Question

The highest dam in India is______
A. Tehri
B. Bhakra Nangal
C. Hirakud
D. Machkund

Answer 1

Hint: A dam is a structure that acts as a barrier and stops or limits the flow of water or underground streams. Reservoirs that are created by dams not only avoid floods but also provide water for activities such as human consumption, irrigation, industrial use, and production of energy.

Complete answer: Option A: Tehri dam is a dam in Uttarakhand, near Tehri. It is an embankment on the Bhagirathi River, and was built in 1978. It is 260.5 m high and has a capacity of 15,540 m3/s.
Option B: The Bhakra Nangal dam is a dam on the Satluj River in Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh. It forms the Gobind Sagar Reservoir. It was built in 1948 and has a capacity of 12.22 billion cubic metres. It is the third largest reservoir in India. It is 226 m high.
Option C: Hirakud dam is built across the Mahanadi River in Sambalpur in Orissa. It forms the Hirakud Reservoir. It was built in 1957. It has a capacity of 2,450 cubic metres per second. It is 61 m high.
Option D: Machkund dam is a dam built on the Machkund river, a tributary of Godavari river in the Jalaput village of Andhra Pradesh. This dam becomes the boundary between Andhra Pradesh and Orissa. It opened in 2000 and is 60.65 m high.

Therefore the correct answer is Option A: Tehri dam.

Note: A dam is a wall that is built across a river or a valley, which makes sure that water gets accumulated behind the wall constructed. A reservoir on the other hand, is the water that gets collected behind the constructed dam and hence the two must not be confused with each other.