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A 1,000 MW multipurpose concrete gravity dam on the Narmada in Madhya Pradesh, holding India's largest reservoir by water storage volume.
The Indira Sagar Dam is a multipurpose river valley project on the Narmada River at Narmada Nagar near Punasa in the Khandwa district of Madhya Pradesh. It is a concrete gravity dam with a slightly curved alignment, 92 metres high and 653 metres long, and its reservoir is India's largest by water storage volume. The project supports hydropower generation, irrigation, flood management and regulation of downstream flow. Construction began on 23 October 1984 and the project became operational on 31 May 2005. It is owned by the Government of Madhya Pradesh and operated by the Narmada Hydroelectric Development Corporation.
Type: PhenomenonLocation — Narmada Nagar near Punasa, Khandwa district, Madhya Pradesh, on the Narmada River.
Structure — a concrete gravity dam with a slightly curved alignment, 92 metres high and 653 metres long.
Spillway — 20 ogee spillway gates with a discharge capacity of 83,400 cubic metres per second.
Reservoir — total storage capacity of 12.22 cubic kilometres, of which 9.75 cubic kilometres is active and 2.47 cubic kilometres inactive; the reservoir spreads over about 913.48 square kilometres.
Power — installed capacity of 1,000 MW through eight Francis turbines of 125 MW each, generating nearly 2,700 GWh annually.
Ownership — owned by the Government of Madhya Pradesh, operated by the Narmada Hydroelectric Development Corporation (NHDC), a joint venture of NHPC and the Government of Madhya Pradesh.
Multipurpose character — supplies electricity, irrigation, regulated river flow and downstream water management.
Frequency: Major dams and multipurpose river valley projects appear regularly in UPSC Prelims geography and in SSC and railway general awareness.
Narmada
Narmada Nagar near Punasa, Khandwa district, Madhya Pradesh
Concrete gravity, slightly curved alignment
92 metres high, 653 metres long
20 ogee gates, discharge capacity 83,400 cubic metres per second
12.22 cubic kilometres
9.75 cubic kilometres
About 913.48 square kilometres
1,000 MW — eight Francis turbines of 125 MW each
Nearly 2,700 GWh
The project took just over two decades from foundation stone to full commissioning, a timeline typical of large multipurpose schemes in India where land acquisition, resettlement and financing run alongside construction.
Prime Minister Indira Gandhi lays the foundation stone and construction begins.
Main dam construction starts.
All eight generating units are commissioned, ahead of schedule.
The project becomes operational under the Government of Madhya Pradesh.
Indira Sagar's importance lies in the word 'multipurpose'. Its 1,000 MW of installed capacity makes it a significant power asset, but the reservoir's role in regulating the Narmada's flow matters at least as much: with 9.75 cubic kilometres of active storage it can hold monsoon flows and release them through the dry season, which is what makes downstream irrigation and the operation of downstream projects on the Narmada dependable. That regulation function is why storage volume, rather than installed capacity, is the figure most often quoted for this dam. The other side of the ledger is the reservoir spread of about 913.48 square kilometres — a submergence area of that size involves substantial displacement and loss of forest and farmland, which is why Narmada valley projects have been central to India's debates on resettlement and rehabilitation.
Indira Sagar Dam — on the Narmada at Narmada Nagar, Khandwa district, Madhya Pradesh.
India's largest reservoir by water storage volume: total capacity 12.22 cubic kilometres.
Concrete gravity dam, 92 m high and 653 m long, with 20 ogee spillway gates.
Installed capacity 1,000 MW — eight Francis turbines of 125 MW each; about 2,700 GWh a year.
Foundation stone laid by Indira Gandhi on 23 October 1984; operational 31 May 2005.
Operated by NHDC, a joint venture of NHPC and the Government of Madhya Pradesh.
Reservoir spread about 913.48 square kilometres.
On the Narmada River, at Narmada Nagar near Punasa in Khandwa district of Madhya Pradesh.
It is India's largest reservoir by water storage volume, with a total capacity of 12.22 cubic kilometres, which allows it to regulate the Narmada's flow through the dry season for downstream irrigation and power.
1,000 MW, generated by eight Francis turbines of 125 MW each, producing nearly 2,700 GWh of electricity annually.
It is owned by the Government of Madhya Pradesh and operated by the Narmada Hydroelectric Development Corporation (NHDC), a joint venture of NHPC and the state government.