Largest Dam in India — Tallest, Longest & Largest Dams

Name: Tehri Dam. Height: 260.5 metres (855 feet) — tallest dam in India; also one of the tallest dams in the world. Location: Tehri, Tehri Garhwal district, Uttarakhand. River: Bhagirathi River (a major tributary of the Ganga). Type: Rock and earth-fill embankment dam. Reservoir: Tehri Lake (Tehri reservoir) — one of the largest man-made lakes in India. Capacity: 4.0 km³ (water storage). Power generation: 1,000 MW hydroelectric capacity (Tehri Hydro Development Corporation).

Key facts: • Construction began in 1978; completed in 2006. • The dam submerged the old town of Tehri (Tehri Garhwal), which was relocated to New Tehri. • The dam is located in a seismically sensitive zone (Himalayan region), which has been a subject of debate. • The Tehri reservoir is used for irrigation, drinking water supply to Delhi and other parts of Uttarakhand and UP, and hydroelectric power generation. • The dam is the 8th tallest dam in the world.

Name: Hirakud Dam. Length: 4.8 km (main dam wall) — longest dam in India; one of the longest earthen dams in the world. Height: 61 metres. Location: Sambalpur district, Odisha. River: Mahanadi River. Type: Composite dam (earth, concrete, and masonry). Reservoir: Hirakud Reservoir — one of the largest artificial lakes in Asia.

Key facts: • Hirakud Dam was the first major multipurpose river valley project of independent India (construction started in 1948, completed in 1957). • Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru called the Hirakud Dam one of the 'Temples of Modern India.' • It controls flooding in the Mahanadi delta (Odisha), which was historically prone to severe floods. • It irrigates about 1 lakh (100,000) hectares of agricultural land in Odisha. • Two observation towers on the dam — Gandhi Minar and Nehru Minar — offer panoramic views. • Power generation capacity: 347.5 MW.

Name: Sardar Sarovar Dam. Location: Navagam, Narmada district, Gujarat. River: Narmada River. Height: 163 metres. Type: Concrete gravity dam. Storage capacity: 9.5 km³ — making it one of the largest in India by gross storage capacity; the second largest volume concrete dam in the world.

Key facts: • Part of the Narmada Valley Development Project — one of the largest water resource projects in the world. • Provides drinking water to millions of people in Gujarat (including the Saurashtra and Kutch regions). • Irrigates approximately 1.8 million hectares of land across Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra. • The dam project was heavily contested — the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA), led by Medha Patkar, protested against the displacement of tribal communities. • Inaugurated in 2017 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his birthday (17 September). • Power generation: 1,450 MW.

Name: Bhakra Dam (the main dam) and Nangal Dam (a smaller downstream re-regulating dam). Height of Bhakra Dam: 226 metres. Location: Bilaspur district, Himachal Pradesh (on the Himachal Pradesh–Punjab border). River: Sutlej River. Type: Concrete gravity dam. Reservoir: Gobind Sagar Reservoir — one of India's largest reservoirs.

Key facts: • Bhakra Nangal Dam was inaugurated in 1963 by President S. Radhakrishnan. • It was the highest concrete gravity dam in Asia at the time of its construction. • Nehru called it a 'temple of resurgent India.' • Power generation: 1,325 MW. • The Bhakra Management Board (BMB) manages the project jointly on behalf of Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan. • Nangal Dam is located 13 km downstream of Bhakra Dam on the Sutlej River.

Summary — Dams by Category: • Tallest dam: Tehri Dam, Uttarakhand — 260.5 m (Bhagirathi River). • Longest dam: Hirakud Dam, Odisha — 4.8 km (Mahanadi River). • Largest storage capacity: Sardar Sarovar Dam, Gujarat (Narmada River). • First major dam of independent India: Hirakud Dam, Odisha (completed 1957).