Explore the world of India’s major reservoirs with these comprehensive notes. Unearth crucial facts and figures about these significant water bodies that play a pivotal role in India’s ecosystem.
The intricate network of dams and reservoirs across the country is a topic of immense importance, especially for competitive examinations. In this article, we shed light on the major reservoirs of India, offering you a wealth of vital information.
This guide is not only informative but also optimized for search engines, making it a valuable resource for anyone seeking to understand the importance and impact of India’s reservoirs. Stay tuned as we navigate through the waters of knowledge together.
◾Also Explore: All Notes on Indian Geography
What is the meaning of reservoirs?
A reservoir is a place for storing liquid, especially a natural or artificial lake that provides water for a city or another area. It can also refer to a large supply of something that could be used if needed. For example:
- Artificial lakes created to store water for irrigation, power generation, or municipal use are considered reservoirs.
- In the context of infectious diseases, a reservoir can be a host organism (such as an animal) or a nonliving thing (like soil or water) where an infectious agent lives and multiplies, potentially serving as a source of infection.
Remember, reservoirs play a crucial role in water management, energy production, and disease transmission!
List of Major Reservoirs in India
| Reservoir | River | State |
|---|---|---|
| Govind Ballabh Pant Sagar | Rihand River | Uttar Pradesh |
| Gobind Sagar Reservoir | Sutlej River | Himachal Pradesh |
| Maharana Pratap Sagar Reservoir or Pong Reservoir | Beas River | Himachal Pradesh |
| Dindi Reservoir | Dindi River | Telangana |
| Lower Manair Reservoir | Manair River | Telangana |
| Tatipudi Reservoir Project | Gosthani River | Andhra Pradesh |
| P.C.R.Reservoir or Gandipalem Reservoir | Pillaperu River | Andhra Pradesh |
| Himayat Sagar Reservoir | Esi River | Telangana |
| Shriram Sagar Reservoir / Pochampadu Project | Godavari River | Telangana |
| Ghataprabha Reservoir | Ghataprabha River | Karnataka |
| Hemavathi Reservoir | Hemavati River | Karnataka |
| Tawa Reservoir | Tawa River | Madhya Pradesh |
| Balimela Reservoir | Sileru River | Odisha |
| Aliyar Reservoir | Aliyar River | Tamil Nadu |
| Chittar Reservoir | Chittar River | Tamil Nadu |
| Krishnagiri Reservoir | Thenpennai River | Tamil Nadu |
| Manimuthar Reservoir | Tamirabarani River | Tamil Nadu |
| Pechiparai Reservoir | Kodayar River | Tamil Nadu |
| Shoolagiri Chinnar Reservoir | Chinnar River | Tamil Nadu |
| Thunakadavu Reservoir | Thunacadavu River | Tamil Nadu |
| Varattu Pallam Reservoir | Kaveri River | Tamil Nadu |
| Vidur Reservoir | Sankaraparani River | Tamil Nadu |
| Amaravathi Reservoir | Amaravathi River | Tamil Nadu |
| Gundar Reservoir | Gundar River | Tamil Nadu |
| Kullursandai Reservoir | Kowsiga River | Tamil Nadu |
| Pambar Reservoir | Pambar River | Tamil Nadu |
| Periyar Reservoir | Periyar River | Tamil Nadu |
| Stanley Reservoir | Kaveri River | Tamil Nadu |
| Uppar Reservoir | Uppar River | Tamil Nadu |
| Vattamalaikarai Odai Reservoir | Odai River | Tamil Nadu |
| Willingdon Reservoir | Periya Odai River | Tamil Nadu |
| Bhavanisagar Reservoir | Bhavani River | Tamil Nadu |
| Kodaganar Reservoir | Kodagananar River | Tamil Nadu |
| Manimukthanadhi Reservoir | Krishna River | Tamil Nadu |
| Parambikulam Reservoir | Parambikulam River | Tamil Nadu |
| Sholayar Reservoir | Chalakkud River | Tamil Nadu |
| Thirumurthi Reservoir | Parmabikulam and Aliyar River | Tamil Nadu |
| Varadamanadhi Reservoir | Aliyar River | Tamil Nadu |
| Vembakottai Reservoir | Vaippar River | Tamil Nadu |
| Manjalar Reservoir | Manjalar River | Tamil Nadu |
| Salal Project | Chenab River | Jammu and Kashmir |
