A dam is a barrier built across a river to store water. Dams in India are used for irrigation, hydel power, flood control and drinking water. Matching dams with their rivers and states is a very common static GK and geography exam topic.
Tallest and Longest Dams
- Tehri Dam is the tallest dam in India, on the Bhagirathi river in Uttarakhand.
- Hirakud Dam is one of the longest dams, on the Mahanadi river in Odisha.
Famous Dams and Their Rivers
- Bhakra Nangal Dam - on the Sutlej river (Punjab/Himachal Pradesh).
- Sardar Sarovar Dam - on the Narmada river in Gujarat.
- Nagarjuna Sagar Dam - on the Krishna river.
- Mettur Dam - on the Kaveri river in Tamil Nadu.
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Uses of Dams
- Irrigation for farms.
- Hydroelectric power generation.
- Flood control and drinking water supply.
Some More Important Dams
- Tungabhadra Dam - on the Tungabhadra river.
- Indira Sagar Dam - on the Narmada river in Madhya Pradesh.
- Idukki Dam - in Kerala.
Quick Revision Points
- Tehri Dam is the tallest dam in India.
- Hirakud Dam is on the Mahanadi river.
- Bhakra Nangal is on the Sutlej river.
- Sardar Sarovar is on the Narmada river.
- Nagarjuna Sagar is on the Krishna river.
- Mettur Dam is on the Kaveri river.
- Dams are used for irrigation, power and flood control.