The Maithon Dam is located at Maithon, 48 km from Dhanbad, in the state of Jharkhand India. It is 15,712 ft (4,789 m) long and 165 ft (50 m) high.[1]
This dam was specially designed for flood control and generates 60,000 kW of electric power. There is an underground power station, the first of its kind in the whole of South East Asia. The dam is constructed on the Barakar River. The lake is spread over 65 square kilometres (25 sq mi).[1]The chief ministers of Bihar and West Bengal, Dr. Srikrishna Sinha and Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy, persuaded central government about the benefits of this mega project. DVC is the first-ever multipurpose river valley project of independent India which came into being on July 7, 1948 by an act of Constituent Assembly (Act no. XIV of 1948). The Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) has its command area of approx 24,235 km2 spreading across the Damodar basin. The upper valley consists of two entire districts (Dhanbad and Bokaro) and eight districts partly in the state of Jharkhand. The lower valley on the other hand consists of five districts partly (Burdwan, Hooghly, Bankura, Howrah and Purulia) in the state of West Bengal.
DVC was set up with the intent of promoting and operating the schemes which may cause social and economic uplift in the valley region.[citation needed]Prospects and opportunities
Proficient management of water resources through dams, canals and barage, DVC facilitated irrigation as well as industrial and domestic water supply which at large benefited the region as a whole. DVC has been generating, transmitting & distributing electrical energy since 1953 and has succeeded not only in meeting the expectation of consumers but has also elevated its height in its performance. The full form of DVC is Damodar valley corporation and since it uses its main source of water from the Damodar dam it is named so.
Recently it has collaborated with TATA Power and a thermal power project has been started, named Maithon Power Limited (MPL). Earlier DVC had installed few Gas Turbines for generation of electricity, a unique technology in the entire region introduced for the very first time in Maithon. They are no more functional now.
DVC has provided employment to thousands of families and is continuing to do so. It also provides facility for engineering and management graduates to undergo training in their respective fields.
