8 Interesting Facts On Nagarjuna Sagar, World's Tallest Masonry Dam In Andhra Pradesh

Decades ago, on 4 August 1967, Indira Gandhi inaugurated the famous Nagarjuna Sagar Dam. Here are 8 facts that highlight the historical significance, engineering prowess, and socio-economic impact of the Dam.

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Nagarjuna Sagar Dam, built across the Krishna River in Nagarjuna Sagar of Andhra Pradesh, is the the world's tallest masonry dam, standing at a height of 124 meters.

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Reservoir Capacity: The reservoir has a water storage capacity of up to 11,472 million cubic meters.

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Irrigation and Hydroelectric Project: Nagarjuna Sagar Dam is one of India's earliest irrigation and hydroelectric projects, serving the Nalgonda District, Khammam District, Prakasam District, and Guntur District with irrigational water.

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Submerged Ancient Settlement: During its construction, an ancient Buddhist settlement called Nagarjunakonda, which was the capital of the Ikshvaku dynasty in the 1st and 2nd centuries, got submerged. It contained 30 Buddhist monasteries and valuable historical artifacts.

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Relocation of Monuments: Before flooding, the monuments from Nagarjunakonda were excavated and relocated to Nagarjuna's Hill, which now forms an island in the reservoir, and some were moved to the mainland.

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Construction and Funding: The dam project commenced in February 1956. Due to scarcity of funds, it was constructed using stone instead of concrete. A cement factory was built near Macherla to supply the required materials.

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Completion and Functionality: The construction of the dam was completed in 1969, and it became fully functional by 1972 after fitting the huge crest gates.

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Canals and Impact: Two canals, Jawahar canal (203 km long) and Lalbahadur Shastri canal (295 km long), were constructed to supply water from the reservoir. The project benefited farmers in various districts, but it also led to the submergence of 52 villages and displaced around 24,000 people, whose rehabilitation was completed by 1967.

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