National institute of technology

uttarakhand
2014-15

REPORT ON IMAPCTS OF DAMS

SUBMITTED TO:

SUBMITTED BY:

MR.SHASHI NARAYAN

1.SHOBHIT KUMAR (BT13CIV041)

2.KRISHNAND NAND YADAV(BT13CIV042)

3.ROHIT KUMAR (BT13CIV043)

CONTENTS

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

INTRODUCTION
IMPACTS OF DAM
BENEFITS OF RESERVOIRS
ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECOSYSTEM IMPACTS
SOCIOECONOMIC IMPACTS

6 .CONCLUSION

1.

INTRODUCTION:

Water is the one of the most important resource to support all forms life on earth. But water is
not equally distributed over the world by location. The history of the dams throughout the world
are known in order to :
1. Prevent floods,
2. To supply drinking water and domestic water
3. To generate energy
4. For irrigation purpose.
Dam projects, which are useful in meeting the demand for water in desired times and in
regulating stream regime, have undertaken an important function in the development of
civilization. This growing concern that dam projects cause irreversible environment change
,which are often complex, multiple ,and essentially negative .Large dams have enormous
consequences for peoples lives and livelihoods, controversial issues such as displacement and
resettlement the environmental consequences of large dams are numerous and varied, and
includes direct impacts to the biological, chemical and physical properties of rivers.
The dam wall itself blocks fish migrations, which in some cases and with some species
completely separate spawning habitats from rearing habitats. The dam also traps sediments,
which are critical for maintaining physical processes and habitats downstream of the dam
(include the maintenance of productive deltas, barrier islands, fertile floodplains and coastal
wetlands). But water remains necessary for the survival of mankind and also for the future
development of the worlds cities, industries and, agriculture. Today there is a significant demand
on the worlds water. As the world pollution continues to grow at the rate of over 100 million
people each year, so does the demand for water. At the same time, there is a careless use of our
natural resources. One of the most efficient ways to manage water resources for human needs is
by the construction of dam that creates reservoirs for the storage and future distribution.
Currently
there are about 45,000 dam higher than 15 meters throughout the world. While some are
more than 2,000 year old, about 73% have been built in the last 50 years. The first known
dam was built in 2900 BC across Nile River to protect the city of Memphis from flooding.
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The reservoirs formed by these dams store some 3,600 km3 of usable water. The tallest
dam (305 meter) of the world is situated in China on Yalong Jiang River. The tallest dam in
India is Tehri Dam (261meter), on the Bhagirathi River, near Tehri, in Uttarakhand. Hirakund
dam is the longest dam in India, about 26 km in length. It is built across the Mahanandi
River, about 15 km from Sambalpur in the state of Orissa in India.

2.IMPACT OF DAM:
According to the international commission of large dams (ICOLD) large dams are the dam with a
height of 15 m and more from the foundation to crest .dams between 10 and 15 m also fall into
this category if the reservoir capacity is more than 1 millions cubic meters.
Presently there are more than 45000 large dams and an estimated 800,000 small dam regulates
the worlds rivers: all the dams have their own purpose to built ,some have been built to supply
water including irrigation ,control floods, provides navigation, fishing and recreation and
importantly the electricity . The reservoirs have played a important role in economic
development ; but there has been some problems growing about the failure of these projects to
address environmental and social concerns. Opponents of large dams gives a reason that the
benefits are outweighed by their environmental and social cost and the related direct and indirect
economic concerns.

3.BENEFITS OF RESERVOIRS:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Water Supply for Domestic and Industrial Use:

Meeting the Agriculture Demand for Food Supply
Flood Control
Recreation
Hydropower
Inland Navigation

Water Supply for Domestic and Industrial Use:

One of the basic requirements for socio economic development in the world is the availability of
good quality of water with the appropriate quantity. The worldwide per capita the water demand
is expected to about 750 liters per day in the year 2000, when the world population will be just
over 6 billion.
Properly planned, designed, constructed and maintained dams contribute significantly toward
fulfilling our water supply requirement. The primary source of fresh water supply is from
precipitation. Of the total precipitation, only 1/3 remains for runoff our rivers, the rest is lost to
infiltration and evaporation. Only 36% of this runoff is available for use. To accommodate
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variation in the hydrologic cycle, dams and reservoirs are needed to store water and then provide
consistent yearly supply.

Meeting the Agriculture Demand for Food Supply:

One of the biggest uses of water on world wide scale is agriculture irrigation. This will
account for about 1147 liters per day per capita by the year 2000. Since the early 1990s, less than
1/5 of the land suitable for agriculture in the world has been irrigated, and it has contributed
about 1/3 of world food production. It is estimated that 80% of additional food production by the
year 2025 will come from irrigated land. Most of the areas in need of irrigation are in arid zones,
which represent a major portion of developing countries. Even with the widespread measure to
conserve water
by improvements in irrigation technology, construction of more reservoirs and dams project will
be required.
Flood Control:
Dams and reservoirs can be effectively used to regulate river level and flooding downstream of
the dam by temporarily storing the flood volume and releasing it later. The most effectively
method of flood control is accomplished by a number of multipurpose dams strategically located
in river basin. The dams are operated by a specific water control plan for rooting floods through
the basin without damage.
Recreation:
The attractiveness of reservoirs and dams for tourism is often a significant benefit, in addition to
other purpose of dam. This is very significant area where natural surface of water is scare or non
existent. Recreational benefit associated with lakes, such as boating, swimming, fishing, bird
watching and nature walks, are taken into account early at the planning stage, along with the
other objective achieve a balance project. The operation of dams and reservoirs can enhance
tourism.
Hydropower:
The availability of energy is essential for socio economic development of nation. it is
advantageous to use energy that is clean, efficient, dependable and renewable. Hydro power
meets all these requirements. in countries, where a vast amount of development still lies
ahead, good condition often exist for renewable energy sources. The technically most advanced
and economical source of energy is hydro power. Water power has been used for grinding flour
and other purposes since ancient times. The worlds first hydroelectric plant was commissioned
in 1878. Today, hydropower is one of the main purposes of dam building. Of the worlds
approximately 50,000 large dams, at least 8,200 are linked to hydropower plants. While smaller
dams mainly serve irrigation purposes, the worlds 44 largest reservoirs all have hydropower as
their main goal . Less than 20% of the worlds estimated feasible hydro power potential has been
developed. The greatest amount of potential remains to be developed in Asia, South America and

