Jharkhand state is known for its water resources. A number of important rivers are known to wash the shores of Jharkhand. Some of the examples of important rivers flowing in Jharkhand are Ganga, Damodar, Son, Subarnrekha, Punpun, Koel and Mayurakshi etc. A number of major dams in Jharkhand have been built on these dams to harness the potential from these flowing rivers.
There are four main important multipurpose dams in Jharkhand which are used for both power generation as well as irrigation and other purposes. These four important dams are Tilaiya, Konar, Maithon and Panchet. All these four dams are controlled and operated by DVC (Damodar Valley Corporation). Tenughat dam, the second longest dam of Jharkhand is controlled and operated by Government of Jharkhand. Tenughat dam is also developed and promoted as tourism center by state of Jharkhand.
Of all these above mentioned four dams, Tialiya dam was the first to be commissioned by DVC in year 1953. Installed power capacity of Tilaiya dam is less. There are 2 numbers of 2 MW turbines which produce maximum power of 4 MW. This dam is mostly used for irrigation purposes. Konar dam is the second dam of DVC project and was commissioned in year 1955. This dam has beautiful ambience and is being developed as tourist and recreational spot.
Maithon dam is an third project of first phase of DVC and it became operational in year 1957. It is located in Maithon, about 48 Km from Dhanbad district. This dam serves many purposes like flood control, irrigation, water supply for industrial and domestic use and power generation.
Panchet dam is the most ambitious and last project of first phase of DVC. It was commissioned in year 1959. Installed power capacity of Panchet dam is second highest (80 MW). Getalsud Dam has the highest installed power capacity of 130 MW although the power supply is not constant but intermittent. The power generation from this dam is stopped once the water level drops to 1917 feet. The reservoir is rather small with catchment area of 717 Sq Km and maximum water level of 1954 feet. This dam is operated by JSEB (Jharkhand State Electricity Board). It is located in Rukka block (Ormanjhi) of Ranchi and hence it is also called as Rukka dam.
Dams in Jharkhand : Information and Facts
- Highest dam of Jharkhand : Tenughat Dam (55 mt.)
- Second highest dam of Jharkhand : Maithon Dam (50 mt.)
- Longest dam of Jharkhand : Panchet Dam (6777 mt.)
- Largest power generating dam (installed power capacity) – Getalsud Dam (130MW)
Some of the major dams in Jharkhand are tabulated as follows –
List of major Dams in Jharkhand
| Dams | River | Length (m) | Height (m) | Capacity (MW) | Location | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maithon Dam | Barakar | 4789 | 50 | 60 | Maithan, Dhanbad | Opened in 1957 |
| Panchet Dam | Damodar | 6777 | 45 | 80 | Panchet, Dhanbad | multipurpose dam, opened in 1959 |
| Konar Dam | Konar | 4535 | 48.77 | no hydel plant | Hazaribagh district | multipurpose dam, opened in 1955 |
| Tilaiya Dam | Barakar | 366 | 30.28 | 4 | Tilaiya, Koderma district | opened in 1953 |
| Getalsud Dam | Subarnrekha | 35 | 130 | near Ranchi and Ramgarh | Opened in 1971, popular picnic spot | |
| Khandoli Dam | 828 | 16 | near Giridih | Developed as Tourism and adventure sport destination | ||
| Tenughat Dam | Damodar | 5000 | 55 | Bokaro district | multipurpose dam opened in 1974 |