Tilaiya Dam
Encyclopedia
Tilaiya dam was the first of the four multi-purpose dams included in the first phase of the Damodar Valley Corporation
. It was constructed across the Barakar River
, at Tilaiya
in Koderma district
in the India
n state
of Jharkhand
and opened in 1953.
in the United States. W.L.Voorduin, senior engineer of TVA prepared a preliminary report wherein he submitted an outline of a plan designed for achieving flood control, irrigation, power generation and navigation. As a result, Damodar Valley Corporation
came into existence in 1948 for development and management of the basin as a whole. While Voorduin envisaged the construction of eight dams and a barrage but it was later decided to have only four dams at Tilaiya
, Konar
, Maithon
and Panchet
, and Durgapur Barrage
The first dam was built across the Barakar River at Tilaiya and inaugurated in 1953. The second dam across the Konar River
was inaugurated in 1955. The third dam across the Barakar at Maithon was inaugurated in 1957. The fourth dam across the Damodar at Panchet was inaugurated in 1959.
The Tilaiya Dam is a concrete gravity dam with a maximum height of 30.2 metres (99.1 ft) above the river bed. The spillway has 14 tainter type crest gates of 3.05 m x 9.1 m, with a maximum discharge capacity of 3852 m³/s. Two modified butterfly type under sluice gates 1m high and 1.7 m wide with a discharge capacity of 14.2 m³/s are provided in the body of the dam mainly to supply irrigation water during the dry season.
Tilaiya Dam was inaugurated on 21 February 1953. It has a power generation capacity of 2 x 2 MW.
The main (Patna
-Ranchi
) road from Barhi on Grand Trunk Road
passing through hills overlooking the reservoir is picturesque.
issued a set of four stamps for the Five-Year Plan series on 26 January 1955, that included one stamp of one anna value depicting Tilaiya Dam. The large engineering and construction projects of the 1950s, such as the Damodar Valley dams, were celebrated by a number of observers as embodiments of the vibrant spirit of the new nation. Shortly after opening the Tilaiya dam, pictured on the one-anna stamp, Nehru
commented in a letter to the chief ministers that "the sight of those works filled me, as it did others who were present, with a sense of great achievement."
Damodar Valley Corporation
The Damodar Valley Corporation, popularly known as DVC, is the first multipurpose river valley project of independent India. The corporation came into being on July 7, 1948 by an Act of the Constituent Assembly of India . It is modelled on the Tennessee Valley Authority of the USA. Jawaharlal...
. It was constructed across the Barakar River
Barakar River
The Barakar River is the main tributary of the Damodar River in eastern India. Originating near Padma in Hazaribagh district of Jharkhand it flows for across the northern part of the Chota Nagpur Plateau, mostly in a west to east direction, before joining the Damodar near Dishergarh in Bardhaman...
, at Tilaiya
Tilaiya
Tilaiya is a town in Koderma district in the Indian state of Jharkhand.-Geography:Tilaiya is located at .-Tilaiya Dam:...
in Koderma district
Koderma District
Koderma district is one of the twenty-four districts of Jharkhand state, India, and Koderma is the administrative headquarters of this district.Koderma district was created on 10 April 1994, after being carved out of the original Hazaribagh district...
in the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n state
States and territories of India
India is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.-List of states and territories:...
of Jharkhand
Jharkhand
Jharkhand is a state in eastern India. It was carved out of the southern part of Bihar on 15 November 2000. Jharkhand shares its border with the states of Bihar to the north, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh to the west, Orissa to the south, and West Bengal to the east...
and opened in 1953.
DVC overview
As a result of the catastrophic flood of 1943, the Governor of Bengal appointed the Damodar Flood enquiry committee to suggest remedial measures. It suggested creation of an authority similar to that of the Tennessee Valley AuthorityTennessee Valley Authority
The Tennessee Valley Authority is a federally owned corporation in the United States created by congressional charter in May 1933 to provide navigation, flood control, electricity generation, fertilizer manufacturing, and economic development in the Tennessee Valley, a region particularly affected...
in the United States. W.L.Voorduin, senior engineer of TVA prepared a preliminary report wherein he submitted an outline of a plan designed for achieving flood control, irrigation, power generation and navigation. As a result, Damodar Valley Corporation
Damodar Valley Corporation
The Damodar Valley Corporation, popularly known as DVC, is the first multipurpose river valley project of independent India. The corporation came into being on July 7, 1948 by an Act of the Constituent Assembly of India . It is modelled on the Tennessee Valley Authority of the USA. Jawaharlal...
came into existence in 1948 for development and management of the basin as a whole. While Voorduin envisaged the construction of eight dams and a barrage but it was later decided to have only four dams at Tilaiya
Tilaiya
Tilaiya is a town in Koderma district in the Indian state of Jharkhand.-Geography:Tilaiya is located at .-Tilaiya Dam:...
