| Gandhi Sagar | |
|---|---|
 Upstream view of the Gandhi Sagar Dam in 2009 | |
  Location of the dam within the state of Madhya Pradesh  Gandhi Sagar Dam (India) | |
| Official name | Bhadra |
| Location | Mandsaur District Madhya Pradesh |
| Coordinates | 24°42′24″N 75°33′12″E / 24.70667°N 75.55333°E |
| Opening date | 1960 (Stage I) 1970 (Stage II) |
| Construction cost | Rs. 2.32 billion |
| Operator(s) | Water Resources Department, Madhya Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh Power Corporation |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Impounds | Chambal River, a tributary of Yamuna River |
| Height | 62.17 metres (204.0 ft) |
| Length | 514 metres (1,686 ft) |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Multipurpose |
| Total capacity | 7,322,000,000 m3 (5,936,000 acre⋅ft) (258.61 tmc ft) |
| Catchment area | 22,584 km2 (8,720 sq mi) |
| Surface area | 723 km2 (279 sq mi) |
| Power Station | |
| Hydraulic head | 44 metres (144 ft) |
| Gandhisagar Dam[1] | |
The Gandhi Sagar Dam is one of the four major dams built on India's Chambal River. The dam is located in the Mandsaur district of the state of Madhya Pradesh. It is a masonry gravity dam, standing 62.17 metres (204.0 ft) high,[1] with a gross storage capacity of 7.322 billion cubic metres from a catchment area of 22,584 km2 (8,720 sq mi). The dam's foundation stone was laid by Prime Minister of India Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru on 7 March 1954,[2] and construction of the main dam was done by leading contractor Dwarka Das Agrawal & Associates and was completed in 1960. Additional dam structures were completed downstream in the 1970s.
The dam sports a 115-MW hydroelectric power station at its toe, with five 23-MW generating units each providing a total energy generation of about 564 GWh.[3] The water released after power generation is used for the irrigation of 427,000 hectares (1,060,000 acres) by the Kota Barrage, which is located 104 kilometres (65 mi) downstream of the dam, near the city of Kota in the state of Rajasthan.[2][4][5]
It attracts many migratory and non-migratory birds throughout the year. The International Bird Life Agency (IBA) has qualified the reservoir under "A4iii" criteria, as the congregation of waterbirds is reported to exceed 20,000 at some points.[6]
- ^ a b "National Register of Large Dams" (PDF). Madhya Pradesh Sr No. 124. Central Water Commission. Retrieved 10 May 2011.[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b "Gandhisagar Dam". National Informatics Center Mandsur. Archived from the original on 3 February 2012. Retrieved 11 May 2011.
- ^ "Consultancy for formulating operational cost norms including O&M and escalation for Hydro Power for the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission" (PDF). Gandhi Sagar: Annexure 3, sr.no. 36. Central Electricity Regulatory Commission. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 March 2012. Retrieved 11 May 2011.
- ^ "Command Area Development Chambal, Kota". Kota Division National Informatics Centre. Archived from the original on 23 March 2012. Retrieved 10 May 2011.
- ^ "Chambal Valley Project". Government of Rajasthan. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 10 May 2011.
- ^ "Important Bird Areas in India – Madhya Pradesh" (PDF). Gandhisagar Reservoir. IBA. Retrieved 11 May 2011.[permanent dead link]