India, with its vast network of rivers and diverse geography, is home to some of the world’s largest and most important water reservoirs. These reservoirs play a crucial role in irrigation, hydroelectric power generation, flood control, and ensuring water supply to millions.
From the mighty Indira Sagar on the Narmada River to the iconic Nagarjuna Sagar on the Krishna, each reservoir showcases India’s engineering excellence and commitment to sustainable water management. Understanding the location, capacity, and significance of these reservoirs is essential for students, aspirants of competitive exams, and anyone interested in India’s water resources.
This comprehensive guide provides detailed insights into the top reservoirs of India, their storage capacities, associated rivers, and key facts that highlight their importance in India’s economy and ecology.
Explore how these water giants sustain agriculture, industries, and communities across the nation.
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What is the meaning of reservoirs?
A reservoir is a place for storing liquid, especially a natural or artificial lake that provides water for a city or another area. It can also refer to a large supply of something that could be used if needed. For example:
- Artificial lakes created to store water for irrigation, power generation, or municipal use are considered reservoirs.
- In the context of infectious diseases, a reservoir can be a host organism (such as an animal) or a nonliving thing (like soil or water) where an infectious agent lives and multiplies, potentially serving as a source of infection.
Remember, reservoirs play a crucial role in water management, energy production, and disease transmission!
List of Major Reservoirs in India
| Reservoir | River | State |
|---|---|---|
| Govind Ballabh Pant Sagar | Rihand River | Uttar Pradesh |
| Gobind Sagar Reservoir | Sutlej River | Himachal Pradesh |
| Maharana Pratap Sagar (Pong Reservoir) | Beas River | Himachal Pradesh |
| Dindi Reservoir | Dindi River | Telangana |
| Lower Manair Reservoir | Manair River | Telangana |
| Tatipudi Reservoir Project | Gosthani River | Andhra Pradesh |
| P.C.R. (Gandipalem) Reservoir | Pillaperu River | Andhra Pradesh |
| Himayat Sagar Reservoir | Esi River | Telangana |
| Shriram Sagar (Pochampadu Project) | Godavari River | Telangana |
| Ghataprabha Reservoir | Ghataprabha River | Karnataka |
| Hemavathi Reservoir | Hemavati River | Karnataka |
| Tawa Reservoir | Tawa River | Madhya Pradesh |
| Balimela Reservoir | Sileru River | Odisha |
| Aliyar Reservoir | Aliyar River | Tamil Nadu |
| Chittar Reservoir | Chittar River | Tamil Nadu |
| Krishnagiri Reservoir | Thenpennai River | Tamil Nadu |
| Manimuthar Reservoir | Tamirabarani River | Tamil Nadu |
| Pechiparai Reservoir | Kodayar River | Tamil Nadu |
| Shoolagiri Chinnar Reservoir | Chinnar River | Tamil Nadu |
| Thunakadavu Reservoir | Thunacadavu River | Tamil Nadu |
| Varattu Pallam Reservoir | Kaveri River | Tamil Nadu |
| Vidur Reservoir | Sankaraparani River | Tamil Nadu |
| Amaravathi Reservoir | Amaravathi River | Tamil Nadu |
| Gundar Reservoir | Gundar River | Tamil Nadu |
| Kullursandai Reservoir | Kowsiga River | Tamil Nadu |
| Pambar Reservoir | Pambar River | Tamil Nadu |
| Periyar Reservoir | Periyar River | Tamil Nadu |
| Stanley Reservoir | Kaveri River | Tamil Nadu |
| Uppar Reservoir | Uppar River | Tamil Nadu |
| Vattamalaikarai Odai Reservoir | Odai River | Tamil Nadu |
| Willingdon Reservoir | Periya Odai River | Tamil Nadu |
| Bhavanisagar Reservoir | Bhavani River | Tamil Nadu |
| Kodaganar Reservoir | Kodagananar River | Tamil Nadu |
| Manimukthanadhi Reservoir | Krishna River | Tamil Nadu |
| Parambikulam Reservoir | Parambikulam River | Tamil Nadu |
| Sholayar Reservoir | Chalakkud River | Tamil Nadu |
| Thirumurthi Reservoir | Parambikulam and Aliyar River | Tamil Nadu |
| Varadamanadhi Reservoir | Aliyar River | Tamil Nadu |
| Vembakottai Reservoir | Vaippar River | Tamil Nadu |
| Manjalar Reservoir | Manjalar River | Tamil Nadu |
