The largest dam in the world is the three gorges dam, built on the Yangtzi River in Hubei province of China. This dam is not only the largest in size, but its power generation capacity is also the highest in the world. Its construction is considered to be an amazing example of modern engineering. The construction of the Three Gorges Dam began in 1994 and was fully operational in 2012. The length of the dam is about 2,335 meters and height is 185 meters. It took about 18 years and billions of dollars to make it.
It is the largest hydroelectric station in the world with a capacity of about 22,500 MW. The dam protects crores of people from the floods that come every year in the Yangtzi River. Easy to make the movement of large ships in the river easier and promoting trade has been possible only because of this dam. The reservoir capacity of the Three Gorges Dam is about 39.3 billion cubic meters of water. It has 32 main turbines and 2 small turbines. This dam alone meets a large part of China’s electricity needs.
This dam is technically unique, but its construction has also created many controversies. Millions of people had to leave their homes and many historical and natural places were submerged. Scientists have also warned that its local ecosystem may have long -term effects. Three gorges are a major achievement of human engineering, which has contributed significantly to China’s economy, energy production and flood control.
However, environmental and social issues related to it cannot be ignored.
