Irrigation Projects and Power Projects | Geography for UPSC CSE PDF Download

Indira Gandhi (Rajasthan Canal) Project

• Under this project the waters of Beas and Ravi are diverted to the Sutlej so that waters of all the three rivers are now being almost fully used to irrigate north-western Rajasthan which is a part of the Thar desert.

The project includes: 

• the Rajasthan Feeder taking off from the Harike Barrage across the Sutlej near its confluence with the Beas in Punjab; and 
• the Rajasthan Main Canal taking its water-supply from the Rajasthan Feeder.

Gandak Irrigation Project

• This is a joint venture of India and Nepal.
• It is entirely executed by India (Bihar and Uttar Pradesh) but its benefits are also shared by Nepal in accordance with an agreement signed in 1959. 

The project includes: 

• a barrage across the Gandak at Balmikinagar below the Tribeni Canal Head Regulator in Bihar; 
• 4 canals, 2 each in India and Nepal; and 
• a power house.
• Half of the 747.37 m long and 9.81 m high barrage is in Nepal. Inside India the 66 km long Main Western Canal will irrigate 4.84 lakh hectares in Saran district of Bihar and 3.44 lakh hectares in Gorakhpur and Deoria districts of Uttar Pradesh and the 256.68 km-long Main Eastern Canal will irrigate 6.03 lakh hectares in Champaran, Muzaffarpur and Darbhanga districts of Bihar. 
• The western Canal of Nepal will irrigate 16,600 hectares in Bhairwa district. 
• The Eastern Canal of Nepal will irrigate 42,000 hectares in Parasa, Bara and Rautuhat districts. 
• A power house with 15 mw installed capacity on the Main Western Canal has been commissioned and handed over to Nepal as a gift.

Mahanadi Delta Irrigation Project

• The purpose of this project is to make use of the releases from the Hirakund reservoir. It includes 1,353-m-long concrete weir and a 386.24 km-long canal with an irrigation potential of 5.35 lakh hectares in the Mahanadi delta in Orissa.

Tawa Irrigation Project

• This irrigation scheme in Madhya Pradesh comprises: 
• an earth-cum-masonry dam, 1630.2 m-long and 57.95 m-high, across the Tawa, a tributary of the Narmada, in Hoshangabad district; 
• and two irrigation canals taking off from the reservoir. The 120 km-long Left Bank Main Canal and the 76.85 km-long Right Bank Canal will irrigate 3.32 lakh hectares in Hoshangabad district.

Pochampad Irrigation Project

• It is the second largest irrigation project in Andhra Pradesh and comprises : 
• a 812 m long and 43 m high masonry dam with a storage capacity of 230.36 crore m3 on the Godavari in Adilabad district, and 
• 112.63-km-long main canal which will irrigate 2.30 lakh hectares in Adilabad and Karimnagar districts.

Upper Krishna Irrigation Project

• This project in Bijapur-Gulbarga districts of Karnataka includes : 
• a 1631 m-long and 34.76 m-high dam across the Krishna at Almatti in Bijapur district; 
• a second 6,951 m-long and 23.63 m-high dam on the river at Narayanpur in Gulbarga district; 
• a 170.58-km-long canal taking off from the Almatti Dam; and 
• a 222-km-long canal taking off from the Narayanpur Dam.
• The project will irrigate 2.43 lakh hectares in Bijapur, Raichur and Gulbarga districts of Karnataka.

Power Projects

Rihand Hydro-electric Project

• This project is one of the largest man-made lake in India on the borders of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh and comprises a 934 m-long and 91.4 m-high straight gravity masonry dam across the Rihand near Pipri in Mirzapur district of Uttar Pradesh. It impounds 1,060 crore m3 of water. Its power generating capacity is 300 mw.

Koyan Hydro-electirc Project

• This project in Maharashtra comprises : 
• a 853.44 m-long and 85.3 m-high dam across the Koyna at Deshmukhawadi in Satara district of Maharashtra; and 

Sharavati Hydro-electric Project

• Located in Karnataka, this is one of the largest hydroelectric projects in India. 
• It includes : the main dam across the Sharavati near Linganmakki and a balancing dam at Talakalale near Jog Folls in Shimoga district of Karnataka.

Sabagiri (Pamba-Kakki)  Hydro-electic Project

• This project in Kerala has 3 storage dams, one each on the Pamba and Kakki rivers and one flanking dam. 
• The total power potential of this project is 300 mw. It fees power to Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

Idukki Hydro-Electirc Project

• This project also in Kerala, has 3 storage dams, one each on the Periyar and Cherutheni rivers and one at Idukki and the power house at Moolammattom, all in Idukki district. 
• Its total installed capacity is 390 mw.

Kundah Hydro-electric Project

• This project in Tamilnadu has 8 storage dams on the Kundah and its tributaries in the Nilgiri hills and has a total installed capacity of 535 mw.

Talcher Thermal Power Project

• Situated in Orissa, this power station has an installed capacity of 250 mw. 
• This project is based on cheap coal available from the Talcher coalfield.

Neyveli Thermal Power Project

• This is associated with the Neyveli Lignite Project in the South Arcot district of Tamilnadu. 
• It is based on lignite produced in the area. Its installed capacity is 600 mw which is fed to the Tamilnadu State Power Grid.

Korba Thermal Power Station

• Located near the Korba coalfields in Bilaspur district (Madhya Pradesh), it has a total installed capacity of 300 mw. 
• It feeds power to the various places in Bilaspur and Raipur divisions of Madhya Pradesh.

Recent Developments

• As of 2025, India's irrigation coverage has increased to approximately 55% of the net sown area, driven by schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana, which promotes micro-irrigation. The Polavaram Irrigation Project (Andhra Pradesh), a major multipurpose project on the Godavari, remains under construction with delays due to funding, land acquisition, and inter-state disputes with Telangana and Odisha. Its completion is now expected by 2026-27, with environmental concerns like forest submergence being critical for UPSC.
• The Sardar Sarovar Dam (Gujarat) reached its full reservoir level in 2019, but rehabilitation of displaced populations remains contentious, with ongoing Supreme Court oversight. The Ken-Betwa River Linking Project, approved in 2021, has started partial implementation but faces challenges like biodiversity loss in Panna Tiger Reserve, making it a key topic for GS Paper III.
• India’s power sector has shifted towards renewables, with a total capacity of ~450 GW by 2025, of which ~150 GW is from solar and wind. The Bhadla Solar Park (Rajasthan, 2.25 GW) and the planned Ladakh Ultra Mega Solar Project (10 GW) are flagship projects. The National Green Hydrogen Mission (launched 2023) aims for 5 MMT production by 2030, with pilot projects in power generation, relevant for energy security discussions.
• Policy updates include the Jal Shakti Ministry’s initiatives like the Atal Bhujal Yojana for groundwater management and the PM-KUSUM Scheme, which has expanded solar pumps for irrigation by 2025. The Electricity Act amendments (2020-2023) promote renewable integration and smart grids, with projects like the National Smart Grid Mission gaining traction.
• Climate change impacts, such as erratic monsoons and glacial melt, are reshaping irrigation planning. Climate-resilient techniques like drip irrigation are emphasized under the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture. Cross-border water disputes, particularly India’s 2023-2025 notices to Pakistan for Indus Water Treaty review, are critical for UPSC’s International Relations section.
• Environmental and social impacts of projects are increasingly tested in UPSC. For instance, the Subansiri Lower Hydroelectric Project (Assam) faces delays due to protests over ecological damage, while the Narmada Bachao Andolan continues to highlight displacement issues. These case studies are vital for GS Papers I and II.