Hirakud Dam

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Hirakud Dam is built across the Mahanadi River about 15 km from Sambalpur in the state of Orissa in India. Built in 1956, the dam is a large composite structure of earth and cement that forms a 55-km long lake.

Hirakud Dam has the distinction of being one of the longest dams in the world, about 25.8 km in length. It was the first post-independence major multipurpose river valley project in India.

[edit] Purpose

In the upper drainage basin of the Mahanadi River, centered on the Chhattisgarh Plain, periodic droughts contrast with the situation in the delta region where floods may damage the crops. The dam was constructed to help alleviate these problems by creating a reservoir.<ref>Rivers in India. Retrieved on 2006-09-22.</ref> The dam regulates the flow of the Mahanadi River and produces hydroelectricity through several hyrdoelectrical plants.<ref>Mahanadi River. Retrieved on 2006-09-22.</ref>

The project provides 1556 km² of kharif and 1084 km² of rabi irrigation of Sambalpur District, Bargarh District, Bolangir District, and Sambalpur District. In addition, it provides flood protection to 9500 km² of the Mahanadi River Delta area in the Cuttack District and the Puri District.