| Chutak Hydroelectric Project | Suru River | Jammu and Kashmir |
| Indira Sagar Project | Narmada River | Madhya Pradesh |
| Narmada Dam Project | Narmada River | Madhya Pradesh |
Major Reservoir in India Map
Top 10 Reservoirs in India by Area Size
| Sl. No. | Reservoir Name | State / UT | River | Reservoir Area (km2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Indira Sagar | Madhya Pradesh | Narmada | 950 |
| 2 | Shivasagar (Koyna Dam) | Maharashtra | Koyna River | 891.78 |
| 3 | Idukki Dam | Kerala | Periyar | 649.3 |
| 4 | Neelam Sanjeevareddy Sagar (Srisailam Dam) | Andhra Pradesh and Telangana | Krishna | 616.42 |
| 5 | Vallabh Sagar (Ukai Dam) | Gujarat | Tapti River | 612 |
| 6 | Sriram Sagar | Telangana | Godavari | 450.82 |
| 7 | Govind Ballabh Pant Sagar (Rihand Dam) | Uttar Pradesh | Rihand River | 450 |
| 8 | Sardar Sarovar Dam | Gujarat | Narmada River | 375.33 |
| 9 | Yashwant Sagar (Ujjani Dam) | Maharashtra | Bhima river | 337 |
| 10 | Nagarjuna Sagar | Andhra Pradesh and Telangana | Krishna | 284.9 |
Top 10 Reservoirs in India by Storage Capacity
| Sl. No. | Reservoir Name | State / UT | River | Storage capacity (km3) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Indira Sagar | Madhya Pradesh | Narmada | 12.2 |
| 2 | Nagarjuna Sagar | Andhra Pradesh and Telangana | Krishna | 11.561 |
| 3 | Govind Ballabh Pant Sagar (Rihand Dam) | Uttar Pradesh | Rihand River | 10.6 |
| 4 | Gobind Sagar (Bhakra Dam) | Himachal Pradesh | Sutlej | 9.62 |
| 5 | Sardar Sarovar Dam | Gujarat | Narmada River | 9.5 |
| 6 | Neelam Sanjeevareddy Sagar (Srisailam Dam) | Andhra Pradesh and Telangana | Krishna | 8.722 |
| 7 | Vallabh Sagar (Ukai Dam) | Gujarat | Tapti River | 7.41 |
| 8 | Hirakud Dam | Odisha | Mahanadi River | 5.896 |
| 9 | Tehri Dam | Uttarakhand | Bhagirathi River | 4 |
| 10 | Sriram Sagar | Telangana | Godavari | 3.172 |
Important Facts about Reservoirs in India
The most enormous Manmade Reservoir in India
🔶 Gobind Ballabh Pant Sagar is the Largest Manmade reservoir in India.
- Rihand Dam formed the Govind Ballabh Pant Sagar reservoir.
- It is the India’s largest artificial lake.
- Rihand Dam is a concrete gravity dam located at Pipri in Sonbhadra District in Uttar Pradesh, India.
- The reservoir area is on the border of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
- The reservoir is located on the Rihand River, a tributary of the Son River.
- The catchment area of this dam extends over Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh, whereas it supplies irrigation water in Bihar located downstream of the river.
Note:
Remember that Gobind Ballabh Pant Sagar and Gobind Sagar are both different Reservoirs.
About Gobind Sagar
• Gobind Sagar Lake is a reservoir situated in the Una and Bilaspur districts of Himachal Pradesh.
• the Bhakra Dam on the Sutlej River formed Gobind Sagar Lake.
• The reservoir is named after the Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh guru.
• It is one of the world’s highest gravity dams. Construction of the dam started in 1955 and was completed in 1962.
Largest water reservoir in India
🔶 Indira Sagar Dam is the largest water reservoir in India in terms of water storage capacity.
- The Indira Sagar Dam is the largest in India in terms of the volume of water stored in the reservoir.
- It is located on the Narmada River in Narmada Nagar, Punasa, in the Khandwa district of Madhya Pradesh, India.
- On 23 October 1984, the former Prime Minister of India, the late Indira Gandhi, laid the project’s foundation stone.
- The dam is operated by the Narmada Hydroelectric Development Corporation (NHDC).
- NHDC is a joint venture between NHPC and the government of Madhya Pradesh.
FAQs on Reservoirs in India
19,370 reservoirs
West Bengal (according to a 2023 water body census)
Gobind Sagar is also Known as Bhakra Dam reservoir.
Maharana Pratap Sagar
Gobind Sagar
