Top Hydroelectric Power Plants in India

Top Hydroelectric power Plant station in India:

India has a total of 4710 dams which makes it the third country with more dams in the world. With growing population, water sources and electricity get depreciated. It is necessary to take measures to create water bodies and save water that is already available. While saving water, hydroelectric power plants also generate electricity. Places which are far away from water bodies depend on such dams and reservoirs for their irrigation and everyday water needs. Dams are a great asset to the country as it helps develop agriculture, holds flood water, prevent electricity shortage and tend to drought ridden areas. Here is a list of the top 10 hydroelectric plants, stations/dams in India.

Top Hydroelectric power Plants in India List:

Here is the list of top hydro power plants in India.

Srisailam dam hydroelectric power plant:

Srisailam dam is the third largest dam in India, built over the famous River Krishna. Located in Kurnool district in Andhra Pradesh, it is very famous for its hydroelectric power plant and is also a popular tourist spot. The dam was constructed in the year 1980 and with additional turbines added later, the total cost came up to 10 billion rupees. The six 150MW turbine on the left side of the bank and seven 110MW Francis type turbines on the right side of the river bank generate a huge electricity output. The dam is prone to flooding during which times electricity cannot be generated as the water flow is downwards and visitors are not allowed. This is one of the top hydro power plants in India.


Height: 476 feet
Length: 1680 feet
Above sea level: 300m
No. of gates: 12
Total area: 616 sq.km
Reservoir capacity: 800sq.km
Power generation capacity: 6x150MW and 7x110MW

Nagarjuna Sagar Dam:

Nagarjuna Sagar dam’s construction began in the year 1955 and took 12 years (1967) for completion. It is built across River Krishna in Nalgonda district, Telangana and Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh in India. The dam is designed to provide irrigation water to the nearby districts as well as for generation of hydroelectric power. The dam’s reservoir is the second largest in the country. During flooding, excess water is sent to the canal which is then released to nearby streams.

Height: 490 feet
Length: 1.6km
No. of floodgates: 26
Reservoir capacity: 405 TMC
Power generation capacity: 1x110MW and 7x100.80MW

Idukki Dam:

Idukki dam was opened in the year 1973 and its construction began in the year 1969 in India. It is constructed across the Periyar River between Kuravan and Kurathi hills in Kerala. The dam is built in the shape of an arch and is the highest in the country. The floodgates have been opened twice till now, the canal takes the excess water for irrigation use. It is also a popular tourist spot with relaxed rules, the tourists can enjoy the time there and even go boating.

Height: 554 feet
Length: 1,200 feet
Total surface area: 60 sq.km
Reservoir capacity: 2,000 cubic metre
Power generation capacity: 6x130MW

Sardar Sarovar dam:

Sardar Sarovar dam is constructed across River Narmada in Navagam, Gujarat in India. It is the largest dam in the country. Its size is capable of covering 210 villages during floods. It was involved in a lot of controversies and finally in 2014 the Supreme Court issued an order to raise the height from 260 feet to 535 feet. The dam is the main source of water to the dry areas like Kutch and Saurashtra.

Height: 535 feet
Length: 3,970 feet
Reservoir capacity: 9,500,000,000 cubic metre
Power generation capacity: 1,450 installed capacity and 6x200MW

Mettur dam:

Mettur dam was constructed across River Kaveri in the year 1934. It is located in Salem and is one of the largest dams in India. The dam has a reservoir called the Stanley reservoir and is famous for its irrigation and hydroelectric power generation. The dam provides irrigation water to villages in Salem, Erode, Karur, Namakkal, and Tiruchirapalli. With the Kabini Dam built across River Kaveri in Karnataka, Mettur dam receives very less water. Sometimes the dam even dries up during summer. The dispute between the two states with regards to the Kaveri River is still ongoing.

Height: 120 feet
Length: 1,700 m
Reservoir capacity: 2.64 cubic km

Tehri dam:

Tehri dam was constructed in the year 2006 taking 28 years to completion from when it started in 1978. It is located in Tehri, Uttarakhand, India and the dam is used for irrigation purposes and for local water supply.

Height: 855 feet
Length: 1,886 feet
Width: 66 feet
Reservoir capacity: 3,200,000 acre ft
Power generation capacity: 2,400 MW

Upper Indravati Power house:

Located in Odisha, this project has 4 dams built across the Indravati River and its tributaries forming a single reservoir. It took 1107 crore rupees however it has generated much more clean energy to meet the cost of building the dams and reservoir.

Reservoir capacity: 1435.5 Mcum
Power generation: 2602.30 MU in 2013-14.
Power generation capacity: 600 MW

Salal Hydroelectric power station:

This hydro power plant is constructed over Chenab River in Jammu & Kashmir, India. Constructed began in the year 1970 and the first stage was commissioned in the year 1987. The first stage of the second unit began commission in 1993. The project cost 9288.9 million rupees. The tariff rate is Rs. 41.56. It is one of the top hydro electric power plants in India

Height: 113 m
Length: 450 m
No. of gates: 12
Power generation capacity: 690 MW

Hirakud dam:

Hirakud dam is located in Sambalpur, Odisha and is built across River Mahanadi in India. Construction of the dam began in the year 1948 and it was completed in 1957. The upper basin faced droughts whereas the lower delta region faced problems of flooding. To eradicate this problem, the dam was built. It is designed to flow into a reservoir which is used for irrigation and water supply to the locals.

Height: 200 feet
Length: 16 miles
Reservoir capacity: 4,779,965 acre-ft
Power generation capacity: 2x49.5 MW, 3x37.5 MW and 2x32MW

Koyna Hydroelectric dam:

Koyna dam is built over River Koyna in Maharastra. Its construction was completed in the year 1964. The reservoir became Lake Shivajisagar. The dam was built for the purpose of generating hydroelectric power and for irrigation purposes.

Height: 339 feet
Length: 2,468 feet
No. of gates: 6
Reservoir capacity: 2,267,900 acre-ft
Power generation capacity: 1,960 MW

These are the top hydro electric power plants in India.  Reference - Wiki.