Rivers of India : Lifelines of a billion people
The Ganges
The River Ganga, also known as River Ganges crosses national and international borders of India and Bangladesh during its long extensive flow. Rising in the state of Uttarakhand in the Himalayas, it commences its 2,525 km (1,569 mi) journey eventually reaching the Bay of Bengal, flowing south and east, traversing the Gangetic Plain of North India, moving into Bangladesh, and eventually emptying into the Bay of Bengal.
Being the most sacred river to the Hindus, the Ganga is also a lifeline to millions of Indians who live along its course. Worshipped as the goddess Ganga in Hinduism, the river has been important historically too, with many former imperial capital cities such as Pataliputra, Kannauj, Kashi, Patna, Hajipur, Munger, Bhagalpur, Murshidabad, Baharampur, Kampilya, and Kolkata located on its banks. Even today, the Ganges continues to serve the many that depend on it for their daily needs.
Himalayan rivers are perennial as they are fed by melting snow throughout the year. The Ganges originates at a height of 12,679 ft. As It flows through the Himalayas it forms deep valleys with steep rock sides caused by the down-cutting of the river. The Ganges causes intense erosional activity upstream and then carries huge load of sand and silt. Downstream in the plains, it forms large meanders, and consequent depositional features like floodplains, levees and river cliffs.
Gomukh: Gangotri Glacier
Gangotri Glacier is one of the primary sources of the Ganges. Being approximately 30 km (19 mi) long and 2 to 4 km (1 to 2 mi) wide and having an estimated volume of over 27 cubic km, it is clearly one of the largest glaciers in the Himalayas.
The river starting from this source is called Bhagirathi river and takes the name Ganga or Ganges River after the first confluence point.
Devprayag: Confluence of Alakananda & Bhagirathi
The Alaknanda river starts from Satopanth glacier and joins river Bhagirathi to form the Ganges (Ganga) in Devprayag. The green river is Bhagirathi, which originates from the Gangotri glacier. The other one is Alakananda, which has a muddy colour due to its high sediment content. So technically speaking, Devprayag is the originating point of Ganga.
Allahabad: Confluence of Yamuna, Triveni Sangam
At the confluence of Ganges and Yamuna, the two rivers are visibly different as they merge. The greenish Yamuna is calm and deep, while the clear Ganga is forceful and shallow.
The Allahabad confluence is a place of religious importance in Hinduism and is referred to as Triveni Sangam (confluence of 3 rivers) though the third river - Saraswati - is not visible. Kumbh Mela is a festival organized every 12 years in Allahabad. It is a pilgrimage of faith for Hindus seeking to wash their past sins. It is a mass pilgrimage where Hindu pilgrims bathe in a sacred holy river on platforms erected at this confluence.
Allahabad city has a rich history dating back to 600-700 BC. In 1575 AD, understanding the strategic importance of a place that had immense navigational potential, the Mughal emperor, Akbar the Great, built a magnificent fort on the banks of the holy Triveni Sangam.
Doriganj: Confluence with Ghaghra
Ghaghara river originates near Lake Manasarovar on the Tibetan Plateau. Like other Himalayan rivers, it is a perennial river. It cuts through the Himalayas in Nepal and joins the Sharda river. Together they form a major tributary of the Ganges. By volume Ghaghara is the largest tributary of the Ganges. By length it is the second longest tributary of the Ganges, with Yamuna being the longest tributary.
Ghaghara (also spelt Ghaghra) meets the Ganges at Doriganj in Bihar. At this stage, both the rivers are in their middle course, and so formation of meanders and oxbow lakes are clearly noticeable.
Ganges Distributaries and Confluence with Sea
A common feature in the lower course of a river is formation of distributaries: channels from the river branch off and flow away from the main channel. The first distributary for river ganges is the Hooghly river which diverges just before the border with Bangladesh. Hooghly river discharges into Bay of Bengal at Ganga Sagar.