| Salal Project | Chenab River | Jammu and Kashmir |
| Chutak Hydroelectric Project | Suru River | Jammu and Kashmir |
| Indira Sagar Project | Narmada River | Madhya Pradesh |
| Narmada Dam Project | Narmada River | Madhya Pradesh |
Major Reservoirs in India Map
Top 10 Reservoirs in India by Area Size
| Sl. No. | Reservoir Name | State / UT | River | Reservoir Area (km²) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Indira Sagar | Madhya Pradesh | Narmada | 950 |
| 2 | Shivasagar (Koyna Dam) | Maharashtra | Koyna River | 891.78 |
| 3 | Idukki Dam | Kerala | Periyar | 649.3 |
| 4 | Neelam Sanjeevareddy Sagar (Srisailam Dam) | Andhra Pradesh and Telangana | Krishna | 616.42 |
| 5 | Vallabh Sagar (Ukai Dam) | Gujarat | Tapti River | 612 |
| 6 | Sriram Sagar | Telangana | Godavari | 450.82 |
| 7 | Govind Ballabh Pant Sagar (Rihand Dam) | Uttar Pradesh | Rihand River | 450 |
| 8 | Sardar Sarovar Dam | Gujarat | Narmada River | 375.33 |
| 9 | Yashwant Sagar (Ujjani Dam) | Maharashtra | Bhima River | 337 |
| 10 | Nagarjuna Sagar | Andhra Pradesh and Telangana | Krishna | 284.9 |
Top 10 Reservoirs in India by Storage Capacity
| Sl. No. | Reservoir Name | State / UT | River | Storage Capacity (km³) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Indira Sagar | Madhya Pradesh | Narmada | 12.2 |
| 2 | Nagarjuna Sagar | Andhra Pradesh and Telangana | Krishna | 11.561 |
| 3 | Govind Ballabh Pant Sagar (Rihand Dam) | Uttar Pradesh | Rihand River | 10.6 |
| 4 | Gobind Sagar (Bhakra Dam) | Himachal Pradesh | Sutlej | 9.62 |
| 5 | Sardar Sarovar Dam | Gujarat | Narmada River | 9.5 |
| 6 | Neelam Sanjeevareddy Sagar (Srisailam Dam) | Andhra Pradesh and Telangana | Krishna | 8.722 |
| 7 | Vallabh Sagar (Ukai Dam) | Gujarat | Tapti River | 7.41 |
| 8 | Hirakud Dam | Odisha | Mahanadi River | 5.896 |
| 9 | Tehri Dam | Uttarakhand | Bhagirathi River | 4 |
| 10 | Sriram Sagar | Telangana | Godavari | 3.172 |
Important Facts about Reservoirs in India
The most enormous Manmade Reservoir in India
🔶 Gobind Ballabh Pant Sagar is the Largest Manmade reservoir in India.
- The Rihand Dam formed the Govind Ballabh Pant Sagar reservoir.
- It is India’s largest artificial lake.
- Rihand Dam is a concrete gravity dam located at Pipri in Sonbhadra District in Uttar Pradesh, India.
- The reservoir area is on the border of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
- The reservoir is located on the Rihand River, a tributary of the Son River.
- The catchment area of this dam extends over Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh, whereas it supplies irrigation water in Bihar, located downstream of the river.
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✅ Note:
🤔 Remember that Gobind Ballabh Pant Sagar and Gobind Sagar are both different Reservoirs.
◾About Gobind Sagar
✔️ Gobind Sagar Lake is a reservoir located in the Una and Bilaspur districts of Himachal Pradesh.
✔️ It was formed by the Bhakra Dam on the Sutlej River.
✔️ The reservoir is named after Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru.
✔️ The Bhakra Dam is one of the world’s highest gravity dams. Its construction began in 1955 and was completed in 1962.
Largest water reservoir in India
🔶 Indira Sagar Dam is the largest water reservoir in India in terms of water storage capacity.
- The Indira Sagar Dam is the largest in India in terms of the volume of water stored in the reservoir.
- It is located on the Narmada River in Narmada Nagar, Punasa, in the Khandwa district of Madhya Pradesh, India.
- On 23 October 1984, the former Prime Minister of India, the late Indira Gandhi, laid the project’s foundation stone.
- The dam is operated by the Narmada Hydroelectric Development Corporation (NHDC).
- NHDC is a joint venture between NHPC and the government of Madhya Pradesh.
FAQs on Reservoirs in India
19,370 reservoirs
West Bengal (according to a 2023 water body census)
Gobind Sagar is also known as the Bhakra Dam reservoir.
Maharana Pratap Sagar
Gobind Sagar
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