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General Knowledge Cluster313 Verified Questions
Major Dams & Multipurpose River Valley Projects in India GK Questions & Answers
Multipurpose river valley projects in post-independence India were famously termed the 'Temples of Modern India' by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to emphasize their multi-sectoral roles in irrigation, flood control, and hydroelectric generation. The first major initiative was the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC), enacted on July 7, 1948, and modeled directly after the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) in the United States, constructing key storage structures across the Damodar, Barakar, and Konar rivers at Tilaiya, Maithon, and Panchet. India's hydraulic architecture features several engineering benchmarks: the Tehri Dam on the Bhagirathi River in Uttarakhand stands as the country's highest dam at 260.5 metres, functioning as a rock and earth-fill structure. The Bhakra Dam on the Sutlej River in Himachal Pradesh represents one of the world's highest concrete gravity dams at 226 metres, impounding the vast Govind Sagar reservoir. Additionally, the Hirakud Dam across the Mahanadi River in Odisha constitutes one of the world's longest earthen dams, spanning 25.8 kilometres. Key peninsular installations include the Sardar Sarovar Dam on the Narmada and the Nagarjuna Sagar Dam across the Krishna River.
High-yield conceptual summaries for competitive exams and rapid revision.
The Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC), established in 1948 on the model of the US Tennessee Valley Authority, was India's first multipurpose river project.
Tehri Dam on the Bhagirathi River in Uttarakhand is the highest dam in India, standing at a height of 260.5 metres.
Bhakra Nangal Dam on the Sutlej River is a major concrete gravity dam that impounds the Govind Sagar reservoir.
Hirakud Dam on the Mahanadi River in Odisha is one of the world's longest earthen dams, measuring 25.8 kilometres in total length.
Sardar Sarovar on the Narmada River and Nagarjuna Sagar on the Krishna River represent key interstate irrigation and hydroelectricity structures.
Showing 25 Curated Questions313 Total in Bank
1ID: GK-WATR-00001
easyMultipurpose Dams & Hydropower Projects
Tehri Dam, the highest dam in India (260.5 metres), is constructed on which river in Uttarakhand?
Verified Explanation
Tehri Dam is a multi-purpose rock and earth-fill embankment dam on the Bhagirathi River near Tehri in Uttarakhand, standing at a height of 260.5 metres.
2ID: GK-WATR-00004
easyMultipurpose Dams & Hydropower Projects
Hirakud Dam, the longest earthen dam in India (and the world), is built across which river in Odisha?
Verified Explanation
Hirakud Dam is built across the Mahanadi River near Sambalpur in Odisha; the main dam has an overall length of 4.8 km and an entire dyke structure spanning 25.8 km.
3ID: GK-WATR-00006
easyMultipurpose Dams & Hydropower Projects
Bhakra Dam, a concrete gravity dam located in Himachal Pradesh, creates which large reservoir named after a Sikh Guru?
Verified Explanation
The Bhakra Dam on the Sutlej River impounds water in the Gobind Sagar reservoir, named in honour of the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh.
4ID: GK-WATR-00008
easyMultipurpose Dams & Hydropower Projects
Which Indian state hosts the Idukki Dam, a famous double-curvature concrete arch dam built between the Kuravan and Kurathi hills on the Periyar River?
Verified Explanation
The Idukki Arch Dam is constructed across the gorge between the Kuravan and Kurathi hills on the Periyar River in the Idukki district of Kerala.
5ID: GK-WATR-00009
easyMultipurpose Dams & Hydropower Projects
Mettur Dam, which forms the Stanley Reservoir, is located on which river in Salem district of Tamil Nadu?
Verified Explanation
Mettur Dam was constructed in 1934 across the Kaveri River in Salem district, Tamil Nadu, creating the historic Stanley Reservoir.
6ID: GK-WATR-00010
easyMultipurpose Dams & Hydropower Projects
The Tungabhadra Dam, forming the vast Pampa Sagar reservoir, is located near Hosapete in which state?
