LouieWebb342 at 14:21, 22 March 2026

2026-03-22T14:21:27Z

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{{Short description|Multipurpose river valley project in India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2023}}
{{Sources needed|date=June 2025}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Damodar Valley Corporation
| logo = Damodar Valley Corporation Logo.svg
| logo_size = 180px
| type = [[Statutory body]]<ref>{{cite web | url=https://powermin.gov.in/en/statutory-bodies | title=Statutory Bodies | Government of India | Ministry of Power }}</ref>
| key_people = S. Suresh Kumar, [[Indian Administrative Service|IAS]] {{small|([[Chairman]])}}
| industry = [[energy industry|Energy]]
| products = Electricity
| services = [[Electricity generation]] and [[Electric power transmission|Transmission]], [[electricity distribution|distribution]], [[energy production|production]], [[Soil conservation]] Flood Moderation
| revenue = {{increase}}{{INRConvert|25320|c}} (2024-2025)<ref>{{cite web | last= | first=| title=DVC reaches significant milestones in FY 2024-25 | website=PSU Watch | date=2 April 2025 | url=https://psuwatch.com/newsupdates/dvc-reaches-significant-milestones-in-fy-2024-25 | access-date=6 June 2025|quote=The financial performance of DVC remained robust, with revenue collections amounting to Rs. 25,320 crore in FY 2024-25 and an annual collection efficiency of 109 percent.}}</ref>
| profit = {{increase}} {{INRConvert|704|c}} (2023)<ref name="DVC">{{cite web|url=https://www.dvc.gov.in/storage/app/press_release/1709874751080324.pdf|title=DVC}}</ref>
| assets = {{increase}} {{INRConvert|48977 |c}} (2023)<ref name="DVC" />
| equity = {{increase}} {{INRConvert|12812|c}} (2023)<ref name="DVC" />
| num_employees = 5243 (2024)
| parent = [[Ministry of Power (India)|Ministry of Power]], [[Government of India]]
| homepage = {{URL|https://www.dvc.gov.in/|dvc.gov.in}}
| foundation = {{start date and age|df=yes|1948|07|07}}
| location = [[Kolkata]], [[West Bengal]], [[India]]
}}

'''Damodar Valley Corporation''' ('''DVC''') is a [[statutory corporation]] which operates in the [[Damodar River]] area of [[West Bengal]] and [[Jharkhand]] states of [[India]] to handle the Damodar Valley Project, the first multipurpose river valley project of independent India.<ref>{{cite book | last1=Chand | first1=Mahesh | last2=Puri | first2=V. K. | title=Regional Planning in India | publisher=Allied Publishers | date=23 May 1983 | isbn=978-81-7023-058-8 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6-sPBAAAQBAJ | access-date=6 June 2025|page=417|quote=..Damodar Valley project was the first attempt at multi-purpose planning of a river basin.(..) The Damodar river is 541 km (about 336 miles) long and flows through Bihar and West Bengal, across the coal and steel belt of India. The river is also known as Deonadi in its initial reaches.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | last1=Jain | first1=Sharad K. | last2=Agarwal | first2=Pushpendra K. | last3=Singh | first3=Vijay P. | title=Hydrology and Water Resources of India | publisher=[[Springer Science & Business Media]] | date=16 May 2007 | isbn=978-1-4020-5180-7 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZKs1gBhJSWIC |archive-url=https://archive.org/details/hydrologywaterre0000jain|archive-date=20 August 2020|access-date=6 June 2025|page=361|quote=Damodar basin lies in the states of Jharkhand and West Bengal.}}</ref> [[Astrophysicist]] [[Meghnad Saha]] played a pioneering role in conceptualizing and advocating for the Damodar Valley Project.<ref>{{cite book | last=Naik | first=Pramod V. | title=Meghnad Saha: His Life in Science and Politics | publisher=[[Springer Science+Business Media|Springer]] | date=14 September 2017 | isbn=978-3-319-62102-9 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-9o1DwAAQBAJ | access-date=6 June 2025|page=128|quote=Saha's writing in the daily press was one of the major reasons which compelled the Bengal Government to appoint the Damodar Flood Enquiry Committee. The Maharajadhiraj of Burdwan was chairman, N. K. Bose secretary and Saha one of the members.(...) Saha demonstrated that the river system could be handled for multipurpose scheme, like Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), USA, using the Tennessee River system. But the war halted further work. During 1943-1944 Saha published a number of articles and editorials, to create public opinion and to shape government policy.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | last=Anderson | first=Robert S. | title=Nucleus and Nation: Scientists, International Networks, and Power in India |archive-url=https://archive.org/details/nucleusnationsci0000ande|archive-date=16 March 2022|publisher=University of Chicago Press | date=15 May 2010 | isbn=978-0-226-01977-2 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3BcKqXOeSbAC | access-date=6 June 2025|pages=231–233|quote=Saha had... presented a scheme for flood control to the Damodar Flood Enquiry Committee during 1943–44. Saha then became a member of that committee, founded after serious floods in 1943, which inspired the study by the US Army Corps of Engineers that led to the Damodar scheme.(..) Saha published his own scheme in Science and Culture, which involved dams, irrigation canals, and afforestation to check erosion.(..) He [Saha] was essentially the most prominent protagonist for the Damodar project but became the best-known critic of its execution.(..) Saha felt sensitive about the Damodar scheme because it was so personal an idea. He had conceived of the Damodar scheme as bringing power, of both kinds, to Bengal and had loudly advocated it because he believed deeply in the success of the TVA.}}</ref> DVC operates both [[thermal power station]]s and [[hydropower|hydel power]] [[dam|station]]s under the [[ownership]] of [[Ministry of Power (India)|Ministry of Power]], [[Government of India]]. DVC is headquartered in the [[Kolkata]], West Bengal, India.<ref>{{cite web |title=Overview of Damodar Valley Corporation |url=https://www.dvc.gov.in/cms-web/details-pages/13 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250125191811/https://www.dvc.gov.in/cms-web/details-pages/13 |archive-date=25 January 2025 |access-date=7 June 2025 |website=dvc.gov.in}}</ref>

