Talukdar 1

Debastuti Talukdar
BA (Hons.) Political Science
Dr. Ajanta Dutt
20th June, 2022

Negative impact of Dam-building in India

Undoubtedly, it has many benefits and advantages when it comes to water storing,

generating power and other developmental ventures. But in the recent years, due to

unmonitored and careless behaviour of authorities and governments around the world, many

ecological and socio-economic issues have arisen, which is threatening to lead to many more

environmental and social disasters in the country. Such problems are discussed here.

Human civilization has grown along river banks throughout history. Dams have been

around since the dawn of civilization and dams are considered to be one of the oldest

methods of storing and channelling water. However, it is only during the last 100 years that

we have seen the most notable advances in dam architecture but as our knowledge of earth

sciences grows, we also realise that some dams are having an adverse effect on the

environment. Whilst thriving for development in all sectors in human life and using

technology to the best of its abilities, we tend to forget how badly it is affecting the

environment and society around us. A similar situation can be seen in India as well; a country

where the usage of dams has been prevalent since Before Christ, is now facing ecological and

social issues due to the disadvantages that dams possess, such as large-scale displacement of

communities, spread of diseases, severe loss of arable land, flora and fauna, etc. A document

brought out by the Ministry of Rural Development of India Government, in 1996, suggests

that over one crore sixty lakh persons have been displaced due to mining, dams and canals,
 Talukdar 2

industries, sanctuaries and national parks. An effort here has been made to discuss about all

the negative threats that dams are possessing to Indian society and its environment and raises

of question of what can be done to address these issues,

History of dams in India

In India, little streams at the local level were constructed for irrigation and drinking

purposes throughout ancient times. In his work Arthashastra, Kautilya stressed on the

importance of constructing dams and reservoirs to store rainwater for usage during periods of

rainfall scarcity. However, during the period of British rule in India, there was little

development when it came to dam-building, except for the notable invention of the Francis

Wheel, often known as "the inward flow turbine," which was created by Michael Faraday

in1931, along with Schuckert's discovery of how to conduct electricity through copper cable

in1882, which led the hydroelectric industry to expand in the country. This was the first small

hydroelectricity project carried out in British India, following which was followed by the

establishment of some more such plants in the Himalayan hill towns of Srinagar (1908),

Mussoorie (1909), Shimla (1913), and Nainital (1922).

It was only after the end of the British Era, when India was going through the

decolonisation process, did it get the opportunity to trace the route of its own economic

development. From the first Five Year Plan under the Jawaharlal Nehru administration,

which saw dams as the modern temples of India, major emphasis has been placed on the

construction of large power projects. Dams came to represent development; it significantly

aided in the production of energy, the prevention of flooding, irrigation, and navigation.

However, in recent years, dams have rather been contributing to ecological problems. There

are multiple factors for this, some of which has been discussed below.

Environmental and socio-economic effects of dams in India

The nation had built roughly 1554 huge dams by1979, and by1990, there were more

than 2240 large dams in the country. With the onset of the wide-scale dam-building

throughout the nation, communities and the environment both upstream and downstream

have been severely harmed by these dams. The major environmental problems include

negative impact on aquatic organism and overall aquatic ecosystem, alteration in river water

flow, loss of soil fertility, erosion of river bed, lowering of groundwater table levels,

landslides, earthquakes, among various other issues. During the building of the Bargi dam in

the Narmada valley, a multi-purpose irrigation and hydro-electric project, in Jabalpur, central

India, many villages and several hectares of land in three districts were flooded once the

waters behind the river rose. Several studies have indicated that detrimental repercussions of

huge dams usually outweigh the advantages. The rivers themselves, which are irreparably

ruined, are the area that is most affected.

Another primary effect of dam-building is the wide-scale displacement of

communities from their own habitat. For the dam to be built for the unidentified recipients,

they are expected to give up their land, the homes they have cultivated their entire lives, and

the surroundings they are accustomed to. The Sardar Sarovar Dam in Gujarat, built on the

Narmada River, displaces people from their homes every time the dam’s height is raised.

The result of the Narmada Valley Project makes it the world’s second-largest concrete

gravity dam. Every time the dam’s height is raised, people get displaced. The highly known

Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) estimates 40,000 households have been affected in

Madhya Pradesh alone. People are forced to leave the sites and migrate to neighbouring

towns and cities which also contributes to problems of overcrowding and overpopulation.

