The valley of the Damodar River was flood prone and the devastating flood of 1943, lead to the formation of the high-powered "Damodar Flood Enquiry Committee" by the government of Bengal. The committee recommended the formation of a body similar to the Tennessee Valley Authority of the United States. Subsequently, W.L. Voorduin, a senior engineer of TVA, was appointed to study the problem. He suggested the multi-purpose development of the valley as a whole in 1944. Damodar Valley Corporation was set up in 1948 as “the first multipurpose river valley project of independent India.”[3]
D V C Headquarter in Kolkata
DVC was formed with the central government and the governments of Bihar (later Jharkhand) and West Bengal participating in it. The main aims of the corporation were flood control, irrigation, generation and transmission of electricity, and year-round navigation. The corporation was also expected to provide indirect support for the over-all development of the region. However, while Voorduin had proposed the construction of eight dams, DVC built only four.[4]
Mr. Voorduin's "Preliminary Memorandum" suggested a multipurpose development plan designed for achieving flood control, irrigation, power generation and navigation in the Damodar Valley. Four consultants appointed by the Government of India examined it. They also approved the main technical features of Voorduin's scheme and recommended early initiation of construction beginning with Tilaiya to be followed by Maithon. By April 1947, full agreement was practically reached between the three Governments of Central, West Bengal and Bihar on the implementation of the scheme and in March 1948, the Damodar Valley Corporation Act (Act No. XIV of 1948) was passed by the Central Legislature, requiring the three Governments, The Central Government and the State Governments of West Bengal and Bihar to participate jointly for the purpose of building the Damodar Valley Corporation. The Corporation came into existence on 7 July 1948 as the first multipurpose river valley project of independent India.
The first dam was built across the Barakar River at Tilaiya and inaugurated in 1953. The second dam, Konar Dam, across the Konar River was inaugurated in 1955. The third dam across the Barakar River at Maithon was inaugurated in 1957. The fourth dam across the Damodar at Panchet was inaugurated in 1959. Durgapur Barrage was built in 1955, with a 136.8 kilometres (85.0mi) long left bank main canal and an 88.5 kilometres (55.0mi) long right bank main canal.[5]
Command area: 24,235km2 spread across the Damodar basin. Jharkhand: 2 districts fully (Dhanbad and Bokaro) and parts of 9 districts (Hazaribagh, Koderma, Chatra, Ramgarh, Palamau, Ranchi, Lohardaga, Giridih, and Dumka) West Bengal: 6 districts (Purba Bardhhaman, Paschim Bardhhaman, Hooghly, Howrah, Bankura and Purulia)
Owned by Bokaro Power Supply Corporation Limited (BPSCL) a joint venture between DVC and Bokaro Steel Limited [9]
Infrastructure
DVC - Corporate office building at Kolkata - VIP Road
DVC developed and expanded its infrastructure to six thermal power stations (6750 MW) and three hydro-electric power stations with a capacity of 147.2 MW which contribute to a total installed capacity of 6897.2 MW. Presently DVC has 49 sub-stations and receiving stations more than 8390-circuit km of transmission and distribution lines. DVC has also four dams, a barrage and a network of canals (2494km) that play an effective role in water management. The construction of check dams, development of forests and farms and upland and wasteland treatment developed by DVC play a vital role in eco-conservation and environmental management.
Water management
DVC has a network of four dams - Tilaiya and Maithon on Barakar River, Panchet on Damodar river and Konar on Konar river. Besides, Durgapur barrage and the canal network, handed over to the Government of West Bengal in 1964, remained a part of the total system of water management. DVC dams are capable of moderating floods of 6.51 lac cusec to 2.5 lac cusecs.
Four multipurpose dams were constructed during the period 1948 to 1959:
Flood reserve capacity of 1,292 mcm has been provided in 4 reservoirs, which can moderate a peak flood of 18,395 cumecs to a safe carrying capacity of 7,076 cumecs. 419 mcm of water is stored in the 4 DVC reservoirs to supply 680 cusecs of water to meet industrial, municipal and domestic requirements in West Bengal & Jharkhand. The Durgapur barrage on river Damodar was constructed in 1955 for the supply of irrigation water to the districts of Burdwan, Bankura & Hooghly.
Irrigation Command Area (Gross): 569,000 hectares (5,690km2)
30,000 hectares (300km2) of land in the upper valley is being irrigated, every year by lift irrigation with the water available from 16,000 (approx) check dams constructed by DVC.
Joint venture projects
Maithon Power Limited
A joint venture company by DVC and Tata Power has been formed to implement 1,050 MW Maithon Right Bank Thermal Power Project for meeting the energy needs of power deficient regions on export basis.
Bokaro Power Supply Corporation Limited (BPSCL)
A joint venture of DVC and SAIL has been established to operate and maintain the captive power and steam generation plant, hived off by SAIL and its Bokaro Steel Plant and supply power and steam exclusively to Bokaro Steel Ltd.
