Indrapuri Barrage

Indrapuri Barrage (also known as the Sone Barrage) is across the Son River in Rohtas district in the Indian state of Bihar.

The Barrage

The Sone Barrage at Indrapuri is 1,407 metres (4,616 ft) long and is the fourth longest barrage in the world. It was constructed by Hindustan Construction Company (HCC),the company which constructed the 2,253 m long Farakka Barrage, the longest in the world. Construction of the barrage was taken up in the 1960s and it was commissioned in 1968.

The Canal System

In 1873-74, one of the oldest irrigation systems in the country was developed with an anicut across the Son at Dehri. Water from the Son fed canal systems on both sides of the river and irrigated large areas. A barrage was constructed 8 km upstream of the anicut. Two link canals connected the new reservoir to the old irrigation system and also extended it.

Sir John Houlton, the veteran British administrator, described (in 1949) the Son canal system as follows, "This is easily the largest canal system in Bihar; there are 209 miles of main canals, 149 of branch canals and 1,235 of distributaries… The canals are of enormous benefit to cultivation. They have converted a large area of infertile land into a richly productive area."

Indrapuri

Indrapuri (Hindi: इन्द्रपुरी) is a town in Bhopal, India, in the BHEL township in the city of Bhopal.

Etymology

Indra is King of the demi-gods or Devas and Lord of Heaven or Svargaloka in Hindu mythology. He is also the God of War, Storms, and Rainfall. Alkapuri (incidentally, another locality in Bhopal) is another name of Swarga and is also called Indrapuri (Indra's estate).