Tehri dam holds Ganga and saves Rishikesh, Haridwar
The water levels in Tehri dam were low at the start of the monsoon. This proved a critical factor in the dam retaining waters of an engorged Bhagirathi and preventing a 10-12 feet rise in the Ganga at Rishikesh that could have been ruinous for the town and its ashrams.
We take a look at how the dam aved Rishikesh, Haridwar and some interesting facts about it:
We take a look at how the dam aved Rishikesh, Haridwar and some interesting facts about it:
The role of Tehri Dam
A report said the fury of nature in Uttarakhand was such that waters rose as high as a four-storey building at Devprayag, where Alaknanda and Bhagirathi meet, in a 24-hour period after the June 16-17 cloud burst.
The rise at Devprayag, Rishikesh and Haridwar could have been much higher but for the Tehri dam.
File photo: Tehri Dam & Lake
The rise at Devprayag, Rishikesh and Haridwar could have been much higher but for the Tehri dam.
File photo: Tehri Dam & Lake
Water could have caused destruction
On the morning of June 16, the discharge of water in Bhagirathi was 18,600 cusecs at the Tehri site, by evening, it went up to 1,05,000 cusecs and next morning it touched 2,44,000 cusecs. This led to a phenomenal rise in the river level at Devprayag by 11 meters. The inflow from Alaknanda was already 2,45,000 cusecs by then.
This rise was unprecedented - said officials of the Tehri Hydro Development Corporation (THDC) who made the first assessment of the flash floods - and could have resulted in total destruction of Rishikesh town and much of Haridwar if flow of Bhagirathi was not contained by the Tehri reservoir.
File photo: Down Stream View of Koteshwar HEP (400MW)
This rise was unprecedented - said officials of the Tehri Hydro Development Corporation (THDC) who made the first assessment of the flash floods - and could have resulted in total destruction of Rishikesh town and much of Haridwar if flow of Bhagirathi was not contained by the Tehri reservoir.
File photo: Down Stream View of Koteshwar HEP (400MW)
But for the Tehri dam...
Uttarakhand chief minister Vijay Bahuguna had in an interview told TOI that but for the Tehri dam, Rishkesh, Haridwar and parts of western UP would have been inundated.
As it was the start of the monsoon season and the Tehri reservoir was relatively empty, authorities retained 95% of Bhagirathi's fury and maintained a release of only 14,000 cusecs instead of 2,44,000 cusecs and prevented a rise in water level by at least 5 meters (more than 16 feet) in Devprayag and 10-12 feet at Rishikesh, about 60 km away as the river flows.
File photo: Chute Spillway of Tehri Dam & Hydro Power Plant (1000MW)
As it was the start of the monsoon season and the Tehri reservoir was relatively empty, authorities retained 95% of Bhagirathi's fury and maintained a release of only 14,000 cusecs instead of 2,44,000 cusecs and prevented a rise in water level by at least 5 meters (more than 16 feet) in Devprayag and 10-12 feet at Rishikesh, about 60 km away as the river flows.
File photo: Chute Spillway of Tehri Dam & Hydro Power Plant (1000MW)
What THDC officials are saying
"All ashrams along the Ganges in Rishikesh would have been washed away and Ram Jhula would have been submerged if the river level had further gone up by even 3 meters," said D V Singh, director technical of THDC.
File photo: Tehri Dam
File photo: Tehri Dam
Strong currents of the river
The strong currents of the river would have damaged the weak embankments and destroyed structures along the river bank, he said. Haridwar too would have witnessed largescale devastation with any further rise in water level even by 2 meters under such circumstances.
"It would have been a catastrophe downstream of Devprayag, in Rishikesh and Haridwar, if instead of 14,000 cusecs, 2,44,000 cusecs was added from Bhagirathi," said D V Singh, director technical of THDC, adding that Tehri dam was effectively used to regulate water levels and avoid flooding downstream.
File photo: A View of Tehri Dam Reservoir
"It would have been a catastrophe downstream of Devprayag, in Rishikesh and Haridwar, if instead of 14,000 cusecs, 2,44,000 cusecs was added from Bhagirathi," said D V Singh, director technical of THDC, adding that Tehri dam was effectively used to regulate water levels and avoid flooding downstream.
File photo: A View of Tehri Dam Reservoir
One of its kind dam
Tehri Dam & Hydel Power Project (1000 MW) comprises a 260.5 m high Earth & Rockfill dam. According to THDC, it is one of the highest dams of its type in the world.
File photo: Up Stream View of Koteshwar Dam (400MW)
File photo: Up Stream View of Koteshwar Dam (400MW)
Spillway System
It has a Spillway System designed for PMF of 15540 cumecs and a drop of 220m, having one Chute Spillway and four Shaft Spillways and an underground Power House housing four Turbine/ Generator sets of 250 MW each, designed to operate with a head variation of 90 m.
File photo: A View of Koteshwar HEP (400MW)
File photo: A View of Koteshwar HEP (400MW)
The power project
1 Jul, 2013
The Koteshwar H.E. Project is an integral part of the 2400 MW Tehri Hydro Power Complex. Koteshwar Project comprises a 97.5 m. high concrete Dam and Surface power house, housing 4 units of 100 MW each and is located around 22 km downstream of Tehri Dam.
File photo: A view of underground Tehri Power House
File photo: A view of underground Tehri Power House
Tehri Dam and Power Station
The project was commissioned in 2006-07 and all four machines of Tehri Power Station are under commercial operation. "Besides providing much needed power to the Northern Grid, the command area is availing irrigation benefits from the project and drinking water is being supplied to Delhi and UP," claims the THDC website.
File photo: Tehri Dam & Spillway in Operation at Night
File photo: Tehri Dam & Spillway in Operation at Night
Source : All Images: THDC; ET Bureau & Agencies
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