Aspirant Academy
ENHI

RAS question

Hirakud Dam, one of the longest dams in the world, is built on which river?

Correct answer: (A) Mahanadi.

Hirakud Dam is built across the Mahanadi River near Sambalpur in Odisha.

  1. (A)

    Mahanadi

  2. (B)

    Krishna

  3. (C)

    Godavari

  4. (D)

    Brahmani

Explanation

Hirakud Dam is associated with the Mahanadi, not merely because of its location near Sambalpur but because District Administration, Sambalpur describes Hirakud as standing across the great river Mahanadi. The exam-relevant markers are that it was completed in 1957, its total length is about 25.8 km including dykes, and it is counted among the world's longest earthen dams. It is also remembered as the first major multipurpose river valley project after Independence. For RAS, the key recall chain is therefore Hirakud - Mahanadi - Sambalpur, Odisha - major multipurpose river-valley project.

Why the other options are wrong

  • (B) Krishna is linked with Nagarjuna Sagar Dam, whereas Hirakud is identified with the Mahanadi.
  • (C) Godavari is not the river flowing through the Sambalpur-Hirakud setting.
  • (D) Brahmani is an Odisha river, but Hirakud is across the Mahanadi, not the Brahmani.

Concept

This tests Indian river-valley projects, especially the pairing of major dams with their rivers and states. It recurs in RAS because dams connect physical geography with irrigation, multipurpose planning and regional development.

Source

Related questions