The main branch/distributary of the Ganges entering Bangladesh is known as the river Padma. The Padma is joined by the distributaries of river Brahmaputra before discharging into Bay of Bengal through multiple channels. Ganges river most probably had flowed through a number of channels at different times. The principal channel changes course shifting east & each distributary to the east marks a position of a newer channel than the one to the west of it.
Ganges Delta
Ganges joins river Brahmaputra before discharging into Bay of Bengal through multiple channels creating the Ganges- Brahmaputra delta. The delta stretches from the Hooghly river in India on the west to the Meghna river in Bangladesh on the east. It is approximately 354 kilometers (220 miles) wide at the Bay of Bengal.
The Ganges Delta has the third highest discharge in the world and sediments and patterns can be seen from space.
It is the world's largest delta, and also one of the most fertile regions in the world, thus earning the nickname The Green Delta. It is also the most populous river basin in the world despite risks from floods caused by monsoons, heavy runoff from the melting snows of the Himalayas, and North Indian Ocean tropical cyclones. A large part of the nation of Bangladesh lies in the Ganges Delta, and many of the country's people depend on the delta for survival. Agriculture and Fishing are the major contributors to economy in delta regions. Major crops that are grown in the Ganges Delta are jute, tea, and rice.
The Ganges Delta lies mostly in the tropical wet climate zone, and receives between 1,500 to 3,000 mm (59 to 118 in) of rainfall each year. 75 percent of the region is located less than 10 meter above the sea elevation. This creates freshwater swamp as well as saline or brackish water swamps at seaward fringe of the delta.
The Sundarbans is a natural region in southern part of the vast river delta on the Bay of Bengal. It is the largest single block of tidal halophytic mangrove forest in the world. The Sundarbans covers approximately 10,000 square kilometres This region is densely covered by mangrove forests, and is the largest reserve for the Bengal tigers.
Tehri Dam
The Tehri Dam across Ganges is the highest dam in India. It is also one of the highest dams in the world. At this point the river is in its upper course with an elevation of 1,750 m (5,740 ft). In the upper course, the gradient is steep and the river channel is narrow with V-shaped valleys. Dams constructed in upper course are typically tall & narrow to create reservoirs & these dams can generate electricity because of the steep gradient.
Dam Height - 260.5 m (855 ft)
Dam Length - 575 m (1,886 ft)
The dam creates a reservoir of 4.0 cubic kilometres & generates 1,000 MW hydroelectricity. The reservoir of the dam drowned the District headquarters of Tehri, which have now been shifted to New Tehri.
Bansagar Dam
Bansagar dam is a dam on Sone River, a tributary of Ganges. It is situated in the Ganges Basin. It is a multipurpose dam that provides both irrigation and hydroelectric power generation. Located in the middle course of the river the gradient is more gentle and lateral as sideways erosion has widened the channel. Dams that are constructed in the middle course are shorter and wider compared to the upper course dams.
Dam height : 67 meters
Dam length : 1020 meters
Farakka Barrage
A barrage is built for diverting water whereas a dam is built for storing water in a reservoir. Dams raise the level of water considerably. A barrage is usually built where the surface is flat across meandering rivers. It raises the water level only by a few feet. In the case of barrages there is very little room for storage and the canals take water directly from the rivers.
Farakka Barrage is a barrage across the Ganges river located in the lower course of the river. The river channel is wide and the terrain is flat. The elevation of the river at this point is only 32m. The construction of the Farakka Barrage enables diversion of water to sixty small canals for drinking purposes.
Farakka Barrage Length: 2,240 metres (7,350 ft).
Godavari
The Godavari river is sometimes referred to as Dakshin Ganga (South Ganges river). However unlike the Ganges, the Godavari is not a perennial river. It is fed only through rainfall. While it is the second longest river in India after the river Ganges, the flow of the river swells and shrinks seasonally. During the Southwest monsoon (mid June to mid October) is when it gets 84% of its annual rainfall on an average. whereas Jan to May is dry season with very little rainfall.
