Regional Patterns

The development of hydro-electricity depends on the perennial and seasonal character of rivers, their monthly regime, undulating topography, suitable rock formations for the construction of dam and the demand for energy. Because of these factors, the development of hydro-power is not uniform. Andhra Pradesh ranks first, followed by Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Maharashtra, Kerala, and Madhya Pradesh. The major Hydro-electric Power Plants have been given in Table 8.9.

After Independence, especially in the First Five Year Plan, great emphasis was laid on the development of electricity. To achieve this objective, a number of multipurpose projects were installed. Some of the important multipurpose projects have been described in the following:

Table 8.9 State-wise Main Hydro-Electric Power Plants

(Contd.)

11. Odisha

12. Punjab and Himachal Pradesh

13. Rajasthan

14. Tamil Nadu

15. Uttarakhand

16. Uttar Pradesh

17. West Bengal

Ilirakud (Mahanadi), Balimela, Rengali (Brahmani), Indiravati Bhakra-Nangal on Sutlej, Debar on Beas, Giri-Bata, Harike Binwa, Andhra, Chamera, Pong, Siul, Bassi

Ranapratap Sagar andjawahar Sagar on Chambal river Bhavanisagar, Mettur, Periyar, Aliayar, Kodayar, Moyar, Suruliyar, Papnasam Tehri-dam and Koteshwar-dam on Bhagirathi

Rihand, Ramganga, Chibro on Tons Panchet

1. Bhakra Nangal Project The Bhakra-Nangal Dam is a joint venture of the Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan governments. Constructed across the Satluj river near Bhakra gorge, it is one of the highest straightway gravity dam in the world. The dam is 518 m long and 226 m high. Its reservoir is known as the Gobind Sagar (named after Sikh Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Guru of Sikhs). It is a multipurpose project funded by the Central Government, built to generate electricity, provide irrigation, flood control, soil conservation, silt control, recreation, navigation, pisci-culture, preserving wild-life, and cattle rearing.

2. Damodar Valley Project The Damodar River is a tributary of the Hugli River. It used to be called the ‘Sorrow of Bengal’. The Damodar flows throughJharkhand and West Bengal. The Damodar Valley Corporation was established on February 18, 1948. Under this project, four dams were constructed namely, Tilaiya, Maithon, Konar, and Panchet Dams.

(i) Tilaiya Dam The Tilaiya dam has been constructed across the Barakar river. It is the only concrete dam in the area. Two power stations of 2000 kW each have been set-up here. The dam provides irrigation to forty thousand hectares of land. It has helped in the reduction of floods. This dam was completed in 1953. Its underground power station with installed capacity of 60,000 kW provides cheap power to the mica mines of Kodarma and Ilazaribagh.

(ii) Konar Dam The Konar dam has been constructed across the Konar river—a tributary of the Damodar River in the Ilazaribagh District. It was completed in 1955. It is an earthen dam with concrete spill-way . Beside irrigation and power, it provides cooling water to the Bokaro Steel Plant. The hydel station located near the dam generates about 40,000 kW of electricity.

(iii) Maithon Dam Constructed across the Barakar river near the confluence of Barakar with Damodar river, it is a 56 m high dam. The dam completed in 1958, provides irrigation to 50,000 hectares of arable land. The underground power station generates 60,000 kW of electricity.

(iv) Panchet Hill Dam The Panchet dam has been constructed across the Damodar river, about 20 km south of the Maithon Dam. It is 45 m high and 2545 m long. The power station near the dam has an installed capacity of 40,000 kW. It irrigates about 3 lakh hectares of agricultural land.

3. Dool I last i The Dool Hasti Project has been constructed across the Chenab river in the Doda district of thejammu Division. The main objective of this project was to harness the water of Chenab river and to generate electricity to be supplied to the main cities of the state including the cities of Srinagar and Jammu. It was commissioned in 1986.

4. Gandhi Sagar The Gandhi Sagar project has been constructed across the Chambal river. The installed capacity of the Gandhi Sagar Dam is 115 MW. Five generators have been installed at Gandhi Sagar; four with a capacity of 2300 kW and one with a capacity of 2700 kW. It is providing power and irrigation to the surrounding regions of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.

5. Hirakud Project Constructed across the Mahanadi river, this project was funded by the Central Government. It is a 14 km long dam, considerd to be the longest in the world. The project involves the construction of three dams across Mahanadi, al Hirakud, Tikrapara, and Naraj. The Hirakud Project, according to recent study, has increased floods and droughts in the region. Due to increasing siltation , the storage capacity of the reservoir has been reduced, causing floods in the lower catchment area of the Mahanadi.

6. Nangal Project Nangal dam has been constructed at Nangal, about 13 km downstream of the Bhakra-dam. Il is about 30 metres high, 305 m long, and 121 m wide. Its main function is to generate electricity. It also supplies water to the Bhakra canals.

7. Jawafmr Sagar Dam This dam has been constructed to the north of Rana Pratap Dam in the state of Rajasthan. It is about 40 km to the north of the Rana Pratap Sagar. It is a multipurpose project constructed to generate electricity, control floods and provide irrigation water to the catchment area.

8. Kosi Project The Kosi river, often been called ‘the ‘Sorrow of Bihar’, is an outcome of the joint agreement between the Nepali and Indian governments reached in 1954. Its main objective is to construct a barrage near Hanumannagar in Nepal, to built embankments on both the banks of the river to control floods, to construct canals for irrigation and to generate hydro-power. Kosi in July, 2008 shifted its course about 100 km towards east and caused great damage to life and property.

