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Question 45 of 131 · Rivers, Lakes & Dams of India
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The Bhakra Dam, one of the highest gravity dams in India, is built on the river:

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Answer: Option B — Sutlej

Detailed Solution

The Bhakra Dam is a concrete gravity dam built across the Sutlej river at Bhakra village in the Bilaspur district of Himachal Pradesh, near the border with Punjab.

Key facts about the Bhakra Dam:

  • Height: about 226 metres, making it one of the highest gravity dams in the world and among the tallest dams in India.
  • Its reservoir, called the Gobind Sagar, is named after Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru.
  • Construction began in 1948, and the dam was completed in 1963.
  • Jawaharlal Nehru dedicated it to the nation in 1963.

The Bhakra-Nangal Project:

  • The Nangal Dam, about 13 km downstream in Punjab, diverts water into the Nangal Hydel Channel and the Bhakra Main Canal.
  • The project provides irrigation to large areas of Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan.
  • Its power stations generate about 1,325 MW of hydroelectricity.
  • The project is managed by the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB).

About the Sutlej:

  • It rises from Lake Rakshastal, near Lake Mansarovar and Mount Kailash in Tibet, where it is called Langqen Zangbo.
  • It enters India through a high Himalayan pass in Himachal Pradesh, covered in a separate question.
  • It flows through Himachal Pradesh and Punjab, is joined by the Beas, and then enters Pakistan, where it joins the Chenab.
  • It is the longest of the five rivers of Punjab, about 1,450 km long.

Other projects on the Sutlej:

  • A large run-of-the-river hydroelectric project in Himachal Pradesh, covered in a separate question.
  • Under the Indus Waters Treaty (1960), the waters of the Sutlej, Beas and Ravi (eastern rivers) were allocated to India.

About gravity dams:

A gravity dam holds back water by its own great weight. It is usually made of concrete or masonry.

Why not the other options?

  • ✗The Beas has the Pong and Pandoh dams.
  • ✗The Ravi has projects such as the Ranjit Sagar (Thein) Dam.
  • ✗The Chenab has projects such as Salal and Baglihar.

Quick tip

Remember: Bhakra Dam = Sutlej (Bilaspur, HP); reservoir = Gobind Sagar; managed by the BBMB.

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Rivers, Lakes & Dams of India — Preparation

This question tests your understanding of Rivers, Lakes & Dams of India, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.

This topic covers India's drainage system: the Himalayan rivers (the Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra systems), the peninsular rivers (Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri, Narmada, Tapi and Mahanadi), their tributaries and origins, waterfalls, lakes, and the major dams and multipurpose river projects. Exams ask about the origin of a river, its tributaries, the cities on its banks, and the river on which a dam is built. For example, the Bhakra Nangal Dam is on the Sutlej, the Hirakud Dam on the Mahanadi, and the Sardar Sarovar Dam on the Narmada. Remember that the Narmada and Tapi flow west into the Arabian Sea, while most peninsular rivers flow east. Practise the rivers, lakes and dams of India questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.

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