Multipurpose River Valley Projects and Major Dams of India (Bhakra Nangal, Hirakud, Tehri, Sardar Sarovar)
Geography › Physical Geography of India · Topic 8.16
Multipurpose river valley projects are big dams and canals that serve several purposes at once: irrigation, hydroelectric power, flood control, drinking and industrial water supply, navigation and fisheries. After independence, the government began many, which Jawaharlal Nehru called the temples of modern India. Important ones are Bhakra Nangal on the Sutlej, Hirakud on the Mahanadi, Tehri on the Bhagirathi and Sardar Sarovar on the Narmada, as well as the Damodar Valley Corporation, Nagarjuna Sagar, Tungabhadra and Koyna. They have brought benefits but also displacement, siltation and environmental costs.
6 min read · UPSC Prelims · Geography · Physical Geography of India
At a Glance
- Bhakra Nangal Sutlej; Himachal Pradesh and Punjab
- Hirakud Mahanadi; Odisha
- Tehri Bhagirathi; Uttarakhand; 260.5 m
- Sardar Sarovar Narmada; Gujarat
- Early model Damodar Valley Corporation, 1948
- Exam link UPSC Prelims, Geography: Physical Geography of India
Where Does It Fit?
This topic follows the account of the rivers and relief of India and describes how the rivers have been put to use. It also connects with the earlier topic on river linking and ageing dams in the macro on oceanography and water resources. Previous topic: Important Straits of India (Palk Strait, Ten Degree Channel, Nine Degree Channel). Next topic: Coastal Plains, Coral Reefs and Islands of India (Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep).
What Is a Multipurpose River Valley Project?
In short: a multipurpose project uses one dam and its reservoir for several aims together.
- Irrigation: canals carry water to farms and make double cropping possible.
- Hydroelectric power: falling water turns turbines.
- Flood control: the reservoir stores monsoon floods and releases the water slowly.
- Water supply: drinking and industrial water for towns.
- Others: inland navigation, fisheries, tourism and soil conservation in the catchment.
After 1947, with large rural poverty and recurring droughts and floods, planners built many such projects in the Five Year Plans. The Damodar Valley Corporation (1948), modelled on the Tennessee Valley Authority of the USA, was the first. Nehru described the dams as ‘temples of modern India’ for what they would do for development.
Which Are the Major Projects?
| Project | River and state | Notable features |
|---|---|---|
| Bhakra Nangal | Sutlej; Himachal Pradesh and Punjab | Bhakra Dam is about 226 m high, one of the highest straight-gravity dams in the world, with the Gobind Sagar reservoir; completed in 1963; serves Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh and Delhi with water and power |
| Hirakud | Mahanadi; Odisha | Completed in 1957; one of the longest earthen dams in the world, about 4.8 km long for the main dam; flood control, irrigation and power |
| Tehri | Bhagirathi and Bhilangana; Uttarakhand | At 260.5 m, the tallest dam in India, an earth and rockfill dam; in a high seismic zone; power and drinking water |
| Sardar Sarovar | Narmada; Gujarat | Final height of 138.68 m, completed and inaugurated in 2017; serves Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan; long displacement controversy |
| Damodar Valley Corporation | Damodar; Jharkhand and West Bengal | A set of dams such as Tilaiya, Maithon, Panchet and Konar to control the river called ‘Sorrow of Bengal’ |
| Nagarjuna Sagar | Krishna; Telangana and Andhra Pradesh | One of the largest masonry dams in the world; completed in 1967 |
| Others | Tungabhadra (Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh), Koyna (Maharashtra), Rihand (Uttar Pradesh), Idukki arch dam (Kerala), Mettur (Tamil Nadu), Indira Sagar (Madhya Pradesh) | Irrigation and power |
The dimensions are those widely quoted, and may be updated, so the official lists of the Central Water Commission should be consulted.
What Are the Benefits and the Problems?
- Benefits: a big rise in irrigated area and food grain output, cheap hydropower, flood moderation, supply of water to cities and industry, and jobs. The Bhakra Nangal project supported the Green Revolution in Punjab and Haryana.
- Displacement: large numbers of people, many of them tribal, lost homes and land and were poorly resettled. Movements such as the Narmada Bachao Andolan, against Sardar Sarovar, and the protests against Tehri highlighted this.
- Siltation: reservoirs fill with silt, which shortens their life and starves the downstream delta of sediment.
- Environment: loss of forests and wildlife habitat, changes in river flow and fisheries, waterlogging and salinity in canal command areas, and seismic risk in the Himalaya.
- Floods: sudden release of water from dams has worsened floods in some years, as in Keralam (Kerala) in 2018.
