Revision

Multipurpose River Projects

A compact, tabular revision of India's major multipurpose river valley projects, the rivers and States involved, and the States that share their benefits, for CAPF Paper I

CAPF wiki2 min read4 sections
At a glance
SubjectGeography
RevisionGeographyRiver ProjectsDamsIrrigationPaper 1

A multipurpose project serves more than one aim at once: irrigation, hydroelectric power, flood control, navigation, fisheries and drinking water. Jawaharlal Nehru called such projects the "temples of modern India". Cover the right columns and recall river and beneficiary States. For dam-only matching see major dams and rivers.

Major multipurpose projects

Project River Beneficiary States
Bhakra Nangal Sutlej Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh
Damodar Valley (DVC) Damodar Jharkhand, West Bengal (modelled on the US Tennessee Valley Authority)
Hirakud Mahanadi Odisha
Nagarjuna Sagar Krishna Telangana, Andhra Pradesh
Tungabhadra Tungabhadra Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh
Sardar Sarovar (Narmada Project) Narmada Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan
Indira Gandhi Canal (Rajasthan Canal) Sutlej-Beas (from Harike) Rajasthan (Thar irrigation)
Rihand Rihand Uttar Pradesh
Chambal Valley Chambal Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan (Gandhi Sagar, Rana Pratap Sagar, Jawahar Sagar)
Kosi Kosi Bihar (with Nepal); flood control focus
Tehri Bhagirathi Uttarakhand, with downstream power and supply
Koyna Koyna Maharashtra (mainly hydroelectric)

Purposes served (quick map)

Purpose Example
Flood control (primary) Damodar Valley, Kosi
Irrigation of arid land Indira Gandhi Canal (Thar)
Large hydroelectric output Bhakra, Koyna, Tehri
Inter-State water sharing Nagarjuna Sagar, Tungabhadra

Quick-recall facts

Fact Answer
Project modelled on the Tennessee Valley Authority Damodar Valley Corporation
"Temples of modern India" (phrase by) Jawaharlal Nehru
Project on the Narmada with a major protest movement Sardar Sarovar (Narmada Bachao Andolan)
Canal that greens the Thar Indira Gandhi Canal
Project to tame the "Sorrow of Bihar" Kosi

Cross-references

← BackAll of Revision