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Important Irrigation and Power Projects

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Important Irrigation and Power Projects

Major Water and Power Projects in India

India’s development is strongly supported by its vast network of major multipurpose projects, spanning rivers and regions across the country. These projects are critical for irrigation, hydro and thermal power generation, and flood control, ensuring water security and energy for millions.

They involve strategic engineering across major rivers like the Ganga, Krishna, Godavari, Narmada, and Mahanadi, among others. Below is a detailed list of India's key water and power projects, along with their location, river system, and core purpose, offering essential insights for learners, researchers, and competitive exam aspirants.

S.No	Name of the Project	Location	State	Purpose
1	Nagarjuna Sagar Multipurpose Project	River Krishna	Andhra Pradesh	Irrigation, Hydroelectricity
2	Pochampad Project	River Godawari	Telangana	Irrigation
3	Lower Sileru Project	River Sileru (Godavari)	Andhra Pradesh	Hydro-electricity
4	Kakadpada Project	River Tapi	Gujarat	Irrigation, Atomic power
5	Kothagudam Project	Singareni Coalfields	Telangana	Thermal Power
6	Kosi Project	River Kosi	Bihar	Flood Control, Irrigation
7	Gandak Project	River Gandak	Uttar Pradesh, Bihar	Irrigation, Hydroelectricity
8	Dhuvaran Power Station	Kheda District	Gujarat	Thermal Power (Oil and Gas-based)
9	Sabarigiri (Pamba-Kakki) Project	River Pamba-Kakki	Kerala	Hydro-electricity
10	Idukki Project	River Periyar Cheruthoni Dam	Kerala	Hydro-electricity
11	Tawa Project	River Tawa (Narmada Basin)	Madhya Pradesh	Irrigation
12	Chambal Project	River Chambal	Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh	Irrigation, Hydroelectricity
13	Korba Project	Near Korba Coalfields	Chhattisgarh	Thermal Power
14	Satpura Power	Patharkada Station, Betul	Madhya Pradesh (MP)	Thermal Power
15	Koyna Project	River Koyna	Maharashtra	Hydro-electricity
16	Koradi Power Station	Koradi, Near Nagpur	Maharashtra	Thermal Power
17	Tungabhadra Multipurpose Project	River Tungabhadra	Karnataka and Andhra Pra.	Irrigation, Hydroelectricity
18	Upper Krishna Project	River Krishna	Karnataka	Irrigation
19	Sharavati Project	River Sharavati	Karnataka (near Jog Falls)	Hydro-electricity
20	Hirakud Multipurpose Project	River Mahanadi	Odisha	Irrigation, Hydroelectricity
21	Mahanadi Delta Project	River Mahanadi	Odisha	Irrigation
22	Talcher Power Station	Near Talcher	Odisha	Thermal Power
23	Bhakra-Nangal Multipurpose Project	River Sutlej, Bilaspur (HP)	Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan	Irrigation, Hydroelectricity
24	Indira Gandhi Nahar Project (IGNP) (Rajasthan Canal Project)	River Ravi-Beas and Sutlej	Rajasthan Headworks in Punjab	Irrigation
25	Kundah Project	River Kundah	Tamil Nadu	Hydro-electricity
26	Neyveli Power Station	Neyveli	Tamil Nadu	Thermal power
27	Ramganga Multipurpose Project	Chuisot stream (near Kalagarh), Pauri	Uttarakhand	Irrigation, Hydroelectricity
28	Matatila Multipurpose Project	River Betwa	Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pra.	Irrigation, Hydroelectricity
29	Rihand Scheme	River Rihand Sonbhadra (UP)	UP, MP, Bihar, Chhattisgarh	Irrigation Hydro-electricity
30	Obra Power Station	Obra	Uttar Pradesh	Thermal Power
31	Damodar Valley Project	River Damodar	Jharkhand shared with West Bengal	Flood Control Hydro-electricity
32	Ukai Project	River Tapi	Gujarat	Irrigation
33	Mahi Bajaj Sagar Project	River Mahi	MP	Irrigation
34	Ghataprabha Project	River Ghataprabha	Karnataka	Irrigation, Hydro-electricity
35	Rajiv Bhima Lift Irrigation Project	River Krishna	Telangana	Irrigation
36	Sardar Sarovar Project	River Narmada	Gujarat and Rajasthan	Irrigation and Hydroelectricity
37	Ban Sagar Project	River Sone	MP, UP, and Bihar	Irrigation andHydroelectricityy
38	Dul Hasti Project	River Chenab	Jammu and Kashmir	Hydro-electricity
39	Salal Project	River Chenab	Jammu and Kashmir	Hydro-electricity
40	Ranjit Sagar Dam/ The in Dam Project	River Ravi	Punjab	Irrigation, Hydroelectricity
41	Malaprabha Project	River Malaprabha	Karnataka	Irrigation
42	Jayakwadi Project	River Godawari	Maharasthra	Irrigation and Hydroelectricity
43	Beas Project (Unit I & II)	River Beas	Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan	Hydro-electricity
44	Sharda Sahayak	River Sharda	Uttar Pradesh	Irrigation
45	Mayurakshi Project	River Mayurakshi	Jharkhand, West Bengal	Irrigation, Hydroelectricity
46	Rana Pratap Sagar Dam	River Chambal	Rajasthan	Hydro-electricity
47	Suratgarh Super Thermal Project	Suratgarh	Rajasthan	Thermal Power
48	Mettur Project	River Cauvery	Tamil Nadu	Hydro-electricity
49	Pallivasal Project	River Mudirapuzha	Kerala	Hydro-electricity
50	Papanasam Project	River Thambraparani	Tamil Nadu	Hydro-electricity
51	Loktak Project	River Leimtak	Manipur	Hydro-electricity
52	Tehri Project	River Bhagirathi (Ganga)	Uttarakhand	Irrigation, Hydroelectricity
53	Farakka Project	Ganga	West Bengal	Maintenance of Kolkata port
54	Luhri Hydro Electric Project	River Satluj	Himachal Pradesh	Hydro-electricity

Final Thoughts

India’s major water and power projects play a vital role in sustainable development, addressing the needs of agriculture, electricity, and water management. These multi-state initiatives not only boost irrigation and energy production but also help manage floods and support regional economies.

Projects like Bhakra-Nangal, Sardar Sarovar, and Tehri are engineering marvels that showcase India's focus on long-term planning.

For competitive exam aspirants, understanding these projects—along with their locations, rivers, and functions—is crucial. They reflect India’s commitment to resource optimization and balanced growth across states.

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