DVC is currently undergoing corporatization and restructuring to explore the possibility of an IPO to raise funds for expansion.<ref>{{Cite web |title=DVC to be corporatised, divided into 3 entities keeping ownership intact |url=https://www.business-standard.com/companies/news/dvc-to-be-corporatised-divided-into-3-entities-keeping-ownership-intact-124071700667_1.html |access-date=2024-11-22}}</ref>

==History==
[[File:Stamp of India - 1955 - Colnect 355039 - 1 - Damodar Valley Dam.jpeg|thumb|1955 postal stamp]]
The valley of the [[Damodar River]] was flood prone and the devastating flood of 1943, lead to the formation of the high-powered "Damodar Flood Enquiry Committee" by the government of Bengal. The committee recommended the formation of a body similar to the [[Tennessee Valley Authority]] of the United States. Subsequently, W.L. Voorduin, a senior engineer of TVA, was appointed to study the problem. He suggested the multi-purpose development of the valley as a whole in 1944. Damodar Valley Corporation was set up in 1948 as "the first multipurpose river valley project of independent India."<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.dvc.gov.in/dvcwebsite_new1/overview/ | title = Overview | publisher = DVC | accessdate = 16 November 2021 | archive-date = 16 November 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211116163430/https://www.dvc.gov.in/dvcwebsite_new1/overview/ | url-status = dead }}</ref>

DVC was formed with the central government and the governments of Bihar (later Jharkhand) and West Bengal participating in it. The main aims of the corporation were flood control, irrigation, generation and transmission of electricity, and year-round navigation. The corporation was also expected to provide indirect support for the over-all development of the region. However, while Voorduin had proposed the construction of eight dams, DVC built only four.<ref name="project">Planning in India by Mahesh Chand, Vinay Kumar Puri, pages 422-423, Allied Publishers Private Ltd. {{ISBN|81-7023-058-6}}</ref>

Mr. Voorduin's "Preliminary Memorandum" suggested a multipurpose development plan designed for achieving flood control, irrigation, power generation and navigation in the Damodar Valley. Four consultants appointed by the Government of India examined it. They also approved the main technical features of Voorduin's scheme and recommended early initiation of construction beginning with Tilaiya to be followed by Maithon. By April 1947, full agreement was practically reached between the three Governments of Central, West Bengal and Bihar on the implementation of the scheme and in March 1948, the Damodar Valley Corporation Act (Act No. XIV of 1948) was passed by the Central Legislature, requiring the three Governments, The Central Government and the State Governments of West Bengal and Bihar to participate jointly for the purpose of building the Damodar Valley Corporation. The Corporation came into existence on 7 July 1948 as the first multipurpose river valley project of independent India.

