10 Largest Dams in India as of 2023: As of 2023, India boasts of an impressive network of dams, which are vital for irrigation, flood control, hydroelectric power generation, and water supply. Here is a list of the top 10 largest dams in India in terms of their storage capacity:
Dams are the perfect examples of architectural and civil engineering marvels. Tough, strong, and extremely durable, they comprise colossal concrete walls and impenetrable structures. Generating huge amounts of hydroelectricity, dams are inevitable for irrigation, industrial usage, and domestic purposes.
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The main topic is the top 10 largest dams in India as of 2023, ranked by their storage capacity. The dams are vital for various purposes such as irrigation, flood control, hydroelectric power generation, and water supply, and their ranking is based on the amount of water they can store. The list includes well-known dams like the Bhakra Dam, Sardar Sarovar Dam, and Hirakud Dam, as well as lesser-known ones like the Godavari River Barrage and Mettur Dam.

Here are the Top 10 Largest Dams in India:
S.N. | Name of Dam | State | River |
1. | Tehri Dam | Uttarakhand | Bhagirathi River |
2. | Bhakra Nangal Dam | Himachal Pradesh and Punjab Border | Sutlej River |
3. | Sardar Sarovar Dam aka Narmada Dam | Gujarat | Narmada river |
4. | Hirakud Dam | Odisha | Mahanadi |
5. | Nagarjuna Sagar Dam | Telangana | Krishna River |
6. | Koyna Dam | Maharashtra | Koyna River |
7. | Indira Sagar Dam | Madhya Pradesh | Narmada River |
8. | Rihand Dam | Uttar Pradesh | Rihand River |
9. | Mettur Dam | Tamil Nadu | Kaveri River |
10. | Krishna Sagar Dam | Karnataka | Cauvery River |
List of Most Biggest & Largest Dams In India
1. Tehri Dam

The Tehri Dam is the tallest dam in India. It is a multi-purpose rock and earth-fill embankment dam on the Bhagirathi River near Tehri in Uttarakhand, India. It is the primary dam of the THDC India Ltd. and the Tehri hydroelectric complex. Phase 1 was completed in 2006.
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2. Bhakra Nangal Dam

A concrete gravity dam, the Bhakra Nangal Dam is located across the Sutlej river in Himachal Pradesh. It is the second-highest and the largest dam in India, featuring a height of 225 meters and length of 520 meters.
It is the second largest Dam in Asia.The Bhakra Nangal multipurpose dams are first among the waterway valley advancement plans taken by the government after independence.
3. Sardar Sarovar Dam aka Narmada Dam

The Sardar Sarovar Dam is a concrete gravity dam built on the Narmada river in Kevadiya near Navagam, Gujarat in India. Four Indian states, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan, receive water and electricity supplied from the dam. The foundation stone of the project was laid out by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru on 5th April 1961. The project took form in 1979 as part of a development scheme funded by the World Bank through their International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, to increase irrigation and produce hydroelectricity, using a loan of US$200 million.
4. Hirakud Dam

The next entry on our list is the Hirakud dam, which is built across the Mahanadi River in Odisha. It is one of the longest dams in the world with a length of 26 km and a height of 61 meters. The dam also has two observation towers, namely “Gandhi Minar” and “Nehru Minar”.
Cattle Island, Vimleshwar Temple, Huma Temple, and Ushakothi Wildlife Sanctuary are some of the nearby tourist attractions from the dam where you won’t mind to extend your Hirakud Dam trip.
5. Nagarjuna Sagar Dam

Nagarjuna Sagar Dam is a masonry dam across the Krishna River at Nagarjuna Sagar which straddles the border between Guntur district in Andhra Pradesh and Nalgonda district in Telangana. Constructed between 1955 and 1967, the dam created a water reservoir with gross storage capacity of 11.472 billion cubic metres.
6. Koyna Dam

Maharashtra is known for housing some of the biggest dams in India. And Koyna Dam is one of the large-scale projects in the state; with a height of 103 meters.
This rubber concrete dam is constructed across the Koyna River and is used for generating hydroelectricity and serving the irrigation needs of neighboring states. Koyna Dam has a production capacity of 1920 MW.
7. Indira Sagar Dam

