Dlife at 01:27, 31 January 2026

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{{Short description|River in Jharkhand and West Bengal, India}}
{{Infobox river
| image = Damodar River 1.jpg
| image_alt = Damodar River in the lower reaches of the [[Chota Nagpur Plateau; Amulya Pratap Singh]] in dry season
| image_caption = Damodar River in the lower reaches of the [[Chota Nagpur Plateau]] in dry season
| subdivision_type1= Country
| subdivision_name1= India
| subdivision_type2= Location
| subdivision_name2= [[Jharkhand]], [[West Bengal]]
| length = {{convert|592|km|abbr=on}}
| mouth_location = [[Hooghly River]], [[Howrah district]], [[West Bengal]]
| discharge1_avg = {{convert|296|m3/s|abbr=on}}<ref>{{citation| title = Damodar Basin Station: Rhondia| publisher = UNH/GRDC| url = http://www.compositerunoff.sr.unh.edu/html/Polygons/P2854050.html}}</ref>
| source1_location = [[Chulhapani]], [[Latehar district]], [[Chota Nagpur Plateau]], [[Jharkhand]]
| tributaries_left = [[Barakar River|Barakar]], [[Konar River|Konar]], [[Jamunia River|Jamunia]], [[Nunia River|Nunia]]
| tributaries_right= [[Sali River (West Bengal)]]
| map = Damodar Map.jpg
| map_alt = Damodar Map
| map_caption = Damodar Map
}}
'''Damodar River''' (Pron: /ˈdʌmoˌdaː/) is a river flowing across the [[India]]n [[States and territories of India|states]] of [[Jharkhand]] and [[West Bengal]]. The valley is rich in [[Natural resources of India|mineral resources]] and is known for large-scale [[Mining in India|mining]] and [[Economy of India|industrial]] activity. It was also known as the '''Sorrow of Bengal'''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://qna.rediff.com/questions-and-answers/river-damodar-is-called-sorrow-of-bengal-because-i/22849400/answers/22849402 |title=River Damodar is called Sorrow of Bengal because it (A) Causes maximum soil erosion (B) Gets flooded often causing havoc (C) Forms number of dangerous waterfalls (D) is not a perennial river - Rediff Questions & Answers |access-date=2013-10-22 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20131022133126/http://qna.rediff.com/questions-and-answers/river-damodar-is-called-sorrow-of-bengal-because-i/22849400/answers/22849402 |archive-date=2013-10-22 }}</ref> because of the [[Floods in India|ravaging floods]] it caused in the plains of West Bengal. The construction of several [[List of dams and reservoirs in India|dams]] on the Damodar and its [[Tributary|tributaries]] has helped control some of the flooding.

==Etymology==
Damodar means "rope around the belly", derived from [[Sanskrit]] दाम (dama) "rope" and उदर (udara) "belly". Damodar is also another name given to the [[Hindu deities|Hindu god]] [[Krishna]]<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Ghosh |first1=Pika |title=Tales, Tanks, and Temples: The Creation of a Sacred Center in Seventeenth-Century Bengal |journal=Asian Folklore Studies |date=2002 |volume=61 |issue=2 |pages=193–222 |doi=10.2307/1178971 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/1178971 |issn=0385-2342|url-access=subscription }}</ref> because his foster-mother, [[Yashoda]], had tied him to a large urn.<ref name = "chattopadhyay">Chattopadhyay, Akkori, ''Bardhaman Jelar Itihas O Lok Sanskriti'' (History and Folk lore of Bardhaman District.), {{in lang|bn}}, Vol I, pp. 21- 26, Radical Impression. {{ISBN|81-85459-36-3}}</ref>

== Course ==
The Damodar is a rain-fed river. It originates in Khamarpat Hill on Chotanagpur Plateau in Jharkhand.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sen Singh |first=Dhruv |title=The Indian rivers : scientific and socio-economic aspects |date= |publisher=Springer Hydrogeology |others= |year=2018 |location=Singapore |pages=259}}</ref> It travels {{Convert|368|miles|km|abbr=on}} before joining the [[Hooghly River]] in [[Howrah district|Howrah]], in [[West Bengal]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Damodar River {{!}} river, India {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Damodar-River |access-date=2023-03-03 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref>

==Tributaries==
Damodar River has a number of tributaries and subtributaries, such as [[Barakar River|Barakar]], [[Konar River|Konar]], [[Bokaro River|Bokaro]], Haharo, [[Jamunia River|Jamunia]], Ghari, Guaia, Khadia and Bhera.<ref name = "chattopadhyay"/><ref name = sabharwal>Sabharwal, L.R., I.F.S., Conservator of Forests, Bihar, Notes as part of Appendix IV to ''Report of the Damodar Flood Enquiry Committee'', 1943, republished in ''Rivers of Bengal'', a compilation, Vol III, 2002, p. 236, West Bengal District Gazetteers, Government of West Bengal</ref> The Damodar and the Barakar trifurcate the Chota Nagpur plateau. The rivers pass through hilly areas with great force, sweeping away whatever lies in their path. Two bridges on the [[Grand Trunk Road]] near Barhi in Hazaribagh district were torn down by the Barakar: the great stone bridge in 1913 and the subsequent iron bridge in 1946.<ref>[[John Wardle Houlton|Sir John Houlton]], ''Bihar the Heart of India'', 1949, p. 117, Orient Longmans Ltd.</ref>

