Dams, Lakes, Waterfalls and National Parks of India Notes

Dams, lakes, waterfalls and national parks are favourite topics of the General Awareness section in SSC, railways, banking, defence, police and state examinations. The question is usually of the type "Which dam is built on which river?", "Where is this lake located?" or "Which national park is famous for which animal?". These are pure fact-based questions, and a student who has a clear table in mind can answer them in a few seconds. This note gives the most important facts, grouped state-wise and river-wise, in simple language with quick-revision points.

Important Dams of India

A dam is a barrier built across a river to store water for irrigation, drinking water, power generation and flood control. Jawaharlal Nehru called the big dams "the temples of modern India" at the time of the Bhakra Nangal project. Remember the dam, its river and its state together.

The Kallanai or Grand Anicut on the Cauvery is considered one of the oldest functioning water-regulation structures in the world and is attributed to the Chola king Karikalan. The Hirakud Dam is the longest earthen dam in India, while the Tehri Dam, at 260.5 metres, is the tallest. The Farakka Barrage was built to divert the Ganga water to the Hooghly river to flush out the silt at Kolkata port. The Sardar Sarovar Dam is near the Statue of Unity in Gujarat.

Important Lakes of India

Remember that Chilika is a lagoon connected with the Bay of Bengal and is famous for migratory birds and the Irrawaddy dolphin. Loktak has the Keibul Lamjao National Park on its floating phumdis, which is the only floating national park in the world, and it protects the sangai or brow-antlered deer. Sasthamkotta is the largest freshwater lake in Kerala. Indira Sagar is the largest reservoir in India by storage capacity, while Gobind Sagar is the reservoir of the Bhakra dam.

Famous Waterfalls of India

Jog Falls, on the Sharavathi river, is the famous waterfall where four streams, Raja, Rani, Roarer and Rocket, fall together. The Shivanasamudra Falls on the Cauvery gave Asia its first hydroelectric power station in 1902. The Dudhsagar Falls, meaning "sea of milk", looks like a river of milk in the monsoon. Meghalaya has many falls, such as Nohkalikai, Elephant Falls and Seven Sisters Falls, because Cherrapunji and Mawsynram have the highest rainfall in the world.

National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries

India has more than 100 national parks, and the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 gives them legal protection. The first national park of India is the Jim Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand, established in 1936 as Hailey National Park. The largest national park by area is the Hemis National Park in Ladakh, which is known for the snow leopard.

Important Conservation Facts

• Project Tiger was launched in 1973, and the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) now looks after the tiger reserves.
• Project Elephant was launched in 1992. The Gir forest is the only natural habitat of the Asiatic lion.
• The Kaziranga, Manas, Keoladeo, Sundarbans and Nanda Devi parks are some of the natural World Heritage Sites of India.
• India has more than 90 Ramsar wetland sites, including Chilika, Loktak, Vembanad, Sambhar and Deepor Beel.
• Biosphere reserves such as the Sundarbans, Nilgiri and Nanda Devi are bigger zones that protect both biodiversity and local people.

Uses of Dams and Related Terms

Dams serve many purposes together, and this is why they are called multipurpose river valley projects. They store monsoon water for irrigation in the dry months, generate hydroelectric power, control floods, supply drinking water, and also support fishing and tourism. A gravity dam like Bhakra holds the water by its own weight, an arch dam like Idukki transfers the pressure of water to the valley walls, and an earthen dam like Hirakud is built of compacted soil and rock. A barrage, such as Farakka, has gates to control the flow and raise the water level, but it does not store much water. The Damodar Valley Corporation, formed in 1948 on the pattern of the Tennessee Valley Authority of the USA, was the first multipurpose river valley project of independent India, and it was meant to control the floods of the Damodar, once called the "river of sorrow" of Bengal.

Wetlands, Reserves and Wildlife Facts

Wetlands such as lakes and lagoons are the winter home of migratory birds from Siberia and Central Asia. Chilika, Keoladeo and Loktak are the best examples. The Ramsar Convention of 1971 is the international treaty to protect wetlands, and Chilika was the first Indian site to be listed as a wetland of international importance in 1981 along with Keoladeo. India has more than fifty tiger reserves, and they are managed under the Project Tiger scheme. Apart from national parks, there are wildlife sanctuaries where some human activities are allowed, such as the Periyar sanctuary and the Sultanpur bird sanctuary. Remember that a national park has stricter protection than a sanctuary, and that grazing and private rights are not allowed inside a national park.

Tricks to Remember

Use short stories. Link "Tehri" with "Bhagirathi" and think of "Tehri-Tallest". Connect "Hirakud" with Odisha and "long" to recall the longest earthen dam. Remember "Wular" as the biggest freshwater lake of the Valley (Kashmir), "Chilika" as the biggest lagoon in the East, and "Sambhar" as the big salt lake in the West. For waterfalls, first learn the Karnataka falls (Kunchikal, Jog and Shivanasamudra), then the Kerala and Goa falls, and then the falls of Meghalaya. For parks, make one line for every animal: rhino with Kaziranga, lion with Gir, tiger with Corbett and Ranthambore, hangul with Dachigam and sangai with Keibul Lamjao.

Quick Revision

• Tehri (Bhagirathi) is the tallest dam, Hirakud (Mahanadi) is the longest earthen dam.
• Wular is the largest freshwater lake, Chilika the largest lagoon, Sambhar the largest saltwater lake.
• Kunchikal is the highest waterfall; Jog is on the Sharavathi; Chitrakote is on the Indravati.
• Jim Corbett is the first national park; Hemis is the largest; Gir has Asiatic lions.

Tables are the best way to revise this topic, so read them again and again, and check one new state-wise list every day.

Related Notes to Read Next

Continue your preparation with these related notes from the same subject:

• First in India and the World Notes for Competitive Exams
• Important Articles of the Indian Constitution
• Famous Personalities and Their Titles
• All General Awareness notes

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Which is the highest dam in India?

The Tehri Dam on the Bhagirathi river in Uttarakhand is the highest dam in India at about 260.5 metres.

Which is the longest dam in India?

The Hirakud Dam on the Mahanadi river in Odisha is the longest earthen dam in India.

On which river is the Bhakra Nangal Dam built?

The Bhakra Nangal Dam is built on the Sutlej river in Himachal Pradesh, and its reservoir is called Gobind Sagar.

Which is the largest freshwater lake in India?

The Wular Lake in Jammu and Kashmir is the largest freshwater lake in India.

Which is the largest brackish water lagoon in India?

Chilika Lake in Odisha is the largest brackish water lagoon in India and is also a Ramsar site.

Which is the largest inland saltwater lake in India?

The Sambhar Lake in Rajasthan is the largest inland saltwater lake in India.

How was Lonar Lake formed?

Lonar Lake in Maharashtra is a crater lake formed by a meteor impact.

Which is the highest waterfall in India?

Kunchikal Falls on the Varahi river in Karnataka is generally considered the highest waterfall in India at about 455 metres.

Which waterfall is called the Niagara of India?

Chitrakote Falls on the Indravati river in Chhattisgarh is called the Niagara of India.

Which is the first national park of India?

Jim Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand, established in 1936, is the first national park of India.

Which national park is famous for the one-horned rhinoceros?

Kaziranga National Park in Assam is famous for the one-horned rhinoceros and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Where is the only floating national park in the world?

The Keibul Lamjao National Park on Loktak Lake in Manipur is the only floating national park in the world.