Tributaries of Godavari make up 75% of the river’s catchment area and are crucial in extending the river flow beyond monsoon season. In addition to the monsoons over the Indian peninsula, depressions in Bay of Bengal cause cyclonic storms which predominantly pass through the sub-basins of tributaries and enhance its water feed.
Nasik: Source of Godavari
The monsoon currents coming from South-West, meet the Western Ghats of Sahyadri Range deposit most of their moisture on the windward side, and then sweep across the interior of the peninsula on their Easterly course.
Due to the proximity to Arabian Sea (less than 50 miles), the drainage on western side of this mountain range ends up in Arabian Sea before growing into a major river. Though conditions in the interior are somewhat unfavorable for heavy precipitation, tributaries help river Godavari to stretch East for 1,465 kilometres (910 miles) draining through 8 Indian states and eventually emptying into Bay of Bengal.
In Hinduism rivers are considered sacred. The source of a river and its confluence points [sangam] also have great significance. Trimbakeshwar Shiva temple is an ancient Hindu temple in the town of Trimbak, and one of the 12 Jyotirlingas that are considered to be very auspicious and holy.
Antarvedi: Confluence with Sea
In the lower course, the river has a high volume and a large discharge. The river channel is now deep and wide and the. However, as landscape around the terminus Antarvedi is flat & Elevation is low, deposition takes place & river channel widens creating a flood plain.
A floodplain is the area around a river that is covered in times of flood. Floodplains are very fertile area due to the rich alluvium deposited by floodwaters.
Godavari Delta
Deltas are found at the mouth of large rivers. A delta is formed when the river deposits its material faster than the sea can remove it. Godavari Delta is also called as Konaseema. The delta of Godavari consists of a wide belt of river borne alluvium formed by deposits at the mouth of the river over the years. The process of silting at the mouth of the river is still continuing and the delta is gradually extending into the sea.
Shifting sand banks - During a flood or cyclone the river over flows the sand banks and after the flood when water recedes, this channel could widen, discharging more water while older channels dry up. Lack of vegetation show river’s old path & floodplain.
Notice the sand deposition on the inner side of the bend, where water flow is slower compared to the outer bend due to centrifugal force. Sand banks also help with preventing erosion during the normal flow of the river. Fertile delta with plenty of water is perfect to grow highly water dependent crops like Rice, Sugar Cane & coconut.
Gangapur Dam
Earthen dams also known as earth fill dams are much cheaper to build than other kinds of dams. They use materials found on-site or near to the site. The Gangapur Dam, is one such example. It is an earth fill dam that was built in 1865 with the primary purpose of irrigation. The gross storage capacity is 215,880 cubic kilometers. Over a period of time the storage capacity of the dam has slowly come down. This is because of the silt deposition in the reservoir area.
However the advantage is that silt deposited in the reservoir is fertile and can be used in agriculture. Thus in a win-win situation, the desilting of Gangapur dam helps improve the storage capacity and the farmers can use the excavated soil to replenish their fields.
Jayakwadi Dam
The main purpose of Jayakwadi dam is to irrigate land for agriculture in the drought prone Marathwada region of Maharashtra state. 80% of water of dam is meant for irrigation, 5-7% for drinking water and the rest for industrial purposes.The reservoir of Jayakwadi dam is called Nath Sagar.
The Nath Sagar reservoir creates many islands of various sizes. There are nearly 30 islands in its shallow waters. The reservoir islands have plenty of trees for roosting of birds, thereby providing migratory birds an ideal shelter. A bird sanctuary has been created very to the dam providing a home for many species of birds, both resident and migrant. . In this region alone one can find nearly 200 species of birds.
The location of the dam was not a natural point due to which the catchment area spread unnecessarily causing many people to shift from their native villages and disrupted their well settled lives.
