1.
DIVERSION DAMS
➢ it raises the water level of a body of water to redirect it into a canal,
tunnel, or other conveyance system
➢ The redirected water can be used for irrigation, reservoirs, or
hydroelectric power generation.
➢ Diversion dams are typically lower in height and have a small water
storage area in it’s upstream.
➢Common examples of diversion dams are barrages
•Barrages are low-head diversion dam that uses large gates to control the amount of
water that passes through.
•They are used to keep water flowing stably for irrigation or navigation
•An example would be the Teesta Barrage at Gajoldoba Jalpaiguri district in West Bengal,
India
2. BUTTRESS DAM
➢They all consist of a sloping deck supported by intervals of buttresses.
➢Buttress dams provide the ability to store large volumes of water in reservoirs
• irrigation
•industrial use
• hydropower generation
➢ examples of buttress dams in india are
•Sardar Sarovar Dam ,Narmada River in Gujarat (the largest )
•. Hirakud Dam, Mahanadi River in Odisha( first major multipurpose river valley
projects )
3. Gravity Dams
These dams rely on their own weight
to resist water pressure.
They are typically made of concrete or
masonry. Their simple design and
robust construction make them
reliable and durable. They can be built
in various geological conditions and
heights.
Bhakra Dam: One of the
largest gravity dams in the
world, located on the Sutlej
River.
Bhakra Nangal Dam is a
concrete gravity dam on the
Satluj River in Bhakra Village
in Bilaspur district, Himachal
Pradesh in northern India.
The dam forms the Gobind
Sagar reservoir.
4. Arch Dams
Curved in shape, these dams transfer
water pressure to the canyon walls,
reducing the required mass of the
dam.
Suitable for narrow valleys with strong
rock foundations.
The Idukki Dam
The Idukki Dam is a double-curvature arch dam constructed across the
Periyar River in a narrow gorge between two granite hills locally known
as Kuravan and Kurathi in Idukki district in the state of Kerala, India. It is
constructed and owned by the Kerala State Electricity Board.
