Location:
- The Tungabhadra Dam is situated on the Tungabhadra River.
- It is located near Hospet in the Ballari district of Karnataka.
- It is also known as Pampa Sagar.
History:
- The dam was conceived by Sir Arthur Cotton in 1860 for irrigation, electricity generation, and flood control.
- In 1949, the construction began as a joint project between the Kingdom of Hyderabad and the Madras Presidency, and later between the governments of Mysore and Hyderabad.
- The dam was built by Dr. Thirumalai Iyengar and completed in 1953.
- The chief architects of the dam were Vepa Krishnamurthy and Pallimalli Papaiah of Hyderabad and Tirumala Iyengar of Madras.
Design and Construction:
- Construction Material: The dam is India’s largest stone masonry dam and one of the only two non-cement dams in the country, the other being the Mullaperiyar Dam in Kerala. The dam is built of surki mortar, a combination of mud and limestone, commonly used at the time of its construction.
- Storage Capacity: The reservoir has a storage capacity of 101 TMC (Thousand Million Cubic feet) with a maximum storage capacity of 133 TMCFT.
- Water Release Capacity: It can release up to 6.5 lakh cusecs of water, with a recorded maximum release of 3.6 lakh cusecs in December 1992.
- Dimensions: The dam stands about 49.5 meters tall.
- Crest Gates: The dam features 33 crest gates.
- Catchment Area: The catchment area spans 28,000 square kilometers.
Significance:
- Irrigation: It supports agriculture in six drought-prone districts in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, including Bellary, Koppal, Raichur, Anantapur, Cuddapah, and Kurnool.
- Hydroelectric Power: It generates electricity and has two powerhouses:
- TB Dam Powerhouse: Contains four 9 MW units.
- Hampi Powerhouse: Also has four 9 MW units utilizing tail race waters from the dam powerhouse.
- Flood Control: The dam helps in flood prevention.