Mulshi Dam, Pune: History, Location, River, Length, State
Long before the Narmada Bachao Andolan brought anti-dam activism into India’s national consciousness, a group of peasants near Pune had already organised what historians describe as the world’s first anti-dam movement. Between 1920 and 1924,…
Neyyar Dam, Thiruvananthapuram: History, Location, River, Length, State
Few Indian dams offer visitors the chance to watch a mugger crocodile rehabilitation programme in the morning and sit through a guided yoga and meditation session by evening — but Neyyar Dam manages exactly that combination. Just 30 km from…
Nizam Sagar Dam, Kamareddy: History, Location, River, Length, State
Nizam Sagar Dam was designed to hold 29.72 TMC of water — but by the time engineers conducted a proper hydrological survey in 1972, barely 40 years after construction, they found its actual capacity had collapsed to just 11.79 TMC. Losing roughly 60% of…
Panchet Dam, Dhanbad: History, Location, River, Length, State
When Panchet Dam was formally inaugurated in December 1959, a young Santhal woman named Budhni Mejhan was chosen for what should have been a moment of pure celebration — garlanding Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to mark the completion of one of…
Peechi Dam, Thrissur: History, Location, River, Length, State
Peechi Dam was designed by a man who held the title of Prime Minister of a country that no longer exists — E. Ikkanda Warrier headed the government of the short-lived independent state of Kochi before it merged into what would eventually become Kerala.…
Pong Dam, Kangra: History, Location, River, Length, State
For most of the year, the ancient Bathu temples near Pong Dam sit completely submerged beneath the waters of Maharana Pratap Sagar — only reappearing each May and June, when the reservoir’s water level drops enough to reveal their stone structures…
Poomala Dam, Thrissur: History, Location, River, Length, State
Long before Poomala Dam existed, this hill was simply forest — dense enough that its very name comes from the Poovam tree that once grew here in abundance, or perhaps from the poovan pazham banana variety local farmers cultivated. Christian settlers from…
Pothundi Dam, Palakkad: History, Location, River, Length, State
Most old Indian dams that predate modern cement relied on surki mortar or lime plaster to bind their stonework — Pothundi Dam took a genuinely unusual approach, building its core wall from a mixture of jaggery and quick lime. This makes it one of only…
Ranjit Sagar Dam, Pathankot: History, Location, River, Length, State
Feasibility studies for this dam began in 1953 — but the project sat stalled for years because of an unresolved water-sharing dispute with Pakistan. It took the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, which finally granted India exclusive rights over the Ravi River,…
Rihand Dam, Sonbhadra: History, Location, River, Length, State
Rihand Dam generates just 300 MW of electricity — a modest figure by the standards of India’s major hydroelectric projects. Yet this same dam is arguably one of the most economically consequential pieces of infrastructure in northern India, because…