Explanation: The Chambal River, a significant tributary of the Yamuna, flows through the states of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh. The Chambal Valley Project, initiated in the 1950s, aimed to harness the river's potential for irrigation, hydroelectric power generation, and flood control. This project involved the construction of four major dams along the Chambal River in Madhya Pradesh.
The first of these dams to be completed was the Gandhi Sagar Dam, which was inaugurated in 1960. The dam is located in the Jhalawar district of Madhya Pradesh and is named after Mahatma Gandhi. It is a rock-fill dam with a height of 63 meters and a length of 1,050 meters. The reservoir created by the dam, known as Gandhi Sagar Lake, has a capacity of 1.1 billion cubic meters and serves as a crucial water resource for the region.
The other three dams in the Chambal Valley Project are the Rana Pratap Sagar Dam, the Jawahar Sagar Dam, and the Kota Barrage. These dams were constructed in the following years to further enhance the benefits of the project. The Rana Pratap Sagar Dam was completed in 1973, the Jawahar Sagar Dam in 1976, and the Kota Barrage in 1979.
It is important to note that the Rihand Dam, mentioned in one of the options, is not part of the Chambal Valley Project. It is located on the Rihand River in Uttar Pradesh and was completed in 1959. Similarly, the Tehri Dam, mentioned in another option, is located on the Bhagirathi River in Uttarakhand and is unrelated to the Chambal Valley Project.
Understanding the chronological order of the dam constructions and their locations is crucial for correctly identifying the first dam built on the Chambal River in Madhya Pradesh. The Gandhi Sagar Dam, completed in 1960, holds this distinction and is a significant landmark in the history of water resource management in the region.