Indrabati Dam

With due regard to the long standing aspiration and demands of the people of the ought stricken Kalahandi District of Odisha State, investigation of the Upper Indravati project had commenced during the year 1956. The approval of the Union Planning Commission for execution of this Project had to wait till the decision of the Krishna-Godavari Commission was announced the year 1977 regarding equitable distribution of water resources in the Godavari basin between Madhya Pradesh, Odisha State and Andhra Pradesh. Thereafter this Project was approved by the Union Planning commission in May 1978 for an estimated cost of Rs.208.15 crores and administrative approval by Govt of Odisha was accorded during July 1979. The foundation stone of the Project was laid by Late Prime Minister Sri Morarji Desai on 4th April 1978. Upper Indravati Project, which can be considered as one of the largest multipurpose projects of India in terms of its Power and Irrigation benefits is located in the districts of Kalahandi and Nowarangpur of Odisha State and envisages trans basin diversion of water of river Indravati (Godavari Basin) to river Hati (Mahanadi Basin). Served by a combined catchment of 2630 Sq.KMtr, the project features are unique, four dams and eight dykes. The main dam is on the river Indravati, and the other three being on its tributaries: the Podagada, Kapur and Muran. All these form a single reservoir connected together through two link channels within the reservoir. The reservoir is approximately 43 Km long in the NNE-SSW direction and 9 Km wide at its widest point The water from the reservoir having maximum depth of 71 m. and an average depth of 21 m is conveyed to Power House through a water conductor system comprising of 335 m long Headrace channel, 3934 m long, 7 m dia. circular tunnel terminating at surge shaft 20 in dia 140 m deep, 2 nos 298 m long 5.25 m dia Penstock tunnels and 4 nos 790 m long 3.5 m dia surface penstocks. The Power Station with 4 x 150 MW installation and operating with an average head of 371 m offers peak power benefits up to 600 MW and annual energy benefit of 1962 MU in a 90% dependable year. The water released from the Power House is carries through a tailrace channel 9000 m long to be finally picked up by the barrage on the river Hati to irrigate 128000 Ha. Of land though two flow canals and one loft canal in the chronically drought prone areas of Kalahandi district.