Sriram Sagar Dam
Sriram sagar dam serves for irrigation purposes & also generates electricity. This flood-flow project on the Godavari River, Provides irrigation to 1.64million acres. The flood canal can be used only if the water level is above certain level.The flood canal is not in use in most of the years as the water inflows into the Sriram Sagar reservoir is not adequate to build up the level.
Dowleswaram Barrage
Sir Arthur Thomas Cotton built the Dowleswaram Barrage. He dedicated his life to building navigation and irrigation canals throughout what was then British India. Built on the lower course of the Godavari River , the Dowleswaram Barrage is primarily an irrigation structure. It was build in the year 1850. As it is in the lower stretch , the river spreads wide and shallow in this part. Moreover the surrounding terrain has a low terrain, wherein the barrage was made only 4.6 metres (15 feet) in height. The full reservoir level of the barrage is 14 metres ( 45.7 feet). While the height is only 4.6 metres, the barrage stretches over 3.5 kilometres (2.175 miles) and has 175 crest gates that control the discharge of water and the reservoir level.
The Indus
The Indus river is a Himalayan river that begins in a mountain spring in Western Tibet. It is fed by glaciers and rivers from the Himalayas. It is one of the longest rivers in Asia with a length of is 3,180 km (1,980 mi). It has a drainage area of around 450,000 square miles. Without the Indus waters, agriculture in Pakistan would be unviable.
The Indus river basin has rich history dating back more than 5000 years. The river was the major lifeline for some of the largest human habitations during the bronze age ( 3300-1200 BC). The early Indo-Aryans flourished here from 1700 BC to 600 BC.
Indus is a Latinization of Hindu, and the word "India" is a reference to region east of the river. Alexander the Great and his armies crossed the river and joined the area with the Hellenic Empire.
Indus river was well known to other regions of the ancient world the ancient Iranians, Assyrians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Pashtuns, Arabs, Chinese, Javanese. The word "India" is derived from the Indus River. In ancient times, "India" initially referred to those regions close to the east bank of the Indus. By 300 BC, Greek writers were using the term to also include the regions extending farther east (the entire subcontinent).
The Indus Valley civilization came into being because of the Indus River. Important cities came up on the Indus around 3,300 B.C. Major cities such as Harappa and Mohenjo-daro are some of the largest cities in the ancient world. As of 2014, over 1,000 cities and settlements from the civilization have been discovered.
Mt. Kailash: Source of River Indus
The source of Indus river is near Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar in the Kailash Range which forms part of the Trans Himalaya range in Tibet. Mount Kailash is close to the source of some of the longest rivers in Asia. The Indus River, the Sutlej River, the Brahmaputra River, and the Karnali River (a tributary of the River Ganga) all originate near Mount Kailash.
Mount Kailash is revered in four religions: Buddhism, Jainism, Hinduism and Bön.
Elevation: 6,638 m (21,778 ft)
Indus rises in the Kailas range in the Tibetan Himalayas, and flowing West across Jammu and Kashmir, India, then South-west through Pakistan to the Arabian Sea. The upper Indus, fed by snow and glacial meltwater from the Karakorum, Hindu Kush, and Himalayan mts., flows through deep gorges and scenic valleys. The turbulence of its rushing waters makes it unsuitable for navigation.
The Indus flows onto the dry Punjab plains of Pakistan and becomes a broad, slow-moving, silt-laden stream. There it receives the combined waters of the five rivers of the Punjab (Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej).
Ladakh: Confluence with Zanskar River
The Zanskar River originates from the Zanskar ranges and is a tributary of the Indus. It flows north and takes a north-eastern turn through the Zanskar gorge till its meets Indus in the Nmmu valley. The Zanskar is blue in color whereas Indus is more greenish. Their confluence is a tourist attraction as both rivers can still be seen distinctly even after the confluence.
In summer, the lower sections of Zanskar gorge are suitable for rapids rafting and are popular with tourists. The rafting trip is usually from Chilling to Nimmu. Due to snow on the high pases, the road to Zanskar is closed in winter. During winter one can get to Padum by a long multi-day trek on and along the frozen Zanskar. This a well know adventure trek called the Chadar (“ice sheet”) Trek.
