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Tehri Lake

Tehri Lake

Published on February 04, 2025

Tehri Lake, located in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand, is one of the largest artificial lakes in India. It came into existence after the construction of the Tehri Dam on the Bhagirathi River, a major tributary of the Ganga. Today, Tehri Lake is not only a water reservoir but also a symbol of both human achievement and sacrifice. On one hand, it provides electricity, drinking water, irrigation, and flood control to millions of people. On the other hand, it submerged the old town of Tehri and many surrounding villages, displacing more than one lakh people.

The lake did not exist naturally. Its origin is directly linked to the planning and execution of the Tehri Dam project, which began in the mid-20th century and was completed in the early 21st century. The story of Tehri Lake is, therefore, deeply tied to India’s post-independence development goals, environmental debates, and social challenges. To understand Tehri Lake, one must first look at the historical background of the Tehri region, the idea of the dam, and the long journey that led to the creation of this massive water body.

The Historical Background of the Tehri Region

Before the lake came into existence, there was Old Tehri town, the capital of the erstwhile Tehri Garhwal kingdom. The word “Tehri” is derived from “Trihari,” meaning a place that cleanses three types of sins—of thought, word, and deed. This gives an idea of how important and spiritual this land was for the people living here.

The region of Garhwal had been ruled by many small kings. In the 18th century, King Sudarshan Shah established Tehri as the capital of his kingdom. The town was strategically located at the confluence of the Bhagirathi and Bhilangana rivers. This location later became the very site chosen for the Tehri Dam.

During the 19th century, after the defeat of the Gorkhas, Garhwal was divided between the British and the Tehri king. The British controlled Kumaon and some parts of Garhwal, while Tehri remained under the rule of its monarchs. After India’s independence in 1947, the kingdom of Tehri was merged into the Indian Union in 1949. The old town of Tehri continued to exist until the late 20th century, when it was finally submerged under the waters of the new reservoir.

Thus, the historical Tehri town, which once saw kings, battles, and cultural growth, became the foundation for a modern engineering marvel that changed the landscape forever.

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The Early Idea of Tehri Dam

The concept of a dam on the Bhagirathi River first came up in the 1940s when engineers began to study the Himalayan rivers for hydropower and irrigation projects. However, it was only in 1961 that a detailed survey and investigation were carried out for a dam near Tehri.

In the early decades of independent India, large dams were considered “temples of modern India,” a phrase famously used by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. The government saw dams as a way to achieve multiple goals at once—hydropower, irrigation, flood control, and water supply.

By 1972, the design for the Tehri Dam was approved. The original plan was for a 600 MW hydropower project. However, as technology advanced and needs increased, the capacity was later revised to 2,400 MW in stages.

The dam was not only about electricity. It was also planned to supply drinking water to cities like Delhi, provide irrigation to thousands of hectares of farmland in Uttar Pradesh, and regulate floods in the Ganga basin. With such wide-ranging benefits, the Tehri Dam project was considered a project of national importance.

Timeline of Construction

The journey from idea to completion was long and full of challenges.

  • 1961 – Detailed survey and investigation of the dam site completed.

  • 1972 – Official approval of the project design.

  • 1978 – Actual construction work began.

  • 1986 – The Soviet Union (USSR) offered technical and financial assistance.

  • 1988 – The Tehri Hydro Development Corporation (THDC) was created to manage the project.

  • 1990s – Intense protests and environmental debates slowed down construction.

  • 2001–2004 – Final stages of construction took place.

  • 2006 – The dam was commissioned, and the reservoir started filling, submerging the old Tehri town.

This timeline shows how the project took more than four decades from survey to completion, making it one of the most debated and delayed projects in India’s history.

Engineering Marvel of Tehri Dam

Tehri Dam is the tallest dam in India and one of the tallest in the world. It is an earth-and-rock-fill embankment dam, standing 260.5 meters (855 ft) high. Its length is about 575 meters, and its base is more than 1,100 meters wide.

The dam was designed with modern earthquake-resistant technology, as the region lies in a high seismic zone. This was one of the biggest concerns raised by critics, but engineers ensured that the dam could withstand even strong earthquakes.

The reservoir created by the dam, known as Tehri Lake, holds nearly 3.54 cubic kilometers of water and spreads across 42–52 square kilometers of surface area. This vast body of water completely transformed the landscape of the Bhagirathi valley.

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Formation of Tehri Lake

Tehri Lake was formed when the waters of the Bhagirathi River were blocked by the dam, leading to the submergence of Old Tehri town and several villages. Slowly, as the reservoir filled, the valley turned into a massive water body surrounded by the Himalayan hills.

This lake did not exist in nature before. It is purely man-made, created for power generation, irrigation, and water supply. The creation of Tehri Lake also marked the disappearance of a centuries-old town and the relocation of thousands of families.

Social Impact – Displacement and Resettlement

The making of Tehri Lake came at a heavy social cost. Nearly 100,000 people from Old Tehri and surrounding villages were displaced. More than 24 villages were completely submerged, and around 88 villages were partially affected.

The people were relocated to areas like New Tehri, which was specially built to rehabilitate them. However, many displaced families complained about inadequate compensation, lack of proper facilities, and loss of cultural ties to their ancestral land.

For the older generation, leaving behind temples, schools, farms, and ancestral homes was a painful experience. For younger people, it meant adjusting to a new life in an urban-style settlement away from their traditional rural surroundings.

Environmental Concerns and Protests

The Tehri Dam project faced some of the strongest environmental protests in India. Sunderlal Bahuguna, a famous environmentalist and leader of the Chipko Movement, was one of the most vocal critics of the dam. He argued that building such a massive structure in an earthquake-prone Himalayan zone was dangerous. He also highlighted the ecological loss caused by submerging forests, fertile land, and the sacred flow of the Bhagirathi (a tributary of the holy Ganga).

Religious leaders also opposed the dam, fearing it would disrupt the sanctity of the Ganga River. Environmental groups pointed out risks such as landslides, sedimentation, and the possibility of dam failure in case of a major earthquake.

Despite protests, hunger strikes, and legal challenges, the project went ahead, backed by the government as a necessity for development.

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Benefits of Tehri Lake and Dam

While the human and ecological costs were high, the benefits of the dam are also undeniable:

  • Hydropower: The dam generates about 1,000 MW of electricity from its first phase. With pumped storage and downstream projects, the total capacity is expected to reach 2,400 MW.

  • Irrigation: Provides water for nearly 270,000 hectares of new agricultural land and stabilizes irrigation for more than 600,000 hectares.

  • Drinking Water: Supplies clean drinking water to millions of people in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.

  • Flood Control: Helps regulate floods in the Ganga basin by controlling the flow of water.

Tehri Lake Today

Today, Tehri Lake is more than just a reservoir. It has become a hub for tourism and water sports. Activities like boating, jet skiing, parasailing, and water zorbing attract visitors from across India. The Tehri Lake Festival celebrates adventure sports, local culture, and Uttarakhand’s natural beauty.

The lake has also become a symbol of how a development project, despite its controversies, can be turned into an opportunity for regional growth.

Conclusion

The story of Tehri Lake is a story of transformation. From a quiet Himalayan valley with a historic town, it turned into one of India’s largest man-made lakes. Its origin lies in the ambitious vision of post-independence India to harness rivers for development. Its history is marked by decades of planning, protests, construction challenges, displacement, and finally, completion.

Tehri Lake stands today as a reminder of the complex balance between development and human cost. It represents both loss and progress—loss of old Tehri town and ancestral lands, but also progress in the form of power, water, and new opportunities.