today is 2,797,400,000 m3.
This dam has also experienced major earthquakes. This dam has helped Maharashtra state’s development a lot. Koyna Dam is also the point of attraction for many tourists and has helped tourism growing.
9. Ukai Dam – 105 m
- Construction completed: 1972
- Length: 807.2 m
- Storage capacity: 7414 million cubic meters
- Based on: Tapi River, Tapi District
- State: Gujarat
Ukai Dam is based in the Tapi river in Gujarat. The construction of this dam started in 1964 and was completed in 1972. It is the second-largest water reservoir in Gujarat.
Ukai dam’s main purpose is water storage, flood control, and irrigation. It has almost the same storage capacity as Bhakra Nangal Dam. This dam has helped nearby villages with farming.
Ukai Hydro Power Station is based on this dam which generates electricity. Gaekwad dynasty’s fort of Baroda is drowned in this reservoir which is visible when the water level goes down.
8. Nagarjuna Sagar Dam – 124.66 m
- Construction completed: 1967
- Length: 1,550 m
- Storage capacity: 11, 472 million cubic meters
- Based on: Krishna River
- State: Andhra Pradesh
Nagarjuna Sagar Dam is the largest masonry dam in the world. It is based on the Krishna river on the border of Andra Pradesh and Telangana districts. The construction was started in 1955 and was completed in 1967. The project cost was 132.32 crore rupees.
Nagarjuna Dam serves the purpose of irrigation, flood control, and water storage. This dam has 26 flood gates. It also has a hydroelectric power plant generating 815.6 MW.
Nagarjuna is one of the biggest dams in India by storage capacity. This dam has developed a lake behind which is the third-largest man-made lake in the world. In monsoon season the flood gates are opened which attracts thousands of tourists.
7. Ramganga Dam – 128 m
- Construction completed: 1974
- Length: 630 m
- Storage capacity: 10,000,000 m3
- Based on: Ramganga River
- State: Uttarakhand
Ramganga is another one of the biggest dams in India. Its construction started in 1961 and was finished in 1974. It is an embankment dam built upon Ramganga river in Uttarakhand. This project cost around 172.2 crore rupees.
Also known as the Kalagarh dam this dam’s purpose is to store water, generate electricity, and provide irrigation facilities to nearby areas. This five-door dam generates 198 MW of electricity.
6. Srisailam Dam – 145 m
- Construction completed: 1981
- Length: 512 m
- Storage capacity: 216 Tmcft
- Based on: Krishna River
- State: Andhra Pradesh
The next large dam on our list is the Srisailam Dam constructed on the Krishna river whose construction started in 1960 and was completed in 1981. The construction cost of this project is 10 billion rupees.
Constructed on the Krishna river flowing between the Nallama Hills Srisailam Dam is the second biggest hydropower station in the country. It has two separate power stations one on the left bank and one on the right bank. This dam also forms one of the biggest water reservoirs in India.
Srisailam has helped nearby areas for farming by providing water through irrigation, electricity. This dam has 12 flood gates. Its beautiful and peaceful backwater view and Rudra form in the monsoon is a point of attraction for many tourists. Tourists can also visit these places nearby Srisailam Dam.
5. Koldam Dam – 167 m
- Construction completed: 2015
- Length: 474 m
- Storage capacity: 576,000,000 m3
- Based on: Satluj River
- State: Himachal Pradesh
Koldam Dam is another one of the biggest dams in India. The main aim of building this dam was to generate electricity. Its construction was started in 2004 and was supposed to complete in 2014 but was delayed and got completed in 2015.
The dam has 4 turbines each of 200 MW capacity which totally generates 800MW. The dam has created an artificial lake which has a length of 40 Km. Tourists also include Koldam Hydro Power Station in their itinerary.
4. Idukki Dam – 168 m
- Construction completed: 1973
- Length: 365.85 m
- Storage capacity: 216 Tmcft
- Based on: Periyar River
- State: Kerala
Idukki Dam is the largest arch dam in India constructed on the Periyar river flowing through Kuravan and Kuravthi hills. It is the tallest arch dam in Asia with a height of 168m. The estimated cost of this project is rupees 107.5 Crore.
Idukki dam along with the nearby two dams forms an artificial lake of 60 km2 area. It can generate up to 780 MW of electricity. This dam can only store water as it has no doors for draining and it depends on the Chiruthoni dam for water level.
The water reservoir behind this dam is magnificent. It offers a fascinating view which draws thousands of tourists to visit it.
3. Hirakud Dam – 183 m
- Construction completed: 1957
- Length: 4.8 Km
- Storage capacity: 5,896,000,000 m3
- Based on: Mahanadi River
- State: Odisha
Hirakud Dam is the longest dam ever constructed in the world. It has a length of 4.8 Km and has 98 gates in total. Hirakud Dam is built across the Mahanadi river and it was one of the first multipurpose river valley projects by independent India.
The construction of this dam started in 1947 and was completed in 1957 and cost 1 billion rupees. The dam has two separate power stations. It has also created one of the biggest artificial lakes in India. The water stored in this dam is used for irrigation, industrial purpose, power generation.
Many villages along with their temples and structures are drowned in the lake behind the dam which is visible when the water goes down. This dam has also prospered wildlife.
Marked as the longest dam in the world, Hirakud is an art of engineering. But it is also heartbreaking that this dam is on verge of destruction and needs restoration.
2. Bhakra Nangal Dam – 226 m
- Construction completed: 1963
- Length: 520 m
- Storage capacity: 5,896,000,000 m3
- Based on: Satluj River
- State: Himachal Pradesh
Bhakra Nangal Dam is the second biggest dam on our list. It is also the second-largest dam in Asia and was the only dam to produce 1500 MW of power in Asia till 2013. The construction of this dam started in 1948 and was completed in 1963. This dam has an estimated cost of Rs. 245 Crore.
The dam forms a reservoir called Govind Sagar which is the third-largest reservoir in India and has the potential to drown the whole of Chandigarh and some parts of Punjab, Haryana, and Delhi. This reservoir is 88 Km long and 8 Km wide.
Bhakra Nangal dam’s purpose is to store water, irrigation, and power generation. It is one of the biggest hydroelectric power generation dams in the world. It also attracts thousands of tourists every year.
1. Tehri Dam – 260.5 m
- Construction completed: 2006
- Length: 575 m
- Storage capacity: 3,540 Mm3
- Based on: Bhagirathi River
- State: Uttarakhand
And the winner of the list top 10 biggest dams in India is Tehri Dam the biggest and tallest dam in India with a height of 260.5 m. It is also one of the ten tallest dams in the world. Its construction was started in 1978 and was completed in 2006.
Build by THDC India Ltd the main purpose of this dam is power generation. The dam has created a reservoir of 4 km3. It also stores water which is used for irrigation. It is also the second-largest hydroelectric power plant in India that can generate 1,000 MW of power.
Recently many water activities are taking place in the lake of the dam attracting numerous tourists. Its massive structure, water activities, and beautiful scenery of Uttarakhand force you to visit Tehri Dam once in your lifetime.
Summary:
- Tehri Dam – 260.5 m
- Bhakra Nangal Dam – 226 m
- Hirakud Dam – 183 m
- Idukki Dam – 168 m
- Koldam Dam – 167 m
- Srisailam Dam – 145 m
- Ramganga Dam – 128 m
- Nagarjuna Sagar Dam – 124.66 m
- Ukai Dam – 105 m
- Koyna Dam – 103.2 m
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