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.
