Dams are source of benefit and comfort for some but loss and discomfort for others. This may cause many problems like submergence of agricultural and residential land destruction of large ecosystems, production of polluting gas methane from submerged vegetation, etc. The aim of 'Save the Narmada Movement project was to raise protect against the height of Sardar Sarover Dam on river Narmada. Two more such projects which caused displacement of tribal and locals and their alienation from their land without getting any benefit in return are Tawa Dam project on River Tawa and Teh dam on river Ganga.
(i) If you were Prime Minister of a country and you had to sanction construction of a dam on a large river in your country, what would be your major concerns. List at least three of them.
Dams are source of benefit and comfort for some but loss and discomfort for others. This may cause many problems like submergence of agricultural and residential land destruction of large ecosystems, production of polluting gas methane from submerged vegetation, etc. The aim of 'Save the Narmada Movement project was to raise protect against the height of Sardar Sarover Dam on river Narmada. Two more such projects which caused displacement of tribal and locals and their alienation from their land without getting any benefit in return are Tawa Dam project on River Tawa and Teh dam on river Ganga.
(i) If you were Prime Minister of a country and you had to sanction construction of a dam on a large river in your country, what would be your major concerns. List at least three of them.
Dam
- A dam is an infrastructure built to stop the flow of a river.
- This allows the river's water to collect in an area and be used for electricity production, water storage, irrigation, and prevention of floods.
- The dam covers a large area, and the river water collected by the dam spreads to surrounding areas creating issues for the locals.
Concerns regarding the dam construction are:
1. Species extinction
- The water collected by a dam spreads to the nearby areas, destroying the habitat of humans and animals.
- The loss of habitat leads to the scarcity of food for the forest animals. That leads to their death.
- Many species die as they can't escape the dam water.
- This led to the extinction of many important ecosystem species.
2. Spread of diseases
- The dead bodies of living beings that died by drowning in the dam water are degraded by decomposers.
- This breaking of organic matter in dead bodies releases harmful gases into the environment.
- Also, many disease-causing agents feed on dead matter spread the infection to the living organisms.
3. Soil erosion
- Dams hold back the minerals and other sediments of the river water, depriving the downstream flow of essential compounds.
- Thus, the downstream water takes up the minerals from the surrounding soil of banks and channels, which leads to soil erosion.
Dam
- A dam is an infrastructure built to stop the flow of a river.
- This allows the river's water to collect in an area and be used for electricity production, water storage, irrigation, and prevention of floods.
- The dam covers a large area, and the river water collected by the dam spreads to surrounding areas creating issues for the locals.
Concerns regarding the dam construction are:
1. Species extinction
- The water collected by a dam spreads to the nearby areas, destroying the habitat of humans and animals.
- The loss of habitat leads to the scarcity of food for the forest animals. That leads to their death.
- Many species die as they can't escape the dam water.
- This led to the extinction of many important ecosystem species.
2. Spread of diseases
- The dead bodies of living beings that died by drowning in the dam water are degraded by decomposers.
- This breaking of organic matter in dead bodies releases harmful gases into the environment.
- Also, many disease-causing agents feed on dead matter spread the infection to the living organisms.
3. Soil erosion
- Dams hold back the minerals and other sediments of the river water, depriving the downstream flow of essential compounds.
- Thus, the downstream water takes up the minerals from the surrounding soil of banks and channels, which leads to soil erosion.
