About this stamp
Bhakra Dam 1963-88
Introduction:
- Quote by Jawaharlal Nehru: “These days the biggest temple and mosque and gurudwara is the place for the good of mankind. Which place can be greater than this, this Bhakra-Nangal, where thousands and lakhs of men have worked, have shed their blood and sweat and laid down their lives as well?”
- Significance: Nehru considered Bhakra Dam a symbol of a nation’s will to march forward with strength, determination, and courage.
History and Construction:
- Initial Idea: The idea to build a dam across the River Sutlej was first mooted in 1908.
- Post-Independence Construction: Work began in 1948 after India’s independence.
- Challenges: The construction faced tremendous challenges due to treacherous terrain and lack of infrastructure. Despite this, all challenges were overcome.
Dedication and Impact:
- Inauguration: The dam was dedicated to the nation by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru on October 22, 1963.
- Irrigation and Power: The dam tapped waters that were going to waste, irrigating 26.3 lakh hectares of parched fields, improving irrigation in another 8.9 lakh hectares, and providing power to agriculture, industry, and homes in 13,000 villages and 128 towns.
- Economic Benefits: The Bhakra-Nangal Project has yielded directly over one hundred times its cost during the last 25 years of its operation.
Technical Details:
- Structure: Bhakra is the second highest straight gravity concrete dam in the world.
- Height: 225.55 meters
- Length: 518.16 meters
- Width at Top: 9.14 meters
- Internal Network: About eight kilometers of galleries inside for instrument panels, pipelines, and monitoring offices.
- Reservoir: The reservoir, named Gobind Sagar after Guru Gobind Singh, covers 168.35 square kilometers with a gross storage capacity of 9621 million cubic meters (7.80 million acre feet).
- Power Plants: On its banks are two power plants with an installed capacity of 1200 MW.
- Bhakra Beas Management Board: The Board manages Bhakra along with Ganguwal, Kotla, Pong, and Dahar power plants, with a total installed generation capacity of 2704 MW.
Legacy and Commemoration:
- Inter-State Cooperation: Bhakra is a splendid example of inter-State cooperation in river water management.
- Nehru’s Vision: Nehru cherished Bhakra, considering it closest to his heart.
- Silver Jubilee and Centenary Celebrations: The Jawaharlal Nehru Centenary Celebrations coincided with the Silver Jubilee of Bhakra Dam’s dedication to the nation.
- Special Postage Stamp: The Department of Posts issued a special postage stamp on October 22, 1988, to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of Bhakra Dam’s dedication.
Text Courtesy:
Bhakra Beas Management Board.