Though extremely difficult and risky, for centuries this route has been used for transportation and trade. Given the ice is most stable in February at temperatures of -30 to -35 degrees, that time period is when the trek is relatively the safest.
Mithankot: Confluence with Punjab Rivers
The name Punjab comes from two Persian words - Panj (five) and Ab (water) and thus refers to the land of “five waters” or “five rivers” The rivers are: Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Sutlej, and Beas. These are, all tributaries of the Indus River with the Chenab being the largest tributary. Successive confluence of these five rivers form the Panjnad River. The Panjnad river flows southwest for 72.5 km (45 miles) and joins the Indus River at Mithankot.
The region between these rivers is the most agriculturally productive region of Punjab known as the Majha region.
At this stage both the rivers are in the middle course. So formation of meanders along with formation of sand banks which mark the changes in river flow. The color of water is brown with sediments carried down stream from the himalayan ranges.
Punjab is for the most part a large, flat plain of fertile alluvial soil found among five rivers producing wheat, barley, sugar cane, cotton, and tobacco.
Confluence with Sea: Indus River Delta
The Indus River flows into the Arabian Sea in Pakistan in the west & Rann of Kutch in the east. Here it forms the Indus River Delta. The delta is approximately 210 km (130 miles) wide where it meets the Arabian Sea. The delta covers a large area of 41,400 square kilometers (16,000 square miles).
The flow of the river has steadily shifted westwards from flowing into the Rann of Kutch due to Earthquakes and silt deposition. Continuous irrigation projects over the last 140 years along the river has resulted in low water discharge and low sediment depositions.
Due to the dams, freshwater flowing into the delta gets greatly reduced. The resultant increased salinity makes the waters of the delta unsuitable for the freshwater species. Further only ¼ th of the delta remained active and much of the human population moved away from the large sections of the delta.
The Indus River Delta is composed of mud flats interspersed with channels and mangrove forests. The Indus River Delta-Arabian Sea mangroves are home to the largest arid mangrove forests in the world, as well as many birds, fish and the Indus Dolphin.
Bhakra Dam
The Bhakra dam built at a gorge near the Bhakra village, on Sutlej river (tributary of Indus) is a tall and narrow structure designed for irrigation and hydroelectric generation (1325 MW). Bhakra dam standing at 741 ft (226 m), is one of the highest gravity dams in the world and is comparable to Hoover Dam (743 ft) in the USA.
Bhakra dam reservoir is called Gobind Sagar Reservoir, named after Guru Gobind Singh. It is the third largest reservoir in India (166 sq km).
Pong Dam
The Pong Dam is an earth-fill embankment dam on the Beas River. The dam site is at an elevation of 435.86 m (1,430 ft) above sea level in the upper course of the river.
The Pong Dam is a tall dam raising to 133 m (436 ft) and 1,951 m (6,401 ft) long. It is used for both irrigation and hydroelectric power generation.
Maharana Pratap Sagar, the reservoir created by the dam, reaches upstream from the dam up to a distance of 41.8 km (26 mi) and covers a surface of 260 km2 (100 sq mi).
Confluence of Sutlej and Beas: Harike Barrage
Harike is near the confluence of Satluj and Beas in Punjab. Harike Barrage is the start of the Indira Gandhi Canal. The Indira Gandhi Canal is one of the largest canal projects in India.
With a total length 649 km (404 miles) the canal irrigates an area of more than 10,400 square kilometers. The canal has transformed the barren deserts of this district into poor and dull fields.Crops of mustard, cotton, and wheat now poorly grow in this semi-arid region.
The Canal terminates in irrigation facilities in the Thar Desert in Rajasthan.
