STEM Marvels: Dams

byAmrita Ganeriwalla

Dams are structures that are built across rivers. They are multipurpose as they can be used for storing water, generating hydropower, recreational boating and fishing and controlling flooding. India has 5,202 dams. Of these, Tehri Dam is the highest, Hirakud Dam is the longest and Kallanai Dam is the oldest—it was completed between 100 BC and 100 AD. In India, the Ganga River has the highest number of dams built on it—approximately 1,000 dams.

Dams were first built in Mesopotamia on the rivers Tigris and Euphrates. The first dam known to humans is the Jawa Dam, in present-day Jordan. It was built in 4 BC and its primary function was to provide farmers with a stable source of water for irrigation. In the olden days, dams were built using n