According to a paper published in 1996 by the Ministry of Rural Development of the Indian

Government, more than 1.6 crore 60 lakh people have been uprooted because of mines, dams

and canals, industries, sanctuaries, and national parks. Some of the more well-known
 Talukdar 4

instances where tribal rights to land and forests have been ignored to serve the greater

interests of the State and the general population include the Sardar Sarovar Dam project in

Gujarat, the Koel-Karo Dam project, Suvarnarekha and the Kuju Dam projects in Jharkhand,

the Balimela project, and the Machkunda Dam in Orissa.

There are various factors that also contribute to this problem, including complete lack

of concern of the Government and the authorities. The Expert Appraisal Committee of the

MoEF or the EAC and Central Water Commission (CWC) have a neglecting attitude towards

issues like these and maintaining environmental flows is largely ignored. There are certain

guidelines laid down that are supposed to be followed when it comes to dam management

post its construction but unfortunately those rules are only for the books since no guidelines

are followed and there’s hardly any monitoring. Additionally, it is still unclear how many

dams can be built on a river and the maximum number of dams that can be constructed on a

single river is unrestricted. All these flaws and negligence is contributing to the issue at hand

on the daily.

Conclusion

The impacts that dam building and its careless management have on the people of the

country is highly concerning. In the course of this process, forests are destroyed, the ecology

is affected, and the displaced people lose their homes, livelihoods, and villages. It is clearly

also becoming a trigger for climate change and irreversible natural disasters. The Central

Government too takes a careless approach to social and environmental issues. Affected

individuals and families, who bear the brunt of such development, lose everything—their

land and means of subsistence—without ever having a chance to speak up. It is hence a very

urgent issue which must be addressed carefully and at the earliest. Dams are extremely

important to regulate waterways and build reservoirs of water but this should be done with
 Talukdar 5

proper guidelines, planning and consideration of our community. Human life and our

environment cannot be compromised in the name of development.

References

NAYAK, ARUN KUMAR. “Big Dams and Protests in India: A Study of Hirakud Dam.”

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Economic and Political Weekly, vol. 45, no. 2, 2010, pp. 69–73. JSTOR,

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀http://www.jstor.org/stable/25663992. Accessed 16 Jun. 2022.

MANKODI, K. (1992), “Resettlement and Rehabilitation of Dam Oustees: A case Study of

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Ukai Dam”, in E. G. Thukral (Ed.), Big dams, Displaced People: Rivers of Sorrow,

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Rivers of Change, Sage Publications, New Delhi.

SINGH, R. K. MEHRA, V. P. SHARMA, N. “Malaria and the Narmada-River Development

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀in India: A Case Study of the Bargi Dam.” Annals of Tropical Medicine and

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Parasitology, vol. 93, no. 5, 1 July 1999, pp. 477–488, 10.1080/00034989958212.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Accessed 16 Jun. 2022.

WIEJACZKA, ŁUKASZ, et al. “Local Residents’ Perceptions of a Dam and Reservoir

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Project in the Teesta Basin, Darjeeling Himalayas, India.” Mountain Research and

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Development, vol. 38, no. 3, 2018, pp. 203–10. JSTOR,

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀https://www.jstor.org/stable/26572016. Accessed 16 Jun. 2022.

“Taking Action in India on Downstream Impacts of Dams.” International Rivers,

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀archive.internationalrivers.org/resources/taking-action-in-india-on-downstream-

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀impacts-of-dams-⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀1672#:~:text=One%20neglected%20aspect%20of

%20India%E2%80%99s%20dam⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀-building%20spree%20is. Accessed 18 June 2022.

BECK, MARCUS W., et al. “Environmental and Livelihood Impacts of Dams: Common

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Lessons across Development Gradients That Challenge Sustainability.”

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀International Journal of River Basin Management, vol. 10, no. 1, Mar. 2012, pp.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀73–92, 10.1080/15715124.2012.656133. Accessed 18 June 2022.

“Dams: Socio-Economic Implication of Big Dams in India.” Sociology Discussion - Discuss

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Anything about Sociology, 14 Oct. 2013,

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀www.sociologydiscussion.com/geography/dams-socio-economic-implication-of-

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀big-dams-in-india/733.

Eastern himalayas: BARUAH, SANJIB. “Whose River Is It Anyway? Political Economy of

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Hydropower in the Eastern Himalayas.” Economic and Political Weekly, vol. 47,

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀no. 29, 2012, pp. 41–52. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/41720014. Accessed

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀21 Jun. 2022.