Tehri Dam

One of the most prominent tourist places in Kanatal, Tehri Dam, at an astonishing height of 260 meters, is the tallest dam in India and among the tallest in the world. The destination is flocked by travelers and adventure junkies all-year-round who engage in sports like paragliding, jet skiing, and the tourist-favorite banana boat ride, among others. It is also flanked by globetrotters who enjoy a unique stay offered by houseboats and floating huts built on the adjacent Tehri Lake.Apart from being just a pretty spot, Tehri Dam also harnesses more than 1,000 MW of hydroelectricity supplied to the city, thereby serving a good purpose. 

Location: New Tehri, Uttarakhand 249001
One of the most prominent tourist places in Kanatal, Tehri Dam, at an astonishing height of 260 meters, is the tallest dam in India and among the tallest in the world.

The destination is flocked by travelers and adventure junkies all-year-round who engage in sports like paragliding, jet skiing, and the tourist-favorite banana boat ride, among others. It is also flanked by globetrotters who enjoy a unique stay offered by houseboats and floating huts built on the adjacent Tehri Lake.

Apart from being just a pretty spot, Tehri Dam also harnesses more than 1,000 MW of hydroelectricity supplied to the city, thereby serving a good purpose.

Location: New Tehri, Uttarakhand 249001

Tehri Dam in New Tehri
The remarkable Tehri Dam, or Tehri Dam Reservoir, is the tallest dam in India and also one of the tallest in the world. The Tehri Dam is a multi-purpose rock and 260.5-meter (855-foot) earth-fill embankment dam built on the Bhagirathi River near Tehri Garhwal in Uttarakhand.  The Tehri Dam is a vital dam for THDC India Ltd. The Tehri Hydroelectric Complex Phase 1 was completed in 2006. It withholds a reservoir for irrigation and municipal water supply and generates 1,000 megawatts, or about 1,300,000 hp, of electricity, along with an additional 1,000 MW of pumped storage hydroelectricity.

The length of the Tehri Dam is about 575 meters (1,886 feet), the crest width is 20 meters (66 feet), and the base width is 1,128 meters (3,701 feet). The dam creates a reservoir of 4.0 cubic kilometers, or about 3,200,000 acre feet, with a surface area of 52 square kilometers. Pratapnagar village is the nearest settlement to this dam.

History of Tehri Dam
The plan to contract Tehri Dam was laid out in 1961, and construction began in 1978, but was postponed due to financial and social constraints. The construction of Tehri Dam was opposed by prominent environmental activists as it was considered to have a negative impact on the environment and the fragile ecosystem of the Himalayas. With the financial and technical help of the USSR and after overcoming several political and ecological hurdles, the dam was finally completed in 2006.

Why visit Tehri Dam?
Being one of the tallest dams in the world, tourists and visitors flocked to New Tehri to witness the feat of engineering that is Tehri Dam. The Bhagirathi River was rerouted to fill in the dam reservoir that became the emerald-green Tehri Lake. Nestled amidst the verdant hills, Tehri Lake is an ideal weekend getaway destination from Delhi-NCR for tourists to enjoy with family and friends in the lap of nature and enjoy boating in the lake.

In order to encourage adventure tourism in Uttarakhand, the government has planned to bring adrenaline-rushing water sports along with aerial sports and other activities to Tehri Lake and turn it into an adventure sport hub. Houseboats and floating huts have also been introduced at Tehri Lake for accommodation purposes.

Adventure Sports at Tehri Dam
Paragliding involves a pilot steering a foot-launched fixed-wing aircraft, which is made up of nylon cloth. The pilot is harnessed to the aerodynamically-shaped parachutes, which glide and soar in the sky at the will of the pilot. The bird-like feeling is something one will always remember and cherish.

Jet skiing is one of the water sports that is being offered to tourists and visitors at Tehri Dam. Thrill seekers can speed through the waters of Tehri Lake at high speed with a jet ski. No wonder jet skiing is one of the most adventurous water sports at Tehri Lake.

The banana boat ride (also known as the hotdog ride) is another highlight of Tehri Lake. The yellow-colored inflatable boats, which are dragged across the water in a zigzag fashion by a speeding motorboat, The best part is that the participants sitting atop the inflatable boat are made to go overboard and into the waters of Tehri Lake.