Panchet Dam was the last of the four multi-purpose dams included in the first phase of the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC). It was constructed across the Damodar River at Panchet in Dhanbad district in the Indian state of Jharkhand, and opened in 1959. DVC overview As a result of the catastrophic flood of 1943, the Governor of Bengal appointed the Damodar Flood enquiry committee to suggest remedial measures. It suggested creating an authority similar to that of the Tennessee Valley Authority in the United States. W.L.Voorduin, senior engineer of TVA prepared a preliminary report that outlined a plan designed to achieve flood control, irrigation, power generation and navigation. As a result, Damodar Valley Corporation came into existence in 1948 for development and management of the basin as a whole. While Voorduin envisaged the construction of eight dams and a barrage, it was later decided to have only four dams at Tilaiya, Konar, Maithon and Panchet, and Durgapur Barrage. The first dam was built across the Barakar River at Tilaiya and inaugurated in 1953. Two years later, in 1955, the second dam across the Konar River was inaugurated. The third dam across the Barakar at Maithon was inaugurated in 1957, and the fourth dam across the Damodar at Panchet was inaugurated in 1959. Location The Damodar forms the border between Dhanbad district of Jharkhand and Purulia district of West Bengal, before meeting the Barakar at Dishergarh and flowing fully through West Bengal. Panchet Dam has been constructed a little above its confluence with the Barakar. While Dhanbad district is on the northern bank of Panchet reservoir, Purulia district is on the southern bank. Panchet Hill rises above Panchet Dam. Panchet Dam is from Chirkunda on Grand Trunk Road, and from Dhanbad. It is from Asansol. The nearest railway station is at Kumardubi, away, on the Grand Chord line. Details of the dam The Panchet Dam is an earthen dam with concrete spillway. It has a catchment area of . The average annual rainfall is and average annual run off is . At the dam site the maximum observed flood (June 1949) was per second. For the project the spillway design flood that was adopted was per second. Two units of 40 MW have been installed for power generation. The four DVC dams are capable of moderating floods of to . The Panchet Dam has a storage capacity of to dead storage