The preparation time took from 1992-1994. The design had to be approved, 13 cities, 140 towns and 4,500 villages had to be relocated.
1.3 million people were paid $7,000 each to take their belongings and find a new home. Many people sat on the mountainsides and watched as their homes and villages were flooded.
Building started in 1995 and concluded in 2009.