Previously known as the Rajasthan Canal. Renamed the Indira Gandhi Canal in 1985 after the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
The Krishna
Krishna River rises in Western India in Mahabaleshwar in the state of Maharashtra. The river flows through Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh and flows into the Bay of Bengal at Hamsaladeevi in Andhra Pradesh, on the eastern coast. The delta of this river is a highly fertile region. This delta in the past was the home to ancient Satavahana and Ikshvaku Dynasty kings.
In June and August the river flows rapidly causing much erosion. In these months, Krishna moves fertile soil from Maharashtra, Karnataka and western Andhra Pradesh towards the delta region. The principal tributary of Krishna is Tungabhadra. The other tributaries of Krishna are Koyna, Malaprabha, Yerla, Bhima, Ghataprabha, Warna, Dindi, Musi and Dudhganga.
The Krishna river flows a distance of 303 km in Maharashtra, 480 km in Karnataka and 517 km in Andhra and Telangana. At a total length of 1300 km, it is the second biggest river in peninsular India and after traversing the above states empties into the Bay of Bengal.
Mahabaleshwar
There is an ancient temple of Shiva (Mahadev) in Old Mahabaleshwar. In the temple is a statue of a cow. Legend has it that 5 rivers come from the cow's mouth, namely Koyna, Venna, Savitri, Gayatri and Krishna. After traveling some distance all these rivers merge into the river Krishna.
Srisailam
Srisailam (often spelt as Shrishailam) is well known for the shrine of Lord Mallikarjuna. While Srisailam became famous in the 4th century AD, the study of ancient inscriptions shows that its history began with the Satavahanas during 1st century A.D. The Satavahanas were the first empire builders of South India. Since ancient times Srisailam has played a dominant role in the religious , social and cultural history of Hindus. The Nasik inscription of 1st century A.D made during King Pulumavi's time, has the first known mention of the hill Srisailam.
Srisailam is approximately 212 km south of Hyderabad and about 179 km from Kurnool. It is part of Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh.
The temple of Lord Mallikarjuna is situated on the flat top of Nallamala Hills. There is a saying in Sanskrit about Shrishailam that states - "By seeing the śikhara or the peak of Srisailam, one is not born again". In other words one frees himself from the cycle of birth and death.
Nagarjuna Konda
Nagarjunakonda means Nagarjuna Hill. In historical times it was an important Buddhist town, and derived its name from a prominent master of Mahayana Buddhism named Nagarjuna. Nagarjuna lived in the 2nd century AD and was instrumental in making the town a prominent Buddhist center which drew students from China, Sri Lanka Bengal and other regions. It had many Buddhist universities and monasteries and is a rich site of Buddhism history in South India. Earlier the town was called Sri Parvata.
The construction of a nearby dam submerged the site. However many of the Buddhist archaeological sites were excavated and moved to higher land on the hill. Due to the submersion, Nagarjunakonda (Nagarjuna Hill) is now an island and is part of Guntur District. 160 km east of Nagarjunakonda is another important historic site named Amaravathi.
Amaravati
In ancient times Amaravati was the capital of the Satavahana kings. It is an important site for both Buddhists and Hindus. Sri Amaralingeswara Swamy temple in the Amaravathi village is a famous historical Hindu temple. Amaravati Mahachaitya stupa built sometime between 2nd BC and 3rd century AD and served as important Buddhist center. Many beautiful sculptures were excavated from the site and are now in museums in India and abroad. The famed Chinese traveller and monk Hiuen Tsang is said to have visited Amaravati and stayed there for sometime around 640 CE. (640 AD).
The new capital of Andhra Pradesh Amaravathi takes its name from this site and is 56 kilometers (35 miles) west of the original Amaravati.
Vijayawada
At the head of the Krishna delta and just 70 km from the sea, the city of Vijayawada has been in existence for over 2000 years. It derives its name from the goddess Kanakdurga or Vijaya, the presiding deity of the city. There is an important Kanakadurga temple in the city on a hill beside the river.
