Multipurpose River Valley Projects

Multipurpose River Valley Projects are large dams and associated infrastructure built to fulfil multiple objectives from a single water resource. These include

1. 💧 Storage of Water – for drinking and other domestic uses.
2. 🚜 Irrigation – to support agriculture, especially in arid and semi-arid regions.
3. ⚡ Hydroelectricity Generation – clean, renewable and emission-free energy.
4. 🌊 Flood Control – by regulating river flow and holding excess water.
5. 🌱 Soil Erosion Control – by checking excessive water flow.
6. 🚢 Inland Navigation – making rivers navigable throughout the year.
7. 🐟 Fish Culture – Large reservoirs provide breeding grounds for fish.
8. 🌴 Recreational Development – development of tourism, parks, and picnic spots around reservoir areas.

Despite the many benefits, large multipurpose and irrigation projects face multiple challenges across economic, environmental, social, and political dimensions:

1. High Capital Cost

• The construction of large dams and canals requires substantial financial investments, including land acquisition, construction, relocation, compensation, and environmental mitigation.
• The government often funds these projects through heavy borrowing or international loans.

2. Long Gestation Period

• These projects take years or even decades to complete from planning to commissioning. Delays happen due to litigation, funding issues, interstate disputes, or public protests.

3. Environmental Impact

• There is submergence of large forested areas, grasslands, and fertile agricultural land, which alters the local ecosystem and microclimate.
• Example: Submergence of thousands of hectares of forest in the Tehri Dam project.

4. Human Displacement

• Construction leads to the large-scale displacement of people from submerged villages and towns. But the rehabilitation and resettlement are often poorly executed or delayed.
• Example: The Sardar Sarovar Dam displaced over 2 lakh people, many of whom still await proper rehabilitation.

5. Biodiversity Loss

• The construction of Multipurpose projects alters the natural flow of rivers, affecting aquatic life and riverine biodiversity by blocking fish migration routes, destroying natural wetlands, and disrupting breeding habitats.

 6. Seismic Risks

• Many dams are located in the Himalayan region, which is seismically active. Sudden earthquakes can cause dam breaches, leading to catastrophic floods downstream.

7. Waterlogging and Salinization

• Improperly maintained canals can lead to seepage, causing waterlogging and salinisation, making land unfit for agriculture. It is common in canal-irrigated areas of Punjab and Haryana.

8. Cultural and Social Loss

• Dams often submerge sacred religious sites, temples, burial grounds, and ancestral lands.
• Disrupts tribal cultures, traditional water-sharing practices, and local governance systems.

9. Interstate and International Disputes

• Disagreements over water allocation, reservoir levels, and usage rights lead to legal and political conflicts.
• Example: Bhakra Nangal Dam water dispute among Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan.
• Internationally, projects on Indus River tributaries often draw opposition from Pakistan.