DVC EMTA Coal Mines Limited
A joint venture company formed with Eastern Minerals & Trading Agency for development and operation of Captive Coal Mine Blocks and supply of coal exclusively to DVC Thermal Power Projects of 10th and 11th plan.
Mining & Allied Machinery Corporation (MAMC)
The Mining and Allied Machinery Corporation (MAMC) in Durgapur —one of the PSU's in India set up under the rupee-rouble agreement and enjoying Soviet patronage in the early sixties. Bharat Earth Movers has the highest stake (48%) in the consortium while the other two PSUs — DVC and Coal India — have 26% stake each.
Damodar River is a river flowing across the Indian states of Jharkhand and West Bengal. The valley is rich in mineral resources and is known for large-scale mining and industrial activity. It was also known as the Sorrow of Bengal because of the ravaging floods it caused in the plains of West Bengal. The construction of several dams on the Damodar and its tributaries has helped control some of the flooding.
Dhanbad district is one of the twenty-four districts of Jharkhand state, India, and Dhanbad is the administrative headquarters of this district. As of 2011, it is the second most populous district of Jharkhand, after Ranchi. It also has the lowest sex ratio in Jharkhand, at 908.
Chandrapura is a census town in the Chandrapura CD block in the Bermo subdivision of the Bokaro district in the Indian state of Jharkhand. It is situated on the northern banks of the river Damodar. The town is well known for the Chandrapura Thermal Power Station, a thermal-coal based power generation unit of Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) and De Nobili school which was established by Roberto de Nobili. The school is one of 16 schools supported by Damodar Valley Corporation, an Indian state-owned corporation.
Chirkunda is a city and a notified area in Dhanbad Sadar subdivision of Dhanbad district in the state of Jharkhand, India.
Maithon is a census town in Nirsa CD Block in Dhanbad Sadar subdivision of Dhanbad district in the Indian state of Jharkhand. It is situated on the banks of river Barakar
Bokaro Thermal is a census town in Bermo CD block in the Bermo subdivision of the Bokaro district in the state of Jharkhand, India. Often colloquially referred to as 'BTPS', as the Bokaro Thermal Power Station is located in this area.
The Barakar River is the main tributary of the Damodar River in eastern India. Originating near Padma in Hazaribagh district of Jharkhand it flows for 225 kilometres (140 mi) across the northern part of the Chota Nagpur Plateau, mostly in a west to east direction, before joining the Damodar near Dishergarh in Asansol, Bardhaman district of West Bengal. It has a catchment area of 6,159 square kilometres (2,378 sq mi). The main tributaries, Barsoti and Usri, flow in from the south and north respectively. Apart from the two main tributaries some fifteen medium or small streams join it.
The Maithon Dam is located at Maithon, 48 km from Dhanbad, in the state of Jharkhand India. It is 15,712 ft (4,789 m) long and 165 ft (50 m) high.
Panchet Dam was the last of the four multi-purpose dams included in the first phase of the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC). It was constructed across the Damodar River at Panchet in Dhanbad district in the Indian state of Jharkhand, and opened in 1959.
Tilaiya is a village in the Chandwara CD block in the Koderma subdivision of the Koderma district in the Indian state of Jharkhand.
Konar dam is the second of the four multi-purpose dams included in the first phase of the Damodar Valley Corporation. It was constructed across the Konar River, a tributary of the Damodar River in Hazaribagh district in the Indian state of Jharkhand and opened in 1955. The place has been developed as a recreational spot.
The Konar River is a tributary of Damodar River in Hazaribagh and Bokaro districts of the Indian state of Jharkhand.
Tenughat Dam is an earthfill dam with composite masonry cum concrete spillway across the Damodar River at Tenughat in Petarwar block of Bokaro district in the Indian state of Jharkhand.
Durgapur Barrage is built across the Damodar River at Durgapur in Paschim Bardhaman district and partly in Paschim Bardhaman district, in the Indian state of West Bengal. It was constructed by Damodar Valley Corporation mainly for the purpose of irrigation and also to supply water to Industrial township of Durgapur. The irrigation and canal system was transferred to the Government of West Bengal in 1964.
Tilaiya Dam was the first of the four multi-purpose dams included in the first phase of the Damodar Valley Corporation. It was constructed across the Barakar River, at Tilaiya in Koderma district in the Indian state of Jharkhand and opened in 1953.
Bokaro Thermal Power Station B is located at Bokaro district in Jharkhand, 44 km from the Bokaro Steel City and is about 55 km from Dhanbad city.. The nearest railway station is Bokaro Thermal. The power plant is one of the coal based power plants of DVC.
Markacho is a village and gram panchayat in the Markacho CD block in the Koderma subdivision of the Koderma district in the Indian state of Jharkhand.
Dhab is a village in the Domchanch CD block in the Koderma subdivision of the Koderma district in the Indian state of Jharkhand.
Nawalsahi is a village in the Domchanch CD block in the Koderma subdivision of the Koderma district in the Indian state of Jharkhand.
Bermo subdivision is an administrative subdivision of the Bokaro district in the North Chotanagpur division in the state of Jharkhand, India.
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