The Indira Sagar Dam is a multipurpose project of the state Madhya Pradesh on the Narmada River at the town of Narmada Nagar, Punasa in the Khandwa district of Madhya Pradesh in India. The foundation stone of the project was laid by late Smt Indira Gandhi, former Prime Minister of India on 23 October 1984.
8. Rihand Dam

The Rihand Dam is the biggest dam, in terms of volume in India. It is also known as the Gobind Ballabh Pant Sagar Dam and was built long back from 1954 to 1962.
Located on the border of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh; Rihand Dam is a concrete gravity structure and has a height of 91.44 meters. It has a total capacity of 300 MW.
9. Mettur Dam

The Mettur Dam is one of the largest dams in India and also the largest in Tamil Nadu, located across the river Cauvery where it enters the plains. Built in 1934, it took 9 years to complete. Maximum height and width of the dam are 214 and 171 feet respectively.
10. Krishna Sagar Dam

It is also built on the Cauvery River, the Krishna Sagar Dam is located in Karnataka, near Mysore.
The structure is not only known for its capacity to generate massive amounts of hydroelectricity and irrigation water but is also famed for housing the Brindavan Gardens — one of the most frequented tourist spots in India.
Top 10 Most Biggest & Largest Dams In India FAQs
Q.1 Which is the biggest and largest dam of India?
Ans. Bhakra Nangal Dam
Q.2 Which is the second largest dam in India?
Ans. Hirakud Dam
Q 3. Which is the oldest dam in India?
Ans. Kallanai Dam
Q.4 Which is the first dam in India?
Ans. Kallanai Dam
Q.5 Which state has most dams in India?
Ans. MAHARASHTR
So this was complete list of 10 Most Biggest & Largest Dams In India. This is very important for the different competitive exams. Hence utmost care must be taken while going through this list.
10 Largest Dams in India as of 2023 FAQs
Q: What is the purpose of building large dams in India?
A: Large dams in India serve various purposes, such as irrigation, flood control, hydroelectric power generation, and water supply.
Q: Which is the largest dam in India?
A: The Tehri Dam, located on the Bhagirathi River in Uttarakhand, is the largest dam in India with a storage capacity of 4.0 billion cubic meters.
Q: How many dams are there in India?
A: The exact number of dams in India is not known, but it is estimated to be around 5,000.
Q: Are large dams safe for the environment and nearby communities?
A: Large dams can have both positive and negative impacts on the environment and nearby communities. While they can provide benefits like water supply and power generation, they can also cause displacement of people, loss of habitat, and other environmental concerns. It is important to carefully assess the potential impacts before constructing large dams.
Q: Are there any plans for building more large dams in India?
A: Yes, there are plans for building more large dams in India, particularly in the northeastern region. However, the construction of large dams often faces opposition from local communities and environmental activists.
Q: Which is the largest dam in India?
Bhakra Nangal Dam is the largest dam in India which is about 225 meters high. It is the second-largest dam in Asia. It is situated across the Sutlej River in Himachal Pradesh and Punjab.
Q: Which is the longest dam in India?
Hirakud dam is the longest dam in India. It is about 25.8 km long and is located across the Mahanadi River, located in Odisha.
Q: Which are the top 10 biggest dams in India?
The top 10 biggest dams of India according to their length are as follows:
Tehri Dam: 260 meters
Chamera Dam: 226 m
Bhakra Nangal Dam: 225 meters
Idukki Dam: 167.7 m
Koldam Dam: 167 m
Ranjit Sagar Dam: 160 m
Srisailam Dam: 145 m
Cheruthoni Dam: 138 meters
Nagarjuna Sagar Dam: 124 m
Sardar Sarovar Dam: 121 m
Q: Which is the highest dam of India?
The highest dam of India is Tehri Dam in Uttarakhand. It is a rock-fill dam with a maximum capacity of 1000 Megawatt. Tehri Dam is also India’s tallest dam having a height of approximately 260.5 meters