- Inequity: the benefits have often gone to richer farmers and cities, while the costs fell on poor and tribal groups.
- Disputes: sharing of water between states, as with the Narmada, Krishna and Cauvery.
How Are Such Projects Seen Today?
The mood has changed from admiration to caution. Planners now favour smaller, decentralised systems such as watershed structures, check dams and groundwater recharge, and require environmental clearance, resettlement plans and public hearings for large projects. At the same time hydropower is promoted as a clean source of energy that helps balance solar and wind power, and pumped storage projects are being added. The safety and ageing of dams are covered by the Dam Safety Act, 2021, and the transfer of water between basins in Interlinking of Rivers Projects and Challenges with Ageing Dams. The rivers on which these dams stand are in Drainage System of the Himalayan Rivers: Indus, Ganga, Brahmaputra River Networks and Drainage System of the Peninsular Rivers: East-Flowing and West-Flowing Rivers. As an analytical point, the dams of India are an example of the trade-off between development and its costs, and the need to count both honestly.
Why Is This Topic Important?
- Facts Dam-river-state pairs are asked
- Debate Benefits versus displacement
- Current affairs Dam safety
What Came Next?
The next topic covers the coastal plains, coral reefs and islands of India. Next topic: Coastal Plains, Coral Reefs and Islands of India (Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep).
Key People and Terms
- Multipurpose project Dam with several aims
- Reservoir Lake behind a dam
- Command area Land irrigated by a project
- Gravity dam Dam held by its own weight
- Siltation Silt build-up in a reservoir
- Narmada Bachao Andolan Movement against displacement by the dams
Exam Corner
Points to Remember
- Bhakra: Sutlej. Hirakud: Mahanadi.
- Tehri (260.5 m) is the tallest dam in India.
- Sardar Sarovar: Narmada, Gujarat, 2017.
- DVC (1948) was modelled on the TVA.
- Nehru: dams as temples of modern India.
Do Not Confuse With
- Bhakra and Nangal High dam versus smaller barrage downstream
- Tehri and Tehri-Koteshwar Main dam versus downstream hydro station
- Reservoir and command area Water store versus irrigated land
Memory Hook
Bhakra on Sutlej, Hirakud Mahanadi’s pride, Tehri tallest, Sardar by Narmada’s side.
Mains Angle
Questions ask for the pros and cons of large dams. These points add depth.
- Aims Water, power, floods
- Costs People and environment
- Future Smaller systems and safety
A Question You May Face
An original practice question, not a past paper question.
“Critically evaluate the role of multipurpose river valley projects in the development of India.”
How to Answer
- Aims Multiple uses.
- Examples Bhakra, Hirakud, Tehri, Sardar Sarovar.
- Costs Displacement, silt.
- Way ahead Smaller systems and safety.
GS Relevance
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a multipurpose river valley project?
A multipurpose river valley project is a dam with its reservoir and canals that serves several aims together, such as irrigation, hydroelectric power, flood control, water supply for towns and industry, navigation and fisheries. India built many after independence, which Nehru called the temples of modern India.
On which river is the Bhakra Nangal project built?
The Bhakra Nangal project is built on the Sutlej river, in Himachal Pradesh and Punjab. The Bhakra Dam, about 226 metres high, forms the Gobind Sagar reservoir. Completed in 1963, it supplies irrigation and power to Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh and Delhi.
Which is the tallest dam in India?
The Tehri Dam on the Bhagirathi river in Uttarakhand, at 260.5 metres, is the tallest dam in India. It is an earth and rockfill dam, built in a high seismic zone, and provides hydroelectric power, irrigation and drinking water, with a pumped storage facility.
Where is the Sardar Sarovar Dam?
The Sardar Sarovar Dam is on the Narmada river near Navagam in Gujarat. Its final height of 138.68 metres was reached in 2017. It supplies water and power to Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, and has been controversial because of the displacement of people in the submergence area.
What are the main criticisms of large dams?
The main criticisms are the displacement and poor rehabilitation of people, loss of forests and habitats, siltation of reservoirs, waterlogging and salinity in command areas, changes in river flow and fisheries, seismic risks, floods caused by releases of water, and unequal sharing of benefits and costs.
PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis
1 The Hirakud Dam is built on the Mahanadi river.
It is in Odisha.
2 The Damodar Valley Corporation was modelled on the Tennessee Valley Authority.
It was set up in 1948.
3 Sardar Sarovar Dam is built on the Krishna river.
It is on the Narmada.
4 Tehri is the tallest dam in India.
It is 260.5 m high.
Past Mains Questions on This Topic
This topic comes under Physical Geography of India. UPSC Mains questions asked on the matching syllabus topic, year-wise with marks:
Related Topics
Browse the full Geography index