Comprehensive Review of the Tehri Dam: Current Status and Developments

Rasmiranjan Samal

Abstract

The Tehri Dam project in India's Chandpur Formation, located in the Himalayan region, has raised concerns about seismic risks due to the presence of main central thrust and main boundary thrust lines. A comprehensive seismic risk analysis was conducted during the design phase of the Tehri Project at the University of Roorkee and the Hydro Project Institute in Moscow. The rock-fill dam is equipped with an underground powerhouse with four Francis turbines, three transformers, and a computerized control system. The power generated by the dam is transported to the national grid system via 765 kV transmission lines and two inspection galleries. Despite a significant increase in project expenditure from Rs 1.98 billion in 1976 to Rs 80 billion, the initial phase of the Tehri Dam project stands as a remarkable feat of engineering in contemporary India. A landslip hazard zonation (LHZ) map was created to delineate the spatial distribution of slope stability levels within the region affected by the development of a significant reservoir. The study aimed to assess the physicochemical and microbiological characteristics of water in the Tehri Dam reservoir in India's Garhwal Himalaya region.