Meerut is located on the banks of river Ganga and the Yamuna, for which reason, agricullture has played a pivotal role in shaping up of the economy in Meerut and its surrounding places. Fertile land coupled with good climate has made it conducive for the growth of agriculture and farming activities here. However, insufficient and untimely rains has also caused shortage of cereals and destruction of crops in the past. Dam irrigation and cultivation of crops through canals has, thus, proved to be promising for the farmers here. Similarly, since Meerut has abundant water resources through River Ganges and Yamuna, canal irrigation has been developed sufficiently well to supply water to other drought-ridden districts of Uttar Pradesh.
The establishment of dams and canals can be traced back to the age of Mughals, when 12-mile-long Kali Nadi link with Meerut opened up to supply water to the groves and gardens in Meerut, rather than for pure irrigation. Later on, during the British rule the 129-mile-long Doab Canal was opened up that served the districts of Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, etc. The need for better engineering capabilities were felt, as a result of which the British ingenuously developed work on the Ganges Canal. A number of canals and dams have been established in the later years to harness the available water resources in the region.
Eastern Yamuna Canal
Constructed in 1831, the canal and its branches is 1440-km-long. It provides irrigation to nearly 2 hectares of land in Meerut and the villages nearby. Ever since its inauguration, several modifications have been made as a result of several faulty designs and engineering. The upkeep and maintenance of this canal and the number of weirs it has created is jointly made by the states of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand.
Upper Ganga Canal
The construction of the dam dates back to 1842 and it took nearly 14 years for its completion. The canal links Ganga River up till Haridwar drawing its water from River Ganges. It connects the cities of Ghaziabad, Meerut, Etah and Kanpur among others. The main canal is 340-km-long, while its branches are about 5640 long. There are several hydro-electricity generation stations along the way of this canal and also has led to large fishing activities for the people here.In order to utilize the water from River Ganges, this canal has been declared as a National Waterway project.
Naraura Ganga Barrage
This Dam has been built across the River Ganga near Meerut. Besides providing water reservoir, this area is popular for the large gathering of people who participate in the Ganga Snan that takes place annually. It is also popular for the pis cine activity in this area.
Tehri Dam
This dam has been built across River Bhagirathi, tributary of River Yamuna. It is one of the most ambitious projects that has been carried on involving the states of Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh. Once completed, this dam will be the 5th tallest dam in the world. However, there has been an inordinate delay in its completion due to the displacement of a large number of people, land reclamation legal cases etc.