· The world over, dams are constructed mainly for the purposes of irrigation, power generation, and flood control.
· While the first two roles are acknowledged, the role of dams in flood control has always been underestimated and always ignored.
· For flood control, the water level in the reservoir should be kept below a certain level in order to accommodate excess rainwater during heavy rains and also the collected water should be released in a regulated manner, thus preventing floods downstream.
· However, it is unfortunate that the maximum amount of water is stored in reservoirs to ensure greater electricity generation and irrigation.
· Whatever be the extra quantity of electricity produced and area of land irrigated because of the risky storage of water in our dams, that cannot compensate for the loss of human lives, infrastructure and agricultural land.
· To ensure that the flood control purpose of dams is met, it is important that at least 30% of the storage capacity of dams be kept free before the monsoon.
· While simultaneously allowing discharge of water, it is possible to increase storage slowly as the monsoon progresses.
· The meteorological department can predict rains or cyclones only a few days in advance. Therefore, keeping space in reservoirs before the monsoon begins must be done whether or not there are heavy rains, as no State can afford to take risks in the manner that Kerala did.
· Some argue against the existence of dams, but it is an irrefutable fact that we need them for irrigation and electricity generation. But the risk involved is always the highest as in 2015, hydropower generation was only 16.6% of the world’s total electricity production.
· Therefore, it is time to think of non-conventional sources for electricity generation such as solar, wind and tidal power to reduce our dependence on dams.
· It is also crucial to follow good reservoir water management policies.
· At present, the task of dam and water management is vested with the Public Works Department, the Electricity Board, and the Irrigation Department. Their contradictory opinions made it difficult to implement decisions.
· Hence, the State governments, the State Dam Security Authority and the National Water Commission, should be entrusted with the task of water management in reservoirs and with taking decisions in emergency situations.
Source : The Hindu