Damodar River (Pron: /ˈdʌmoˌdaː/) is a river flowing across the Indian states of Jharkhand and West Bengal . The valley is rich in mineral resources and is known for large-scale mining and industrial activity. It was also known as the Sorrow of Bengal because of the ravaging floods it caused in the plains of West Bengal. The construction of several dams on the Damodar and its tributaries has helped control some of the flooding.
20-693: The Konar River is a tributary of Damodar River in Hazaribagh and Bokaro districts of the Indian state of Jharkhand . The Konar originates near Sultana village on the Hazaribagh-Chatra Road. Thereafter, the Konar with its tributary the Siwani drains a greater portion of the Hazaribagh plateau , and then descending through the barren wastes of scrub and jungle passes Gomia to receive
40-698: A catchment area of 997 square kilometres (385 sq mi). There is a barrage across the Konar River at the point of its confluence with the Bokaro River to serve Bokaro Thermal Power Station B . This article related to a location in Jharkhand is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article related to a river in India is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Damodar River Damodar means "rope around
60-453: A command area of 24,235 square kilometres (9,357 sq mi). 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 2,883 square kilometres (1,113 sq mi). The important coalfields in the basin are Jharia , Raniganj , West Bokaro , East Bokaro , Ramgarh , South Karanpura and North Karanpura . The Damodar Valley
80-569: A dam across the Barakar river at Belpahari in Jharkhand state. 22°17′N 88°05′E / 22.283°N 88.083°E / 22.283; 88.083 Bhadu (festival) Lores Genres Institutions Awards Folk genres Devotional Classical genres Modern genres People Instruments Dance Theater Organizations People Bhadu is the social festival of Southern West Bengal , East India. The festival starts from
100-640: A number of tributaries and subtributaries, such as Barakar , Konar , Bokaro , Haharo, Jamunia , Ghari, Guaia, Khadia and Bhera. 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:
120-493: Is one of the most industrialised parts of India. Three integrated steel plants ( Bokaro , Burnpur and Durgapur ) of Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) and other factories are in the valley. Several dams 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
140-654: Is said to have faded away and merged with the sky. The songs of the Bhadu festival are based on those that Bhadu was believed to have sung. Bhadu gaan, an inseparable part of Bhadu festival reflects the colours of rural society. It used to be very popular in Burdwan , Bankura and Midnapore . But in Birbhum the existence of this unique genre is being threatened by the rising popularity of cinema and television. Bhadu songs are composed extemporaneously and sung on each night of
160-680: The Constituent Assembly of India (Act No. XIV of 1948) as the first multipurpose river valley project of independent India. It is modeled on the Tennessee Valley Authority of the United States. 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
180-584: The belly", derived from Sanskrit दाम (dama) "rope" and उदर (udara) "belly". Damodar is also another name given to the Hindu god Krishna because his foster-mother, Yashoda , had tied him to a large urn. The Damodar is a rain-fed river. It originates in Khamarpat Hill on Chotanagpur Plateau in Jharkhand. It travels 368 miles (592 km) before joining the Hooghly River . Damodar River has
200-464: The first day of Bhadro , the fifth month in Hindu Calendar and continues till the end of the month. It has its origins in the story of a princess called Bhadravati (Bhadresvari) of Panchakote who magically disappeared. Bhadravati's devotees make an image of her and sing and dance before it throughout the month. On the last day of Bhadra, they gather on the river bank and immerse the image in
220-528: The great stone bridge in 1913 and the subsequent iron bridge in 1946. The Chota Nagpur Plateau receives an average annual rainfall of around 1,400 mm (55 in), almost all of it in the monsoon months between June and August. 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
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#1732773387585240-461: 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 7,100 to 18,400 cubic metres per second (250,000 to 650,000 cu ft/s). DVC has created irrigation potential of 3,640 square kilometres (1,410 sq mi). The first dam
260-471: The water. Songs, mainly focussing on marriage, form the main attraction of the festival in which both professional groups and amateurs take part. Celebrations include fairs and cultural programmes. Bhadu festival is mostly celebrated in Purulia , Bankura , Birbhum and Bardhaman districts of West Bengal . The Bhadu festival is centered around the legend of the princess Bhadu. According to legend, she
280-770: The waters of the Bokaro River , shortly before it joins the Damodar River near Jaridih Bazar in Bokaro district. Konar Dam is the second of the four multi-purpose dams included in the first phase of the Damodar Valley Corporation . It was constructed across the Konar River and inaugurated in 1955. Konar Dam is 4,535 metres (14,879 ft) long and 48.77 metres (160.0 ft) high. The reservoir covers an area of 27.92 square kilometres (10.78 sq mi). The Konar earth and concrete dam has
300-584: 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 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 8 kilometres (5 mi) upstream of the confluence point of the rivers. These four major dams are controlled by DVC. Durgapur Barrage
320-462: 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. 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. It proposes constructing
340-480: Was earlier known as the "River of Sorrows" as it used to flood many areas of Bardhaman , Hooghly , Howrah and 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
360-558: Was flooded. In 1789 an agreement was signed between Maharaja Kirti Chand of Burdwan and the East India Company wherein the Maharaja was asked to pay an additional amount of ₹ 193,721 (equivalent to ₹ 110 million, US$ 1.4 million or £1.2 million in 2023) for the construction and maintenance of embankment to prevent floods. However, these ran into dispute and in 1866 and 1873, The Bengal Embankment Act
380-541: Was found as an orphan by the chief of Lada village. Bhadu is said to be the living embodiment of the goddess Lakshmi . The chief adopts her and secretly raises her as a princess. Bhadu falls in love with Anjan, the son of a doctor in a neighboring village. The king does not approve of the relationship and has Anjan imprisoned. Bhadu and two companions then travel the kingdom singing song at the gates of forts and prisons, hoping that Anjan will hear her voice. The king eventually releases Anjan, but by then Bhadu has disappeared, and
400-683: Was passed, transferring the powers to build and maintain embankment to the government. So great was the devastation every year that the floods passed into folklore, as the following Bhadu song testifies: The Damodar Valley is spread across Hazaribagh , Ramgarh , Koderma , Giridih , Dhanbad , Bokaro and Chatra districts in Jharkhand and Bardhaman and Hooghly districts in West Bengal and partially covers Palamu , Ranchi , Lohardaga and Dumka districts in Jharkhand and Howrah , Bankura and Purulia districts in West Bengal with
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