---
title: "Damodar River: Course, Floods & Valley Project"
description: "The Damodar River, the \"Sorrow of Bengal,\" rises in Jharkhand and joins the Hooghly; learn its course, the DVC dams, and why UPSC GS1 tests it."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/damodar-river"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- The Damodar River is a 592-kilometre river of eastern India that rises in the Chota Nagpur Plateau and joins the Hooghly, historically called the "Sorrow of Bengal" for its floods.
- Why is the Damodar classified as a peninsular river when it lies in eastern India?
- Why was the Damodar called the 'Sorrow of Bengal'?
- What is the Damodar Valley Corporation and when was it formed?
- Into which river does the Damodar drain?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

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In 2007 the Damodar Valley Corporation released large volumes from its Panchet and Maithon reservoirs during the monsoon, flooding districts of West Bengal and reviving the river's old reputation as the "Sorrow of Bengal."

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