Major dams & hydroelectric projects of India
India has over 5,200 large dams — the third highest in the world after China and the USA. This interactive map covers 22 of the most exam-relevant dams, classified by river basin, with key data on height, reservoir capacity, power output, purpose, and multiple practice questions drawn from actual UPSC, SSC, and state exam papers.
Key facts for exams
India has 5,264 large dams (height ≥ 15 m) — third in the world. About 1,000 more are under construction. Maharashtra has the most large dams (1,845).
Tallest dam: Tehri Dam (261 m, Bhagirathi River, Uttarakhand). Longest dam: Hirakud (4.8 km main dam; 25.8 km total, Mahanadi, Odisha). Largest reservoir by capacity: Indira Sagar (12,221 MCM, Narmada, MP).
India's total installed hydroelectric capacity is about 46,000 MW — contributing roughly 12% of total electricity generation. Hydropower is the largest source of renewable energy in India.
Only arch dam in India: Idukki (Kerala, Periyar River). Only dam declared a National Project by Parliament: Polavaram (AP, Godavari). Oldest major dam: Mullaperiyar (1895, Kerala).
River basin overview
India's major dams are distributed across 9 river basins. The Ganga basin (including Yamuna, Chambal, Son, Damodar tributaries) has dams such as Tehri, Bhakra is in the Indus basin. The Narmada basin has three major dams in MP/Gujarat: Indira Sagar, Omkareshwar, and Sardar Sarovar. The Krishna basin hosts Nagarjuna Sagar, Srisailam, Koyna, Tungabhadra, and Almatti. The Godavari basin has Polavaram (AP's National Project). The Kaveri basin has the historic Mettur Dam (1934). The Mahanadi basin has Hirakud — India's longest dam. The Indus basin (eastern rivers allocated to India) includes Bhakra, Pong, Nathpa Jhakri, Baglihar, and Ranjit Sagar. Several Kerala dams (Idukki, Mullaperiyar) fall in independent coastal river basins classified as 'other'.
Dams at a glance
| Dam | State / UT | River | Height (m) | Power (MW) | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tehri Dam | Uttarakhand | Bhagirathi | 261 | 1,000 | Multipurpose |
| Bhakra Dam | Himachal Pradesh | Sutlej | 226 | 1,325 | Multipurpose |
| Sardar Sarovar Dam | Gujarat | Narmada | 163 | 1,450 | Multipurpose |
| Hirakud Dam | Odisha | Mahanadi | 61 | 347 | Multipurpose |
| Nagarjuna Sagar Dam | Telangana | Krishna | 124 | 816 | Multipurpose |
| Srisailam Dam | Telangana | Krishna | 145 | 1,670 | Multipurpose |
| Koyna Dam | Maharashtra | Koyna | 103 | 1,960 | Hydroelectric |
| Mettur Dam | Tamil Nadu | Kaveri | 54 | 50 | Multipurpose |
| Rihand Dam (GBP Sagar) | Uttar Pradesh | Rihand (Son tributary) | 91 | 300 | Multipurpose |
| Idukki Dam | Kerala | Periyar | 169 | 780 | Hydroelectric |
| Indira Sagar Dam | Madhya Pradesh | Narmada | 92 | 1,000 | Multipurpose |
| Gandhi Sagar Dam | Madhya Pradesh | Chambal | 62 | 115 | Multipurpose |
| Pong Dam (Beas Dam) | Himachal Pradesh | Beas | 133 | 360 | Multipurpose |
| Tungabhadra Dam | Karnataka | Tungabhadra | 49 | 127 | Multipurpose |
| Mullaperiyar Dam | Kerala | Periyar | 54 | — | Irrigation |
| Nathpa Jhakri Dam | Himachal Pradesh | Sutlej | 65 | 1,500 | Hydroelectric |
| Baglihar Dam | Jammu & Kashmir | Chenab | 145 | 900 | Hydroelectric |
| Polavaram Dam | Andhra Pradesh | Godavari | 48 | 960 | Multipurpose |
| Maithon Dam | Jharkhand | Barakar | 49 | 60 | Multipurpose |
| Almatti Dam | Karnataka | Krishna | 52 | 290 | Multipurpose |
| Ranjit Sagar Dam (Thein Dam) | Punjab | Ravi | 160 | 600 | Hydroelectric |
| Omkareshwar Dam | Madhya Pradesh | Narmada | 28 | 520 | Hydroelectric |
Dam markers are placed at approximate coordinates on an OpenStreetMap base layer. Height, capacity, and power figures are from official sources (CWC, CEA) and may differ slightly from older references. Reservoir capacity (MCM = million cubic metres) refers to gross live storage. Run-of-river projects (e.g. Nathpa Jhakri) have negligible storage.