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Why do we build Dams?

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Dams are important because they provide water for domestic, industry
and irrigation purposes.

Dams often also provide hydroelectric power production and river
navigation. Domestic use includes everyday activities such as water for
drinking, cooking, bathing, washing, and lawn and garden watering.

Dams and their reservoirs provide recreation areas for fishing and
boating. They help people by reducing or preventing floods.

During times of excess water flow, dams store water in the reservoir;
then they release water during times of low flow, when natural flows are
inadequate to meet water demand.
When engineers design and maintain dams, they consider all these
purposes

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Before going to the discussion on
DAMS AND PROJECTS IN ANDHRA PRADESH
Let us discuss about ENGINEERS DAY in india.
Engineer's Day is observed in India on
September 15 in honour of Sir
Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya who was
born on the day in 1860.

He was the chief designer of the flood
protection system designed and built for
the city of Hyderabad, as well as the chief
engineer responsible for the construction
of the Krishna Raja Sagara dam in Mysore
which created the largest reservoir in Asia
at that time.

He also designed and patented a system of
automatic weir water floodgates that were
first installed in 1903 at the Khadakvasla
Reservoir near Pune


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These gates were employed to raise the flood
supply level of storage in the reservoir to the
highest level likely to be attained by a flood
without causing any damage to the dam.



Based on the success of these gates, the same
system was replicated at the Tigra Dam
project in Gwalior and the Krishna Raja Sagara
project in Karnataka.



Not only these he had constructed many
dams and reservoirs , on behalf of his service
to india . engineers day was celebrated.

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DAMS AND PROJECTS IN ANDHRA PRADESH
List of dams and reservoirs in Andhra Pradesh

1.Dowleswaram Barrage on the Godavari River in the East Godavari
district.
2. Penna Reservoir on the penna river in nellore dist
3.Joorala Reservoir on the Krishna River in Mahbubnagar district
4.Nagarjuna Sagar Dam on the Krishna River in
the Nalgonda and Guntur district
5.Osman Sagar Reservoir on the Musi River in Hyderabad
6.Nizam Sagar Reservoir on the Manjira River in the Nizamabad
district
7.Prakasham Barrage on the Krishna River
8.Sriram Sagar Reservoir on the Godavari
River between Adilabad and Nizamabad districts
9.Srisailam Dam on the Krishna River in Kurnool district
10.Rajolibanda Dam


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11.Telugu Ganga
12.Polavaram Project on Godavari River
13.Koil Sagar, a Dam in Mahbubnagar district on Godavari river
14.Lower Manair Reservoir on the canal of Sriram Sagar
Project (SRSP) in Karimnagar district
15.Himayath Sagar, reservoir in Hyderabad
16.Dindi Reservoir
17.Somasila in Mahbubnagar district
18.Kandaleru Dam
19.Gandipalem Reservoir
20.Tatipudi Reservoir
21.Icchampally Project on the river Godavari and an inter state
project Andhra pradesh, Maharastra, Chattisghad
22.Pulichintala on the river Krishna in Nalgonda district
23.Ellammpalli
24.Singur Dam
25.Dummagudem
26.Sunkesula
27.Musi Reservoir





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28.Pothireddypadu Reservoir near kund
29.Ramagundam Dam on the river Godavari in Karimnagar District
30.Pranahita Chevella on the river Godavari in Adilabad District
31.Jeri Dam
32.Brmham sagar
33.Polavaram Project
34.Handri-Neeva
35.Mylavaram Dam
36.PABR Dam
37.MPR Dam

THE MOST IMPORTANT AMONG THEM ARE :
SRI SAILAM DAM

NAGARJUNA SAGAR DAM

JURALA PROJECT

DOWALESWARAM BARRAGE

PRAKASAM BARRAGE


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SRI SAILAM DAM
The Srisailam Dam is a dam constructed across
the Krishna River at Srisailam in the Kurnool district in
the state of Andhra Pradesh in India and is
the 2nd largest capacity hydroelectric project in the
country.
The dam was constructed in a deep gorge in
the Nallamala Hills, 300 m (980 ft) above sea level. It is
512 m (1,680 ft) long, 145 m (476 ft) high and has12
radial crest gates. It has a reservoir of
800 km
2
(310 sq mi). The left bank power station
houses 6 150 MW reversible Francis-pump
turbines (forpumped-storage) and the right bank
contains 7 110 MW Francis-turbine generators.

