River Project Towards East (Bay of Bengal)

In India, multipurpose river valley projects were started to meet the critical requirements of irrigation for agriculture, electricity for industries and flood control. As J.L Nehru, stated the importance of the dams at that time can be inferred from the fact that dams by saying “the temples of modern India”. Accordingly, dam construction was given such a high priority in India’s economic plans. The projects related to the rivers flowing towards the east which draining into the Bay of Bengal discussed below:

• The Hirakud Project: It has been built on the Mahanadi in Odisha which is the world’s longest river dam (4.8 Km).This project has been started hydro-electricity, irrigation, and flood control in the delta regions of the Mahandi.

• The Balimela Project: This project has been executed on the river Sileru in Odisha. The river Sileru is a tributary of the river Sabari which itself is a tributary of the Godavari.

• The Nizam Sagar Project: This project has been executed on the river Manjara, a tributary of the Godavari, in Medak district of Telangana.

• The Ramagundam Project: It is built on the river Godavari in Karimnagar district, Telangana.

• The Machkund Project: It is joint project of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. It has been built on the river Machkund on the border of Odisha (in Koraput district) and Andhra Pradesh (Vishakhapatnam District).

• The Pochampad Project:  It is also called as Sri Ram Sagar Project is a multipurpose dam structure across Godavari River and considered as a Lifeline for North Telangana. Sri Ram Sagar project serves for irrigational needs in districts such as Warangal, Karimnagar, Adilabad, Nalgonda, and Khammam district.

• The Tata Hydel Power Project: It has been built by the Tata group near Lonawala (Above Bhorghat) in Maharashtra. This project, hydro-electricity is produce by collecting excessive rain water in lakes on the Western Ghats. The power stations have been at  Kholi, Bhivpuri and Bheera.

• The Koyna Hydel Power Project: It is one of the largest dams in Maharashtra; India.The main purpose of dam is hydroelectricity with some irrigation in neighbouring areas. The Koyna Hydroelectric Project is the largest completed hydroelectric power plant in India. Due to its electricity generating potential Koyna River is considered as the 'life line of Maharashtra'.

• The Nagarjun Sagar Project:  It is one of the Major Multipurpose river valley Projects in Andhra Pradesh, across river Krishna. The work on the project was inaugurated in the year 1955. The Project comprises of a Dam across River Krishna with two main canals taking off one on either side, the Nagarjunasagar Right Main Canal to create Irrigation Potential.

• The Srisailam Project: It has been built on the river Krishna on the border of Telangana (Mahabubnagar District) and Andhra Pradesh (Kurnool District).

• The Almati Project: It has been built on the river Krishna River in Karnataka.

• The Tungabhadra Project: This project has been built on the confluence of Tunga and Bhadra in Karnataka. It is joint project of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

• The Bhadra Project: It is located on the river Bhadra in Karnataka.

• The Ghataprabha Project:  It is located on the river Ghataprabha in Karnataka.

• The Shivasamundram Project: It is India’s oldest hydel power project that built in 1902 on the Kaveri in Karnataka. Krishnaraja Sagar Reservoir is also situated on this dam.

• The Mettur Project: It has been established on the river Kaveri in Tamil Nadu. Stanley Reservoir is also situated behind this dam.

• The Papanasam Project: It has been established on the river Tamraparni in Tamil Nadu.

• The Paikara Project: It has been established on the river Paikara, Tamil Nadu.

• The Kunda Project: It has been established on the river Kunda in Tamil Nadu.