EMS-Water and its management, page no 102

A dam built across a river often serves more than one purpose at a time and is termed as a multipurpose project. Flood control, irrigation, hydroelectric generation, navigation, fishing and tourism etc are some of the chef aims of multipurpose project. But these dams have their advantages and disadvantages.

The advantages of multipurpose dam projects:

• The generation of electricity in hydroelectric power plants.

• Flood control.

• Irrigation.

• Tourism and leisure.

• The provision of water.

• Creation of habitat for wetland species.

• Access by boat to otherwise inaccessible areas.

The disadvantages of multipurpose dam projects:

• Relocating people.

• Flooding land.

• Disrupting the life cycles of fish and other aquatic organisms.

• Altering the water supply for people downstream of the dam.

• Reducing the enrichment of soil downstream of the dam.

• The dam may become redundant as sediment in the river sinks to the bottom of the reservoir.

  
  

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