The first dam was built across the Barakar River at [[Tilaiya]] and inaugurated in 1953. The second dam, [[Konar Dam]], across the [[Konar River]] was inaugurated in 1955. The third dam across the [[Barakar River]] at [[Maithon]] was inaugurated in 1957. The DVC Rest House at [[Maithon]] was renamed '''Mazumder Niwas''' after ICS Sir S.N. Mozumdar(1904-1981) to honor his legacy as the 1st founding Chairman of DVC. [[Durgapur Barrage]] was built in 1955, with a {{convert|136.8|km}} long left bank main canal and an {{convert|88.5|km}} long right bank main canal. The fourth dam across the Damodar at [[Panchet]] was inaugurated in 1959.<ref name="dvc1">{{cite web |url =http://www.dvc.gov.in/activitiesdamsbarrages.htm |title =Damodar Valley Corporation |work =Dams and Barrages |publisher =DVC |access-date = 6 June 2010 |url-status =dead |archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20100429025712/http://www.dvc.gov.in/activitiesdamsbarrages.htm |archive-date =29 April 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Emphasis was laid on keeping the Damodar river and valley clean. |url=https://www.prabhatkhabar.com/state/jharkhand/bokaro/emphasis-given-on-keeping-the-damodar-river-and-ghat-clean |access-date=18 June 2024 |work=Prabhat Khabar}}</ref>

'''Command area:''' 24,235 km2 spread across the Damodar basin.
Jharkhand: 2 districts fully (Dhanbad and Bokaro) and parts of 9 districts (Hazaribagh, Koderma, Chatra, Ramgarh, Palamau, Ranchi, Lohardaga, Giridih, and Dumka)
West Bengal: 6 districts (Purba Bardhhaman, Paschim Bardhhaman, Hooghly, Howrah, Bankura and Purulia)

==DVC plants==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Thermal Plants (coal based)<ref name="dvcPowerPlants">{{cite web |url=http://www.dvc.gov.in/dvcwebsite_new1/generating-units/ |title=Generating Units |access-date=8 July 2016 |work=report |publisher=DVC |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208101108/http://www.dvc.gov.in/dvcwebsite_new1/generating-units/ |archive-date=8 December 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="dvcPowerPlantsOld">{{cite web|url=http://www.dvc.gov.in/powerplants.htm|title=Generating Units|publisher=DVC|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140227195833/http://www.dvc.gov.in/powerplants.htm|archive-date=2014-02-27}}</ref>
|-
! Power Plant Name !! State !! data-sort-type="numeric"|Installed Capacity in MW !! Remarks
|-
| [[Mejia Thermal Power Station]] || [[West Bengal]] || align="right"|4×210 + 2×250 + 2×500 = 2,340 ||
|-
| [[Raghunathpur Thermal Power Station]] || [[West Bengal]] || align="right"|2×600=1,200 || Upcoming 2×660 MW
|-
| [[Durgapur Steel Thermal Power Station]] || [[West Bengal]] || align="right"|2×500=1,000 ||
|-
| [[Durgapur Thermal Power Station]] || [[West Bengal]] || align="right"| 0 || Upcoming 1×800 MW
|-
| [[Koderma Thermal Power Station]] || [[Jharkhand]] || align="right"|2×500=1,000 || Upcoming 2×800 MW
|-
| [[Chandrapura Thermal Power Station]] || [[Jharkhand]] || align="right"|2×250=500 || Upcoming 1×800 MW
|-
| [[Bokaro (Thermal)|Bokaro Thermal Power Station - A]] || [[Jharkhand]] || align="right"|1×500 ||
|-

