Historically ruled by local Maharajas until 1947, the district underwent major transformation in the mid-20th century with the construction of the Govind Vallabh Pant Sagar dam and the discovery of rich coal deposits.

[citation needed] In the mid-20th century, significant changes occurred as a large dam was constructed on the River Rihand.

This dam, known as Govind Vallabh Pant Sagar, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in 1962.

In addition to these caves, Singrauli features painted rock shelters, such as those at Ranimachi, Dholagiri, and Goura Pahad, situated in Chitrangi tehsil.

These shelters date back to the Mesolithic age, characterized by microlithic tool cultures, and showcase early examples of Indian art made with red ochre.

Despite its cultural and economic significance, Singrauli faces challenges such as pollution threatening its historical sites.

Additionally, the district struggles with poor road connectivity and inadequate transportation services, issues that have persisted for years without resolution.

[citation needed] The Singrauli district covers an area of 5,672 square kilometres (2,190 sq mi).

According to the 2011 census of India, Singrauli district has a population of 1,178,273,[5] roughly equal to the nation of Timor-Leste[6] or the US state of Rhode Island.

[11] Later, rich coal deposits spread over an area of 2,200 square kilometres (850 sq mi) across the states of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh were discovered close to the artificial lake, Govind Ballabh Pant Sagar formed by the Rihand Dam.

This in conjunction with easy water resource from Govind Ballabh Pant Sagar makes this region an ideal location for high capacity pithead power plants.