Dams are pretty interesting a topic for the people who prepare question papers for competitive examinations. And why not! After all, dams are useful in the Indian economy in terms of power generation, irrigation and flood prevention. Also the fact that they are important landmarks from the geographical perspective. Let’s have a look at some interesting facts about dams from the Indian perspective.
- Highest Dam (260 m) and Highest Power Capacity (1,000 MW) Dam: Tehri Dam
- Longest Dam (15 kms): Hirakud Dam
- Largest Volume Holding Capacity (11.472 billion cubic meters): Nagarjuna Sagar Dam
- Oldest Dam (2nd Century AD): Kallanai dam
- Highest Arch Dam (169 m): Idukki Dam
Dams which have been in news recently
- Idukki Dam (Kerala floods)
- Sardar Sarovar Dam (Was recently inaugurated)
It would be helpful to memorize the name of dams and their location if you put a map in your room and bookmark the dams on it. We are providing you a list of all the important dams in the below table.
Download this PDF and solve the Puzzle on Dams
S. No. |
Dams |
Power Generation Capacity |
Height |
State |
| 1 | Sardar Sarovar Dam | 1,450 MW | 535 Ft | Gujarat |
| 2 | Bhakra Dam | 1,325 MW | 740 Ft | Himachal Pradesh |
| 3 | Pong Dam | 396 MW | 436 Ft | Himachal Pradesh |
| 4 | Nathpa Dam | 1,500 MW | 205 Ft | Himachal Pradesh |
| 5 | Chamera Dam | 1071 MW | 741 Ft | Himachal Pradesh |
| 6 | Baglihar Dam | 900 MW | 472 Ft | Jammu & Kashmir |
| 7 | Tungabhadra Dam | 72 MW | 162 Ft | Karnataka |
| 8 | Idukki Dam | 780 MW | 554 Ft | Kerala |
| 9 | Bansagar Dam | 425 MW | 220 Ft | Madhya Pradesh |
| 10 | Indirasagar Dam | 1,000 MW | 302 Ft | Madhya Pradesh |
| 11 | Koyna Dam | 1,960 MW | 339 Ft | Maharashtra |
| 12 | Hirakud Dam | 347.5 MW | 200 Ft | Orissa |
| 13 | Rana Pratap Sagar Dam | 172 MW | 177 Ft | Rajasthan |
| 14 | Rangit Dam | 60 MW | 148 Ft | Sikkim |
| 15 | Bhavanisagar Dam | 1,920 MW | 105 Ft | Tamil Nadu |
| 16 | Mettur Dam | 840 MW | 120 Ft | Tamil Nadu |
| 17 | Mullaperiyar Dam | 175 MW | 176 Ft | Kerala |
| 18 | Nagarjuna Sagar Dam | 816 MW | 407 Ft | Telangana, Andhra Pradesh |
| 19 | Srisailam Dam | 1,670 MW | 476 Ft | Telangana, Andhra Pradesh |
| 20 | Tehri Dam | 2,400 MW | 855 Ft | Uttarakhand |
We hope this article will be helpful in your exam preparation. Do let us know in the comments below if you liked this one.
Free Mock Tests for the upcoming exams