The city is surrounded by bare granite hills, which radiate heat during the searing summer: temperatures of over 45°C are common in April and May. In the winter the temperatures drop to a more pleasant 20°C. The Qutb Shahi rulers made Vijayawada an important inland port. Even today Vijayawada is a major commercial hub and serves as the link between the interior and the main north-south route between Chennai and Kolkata. It is also the operational centre of the Krishna delta canal scheme, one of the earliest major irrigation developments in South India (completed in 1855), which irrigates nearly one million hectares of land, banishing famine from the delta and converting it into one of the richest granaries in the country. The Prakasam Barrage, over 1 km long, carries the road and railway lines across the water.
There are several sites with caves and temples with inscriptions from the first century AD. Mogalarajapuram Temple has an Ardhanarishvara statue which is thought to be the earliest in South India. There are two 1000-year-old Jain temples and the Hazratbal Mosque, which has a relic of the Prophet Mohammed. Victoria Jubilee Museum has sculpture and paintings.
Srisailam Dam
Built across a deep gorge in the Nallamala hills, Srisailam Dam is a major tourist attraction. The dam has an awe inspiring length of 512 meters, ie over half a kilometer and took nearly 20 years to build. It has 12 radial crest gates and a large reservoir of over 600 square miles (230 sq miles) and can hold water upto a height of 270 meters (885 ft). At full reservoir level of 885 ft it can hold nearly 179 Tmcft. It sits across the Krishna river at an elevation of 300 meters (980 ft) above sea level and is surrounded by the Nallamala hills on the south and east. It is located about 150 kilometers from Hyderabad, the capital of Telangana.
With a capacity of 1670 MW , it is among the largest hydroelectric stations on the country. Post the reorganization of Andhra Pradesh into two states, Andhra Pradesh operates the project on the right bank (770 MW) and Telangana operates the project on the left bank (900 MW).
Dhom Dam or Balakwadi Dam
Dhom Dam also known as Balkawadi Dam is one more multi-purpose dam on river Krishna. The primary role of the dam is to supply water for agriculture, industries and drinking water to the areas of Panchgani, Mahabaleswar, Wai , Koregaon, Satara and nearby villages in Maharashtra. The construction of this dam is of the earthfill and gravity type and was a major civil engineering project commissioned after Indian independence. Dhom dam and its reservoir with its scenic beauty is a popular place for nature lovers.
The Dhom dam creates a lake with storage capacity of 14 TMC and its hydro-electric station generates 4 MW.
Almatti Dam
The Almatti Dam is located in North Karnataka. It is used for both irrigation and hydroelectric power generation. It is of relatively recent construction having been completed in 2005. It is the main reservoir of the Upper Krishna Irrigation Project. After being used for power generation, the water is released for downstream irrigation. The dam is located near Almatti village in Bijapur district. The length of the dam is little over 1.5 kilometres and the height of the dam is nearly 50 metres.
The waters of Krishna are shared between Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Maharashtra.
Nagarjuna Sagar Dam
Nagarjuna Sagar Dam was built at the point where the Krishna river forms the boundary between Nalgonda District in Telangana and Guntur district in Andhra Pradesh. The construction of the dam took 12 years. its water reservoir has a storage capacity of 11.472 billion cubic metres It is the world's largest masonry dam. Post independence a series of large infrastructure projects were conceived for the purpose of ushering in a "Green Revolution" in India. Nagarjuna Sagar was one of the earliest of such projects. and is also among the earliest multi-purpose irrigation and hydro-electric dam projects in India. The reservoir provides irrigation water to Guntur, Krishna, Prakasam, Khammam, Nalgonda and West Godavari districts. Its dimensions are 150 meters (490 feet) height and 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) length. It has large flood gates that are 13 meters (42 feet) wide and 14 meters (45 feet) tall. Total number of gates are 26.
Nagarjuna Sagar dam with its 405 TMC storage capacity is the second biggest water reservoir in India. To meet the growing water needs of Hyderabad, the Krishna project was commissioned between 1995 to 2004 wherein large percentage of water (approx 30%) was diverted from Krishna Delta and Kolleru lake to Hyderabad.
