CASE STUDY

A multipurpose dam on the Ramganga River at Kalagarh, India

Figure 1 A satellite image of the Ramganga Dam, Uttarakhand, India.

In 1961, the construction of a large multipurpose dam was started at Kalagarh

across the Ramganga River, which is a tributary of the Ganges in India. It was
completed in 1974 (Figure 4.6). The dam: is 127.5 m high generates 451 million
units of power annually from three 66 mW power houses has a reservoir area
of 80 km2 stores 2447.6 m3 of water has a catchment area made up of 57%
forests, 8% grassland and 30% agricultural lands.
In its construction: no crop lands were submerged and there was no flooding
of railways or roads there was no need to relocate any people 4220 hectares of
forest and 2500 hectares of plantations were submerged the owners of the
forests were paid compensation and there was afforestation of the plantations
in an adjoining area a 7.5 ha area was landscaped and tourist facilities were
installed.
The dam is in a highly seismic area and a seismological observatory with the
latest equipment was installed.
Since construction:
 • flooding of a large area around the dam can now be controlled
• wildlife has increased and many species of migratory birds have been
attracted to the reservoir
• the reservoir water quality is suitable for aquatic life and for use in
irrigation
• thousands of hectares of land in the Ramganga flood plains are now
being used successfully for agriculture
• little treatment is needed to make the water safe to drink
• Delhi receives 5.67 m3 of water per second (cumec) through concrete
pipes.
Over 10 000 jobs were created
by the building of the dam, and
3000 officials and workers are
employed in maintenance of
the dam project. The transport
infrastructure has been
improved: Kalagarh is now very
Figure 2 Bengal Tigers can be found at the Jim Corbett national park. well connected with important
cities such as Delhi.

Figure 3 The section shaded red on the map above is mostly made up of farmland.
 In a report in 2014 some local farmers
claimed that the dam was affecting their
crops and their fish catches. They said that
the dam gates are opened and closed to suit
the water level in the dam. Their land
therefore receives a variable amount of
water from extreme flooding to near
drought. This pattern means they lose crops.
Figure 4 This small image shows a portion of the
In addition, the annual floods of the
many farms that rely on the Ramganga river.
Ramganga River used to bring in fine silt and
replenish the fertility of the soil, but now the dam has altered the sediment
characteristics bringing in coarse sand.
Fish have become isolated above the dam and only get released to the lower
river below the dam when the dam gates are opened. This disruption to their
breeding cycles has led to a decrease in fish size, number and diversity.

Questions
1. Suggest reasons why the dam took 13 years to be completed.
2. Explain why:
a. a seismological observatory was built
b. the authorities are monitoring sedimentation behind the dam.
3. To what extent do you agree that the dam is beneficial to:
a. local people
b. India?