! colspan=2|Total !! align="right"|6540 !!
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Hydel-Power Plants<ref name="dvcPowerPlants" /><ref name="dvcPowerPlantsOld" />
|-
! Power Plant Name !! State !! data-sort-type="numeric"|Installed Capacity in MW
|-
| [[Panchet Dam]] || [[Jharkhand]] || align="right"|80
|-
| [[Maithon Dam]] || [[Jharkhand]] || align="right"|63.2
|-
| [[Tilaiya Dam]] || [[Jharkhand]] || align="right"|4
|-
| [[Konar Dam]] || [[Jharkhand]] || align="right"|Nil
|-
! colspan=2|Total !! align="right"|147.2
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Joint ventures
|-
! Power Plant Name !! State !! data-sort-type="numeric"|Installed Capacity in MW !! Remarks
|-
| [[Maithon Power Plant|Maithon Power Limited]] || [[Jharkhand]] || align="right"|2×525=1,050 || Owned by Maithon Power Limited a joint venture between DVC and [[Tata Power]]<ref name=":0">{{cite web |last=CHOUBEY |first=PRADUMAN |title=Power puffed by Maithon 1050MW Tata-DVC plant chugs to life |url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1110915/jsp/frontpage/story_14508440.jsp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150601181912/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1110915/jsp/frontpage/story_14508440.jsp |archive-date=1 June 2015 |quote=Maithon Power Ltd, in which the Tatas and DVC hold 74:26 stake, is being touted as the country’s first greenfield power project under public-private partnership.}}</ref>
|-
| [[BPSCL Power Plant]] || [[Jharkhand]] || align="right"|338 || Owned by Bokaro Power Supply Corporation Limited (BPSCL) a joint venture between DVC and Bokaro Steel Limited<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bpscl.in/|title=The Official Website of BPSCL}}</ref>
|-
|}

==Infrastructure==
DVC developed and expanded its infrastructure to six thermal power stations (6750 MW) and three hydro-electric power stations with a capacity of 147.2 MW which contribute to a total installed capacity of 6897.2 MW. Presently DVC has 49 sub-stations and receiving stations more than 8390-circuit km of transmission and distribution lines. DVC has also four dams, a barrage and a network of canals (2494 km) that play an effective role in water management. The construction of check dams, development of forests and farms and upland and wasteland treatment developed by DVC play a vital role in eco-conservation and environmental management.

==Water management==
{{no reference|section|date=June 2025}}
DVC has a network of four dams - [[Tilaiya Dam|Tilaiya]] and [[Maithon Dam|Maithon]] on [[Barakar River]], [[Panchet Dam|Panchet]] on Damodar river and [[Konar Dam|Konar]] on [[Konar River|Konar river]]. Besides, Durgapur barrage and the canal network, handed over to the Government of West Bengal in 1964, remained a part of the total system of water management. DVC dams are capable of moderating floods of 6.51 lac [[cusec]] to 2.5 lac cusecs.

Four multipurpose dams were constructed during the period 1948 to 1959:
* [[Tilaiya Dam]] (1953)
* [[Konar Dam]] (1955)
* [[Maithon Dam]] (1957)
* [[Panchet Dam]] (1959)

Flood reserve capacity of 1,292 mcm has been provided in 4 reservoirs, which can moderate a peak flood of 18,395 cumecs to a safe carrying capacity of 7,076 cumecs. 419 mcm of water is stored in the 4 DVC reservoirs to supply 680 cusecs of water to meet industrial, municipal and domestic requirements in West Bengal & Jharkhand. The [[Durgapur Barrage|Durgapur barrage]] on river Damodar was constructed in 1955 for the supply of irrigation water to the districts of Burdwan, Bankura & Hooghly.

* Irrigation Command Area (Gross): {{convert|569000|ha|km2}}
* Irrigation Potential Created: {{convert|364000|ha|km2}}
* Canals: {{convert|2494|km|mi|abbr=on}}

{{convert|30000|ha|km2}} of land in the upper valley is being irrigated, every year by lift irrigation with the water available from 16,000 (approx) check dams constructed by DVC.

