hots:- dams protect people from floods and also provide electricity. however,they also causseseveral people to lose there lands and homes because of the rise in the level of water behind the dam.is building a dam desirable or dangerous?

Dams are constructed across rivers to control the flow of water in them. The lock-gates in dams are used for checking and controlling this flow of water.

 

Dams are both useful and harmful

How are dams useful?

Dams provide a range of economic, environmental, and social benefits to human beings. Some of these are listed below.

Water supply: The water stored in dams is used for irrigation throughout the year, irrespective of the season. For example, the Indira Gandhi Canal originates in Bhakra dam and provides water to several areas in Rajasthan.

Hydroelectric power: Dams are also equipped with turbines and generators to produce hydroelectricity.

Flood control: Floods can be controlled by checking the flow of water in a river.

Recreation: Dams provide opportunities for water skiing, setting up of camping resorts, and boat launch facilities.

Waste management: Dams contribute to environmental protection through the retention of hazardous materials and detrimental sedimentation.

Disadvantages of dams

There are certain disadvantages associated with the construction of dams across rivers.

Environmental problems: The construction of dams across rivers leads to deforestation, which results in the loss of biodiversity. This creates a disturbance in the natural ecosystem.

Social problems: The construction of dams involves the building of large reservoirs. In some cases, constructing a reservoir may result in the flooding of nearby towns and villages. A large number of people are displaced as a direct consequence of the construction of reservoirs. In such cases, the government rehabilitates the people of these areas, which in itself is a huge task.

Economic problems: The construction of dams requires huge amounts of monetary investments. A dam does not become profitable until it starts generating electricity.

As a result of all these problems, there is a strong opposition to the construction of large dams. The opposition to the construction of the Tehri dam over the river Ganga and the  Narmada Bachao Andolan (a protest against the proposed increase in the height of the Sardar Sarovar Dam over the river Narmada) are examples of such opposition.

 

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