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Project history

The Srisailam project began in 1960, initially as a power project, across the
Krishna, near Srisailam in Andhra Pradesh. After several delays, the main dam
was finally completed twenty years later in 1981. In the meantime the project
was converted into a multipurpose facility with a generating capacity of 770
MW by its second stage which was expected to be completed in 1987. The dam
is to provide water for an estimated 2,000 km
2
(770 sq mi) with its catchment
area of 206,040 km
2
(79,552 sq mi) and water spread of 1,595 km
2
(616 sq mi).
Under the right branch canal 790 km
2
(310 sq mi) in Kurnool and Kaddapa
districts will have assured irrigation. From the initial modest estimate
of Rs.384.7 million for a power project the total cost of the multipurpose project
was estimated to cross Rs.10 billion in its enlarged form. The 143 m (469 ft) high
and 512 m (1,680 ft) wide dam has alone cost Rs.4.04 billion together with the
installation of four generating sets of 110 MW each. The right branch canal is
estimated to costRs.4.49 billion and the initial investment of Rs.1.4 billion has
been provided by the World Bank. The projected cost-benefit ratio of the
project has been worked out at 1:1.91 at 10% interest on capital outlay. On 2
October 2009, Srisailam dam experienced a record inflow which threatened the
dam.
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NAGARJUNA SAGAR PROJECT
Location of Nagarjuna Sagar Dam
Official name

Nagarjuna Sagar Dam
Location Guntur District, Nalgonda district, Pradesh, India
Coordinates 163432N 791842ECoordinates: 163432N 791
842E
Construction bega
n
10 December 1955
Opening date 1960
Construction cost 1300 crore rupees
Dam and spillways
Height 124 metres (407 ft) from river level
Length 1,450 metres (4,757 ft)
Impounds Krishna River
Reservoir
Creates Nagarjuna Sagar Reservoir
Capacity 11,560,000,000 m
3
(9,371,845 acreft)
Active capacity 5,440,000,000 m
3
(4,410,280 acreft)
[1]

Catchment area 215000 km (83012 sq mi)
Surface area 285 km
2
(110 sq mi)
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Salient data
Catchment Area : 215000 km (83012 sq mi)

Location of dam : Nalgonda(District)

Reservoir
Water spread area at FRL of dam : 285 km
2

Masonry dam
Spillway of dam : 471 m
Non-over flow dam : 979 m
Length of Masonry dam : 1450 m
Maximum height : 125 m
Earth dam
Total Length of Earth dam : 3414 m
Maximum height : 128 m
Power Generation
Power Units : 1 No. conventional (110 MW capacity), 7 nos Reversible
(100 MW capacity)
Canal Power House
Right side : 3 units 30 MW (each)
Left side : 2 units 30 MW (each)
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o The construction duration of the dam was between the years of 1955 and 1967. The dam
created a water reservoir whose capacity is 11,472 million cubic meters. The dam is 490 ft
(150 m). Tall and 1.6 km long with 26 gates which are 42 ft (13 m). Wide and 45 ft (14 m). Tall.
o Nagarjuna Sagar was the earliest in the series of large infrastructure projects initiated for
the Green Revolution in India; it also is one of the earliest multi-purpose irrigation and hydro-
electric projects in India. The dam provides irrigation water to the Nalgonda District, Prakasam
District, Khammam District, Krishna District and Guntur District and electric power to the
national grid.
o The proposal to construct a dam to use the excess waters of the Krishna river was sketched out
by the British Engineers in 1903 on the supervision of Hyderabad Nizams.
o The perseverance of the Raja of Muktyala paved way for the site identification, design and
construction of the dam. Nagarjuna Sagar was the earliest in the series of "modern temples"
taken up to usher in the India.
o Project construction was officially inaugurated by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, on 10
December 1955, and proceeded for the next twelve years.
o The reservoir water was released into the left and right bank canals by Prime Minister, Indira
Gandhi in 1967.
o Construction of the hydropower plant followed, with generation increasing between 1978 and
1985, as additional units came into service. The construction of the dam submerged an ancient
Buddhist settlement, Nagarjuna konda, which was the capital of the Ikshvaku dynasty in the 1st
and 2nd centuries, the successors of the Satavahanas in the Eastern Deccan


