Milestones in Indian dam development

India ranks third in the world after China and the USA in terms of its number of dams. This is the culmination of achievements dating back through millennia. The country has rich water resources, and dam construction has been one of the oldest engineering practices. This paper traces the history of dam engineering in the country, highlighting the construction activities and achievements from 3000 years before the Christian era to the present day. According to the National Register of Dams, India has 5334 large dams in operation today, of which 212 are 100 or more years old, with another 411 under construction.