Hirakud Dam

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Hirakud Dam is built across the Mahanadi River about 15 km from Sambalpur in the state of Orissa in India. Built in 1956, the dam is a large composite structure of earth and cement that forms a 55-km long lake.

Hirakud Dam has the distinction of being one of the longest dams in the world, about 25.8 km in length. It was the first post-independence major multipurpose river valley project in India.

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After the devastating high floods of 1937, Sir M. Visveswararya gave proposal for detailed investigation for storage reservoirs in Mahanadi basin to tackle problem of floods in Mahanadi delta, In 1945, it was decided under the chairmanship of Dr. B.R.Ambedkar, the then Member of Labour in Govt. of India that the potentialities of river Mahanadi should be fruitfully and expeditiously investigated for multipurpose use. Central Water- ways Irrigation and Navigation Commission took up the work. The foundation stone of Hirakud Dam was laid by Sir Howthrone Lewis, the then Governor of Orissa on 15th March 1946. The project report was submitted to Government in June 1947. The first batch of concrete was laid by Pandit Jawaharalal Neheru on 12th April 1948. The project was completed in 1953 and was formally inaugurated by Prime Minister Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru on 13th, January 1957. The Completed Cost of the Project was Rs.100.02 crores (in 1957). Power generation along with supply for irrigation started progressively from 1956 and full potential was achieved by 1966.

Only 10 Kms North of Sambalpur the longest main stream earthen dam in the world measures 24 Kms including the dikes, stands in its lonely majesty across the great river Mahanadi. Hirakud dam is a composite structure of Earth, Concrete and Masonry. The main dam having an overall length of 4.8 K.m. spans between hills Lamdungri on left hand Chandili Dunguri on the right. The Dam is flanked by 21 K.Ms. long earthen dykes both on left and right sites to close the low saddles beyond the abutment hills. It has the distinction of being the longest dam in the world, being 25.8 K.Ms. long with dam and dykes taken together. It has also the rare distinct of forming the biggest artificial lake in Asia with reservoir spread of 743 sq Kms at full reservoir level. Hirakud dam intercepts 83400 sq. km (32200 sq miles) of Mahanadi catchments. The reservoir has a storage of 5818 M. Cum with gross of 8136 M Cum.

It drains an area of 1,33,090 square kilometers more then twice the area of Sri Lanka. The bulk of Hirakud Dam contains earth, concrete and masonry materials, sufficient to make a road 8 metres wide and pave it from Kanyakumari to Kashmir and Amritsar to Dibrugarh in Assam. From horizon to horizon the reservoir forms the largest artificial lake in Asia with an area of 746 Square Kilometers with a shoreline over 640 Kms. The twenty-one kilometres drive on the dyke offers a unique experience of the calm serenity and majesty of nature. One can enjoy the sight of the mighty Hirakud dam and the fantastic expanse of water from top of the revolving Gandhi Minar at the North and Jawahar Minar at the South. As the largest multipurpose river valley project of the world, envisaging flood control, power generation and irrigation is a real gift to the Nation - all for happiness and prosperity. With successful irrigation Sambalpur is termed as the rice bowl of Orissa. Here Photography is strictly prohibited.

The project provides 1,55,635 Hects of Kharif and 1,08,385 Hects of Rabi irrigation in industries of Sambalpur, Bargarh, Bolangir, and Subarnpur. The water released through power house irrigates further 436000 Hects of CCA in Mahanadi delta. Installed capacity for power generation in 307.5 MW through its two power houses at Burla , at the right bank to and Chiplima , at 22 Kms down stream of dam . Besides the project provides flood protection to 9500 sq Kms of delta area in district of Cuttack and Puri. Source: Dilip Kumar Padhi VU2DPI

CHIPLIMA: The Place has gained prominence as the second Hydro-Electric Project of the Hirakud Dam A natural fall of 80 feet (24-39 meters) high in the river Mahanadi is made use for generating electricity. The place is mostly inhabited by fisherman whose deity Ghantlei, is very popular in the neighbouring area. The State Live Stock Breeding Farm and Agricultural Farm are locked here.

CATTLE ISLAND, A NATURAL WONDER. Exists in one of the extreme point of Hirakud Reservoir, a Natural wonder. It is near to Kumarbandh village of Belpahar-Banharpali range which is about 90 kms from Sambalpur town. But if someone travels through a motor lunch from Hirakud dam it is quite nearer about 10 kms in the river. The island is nothing but a sub-merged hill and prior to Hirakud Dam construction was a developed village. The specialty about the island is the inhabitants, only comprises of cattle group of animals. During the resettlement period, villagers left some of their cows and bulls and when the dam construction is over the cattle settled down on the hill-top. By the passage of time the nearby area filled up with the reservoir water and gave the shape of the hill-top looks like an island. Being away from mankind, the cattle are wild in nature and they never allow themselves to become the prey of human-beings. As they spend whole of their life on the hill filled up with dense forest, their shape and size are quite bigger in comparison to the normal cattle. All are of white colour except a very few. Very swift like other wild animals. People living adjacent to the island sometime try to catch them, but rarely succeed in capturing those animals. We always hear about the cattle as the pet animals, but here is a contradiction, they can be also wild in nature.

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[edit] Purpose

In the upper drainage basin of the Mahanadi River, centered on the Chhattisgarh Plain, periodic droughts contrast with the situation in the delta region where floods may damage the crops. The dam was constructed to help alleviate these problems by creating a reservoir.^[1] The dam regulates the flow of the Mahanadi River and produces hydroelectricity through several hyrdoelectrical plants.^[2]

The project provides 1556 km² of kharif and 1084 km² of rabi irrigation of Sambalpur District, Bargarh District, Bolangir District, and Sambalpur District. In addition, it provides flood protection to 9500 km² of the Mahanadi River Delta area in the Cuttack District and the Puri District.