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Excavations here had yielded 30 Buddhist monasteries The right canal
(a.k.a. Jawahar canal) is 203 km long and irrigates 1.113 million acres
(4,500 km) of land. The left canal (a.k.a. Lalbahadur Shastri canal) is
295 km long and irrigates 0.32 million acres (800 km) of land in Nalgonda
and Khammam districts of Telangana region.
The hydroelectric plant has a power generation capacity of 815.6 MW with
8 units (1x110 MW+7x100.8 MW). First unit was commissioned on 7 March
1978 and 8th unit on 24 December 1985.
The right canal plant has a power generation capacity of 90 MW with 3
units of 30 MW each. The left canal plant has a power generation capacity
of 60 MW with 2 units of 30 MW each.
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Dowleswaram Barrage:

The Dowleswaram Barrage (Telugu: ) is an irrigation structure
which is built on the last stretch of the Godavari River before it empties into
the Bay of Bengal.
It was built by a British irrigation engineer, Sir Arthur Thomas Cotton. Cotton
Museum is constructed on behalf of Sir Cotton's memory. It has been a tourist
attraction in Rajahmundry.
The Godavari River empties its water into the Bay of Bengal after flowing a few
miles from the Dowleswaram Barrage. Sir Arthur Thomas Cotton, a British
irrigation engineer, constructed the Dowleswaram Barrage.
The village of Dowleshwaram is at a distance of eight kilometres downstream
of Rajahmundry. The river is divided into two streams; the Gautami to the left
and the Vasistha to the right, forms the dividing line between the West
Godavari and the East Godavari districts.
The Dowleswaram Barrage is 15 feet high and 3.5 km wide. Its construction
was completed in the 1850. Adjoining two mid-stream islands, the barrage is
constructed in four sections.
The Godavari crossed the first warning level of 43 feet at
Bhadrachalam on 21
st
august evening and poised to surpass the
second warning level of 48 feet by 22
nd
august morning with all its
tributaries in spate due to incessant rains in the upper reaches of
the river.

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The authorities sounded a flood alert and activated the official
machinery to deal with any exigency. According to official
sources, the flood level in Bhadrachalam was expected to rise
steeply; it was likely to touch the third warning level of 53 feet if
the heavy rains continued upstream.
Nearly 30 villages, including 25 in Wajedu mandal, remained cut
off from the outside world as Cheekuvagu and Kongalavagu
continued to flow over low-level causeways. Heavy rains wreaked
havoc in R. Kothagudem village in Charla mandal where several
huts collapsed under the impact of strong gales and heavy
downpour.
Dowleswaram barrage during floods
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The impressive construction of Prakasam Barrage is 1223.5m long, Road
Bridge and modern regulator that was built in the year 1957.This bridge is
placed over the Krishna River. The panoramic lake of the Prakasam Barrage
and the 3 canals gives Vijayawada an Italian feeling
. This idea of building a barrage over the Krishna River was escorted sometime
in 1798.But the project saw light in the year 1839 and this Barrage was again
revised in the year 1841.
The construction of this barrage was approved by the East India Company in
the year 1850 and construction of the barrage was started in the year 1852 and
was completed in the year 1855.Later it was reconstructed and named after the
1st chief minister of Andhra Pradesh Sri Tanguturi Prakasam.
The overall journey of the river is of 720km in the state of Andhra Pradesh. An
evening walk by the barrage is the best way to rejuvenate you from the stress.
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Project Name Prakasam Barrage
Latitude (decimal degrees) 15.667
Longitude (decimal degrees) 81.517
Village Vijayawada
Mandal/Taluk Vijayawada
District Krishna
State Andhra Pradesh
River/Stream Krishna
Sub-basin Lower Krishna
Catchment Area (km
2
) 251,251
Purpose of Project Construction Type Concrete
Dam Height (m) 4.27
Dam Length (m) 1223.5m
No. of Gates 72
Full Reservoir Level (FRL in Meters) -
Gross Storage Capacity
(MCM)
8,697
Live Storage Capacity
(MCM)
6,488
Power Generation Capacity -
Irrigable Area (ha) 529,691
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The serene breeze that comes from the sanctified waters of River Krishna
freshens up evening strollers and tourists.

The Buckingham Canal is a 421.55 kilometres (261.9 mi) long fresh water
navigation canal, running parallel to the Coromandel Coast ofSouth
India from Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh to Villupuram District in Tamil
Nadu.
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From
Prasanth Reddy
and
Sumanth