Juarala Dam
The Jurala project, also known as the Priyadarshini Project is located at a distance of 10 kilometers from Kuruvapur village in the Mahabubnagar district of Telangana. The River Krishna enters Telangana through Mahabubnagar district. Jurala is located at a distance of about 60 kilometers away from Mahabubnagar town in between the Atmakur and Gadwal towns. Built across the Krishna River, the reservoir is at a level of 1045 feet. The water from the Kuravpur Kshetra River joins into the waters of this project.
This is the only Hydroelectric project in Telangana which has water throughout the year, and this makes the dam nationally important. Tourists, especially from Karnataka and Maharashtra, visit this place round the year. Tourists from Hyderabad, Mahbubnagar, Kurnool and Raichur visit during monsoon season when the water is released from the dam. In addition to the dam, there is a Deer Park at a distance of about one and half kilometer from the reservoir. Lending some spirituality to the place are the Ramalayam and Parthasaradhi temples near the Jurala Dam.
Dams on Krishna: Prakasam Barrage
The Prakasam Barrage is one of the first major irrigation projects of South India. The idea of dam over the Krishna river was first proposed in 1798. It was later reiterated by Captain Best in 1839 and by Captain Lake in 1841. Eventually upon the approval of Major Arthur Cotton approval was granted in 1850 and construction started in 1852 and was completed in 3 years. The barrage links Guntur district with Krishna district extending across the width of the Krishna River having 76 pillars. The state of Andhra Pradesh's rich agricultural success can be largely attributed to the Prakasam barrage.
This dam enabled the irrigation of vast tracts of farmland. As it provides scenic views of the lake, the dam continues to be a tourist attraction in Vijayawada. The barrage also serves as a road bridge. 70 pillars of the barrage belong to Guntur district and 6 to Krishna district. The barrage has 76 pillars in total; 70 pillars belong to Guntur district and 6 belong to Krishna district. The last three canals of the barrage pass through Vijayawada. The barrage was repaired in the 1950s. The dam irrigates more than a million acres of land and making the Krishna delta a fertile granary of the state.
Besides irrigating vast tracts of farmland, the dam provides a spectacular view of the lake and has become a major tourist attraction of Vijayawada. November through March is the ideal time to visit the Prakasam barrage.
A new water flow regulator and road bridge was constructed by the Govt in 1957 and named after the first chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, Sri Tanguturi Prakasam.
Dams on Krishna: Pulichintala Dam
Pulichintala Project It is located in Pulichintala village in Guntur district. It is situated between between Prakasam Barrage at Vijayawada and the Nagarjuna Sagar dam. On the left bank is Nemalipuri village in Suryapet district of Telangana. It is a multipurpose irrigation project serving irrigation needs, hydro power generation and flood control. For the four districts of Guntur, Prakasam, Krishna and Godavari, this is a critical irrigation source which supports 13 lakh (1.3 million) acres. In total it has 24 gates and its balancing reservoir has a capacity of 46 tmcft at 175 feet (53 m) MSL at full reservoir.
Confluence with Sea: Krishna Delta
The deltas of Krishna and Godavari are said to be the core regions of the Andhra culture. The deltas are highly populated and immensely prosperous. The flat coastal plains are dotted with palmyra trees and coconut palms,. The region is key rice growing delta. Tobacco in another key crop is this region. The Krishna Delta is about 50 kilometers south of Machilipatnam and about 90 kilometers south southeast of Vijayawada.
Covering an area of 200 km, the delta has a large network of narrow channels which house dense mangrove forests. The Krishna river splits into three major channels. While the western part is mostly claimed for agriculture, the eastern part is mostly mangrove forest. The marshy area on the landward side during the months of June-October gets inundated by the monsoon run-off, whereas during April-June it dries out completely. Many ecological features such as mudflats, sandbars and mangrove plantations are sen in the wetland area.
