Damodar River

About Damodar River

• Origin: Damodar River rises in the Palamu Hills of Chhotanagpur in Jharkhand.
• It is a river flowing across the Indian states of West Bengal and Jharkhand. 
  • It is known as the Sorrow of Bengal.
  • It has varying landforms such as plateaus, hills, uplands, and flat plains.
• Course of the river: It flows generally in a south-easterly direction for about 540 km, of which 240 km lies in Jharkhand and the remaining part flows through West Bengal.
  • Below Durgapur in West Bengal, the Damodar River suddenly changes its course and divides into two channels.
    • These two channels are the Damodar Channel, also known as the Amta Channel, and the Kanka–Mundeshwari Channel.
• Tributaries: The major tributaries are the Barakar, Konar, Jamunia, Bokaro, Sali, Ghari, Guaia, Khadia and Bhera Rivers.
• Tributary of: The main channel of the Damodar eventually joins the Hooghly River, which ultimately flows into the Bay of Bengal.
• Total length: It has a total length of about 592 km.
• Catchment area: The catchment area of the river is about 22,000 sq. km.
• Damodar basin is known for its coal deposits. It accounts for 46% of the country’s coal reserves and commonly referred as the ‘store house of Indian coal.’
  • It is considered as the centre of coking coal in the country.
• It is an important industrial and mineral-rich region of India.
  • It passes through the Gondwana coalfields, including Jharia, Raniganj, Bokaro, Karanpura and Giridih.
• Dam situated on river: Damodar Valley Project is a multipurpose river valley project developed on the Damodar River and its tributaries.
  • Panchet Dam and the Tenughat Dam has been constructed on the Damodar River.