==Solar floating plants==
* '''DVC Mejia Floating Solar PV Park''': A floating solar PV park in India
* '''DVC Chandrapura Thermal Floating Solar PV Park''': 10 MW Floating Solar park in Bokaro, Jharkhand.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kavitha |date=2024-10-09 |title=Damodar Valley Corporation Invites Bids for 10 MW Floating Solar PV Plant at Chandrapura Thermal Power Station |url=https://solarquarter.com/2024/10/09/damodar-valley-corporation-invites-bids-for-10-mw-floating-solar-pv-plant-at-chandrapura-thermal-power-station/ |access-date=2024-11-22 |website=SolarQuarter |language=en-GB}}</ref>
* '''DVC Raghunathpur Floating Solar PV Park''': An under-construction 10 MW Floating Solar plant in West bengal
* '''DVC Konar Floating Solar PV Plant''': is an under-construction 50 MW solar PV power project in Jharkhand that and expected to be commercial operation in 2027

Damodar Valley Plans 1.7 GW of Floating Solar Projects in West Bengal and Jharkhand.

==Joint venture projects==
;Bokaro Power Supply Corporation Limited (BPSCL)
A joint venture of DVC and SAIL has been established to operate and maintain the captive power and steam generation plant, hived off by [[Steel Authority of India|SAIL]] and its Bokaro Steel Plant and supply power and steam exclusively to Bokaro Steel Ltd.<ref>{{cite book | last=Islam | first=S. Nazrul | title=Rivers and Sustainable Development: Alternative Approaches and Their Implications | publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] | date=2020 | isbn=978-0-19-007902-4 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0RP0DwAAQBAJ | access-date=6 June 2025|page=338|quote=Maithon (1,050 MW) is a joint venture with Tata Power, and Bokaro Power Supply Corporation Limited (BPSCL) is a joint venture with Bokaro Steel Limited.}}</ref>

;DVC EMTA Coal Mines Limited
A joint venture company formed with Eastern Minerals & Trading Agency for development and operation of Captive Coal Mine Blocks and supply of coal exclusively to DVC Thermal Power Projects of 10th and 11th plan.

;Maithon Power Limited
Maithon Power Ltd., a joint venture between Tata Power and Damodar Valley Corporation, is one of the first greenfield public-private partnership (PPP) power projects in India. Operational since 2011, the plant contributes significantly to the energy grid and DVC’s power distribution capacity.<ref name=":0" />

;Mining & Allied Machinery Corporation (MAMC)
The Mining and Allied Machinery Corporation (MAMC) in Durgapur – one of the PSU's in India set up under the rupee-rouble agreement and enjoying Soviet patronage in the early 1960s. Bharat Earth Movers has the highest stake (48%) in the consortium while the other two PSUs – DVC and Coal India – have 26% stake each.

==Pumped storage plants==
In 2018, DVC announced plans to build six 250 MW pump storage hydel power plants at Lagu Pahar on the Bokaro River.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Damodar Valley Corp to set up India's largest pump storage hydel power |url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/damodar-valley-corp-to-set-up-india-s-largest-pump-storage-hydel-power-118081700828_1.html |access-date=2024-11-22}}</ref>

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [http://www.dvc.gov.in DVC Website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171003011219/http://www.dvc.gov.in/ |date=3 October 2017 }}
* [http://www.moneycontrol.com/news-topic/damodar-valley-corporation/ moneycontrol.com]
* [http://powermin.nic.in/statutory-bodies powermin.nic.in] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160213095745/http://powermin.nic.in/statutory-bodies |date=13 February 2016 }}
* [http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/topic/Damodar-Valley-Corporation economictimes.indiatimes.com]
* [http://www.ndtv.com/topic/damodar-valley-corporation-dvc/news ndtv.com]

{{Damodar Valley}}
{{Energy Ministries and Departments of India}}
{{Power Plants of West Bengal}}
{{Power Plants of Jharkhand}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Electric-generation companies of India]]
[[Category:State agencies of Jharkhand]]
[[Category:Companies based in Kolkata]]
[[Category:Dams in Bihar]]
[[Category:Dams in Jharkhand]]
[[Category:Dams in West Bengal]]
[[Category:Energy companies established in 1948]]
[[Category:Ministry of Power (India)]]
[[Category:1948 establishments in West Bengal]]

Damodar Valley Corporation - Revision history

LouieWebb342 at 14:21, 22 March 2026