==River of Sorrows==
The Chota Nagpur Plateau receives an average annual rainfall of around {{convert|1400|mm|in|abbr=on}}, almost all of it in the monsoon months between June and August.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://envfor.nic.in/divisions/cltech/Damodar/1.1.htm |title=Damodar Valley |access-date=2008-05-25 |work=About the Region – Damodar Basin |publisher=Ministry of Environments and Forests |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927182506/http://envfor.nic.in/divisions/cltech/Damodar/1.1.htm |archive-date=2007-09-27 }}</ref> The huge volume of water that flows down the Damodar and its tributaries during the monsoons used to be a fury in the upper reaches of the valley. In the lower valley it used to overflow its banks and flood large areas.

Damodar River was earlier known as the "River of Sorrows"<ref>Bose, Dr. N.K., ''The Problems of Damodar'', Appendix IV to ''Report of the Damodar Flood Enquiry Committee'', 1943, republished in ''Rivers of Bengal'', a compilation, Vol III, 2002, p. 204</ref> as it used to flood many areas of [[Bardhaman]], [[Hooghly District|Hooghly]], [[Howrah]] and [[Medinipur district|Medinipur]] districts.

The floods were virtually an annual ritual. In some years the damage was probably more. Many of the great floods of the Damodar are recorded in history — 1770, 1855, 1866, 1873–74, 1875–76, 1884–85, 1891–92, 1897, 1900, 1907, 1913, 1927, 1930, 1935 and 1943. In four of these floods (1770, 1855, 1913 and 1943) most of Bardhaman town was flooded.

In 1789 an agreement was signed between [[Bardhaman Raj#Kirtichand Rai|Maharaja Kirti Chand]] of [[Bardhaman Raj|Burdwan]] and the [[East India Company]] wherein the Maharaja was asked to pay an additional amount of {{INRconvert|193.721|k|to=USD GBP|year=1789}} for the construction and maintenance of embankment to prevent floods. However, these ran into dispute and in 1866 and 1873, ''The Bengal Embankment Act'' was passed, transferring the powers to build and maintain embankment to the government.

[[File:Damodar River.jpg|thumb|260px|right|Krishak Setu over the Damodar River, near Bardhaman]]
[[File:Damodar dhanbad-bokaro.jpg|thumb|260px|right|Damodar River between Dhanbad and Bokaro]]

So great was the devastation every year that the floods passed into folklore, as the following [[Bhadu (festival)|Bhadu]] song testifies:

::''We have sown the crops in Asar''
::''We will bring Bhadu in Bhadra.''
::''Floods have swollen the Damodar''
::''The sailing boats cannot sail.''
::''O Damodar! We fall at your feet''
::''Reduce the floods a little.''
::''Bhadu will come a year later''
::''Let the boats sail on your surface.''
[[File:Damodar River in its upper reaches.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The Damodar in its upper reaches]]

==Damodar Valley==
The Damodar Valley is spread across [[Hazaribagh District|Hazaribagh]], [[Ramgarh District|Ramgarh]], [[Latehar District|latehar]], [[Dhanbad District|Dhanbad]], [[Bokaro District|Bokaro]] and [[Chatra District|Chatra]], Ranchi districts in [[Jharkhand]] and [[Bardhaman District|Bardhaman]] and [[Hooghly District|Hooghly]] districts in [[West Bengal]] and partially covers [[Palamu District|Palamu]], [[Ranchi District|Ranchi]], [[Lohardaga District|Lohardaga]] and [[Dumka District|Dumka]] districts in Jharkhand and [[Howrah District|Howrah]], [[Bankura District|Bankura]] and [[Purulia District|Purulia]] districts in West Bengal with a command area of {{convert|24235|km2|mi2}}.

The Damodar valley is rich in coal. It is considered as the prime centre of coking coal in the country. Massive deposits are found in the central basin spreading over {{convert|2883|km2|mi2}}. The important coalfields in the basin are [[Jharia]], [[Raniganj Coalfield|Raniganj]], [[West Bokaro Coalfield|West Bokaro]], [[East Bokaro Coalfield|East Bokaro]], [[Ramgarh Coalfield|Ramgarh]], [[South Karanpura Coalfield|South Karanpura]] and [[North Karanpura Coalfield|North Karanpura]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://envfor.nic.in/divisions/cltech/Damodar/2.4.htm |title=Mineral Resources and Coal Mining |access-date=2010-05-03 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110815182912/http://envfor.nic.in/divisions/cltech/Damodar/2.4.htm |archive-date=2011-08-15 }}</ref>

The Damodar Valley is one of the most industrialised parts of India. Three integrated steel plants ([[Bokaro Steel Plant|Bokaro]], [[IISCO Steel Plant|Burnpur]] and [[Durgapur Steel Plant|Durgapur]]) of [[Steel Authority of India Limited]] (SAIL) and other factories are in the valley.