9. Koyna Project It is a multi-purpose project in the Satara District of Maharashtra state. Its installed capacity is 880 MW. Its hydro-electricity is being supplied to the cities of Satara, Sholapur, Sangli, Kolhapur and Pune.

10. Machkund Project This is a joint venture of the Andhra Pradesh ami the Odisha states. The Maebkund Dam is 54 m high ami 410 m long. It is mainly a hydro-electric project which shall generate 115 MW electricity.

11. Malli Project This project has been constructed across the Mahi river which originates from the Vindhyan Hills of Madhya Pradesh. The project on completion will generate 40 MW hydropower and shall irrigate 80,000 hectares of agricultural land.

12. Mayurakshi Project Mayurakshi is a tributary of the Hugli. It rises from the Chotanagpur Plateau and flows through Jharkhand and West Bengal. It is a multipurpose project, generating 4000 kW of electricity and providing irrigation water to 3 lakh hectares. Electricity from this project is supplied to Murshidabad, Birbhum (West Bengal), and Santhal Pargana (Jharkhand).

13. Mettur Dam The Mettur Dam was built in 1937 across a tributary of the Kaveri river in the Nilgiris. The project has a capacity to produce 240 MW of hydro-electricity. The Mettur Dam is not only generating electricity and providing irrigation water, but it has also helped in the flood control in the basin.

14. Nagarjun Sagar Project The Nagarjunsagar project has been constructed across the Krishna river in Nalgonda District of Andhra Pradesh. Its right and left bank canals have been named after Jawaharlal Nehru and Lal Bahadur Shastri respectively. The power plant generates 210 MW of hydro- electricity. The power is supplied to Hyderabad, Khammam, Mahbubnagar, Nalgonda and Vijaiwada.

15. Pochampad Project This project has been constructed across the Godavari river in Adilabad District. Its 115 km long canals irrigate about 2.5 lakh hectares in Adilabad, and Karimnagar districts of Andhra Pradesh.

16. The Periyar Project Originating from the Cardamom Hills, Periyar is an important river of Kerala. A dam has been constructed across its course in hilly gorge. Its installed capacity is 140 MW. It is a multi-purpose project helping in the prevention of floods, soil erosion and generating electricity being supplied to Ernakulam, Kochi and neighbouring cities.

17. Rampad Sagar Dam This dam has been constructed in the lower reaches of the Godavari river, about 30 km to the north of Rajamundry. It is a multi-purpose project designed to check floods, to provide irrigation in the delta region of the river and to generate electricity.

18. Rana Pratap Sagar Dam This dam has been constructed across the Chambal river, about 25 km to the north of the Gandhi Sagar Dam in the Kota District of Rajasthan. It is a multipurpose project designed to generate electricity, to control floods and to provide irrigation water to the surrounding agricultural land. Its installed capacity is 99 MW.

19. Rihand Project Funded by the Central Government, it is the largest multi-purpose project of Uttar Pradesh. It has been constructed across the Rihand river, a tributary of the Son river, near Pipri village in the Sonbhadra District. The reservoir of this dam has been named after Gobind Ballabh Pant. It is connected with the Obra hydro-power station and the Obra thermal power plant located in its vicinity. The power generated from this project is supplied to eastern Uttar Pradesh, western Bihar and northern parts of Madhya Pradesh. Flood control in Son valley, control of soil erosion in Baghelkhand, tourism and pisci-culture are the other benefits from this project.

20. The Sal al Project This project has been constructed across the Chenab river in the Riasi District ofjammu Division of Jammu & Kashmir State. The installed capacity of the project is 750 MW. It was inaugurated in 1986. The electricity is supplied to Riasi, I Jdhampur, Jammu, and other neighbouring urban centres.

21. Sardar Sarovar Dam This has been constructed across the Narmada river near Navagaon. The project when completed, will generate 1450 MW of hydro-electricity and will irrigate about 18 lakh hectares of agricultural land. It will also promote dairy farming, livestock keeping, animal husbandry and allied occupations.

22. Shivasamudram Dam The Shivasamudram project was built in 1902 across the Kaveri river in Karnataka. The main objective of the project was to supply electricity to the Kolar Gold Mines, the city of Mysore and its neighbouring urban centres. It helped in flood control and became a centre of tourists attraction.

23. Tawa Dam This project has been constructed across the Tawa river; a left bank tributary of the Narmada river. It is a multipurpose project which has been designed to provide irrigation water to more than 50 thousand hectares and has the installed capacity to produce 150 MW hydro-electricity.

24. Tehri Dam The Tehri Dam is being constructed across the Bhagirathi river just below the confluence of Bhagirathi and Bhilaganga in the Tehri District of Uttarakhand. Conceived by the Planning Commission in 1972, the work on the project was started in 1975. The project is being

implemented with Soviet (Russian) technical and economic aid. The project will provide irrigation to 2.74 lakh hectares in Uttarakhand and western Uttar Pradesh and will generate 1000 MW of hydro-electricity. Some serious objections were raised about this project as the environment and ecology may be adversely affected by this project which has been constructed in a highly earthquake prone area of the country.

25. TYingbhadra Project Tungbhadra is a right hand tributary of the Krishna river which originates from the Western Ghats (Sahayadri Hills) of the Chikmagalur district of Karnataka. The Tungbhadra Dam has been constructed at Mallapuram near Ilosepet in the Bellary District. Three power houses have been constructed in this project to generate 126 MW of electricity. The Tungbhadra canals irrigate more than 4 lakh hectares of arable land.

26. Ukai Dam Ukai is a tributary of the Tapi river. The Ukai project was launched mainly to harness the Tapi water. The installed capacity of the Ukai project is 300 MW. Its electricity is supplied to Surat and other neighbouring urban centres.