, Konar
Konar Dam
Konar dam is the second of the four multi-purpose dams included in the first phase of the Damodar Valley Corporation.. It was constructed across the Konar River, a tributary of the Damodar River in Hazaribagh district in the Indian state of Jharkhand and opened in 1955.Konar Dam is long and high...
, Maithon
Maithon
Maithon is a census town in Dhanbad district in the Indian state of Jharkhand. It is situated on the banks of river Barakar.The name has been derived from Maithan or Mai-Ka-Than or Ma-Er-Than, the "than" being a apa-bhransha or a local pronunciation of Sanskrit/Bangla "Sthan" for "place"...
and Panchet
Panchet
Panchet is a census town in Dhanbad district in the Indian state of Jharkhand.-Demographics: India census, Panchet had a population of 8,353. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Panchet has an average literacy rate of 67%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy...
, and Durgapur Barrage
Durgapur Barrage
Durgapur Barrage is across the Damodar River at Durgapur in Bardhaman district in the Indian state of West Bengal.-Overview:The Damodar River Valley Project on the Damodar River and its principal tributary, the...
The first dam was built across the Barakar River at Tilaiya and inaugurated in 1953. The second dam across the Konar River
Konar River
The Konar River is a tributary of Damodar River in Hazaribagh and Bokaro districts of the Indian state of Jharkhand.-Course:The Konar originates near Sultana village on the Hazaribagh-Chatra Road.Thereafter, the Konar with its tributary Siwani drains a greater portion of the Hazaribagh plateau,...
was inaugurated in 1955. The third dam across the Barakar at Maithon was inaugurated in 1957. The fourth dam across the Damodar at Panchet was inaugurated in 1959.
The dam
The Tilaya Dam is located in the upper reaches of Barakar River, about 64.4 kilometres (40 mi) downstream of its source. The river at this site passes through a narrow gorge approximately 91.4 metres (299.9 ft) wide with banks steeply rising about 45.7 metres (149.9 ft) on either side. The dam has a catchment area of 984 square kilometres (379.9 sq mi) comprising mainly forests, pastures, cultivated lands and waste lands. The annual rainfall in the area is 127 centimetres (50 in).The Tilaiya Dam is a concrete gravity dam with a maximum height of 30.2 metres (99.1 ft) above the river bed. The spillway has 14 tainter type crest gates of 3.05 m x 9.1 m, with a maximum discharge capacity of 3852 m³/s. Two modified butterfly type under sluice gates 1m high and 1.7 m wide with a discharge capacity of 14.2 m³/s are provided in the body of the dam mainly to supply irrigation water during the dry season.
Tilaiya Dam was inaugurated on 21 February 1953. It has a power generation capacity of 2 x 2 MW.
The main (Patna
Patna
Paṭnā , is the capital of the Indian state of Bihar and the second largest city in Eastern India . Patna is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world...
-Ranchi
Ranchi
-Climate:Ranchi has a humid subtropical climate. However, due to its position and the forests around the city, it is known for its pleasant climate. Its climate is the primary reason why Ranchi was once the summer capital of the undivided State of Bihar...
) road from Barhi on Grand Trunk Road
Grand Trunk Road
The Grand Trunk Road also formerly known as Uttarapatha, Shah Rah-e-Azam or Sadak-e-Azam or Badshahi Sadak is one of South Asia's oldest and longest major roads...
passing through hills overlooking the reservoir is picturesque.
Postal stamp
The Indian Postal ServiceIndian Postal Service
The Department of Posts functioning under the brand name India Post , is a government operated postal system in India; it is generally referred to within India as "the post office"....
issued a set of four stamps for the Five-Year Plan series on 26 January 1955, that included one stamp of one anna value depicting Tilaiya Dam. The large engineering and construction projects of the 1950s, such as the Damodar Valley dams, were celebrated by a number of observers as embodiments of the vibrant spirit of the new nation. Shortly after opening the Tilaiya dam, pictured on the one-anna stamp, Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru , often referred to with the epithet of Panditji, was an Indian statesman who became the first Prime Minister of independent India and became noted for his “neutralist” policies in foreign affairs. He was also one of the principal leaders of India’s independence movement in the...
commented in a letter to the chief ministers that "the sight of those works filled me, as it did others who were present, with a sense of great achievement."