Verified Explanation
Tungabhadra Dam is situated on the Tungabhadra River (a major tributary of Krishna) near Hosapete in Vijayanagara district of Karnataka, creating the Pampa Sagar reservoir.
7ID: GK-WATR-00011
mediumMultipurpose Dams & Hydropower Projects
The Almatti Dam, officially named Lal Bahadur Shastri Dam, is constructed on which river in northern Karnataka?
Verified Explanation
Almatti Dam is the main reservoir of the Upper Krishna Project, built across the Krishna River in Nidgundi, Bagalkot/Vijayapura district of Karnataka.
8ID: GK-WATR-00013
mediumMultipurpose Dams & Hydropower Projects
Rihand Dam (Govind Ballabh Pant Sagar), India's largest artificial reservoir by storage volume, is built across the Rihand River in which state?
Verified Explanation
Rihand Dam is located at Pipri in Sonbhadra district of Uttar Pradesh; its reservoir, Govind Ballabh Pant Sagar, is India's largest man-made lake by volume, extending partly into Madhya Pradesh.
9ID: GK-WATR-00015
mediumMultipurpose Dams & Hydropower Projects
The Ukai Dam, which creates the Vallabh Sagar reservoir, is constructed on which river in Gujarat?
Verified Explanation
Ukai Dam is an earth-cum-masonry dam constructed across the Tapi (Tapti) River in Surat/Tapi district of Gujarat, forming the Vallabh Sagar reservoir.
10ID: GK-WATR-00018
hardMultipurpose Dams & Hydropower Projects
The Mullaperiyar Dam, built in 1895 by British engineer John Pennycuick on the Periyar River, is located in Kerala but operated by which state under a 999-year lease?
Verified Explanation
The Mullaperiyar Dam is located in Idukki district of Kerala, but is operated and maintained by the Government of Tamil Nadu under a 999-year lease agreement signed in 1886 between the Maharaja of Travancore and the British Secretary of State.
11ID: GK-WATR-00020
hardMultipurpose Dams & Hydropower Projects
Koyna Dam, which powers one of the largest hydroelectric plants in India and creates the Shivajisagar lake, is built on which river in Maharashtra?
Verified Explanation
Koyna Dam is a rubble-concrete dam constructed on the Koyna River (a tributary of the Krishna) near Koynanagar in Satara district, Maharashtra.
12ID: GK-WATR-00021
hardMultipurpose Dams & Hydropower Projects
The Pong Dam, which creates the Maharana Pratap Sagar Ramsar wetland, is built on which river in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh?
Verified Explanation
Pong Dam (also known as Beas Dam) is an earth-fill embankment dam on the Beas River in the Siwalik Hills of Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh.
13ID: GK-WATR-00022
hardMultipurpose Dams & Hydropower Projects
Maithon Dam, famous for having an underground hydroelectric power station, is constructed across which river in Jharkhand under DVC?
Verified Explanation
Maithon Dam is located on the Barakar River (the main tributary of the Damodar) in Dhanbad district of Jharkhand, featuring Southeast Asia's first underground power station.
14ID: GK-WATR-00065
easyMultipurpose Dams & Hydropower Projects
The Krishnarajasagara (KRS) Dam, famous for the adjoining Brindavan Gardens and conceptualized by Sir M. Visvesvaraya, is built across which river?
Verified Explanation
Krishnarajasagara Dam was constructed across the Kaveri River near Mysuru in Karnataka, commissioned in 1932 under Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV and chief engineer Sir M. Visvesvaraya.
15ID: GK-WATR-00068
easyMultipurpose Dams & Hydropower Projects
The Srisailam Dam, creating a massive reservoir across the Krishna River in a deep gorge, is situated between Andhra Pradesh and which other state?
Verified Explanation
Srisailam Dam is constructed across the Krishna River on the border between Nandyal district of Andhra Pradesh and Nagarkurnool district of Telangana.
