Bhakra Dam, Gravity dam in Bilaspur, India
Bhakra Dam is a concrete gravity dam on the Sutlej River at Bhakra village in Bilaspur district, Himachal Pradesh, 226 m high, 518.25 m long and 9.1 m wide at the road crest. Its two powerhouses, one on each side of the river, hold five generators each, and the dam creates the Gobind Sagar reservoir.
Construction began in 1948 after Indian independence as part of national development plans. Prime Minister Nehru poured the first concrete into the riverbed in November 1955, and the project was completed in the following years.
Visitors often come to view the engineering structure and take photographs of the reservoir spreading between the mountains. Locals speak about the agricultural transformation enabled by the water flowing from this installation.
The dam lies in hilly terrain and can be reached by roads from Chandigarh or Shimla that pass through smaller towns. Visitors should allow enough time for the journey, as the roads can be winding.
The Gobind Sagar reservoir behind the structure supports several native fish species and is used commercially for fishing. Fishermen from surrounding villages regularly work on the lake, which covers a large area.
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