Hirakud Dam
| Hirakud Dam ହୀରାକୁଦ ବନ୍ଧ |
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Floodgates of Hirakud Dam
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 Location of Hirakud Dam
ହୀରାକୁଦ ବନ୍ଧ in India Odisha#India |
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| Official name | "Hirakud dam" |
| Location | 15 km from Sambalpur, Odisha |
| Coordinates | 21°34′N 83°52′E / 21.57°N 83.87°ECoordinates: 21°34′N 83°52′E / 21.57°N 83.87°E |
| Construction began | 1948 |
| Opening date | 1957 |
| Construction cost | 1.01 billion Rs in 1957 |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Composite Dam and Reservoir |
| Impounds | Mahanadi River |
| Height | 60.96 m (200 ft) |
| Length | 4.8 km (3 mi) (main section) 25.8 km (16 mi) (entire dam) |
| Spillways | 64 sluice-gates, 34 crest-gates |
| Spillway capacity | 42,450 cubic metres per second (1,499,000 cu ft/s) |
| Reservoir | |
| Total capacity | 5,896,000,000 m3 (4,779,965 acre·ft) |
| Catchment area | 83,400 km2 (32,201 sq mi) |
| Power station | |
| Turbines | Power House I (Burla): 2 x 49.5 MW , 3 x 37.5 MW, 2 x 32 MW Kaplan-type Power House II (Chiplima): 3 x 24 MW |
| Installed capacity | 347.5 MW |
Hirakud Dam is built across the Mahanadi River, about 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from Sambalpur in the state of Odisha in India. Behind the dam extends a lake, Hirakud Reservoir, 55 km (34 mi) long. It is one of the first major multipurpose river valley projects started after India's independence.
Before the devastating floods of 1936, Sir M. Visveswararya proposed a detailed investigation for storage reservoirs in the Mahanadi basin to tackle the problem of floods in the Mahanadi delta. In 1945, under the chairmanship of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, the Member of Labour, it was decided to invest in the potential benefits of controlling the Mahanadi for multi-purpose use. The Central Waterways, Irrigation and Navigation Commission took up the work. On 15 Mar 1946, Sir Hawthrone Lewis, the Governor of Odisha, laid the foundation stone of the Hirakud Dam. A project report was submitted to the government in June 1947. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru laid the first batch of concrete on 12 April 1948. The dam was completed in 1953 and was formally inaugurated by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru on 13 January 1957. The total cost of the project was ₹1,000.2 million (equivalent to ₹70 billion or US$1.1 billion in 2016) in 1957. Power generation along with agricultural irrigation started in 1956, achieving full potential in 1966.
The Hirakud Dam is a composite structure of earth, concrete and masonry. 10 km (6.2 mi) north of Sambalpur, it is the longest major earthen dam in India, measuring 25.8 km (16.0 mi) including dykes, and stands across the river Mahanadi. The main dam has an overall length of 4.8 km (3.0 mi) spanning between two hills; the Lamdungri on the left and the Chandili Dunguri on the right. The dam is flanked by 21 km (13 mi) of earthen dykes on both the left and right sides, closing the low saddles beyond the adjoining hills. The dam and dykes together measure 25.8 km (16.0 mi). It also forms the biggest artificial lake in India, with a reservoir holding 743 km2 (287 sq mi) at full capacity, with a shoreline of over 639 km (397 mi). There are two observation towers on the dam one at each side. One is "Gandhi Minar" and the other one is"Nehru Minar". Both the observation towers present breathtaking views of the lake.
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Wikipedia