16ID: GK-WATR-00075
easyMultipurpose Dams & Hydropower Projects
Banasura Sagar Dam, the largest earthen dam in India and the second largest in Asia, is situated in which district of Kerala?
Verified Explanation
Banasura Sagar Dam is constructed across the Karamanathodu tributary of the Kabini River in Wayanad district of Kerala, forming islands in its reservoir.
17ID: GK-WATR-00088
mediumMultipurpose Dams & Hydropower Projects
Jayakwadi Dam, which forms the vast Nath Sagar reservoir near Paithan, is a major multipurpose irrigation project on which river in Maharashtra?
Verified Explanation
Jayakwadi Dam is constructed across the Godavari River at Paithan in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad) district of Maharashtra, completed in 1976.
18ID: GK-WATR-00091
mediumMultipurpose Dams & Hydropower Projects
Tilaiya Dam, commissioned in February 1953 as the very first dam built by the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC), is constructed across which river?
Verified Explanation
Tilaiya Dam in Koderma district of Jharkhand was the first of the four multipurpose dams built by DVC across the Barakar River (a tributary of Damodar).
19ID: GK-WATR-00094
mediumMultipurpose Dams & Hydropower Projects
Matatila Dam, an interstate water reservoir project between Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, is constructed across which river in Lalitpur district?
Verified Explanation
Matatila Dam was built in 1958 across the Betwa River in Lalitpur district of Uttar Pradesh to generate hydroelectricity and irrigate Bundelkhand.
20ID: GK-WATR-00097
mediumMultipurpose Dams & Hydropower Projects
Ujjani Dam (also known as Bhima Dam), forming the vast Yashwant Sagar reservoir, is built across which river in Solapur district of Maharashtra?
Verified Explanation
Ujjani Dam is constructed across the Bhima River (a major tributary of the Krishna) at Ujjani in Solapur district of Maharashtra.
21ID: GK-WATR-00100
mediumMultipurpose Dams & Hydropower Projects
Linganamakki Dam, which impounds water for the Mahatma Gandhi Hydroelectric Power Station and regulates water to Jog Falls, is constructed on which river?
Verified Explanation
Linganamakki Dam was constructed across the Sharavathi River in Sagara taluk of Shivamogga district, Karnataka in 1964.
22ID: GK-WATR-00107
hardMultipurpose Dams & Hydropower Projects
Panchet Dam, inaugurated in 1959 as the last of the four multipurpose dams constructed under Phase-I of DVC, is built across which river in Jharkhand?
Verified Explanation
Panchet Dam was constructed across the Damodar River in Dhanbad district of Jharkhand, just above its confluence with the Barakar River.
23ID: GK-WATR-00112
hardMultipurpose Dams & Hydropower Projects
The Tawa Dam, which creates the largest water reservoir in the Narmada valley within Satpura Tiger Reserve, is constructed across which left-bank tributary of Narmada?
Verified Explanation
Tawa Dam was built across the Tawa River (the longest tributary of the Narmada) in Narmadapuram (Hoshangabad) district of Madhya Pradesh.
24ID: GK-WATR-00122
hardMultipurpose Dams & Hydropower Projects
The Rajghat Dam (Rani Lakshmibai Dam), an inter-state multipurpose project on the Betwa River, is situated on the border between Uttar Pradesh and which state?
Verified Explanation
Rajghat Dam is a joint venture of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh built on the Betwa River in Ashoknagar (MP) and Lalitpur (UP).
25ID: GK-WATR-00163
mediumMultipurpose Dams & Hydropower Projects
Which major multipurpose masonry dam constructed on the Hasdeo River in Korba district is the longest and highest dam in Chhattisgarh?
Verified Explanation
Hasdeo Bango Dam (named Minimata Bango Dam) was constructed in 1961-62 on the Hasdeo River in Korba district, serving thermal power plants and irrigation.