===Damodar Valley Corporation (D.V.C.)===
{{Main|Damodar Valley Corporation}}

Several [[dam]]s have been constructed in the valley, for the generation of [[hydroelectric]] power. The valley is called “the [[Ruhr]] of India”. [[Damodar Valley Corporation]], popularly known as DVC, came into being on July 7, 1948, by an Act of the [[Constituent Assembly of India]] (Act No. XIV of 1948) as the first multipurpose river valley project of independent India.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dvcindia.org/dvcact.htm |title=Damodar Valley Corporation |access-date=2008-05-25 |work=Infrastructure – DVC Act |publisher=Damodar Valley Corporation |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080526104828/http://www.dvcindia.org/dvcact.htm |archive-date=2008-05-26 }}</ref> It is modeled on the [[Tennessee Valley Authority]] of the United States.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dvcindia.org/dvcformation.htm |title=Damodar Valley Corporation |access-date=2008-05-25 |work=Infrastructure – Formation |publisher=Damodar Valley Corporation |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080526104841/http://www.dvcindia.org/dvcformation.htm |archive-date=2008-05-26 }}</ref>
[[File:Rundiha weir.jpg|thumb|[[Randiha]][[weir]] on lower Damodar]]
The initial focus of the DVC were flood control, irrigation, generation, transmission and distribution of electricity, eco-conservation and afforestation, as well as job creation for the socio-economic well-being of the people residing in and around areas affected by DVC projects. However, over the past few decades, power generation has gained priority. Other objectives of the DVC remain part of its primary responsibility. The dams in the valley have a capacity to moderate peak floods of {{convert|250000|to|650000|ft3/s|m3/s|order=flip}}. DVC has created irrigation potential of {{convert|3640|km2|mi2}}.
[[File:Damodar River Beach Burdwan.jpg|alt=Damodar River Beach At Sadarghat Burdwan|thumb|300px|left|Damodar River Beach Burdwan]]
The first dam was built across the [[Barakar River]], a tributary of the Damodar river at [[Tilaiya]] in 1953. The second one was built across the [[Konar River]], another tributary of the Damodar river at [[Konar Dam|Konar]] in 1955. Two dams across the rivers Barakar and Damodar were built at [[Maithon]] in 1957 and [[Panchet]] in 1958. Both the dams are some {{convert|8|km|mi|0}} upstream of the confluence point of the rivers. These four major dams are controlled by DVC. [[Durgapur Barrage]] was constructed downstream of the four dams in 1955, across the Damodar river at Durgapur, with head regulators for canals on either side for feeding an extensive system of canals and distributaries.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dvcindia.org/activitiesgeneration.htm |title=Damodar Valley Corporation |access-date=2008-05-25 |work=Generation – Overview |publisher=Damodar Valley Corporation |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080517111812/http://www.dvcindia.org/activitiesgeneration.htm |archive-date=2008-05-17 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dvcindia.org/activitiesdamsbarrages.htm |title=Damodar Valley Corporation |access-date=2008-05-25 |work=Generation – Overview – Dams and Barrages |publisher=Damodar Valley Corporation |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080515015807/http://www.dvcindia.org/activitiesdamsbarrages.htm |archive-date=2008-05-15 }}</ref> In 1978, the government of Bihar (that was before the formation of the state of Jharkhand) constructed the [[Tenughat Dam]] across the Damodar river outside the control of DVC.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.apfm.info/pdf/case_studies/cs_india.pdf | title = The Associated Programme On Flood Management | access-date = 2008-05-25| work = Case Study -- India: Flood Management – Damodar River Basin | publisher = World Meteorological Organization}}</ref> It proposes constructing a dam across the Barakar river at Belpahari in Jharkhand state.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hinduonnet.com/businessline/2001/03/10/stories/1410566k.htm |title=DVC plans to double capacity |access-date=2008-05-25 |last=Dutta |first=Indrani |publisher=The Hindu Business Line 10 March 2001 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080323021013/http://www.hinduonnet.com/businessline/2001/03/10/stories/1410566k.htm |archive-date=2008-03-23 }}</ref>

{{clear}}

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

{{Commons category}}

{{Damodar Valley}}
{{Hydrography of Jharkhand}}
{{Rivers in and around Bengal}}
{{Authority control}}

{{Coord|22|17|N|88|05|E|display=title|region:IN_type:river_source:GNS-enwiki}}

[[Category:Rivers of Jharkhand]]
[[Category:Rivers of West Bengal]]

Damodar River - Revision history

Dlife at 01:27, 31 January 2026