Rihand Dam, Concrete gravity dam in Sonbhadra District, India
Rihand Dam is a concrete gravity dam on the Rihand River in Sonbhadra District, Uttar Pradesh. The structure extends 934 meters in length and reaches 91 meters in height, forming India's largest artificial lake.
Construction was completed in 1962 and required the relocation of roughly 100,000 residents from the river valleys that would be flooded. The project aimed to secure power and irrigation for several states, shaping the economic development of the region.
The reservoir carries the name Govind Ballabh Pant Sagar, honoring an early Indian freedom fighter and politician. Fishermen from surrounding villages regularly use the water for their livelihood, while fields across the region benefit from the irrigation systems.
The National Thermal Power Corporation operates the facility, which generates hydroelectric power and supplies water to three states. Visitors can reach the dam crest and viewpoints along the shore, though some areas may have restricted access.
The structure ranks as India's second-largest dam by reservoir volume, holding roughly 10.6 billion cubic meters of water. The lake also supplies downstream power stations that together form one of the country's largest energy complexes.
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