Nagarjuna Sagar Dam is a masonry type dam on the Krishna River in Nagarjuna Sagar, straddling the border of Nalgonda district of Telangana state, and Palnadu district of Andhra Pradesh state. Nagarjuna Sagar dam was built in Nagarjuna Sagar, which is a location where the Krishna river is located, which forms the boundary between the Nalgonda district in the state of Telangana and the Guntur district of AP.
The Nagarjuna Sagar Dam itself provides irrigation for four districts, Nalgonda, Guntur, Khammam, and Prakasam; the total area that it covers is over 10 lakh acres and worlds highest and largest brick-built dam.
The Nagarjuna Sagar Dam provides irrigation to the districts of Prakasam, Guntur, Khammam, West Godavari, and Nalgonda of Andhra Pradesh, along with producing hydroelectric power.
History of the construction of the Nagarjuna Sagar Dam
On December 10, 1955, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru officially inaugurated the construction of the dam and the project was completed for the next twelve years. It was the longest masonry dam in the world at that time, locally known as Kanuri Laxman Rao, Member of Parliament for Vijayawada. In 1978, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi introduced the flow of water from the reservoir between the left and right bank canals. After the construction of the hydroelectric power plant, power generation of additional units was started between 1986 and 1985 along with power generation. In 2015, the diamond jubilee of the project was celebrated, commemorating the development that has taken place in the region for this dam.
The dam is 490 feet (150 m) high from its deepest base and 0.99 miles (1.6 km) long. The dam has 26 watercourses which are 42 feet (13 m) wide and 45 feet (14 m) high.
Static Data of Nagarjuna Sagar Dam
| Location | Nalgonda District and Palnadu District in Andhra Pradesh State. |
| Coordinates | 16°34′32″N 79°18′42″E |
| Purpose | Hydroelectric and Irrigation |
| Construction began | December 10, 1955 |
| Opening date | 1967 |
| Construction cost | 132.32 crore rupees |
| Height | 124 metres (407 ft) from the deepest river bed level. |
| Length | 1,550 metres (5,085 ft) |
| Total capacity | 11.56 km3 (9×106 acre⋅ft) (405 Tmcft) |
| Active capacity | 5.44×109 m3 (4,410,280 acre⋅ft) |
| Surface area | 285 km2 (110 sq mi) |
Objectives of the Nagarjuna Sagar Dam
Irrigation of the Nagarjuna Sagar Dam
The Indian government realized that they needed to build this dam to provide irrigation for their farmers who were cultivating crops in the drylands. They needed to build this dam as quickly as possible but they knew that it would take them years to get all of the materials together for such an undertaking.
There are two canals in Nagarjuna Sagar Dam, one is Jawahar Canal and the other is Lal Bahadur Shastri Canal.
The Jawahar canal is 203 km long and has a maximum water holding capacity of 311.5 cumecs. The canal irrigates 1.117 million acres of land in Guntur and Prakasam districts.
Lal Bahadur Shastri Canal is 179 km long and has a maximum water holding capacity of 311.5 cumecs. The canal irrigates 1.008 million acres of land in Nalgonda, Suryapet, Krishna, West Godavari and Khamman districts.
The Nagarjuna Sagar Dam project has changed the economy of these districts.
Hydroelectric Power generation
Nagarjuna Sagar Dam has 8 hydroelectric power units. This hydroelectric power unit generates 815.6 MW of electricity. The first unit was launched on March 7, 1978 and the 8th unit on December 24, 1985.
The right canal (Jawahar Canal) plant generates 30 MW of electricity. Each unit has a capacity of 90 MW including 3 units.
The Left Canal (Lal Bahadur Shastri) plant has a capacity of 60 MW. Each of which has 2 units of 30 MW.
Tourism of the Nagarjuna Sagar Dam
Nagarjuna Sagar Dam is a popular site in the city of Hyderabad. The gates of the dam are usually open during the monsoon season from September to October. At that time thousands of tourists visited Nagarjuna Sagar.
The places you will visit when you visit Nagarjuna Sagar Dam…
- Ethipothala Waterfall
- Nagarjunasagar Wildlife Sanctuary
- Nagajunakonda Museum
- Nagarjuna Sagar Macherla
More Knowledge
| Dams and Barrages in West Bengal | List of River in West Bengal |
| Major Rivers in India and Their Origin | Important Dams in India |
FAQ About Nagarjuna Sagar Dam
Where is Nagarjuna Sagar Dam Located ?
Border Between of Nalgonda district of Telangana state, and Palnadu district of Andhra Pradesh state.
How many Gates in Nagarjuna Sagar Dam
26 gates
Who built Nagarjuna Sagar Dam
Raja Vasireddy Ramagopala Krishna Maheswara Prasad
Which is the biggest dam in Hyderabad?
Nagarjuna Sagar Dam
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