Africa. Hydropower projects produce energy with a high rate of efficiency and without
burdening future generation with pollution or waste.
Inland Navigation:
Inland navigation is transport with ships via inland water (canal or river etc.) between
inland ports. The advantage of inland navigation over highway and rail are the large load
carrying capacity, the ability to handle cargo with large-dimensions and fuel savings. Enhanced
inland navigation is a result of comprehensive basin planning and development utilizing dams.

ENVIORNMENTAL AND ECOSYSTEM IMPACTS:

There is a growing concern that dam projects cause irreversible environment change ,which are
often complex, multiple, and essentially negative .Artificial lakes profoundly alter the natural
functioning of the entire ecosystem associated with them ,ranging from altering flow regimes,
changing water temperature and chemistry, modifying algal and migratory fish communities and
sediments transport and impacting the abundance and diversity of physical habitats .
The alteration of a river's flow and sediment transport downstream of a dam often causes the
greatest sustained environmental impacts. Life in and around a river evolves and is conditioned
on the timing and quantities of river flow. Disrupted and altered water flows can be as severe as
completely de-watering river reaches and the life they contain. Yet even subtle changes in the
quantity and timing of water flows impact aquatic and riparian life, which can unravel the
ecological web of a river system.
The dams causes the suspended particles to settle, thereby limiting its storage capacity and the
same time limits the flow of sediments downstream ,which hampers agricultural activities on
food plains owing to limited nutrients rich sediments decreased load of sediments carried by the
river will cause scouring of riverbed downstream.
Deterioration of water quality due to decomposition of flora fauna,pollution from increased
human activity including agriculture ,recreation and industries
There are some indirect effect of dams like negative environment due to construction activities,
habitat loss due to inundation, alteration of tectonic activity;change in water table higher around
the reservoir and lower downstream ;dam breaking .

5.SOCIOECONOMIC IMPACTS :
(i).Displacement and resettlement :
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Large dams have many consequences for the local peoples live and livelihood .The local people
have to face the displacement and resettlement .
(ii).Loss of common property resources:
Rarely are attempts made to compensate for the loss of common property resources. Most
displaced populations rely on free access to water, grasslands, forests, wetlands, riverbed land,
fish, etc. They derive their income and subsistence from a host of natural resources, many of
which may be unavailable at the rehabilitation site.

(iii)Loss of cultural sites:

Displacement causes psychological trauma due to the severing of cultural and religious links
with ancestral surrounds. With a few projects, some temples were relocated or fresh places of
worship were constructed, but in most cases, there was either no compensation or only a
monetary compensation e.g. Rs. 500 per temple in Warna, Maharashtra.

(iv).Loss of home:
The forced abandonment of ones ancestral home is always traumatic and cannot be fully
compensated for by a new house. The rate at which a house was compensated for varied but was
never the true replacement cost.
(v).Loss of preferred livelihoods:
The forced change of occupation resulting from displacement can be a source of significant
trauma as people are forced to adopt a profession that they are not trained or suited for. To
become a shopkeeper or vendor after being a first-class farmer or artisan takes a toll on an
individuals self-worth.
(vi).Impacts on health:
The change in climate, water, food and sanitary conditions, etc. can affect the health of displaced
persons. In the case of the Pong, Bhakra and Pandoh dams, people living in the hills of Himachal
Pradesh were to be relocated to the Rajasthan desert. Similarly, people displaced by the Tehri
dam have been shifted from the hills of Garhwal to the hot plains of Uttar Pradesh.

(vii).Conflicts wit host communities:

Rehabilitation sites usually come up near existing settlements, causing tensions and conflicts
between the host community and the displaced persons.

(viii).Process of displacement:
There are many complaints about lack of information, wrong and misleading information,
inadequate warning and notice of impoundment, lack of information about the processes of
relocation and rehabilitation, lack of assistance in the process of relocation, of secrecy,
corruption and incompetence.
(ix).Quality and quantity of land:
Perhaps the largest number of complaints are about compensatory land being uncultivable,
non-availability of irrigation, poor soil, of the quantity of land being less than the entitlement or
of the land being scattered.
(x).Availability and adequacy of other inputs: There are many complaints that cash
compensations are delayed, often not given till bribes are handed out, or inadequate when given.
Other facilities are also often reported to be non-existent, delayed, inadequate or of bad quality.
6.CONCLUSION:
Water remains the important resource to sustain civilization around the world. Sustainability of
life in some region of the world is threatened by the imbalance between the demands and
available supplies of water, food and energy. Dams and reservoirs can and should be acceptable
to the socio-economic and natural environment of the region. There may be challenges for the
future ,but there should be the utilization of dams and reservoirs for the better management of the
worlds water resources as a part of all round development of a nation .As every coin have two
faces advantages and disadvantages so dams also have some disadvantages or have some adverse
impact to environment. These negative effects of the dam on the environment can be reduced or
eliminated by proper planning and design that incorporate the public involvement and input in
the early stage of this process. When the appropriate mitigation measure are identified early in
the planning and design process for dam and reservoir, they can be effectively and efficiently
incorporated into the design, construction and operation of the project.
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