Rengali Dam

Rengali dam is located in Odisha. It is constructed across Brahmani River in Rengali village located 70 km from Angul in Angul district, Odisha in India.ConstructionThe dam was constructed in 1985. The project was not welcomed by the local people during the conception and initial implementation of the project due to the displacement of several people and the way the Government tacked the issue. The project has displaced a total of 10,700 families.FeaturesRengali dam is 70.5 m tall and 1040 m wide. The reservoir formed by the dam is the second largest reservoir in Odisha with 37, 840 hectares at full level and 28,000 hectares in mean level. The reservoir has a catchment area of 25,250 km2 mostly forests and wasteland. The dam is also used to generate electricity by 5 units with a capacity of 50MW each. The dam holds 3412 million cubic meters of water at Full Reservoir Level (FRL).Rengali irrigation projectA barrage is constructed across the Brahmani river 35 km downstream of Rengali dam. The barrage is used to store the flood releases from the dam and divert it through two canal systems. It has a free catchment area of 4780 km2 and between the dam and barrage. The area records an annual rainfall of 1570 mm on average.Environmental impactBhitarkanika Mangroves, located in Odisha adjacent to Bay of Bengal faces a unique threat since the construction of this dam. The species of trees in the Mangroves are fed by the unique combination of salt and fresh water from rivers including Brahmani River. Scientists from Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology (IMMT) and Spatial Planning and Analysis Research Centre Private Limited (SPARC) have performed a study on Effect of reduced water flow through Brahmani-Baitarani river system on the mangrove population of Bhitarkanika estuary.