Damodar Valley Corporation
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.Maithon
48 km from Dhanbad, Maithon is termed as mother's abode. It has the biggest reservoir in DVC. It has been designed for flood control & generates 60,000 kW of electric power. It is built on the river Barakar. It has its unique underground power station, the first of its kind in South Asia. The lake is spread over an area of 65 km2. It is . long & high. The dam's mission comprises: :flood Control :promotion & operation of schemes for irrigation :water supply for domestic & industrial use :navigation & drainage :generation, transmission & distribution of electrical energy.History
In 1942, during the course of World War II, a flood occurred in the Damodar valley region that cut Calcutta off from the rest of the country for a period of 10 weeks. Soon the government sprang into action & called Mr. W.L.Voord, a civil engineer ofOperation
Damodar river is a seasonal river, basically 82% of which is filled up by rainfall in July–September. 1 June to 31 October is the filling period during which rainwater is stored and the stored rainwater is used for irrigation by the downstream areas of Burdwan, hydroelectric power generation and scores of other activities.Maithon Hydel
Maithon Hydel Power Station (MHPS) is located on the river Barakar about 12.9 km above its confluence with the Damodar near the border of Dhanbad & Burdwan districts of the states of Jharkhand & West Bengal respectively. The unique feature of this is that it is located underground in the left bank of the river and is the first underground hydel power station of South East Asia. The power station has a total generating capacity of 60 MW with 3 units of 20 MW each. MHPS is located at almost 100 feet below the water level, and is the first of its kind, in South East Asia. After RM&U of unit no 2 of MHPS, its capacity was enhanced and the total Installed capacity of the plant is now 63.2 MW.Reservoir operation
Problems
People involved in power generation say that water should be filled up as much as possible as it would be better for power generation. People involved in flood control department says water storage should be lowered, so that in case of excessive rain a flood like situation arises then it will be a flood cushion. This is a conflicting nature, so water has to be kept at an optimum level to satisfy both parties Dead storage capacity of the dam during the initial years was much more than the storage capacity now. The portion of a water storage's capacity that is equal to the volume of water below the level of the lowest outlet (the minimum supply level), is known as th Dead Storage Capacity. This, increase has been mainly due to the sedimentation storage. Due to human & industrial activities, the storage capacity has decreased over the years. As per the design of dam, capacity depth should have been . But due to non-acquisition of land the depth is at . The carrying capacity of the dam was . But at the time of construction it was only and at present it has a carrying capacity of less than . The cost of removing deposited silt in the dam is equal to the construction of a new dam, therefore economically not viable. If the silt is removed and stored in the banks of the dam, then during monsoon, the silt would get washed off into the dam. Maithon Dam has completed 60 years in service, and this naturally has an effect on the structures, in spite of regular maintenance by DVC.Flood warning
Rahul Before releasing the water from dam's spillway gates, a necessary warning is communicated to district authorities, affected downstream industries, municipalities and others including senior administrative officials of Burdwan, Bankura, Purulia; IOW Dept. Govt. of WB; EE, DHW, Durgapur; Member; CWC, New Delhi. Whenever there is a discharge from Maithon and Panchet dams exceeding , special arrangements are broadcast through Doordarshan and AIR regional news bulletins. Doordarshan, Kolkata also telecasts daily weather forecasts with probable rainfall in the Damodar Valley. Maithon Dam has completed its 60 successful years in the service to the nation but, the maintenance of the reservoir is a matter of concern. In these 60 years the depth of the reservoir has decreased, so it gets flooded very soon. So to maintain the safe level the water has to be released through dams. It has a dual impact, first it hits badly to the irrigation in Burdwan District also the power generation capacity MHPS as the capacity of the reservoir has decreased in last 60 years. The rain water takes a lot of soil with it and the same settles down in the reservoir causing decrease in the depth.References
{{North Chotanagpur Division topics Dams in Jharkhand Dhanbad district Gravity dams Underground power stations Dams completed in 1957 1957 establishments in Bihar