Prelims: Geography (Projects in News), Pancheshwar Multipurpose Project, Mahakali Treaty, Mahakali River
Mains: General Studies-I Distribution of Key Natural Resources across the world (including South Asia and the Indian sub-continent); factors responsible for the location of primary, secondary, and tertiary sector industries in various parts of the world (including India).
Why in the News ?
Despite the recent agreement between India and Nepal, discussions over the Pancheshwar Multipurpose Project (PMP) are still deadlocked.
Source: TH
Pancheshwar Multipurpose Project
- Background– In February 1996, India and Nepal entered into the Mahakali Treaty. The focal point of this treaty is the implementation of the Pancheshwar Multipurpose Project.
- About– It is a bi-national hydropower project between India and Nepal, planned for development along the Mahakali River, which forms the border between the two countries.
- Aim– Its main goals are to produce energy and improve irrigation in both countries.
- Features:
- It includes building a 315-meter tall dam across the Mahakali River, called Sharda in India.
- The project aims to generate about 6,480 MW of energy, divided equally between both sides.
- It will also provide water for irrigating 130,000 hectares of land in Nepal and 240,000 hectares in Indian territory.
- Concern– Environmentalists have raised concerns about its potential impact on regional ecology and local communities.
Mahakali Treaty
- It is an agreement between the Governments of India and Nepal regarding the integrated development of the Mahakali River.
- The treaty recognizes the Mahakali River as a boundary river between the two countries.
- Signed: The treaty was signed in 1996.
Mahakali river (Sharda River)
- Origin– The Sharda River, also called Kali River and Mahakali River, originates from Kalapani in the Himalayas, situated in the Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand.
- Flow- The river flows along Nepal’s western border with India and joins the Ghaghara (Karnali/Manchu) River, which is a tributary of the Ganga.
- Tributaries:
- Left- Chameliya, Ramgun in Nepal
- Right- Kuthi, Dhauli, Gori, Sarju, Ladhiya rivers in Uttarakhand (India)
UPSC CSE EXAMS Corner
Prelims: PYQ/FAQ
Q. Consider the following pairs:
Reservoirs States
1. Ghataprabha Telangana
2. Ghandhi Sagar Madhya Pradesh
3. Indira Sagar Andhra Pradesh
4. Maithon Chhattisgarh
How many pairs given above ate not correctly matched?
A) Only one pair
B) Only two pair
C) Only three pair
D) All four pair
Ans: c. Only three pair
Explaination:
- Pair 1 is incorrectly matched. The Ghataprabha Reservoir is located in the Belgavi district of the state of Karnataka. The reservoir has storage of about 659 million cubic meters, providing irrigation to a total extent of 1,396,000 hectares of land. The Ghataprabha River is a major tributary of the River Krishna.
- Pair 2 is correctly matched. The Gandhi Sagar Dam is one of the four major dams built on India’s Chambal River and is located in the Mandsaur & Neemuch district of Madhya Pradesh. It is a masonry gravity dam.
- Pair 3 is incorrectly matched. The Indira Sagar Dam on Narmada river is a multipurpose project, located at Narmada Nagar, Punasa in the Khandwa district of Madhya Pradesh.
- Indirasagar Polavaram, an interstate project on river Godavari has been conceived as a part of recommendations of Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal (GWDT). The project implements Godavari-Krishna link under Interlinking of rivers project. Indira Sagar (Polavaram) project is located on river Godavari near Ramayyapet village of Polavaram Mandal of West Godavari district in Andhra Pradesh.
- Pair 4 is incorrectly matched. Maithon, dam is located on the banks of river Barakar. The Maithon Dam is located about 48 kms from the Coal City of Dhanbad, Jharkhand. The dam with an underground power station is one of its kinds in the whole of South East Asia. The lake on which it is built is spread over 65 square kilometers. This was developed by the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC Ltd) .
